M11X R1 Problems. Sorry to ask but help please

New m11x owner r1 here and i love the machine but i have encountered a few problems and am wondering if anyone can assist me.

I tried to hook up my tv via hdmi when using the intel gfx card the tv is not recognized at all. If i switch to the nvidia it works but i then get no sound. The only sound option is the inbuilt speakers The usual hdmi sound option is not listed in the sound manager and i am at a loss as to why.

I also tried to install the latest intel g45 chipset driver from dell and i get an error message saying something along the lines of the pc is not compatible or powerful enough. I am at work at the moment so what it says exactly i cant quite remember but that is close enough.

So to recap Basically my issues are

When running the intel gfx i cant get a picture on my tv using hdmi.

The nvidia gfx gives me picture but no sound.

The latest intel driver wont install.

I have done a bit of searching and googling last night and from what i have read r1 owners cant use the intel gfx when hooked up to external display. Am i right? If i am i am a bit gutted really cos if i had known about the intel gfx before i may have stumped up the extra for an r2.

I think i will be doing a fresh install tonight but i would like to get to the bottom of this before i do.

Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble but any help would be appreciated.

 

The R1 uses old manual switching nvidia hybrid graphics which means that you have to use the Dell/Alienware supplied graphics drivers if you want to be able to switch graphics cards within Windows.
The HDMI port is only connected to the nVIDIA GPU, however both graphics cards can use the VGA port.

 

Like namaiki said, to use the hdmi port, you need to activate the Nvidia card, but for the vga, I use all the time with the intel vga.

Also, to work properly, you have to download the hybrid card drivers from dell, I personally, like it better than the optimus.

 

Can't help you on the intergrated issue but in regards to the nvidia having no sound, I actually encountered that problem earlier as well.

In essence, I wouldn't even call it a problem but instead just a nuisance because when I couldn't get any audio while streaming some sports games on my TV, I found that all you need to do is right click the speaker icon on the bottom right (in the windows tray), click "Playback Devices" and then choose your TV and "Set Default" to have the audio going through.

If that doesn't work, then it may be a problem with your drivers or your laptop. Hope I helped!

 

ok thanks for all the replies so far. as i think i said the problem with selecting the hdmi sound in the sound manager is there isnt a hdmi sound icon only the internal speakers. At the moment for the gfx i am using 8.17.12.6308 driver date 08/11/2010. is that the best driver and the most up to date?

I have no problem switching between the different gfx cards i dont think (anyway i can test to know for sure it is actually working as it should).

Also the error message i described ealier when i try to install the latest intel g45 chipset drivers i downloaded from dell is this: the computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing this software set up will exit.

Too be honest i am very disappointed with this. Why oh why couldnt dell make drivers that allowed the intel driver be used for hdmi? Also why they didnt test the laptop to make sure it was working correctlt before posting it out is beyond me.

I have been reading about the user created drivers. Are they better? would they allow me to use the intel card for video display through the hdmi port? I mean i refuse to use the vga port as that doesnt give me as good a clear a picture as the digital one.

so anyways still no sound over hdmi and unable to load the intel driver. I reckon tomorrow a fresh install is the only thing but as stated i would still like to know the case and fiux before i proceed.

Cheers

 

It is still the best driver for the M11x R1.

I believe it is a hardware limitation. In fact, on my computer (it's just a laptop with nvidia/intel hybrid graphics) when I plug in a HDMI cable, it will automatically switch to nVIDIA graphics.

For a time, the user created drivers were newer than the Alienware ones, but now the official drivers have caught up and both should be about the same.

As far as I know, it will never be possible to use HDMI via the Intel card as there is no physical connection but I could be wrong about that.

Regarding the sound issue, I suppose you could try the older 197.72 driver or the user created driver 236.08 instead.

 

That makes feel better knowing that while i still dont like it too much at least it is nice to know it isnt dell who have left me out to dry. Seems strange as the intel card on other laptops i have owned is more than capable of displaying 1080p and running high def flash video so why it cant work when switchable gfx is configured on the laptop is a bit weird eh!

will stick with the dell drivers for now then as i havent encountered any problems so far although i will do some more reading and then make up my mind.

yes i am hoping a clean install will sort this out. Will find out tomorrow i suppose.

Thanks for the reply as that just about clears it up. My mind is sort of set at ease and aside from the sound issue which i am sure i will

One final thing is there anyway i can test if the gfx are actually switching? maybe some software i can install that will give me a definitive answer?

Have to say for the money it is a great laptop and the fact the keyboard is backlit is a real bonus and one or two niggling issues do not detract from this although i still have a slight regret i didnt get a an r2 for another 150 but hey ho.

 

There's the green nVIDIA hybrid graphics tray icon. Besides that, you could probably check device manager or GPU-z.

 

Thanks mate you have been incredibly helpful. As it stand the hdmi sound issue righted itself by itself yesterday. Just started working when i plugged it in. No rhyme or reason to it it just worked.

I had been using my bluetooth connected creative speakers to stream audio and when the hdmi sound returned i lost bluetooth abilities and it didnt return until a reboot!

So a few minor bugs to iron out but so far so good. It does seem like a fresh install of windows would sort these out as i have factory reset it twice using the usb drive i created and i dont really like doing that. No matter how good the back up tech is nothing beats a new booting system.

The gfx do seem to be switching using both the icon in the task bar and fn f6 so that is good.

One very final thing. Is there anyway i can set the fn keys to use the default fn functions and not have to press fn ie i press f6 and it just switches the gfx rather than pressing fn and f6. My other dell laptops had options in the bios or using software like quickset to do enable this but i havent been able to find anything on the m11x.

I am also going to install the battery manager thingy to disable the charging when plugged in as i used to really like that on my m101z and looking around batterys for the m11x are pretty thin on the ground and when they do pop up they are rather expensive to the point where it would be almost cheaper buying another laptop!

 

For this I use SharpKeys. I found out about it here on these forums, though I can't tell you where. But it works. I did that on Vol+, Vol-, and Fwd, PlayPause, and Reverse.