A few questions about my Alienware M15X and upgrades...

Hi everyone, As can be seen from my signature, I have gotten quite a few upgrades for my M15x. This is coming from the stock Core i7-720QM, 4GB ram, 320GB 7200RPM HDD, and AMD 5370M GPU. I purchased the laptop from a friend for $300, so that is why I am looking to upgrade the hell out of it and hopefully keep it for a little bit. I purchased an Intel Core i7-920XM, 8GB ram, (originally had a Samsung 470 Series 128GB SSD, but found that the storage capacity will not suffice in the long term...so I ordered a larger capacity SSD) Samsung 840 Evo Series 250GB SSD, and a AMD Radeon HD 8970M GPU. I also picked up an ExpressCard USB 3.0 2 port adapter and a 240W Dell PSU.

My question is, once I get all this stuff and slap it all together...Will it work properly? I mean I have an intent to run it at stock...BUT if I can slightly overclock both the CPU and GPU to SAFE I repeat SAFE speeds and levels, What would be the settings to go about it? I don't know if I want to go as far as modding the cooling solution of the M15x. I hear that I also need to buy an adapter for the plug on my 240W PSU to charge my battery. Do I still need to remove the pin on the jack? What is the point of that adapter that goes on the jack? Would the Core i7-920XM and the 8970M play nicely with a slight OC...(no over voltage if possible...)? Would the bracket from the 8970M (Which from what I read is designed for the M17x) fit properly on the M15x?

Thanks in advance!

 

Of course it will work properly

The adaptor is there so you don't have to modify your actual adaptor. If you pull the pin from your adaptor it will never be able to charge your battery ever again. You would then have to buy I new one. I have done this because this is new knowledge. You simply pull the pin from the tiny adaptor and use it when you want to game and remove it and plug normally when you want to charge or do non gaming activities. Quite simple and really cheap solution.

You can very easily run your 920xm at 24x (3.2ghz) on 4 cores and 26-27x on 1 and 2 (3.5-3.6ghz) cores. This approximately nearly doubles the performance vs you'd old 720qm and the cooling can handle it. You can also control the fans manually using Hwinfo. Setting the fans to their max 5000rpm when you think you need it. Monitor CPU temps in your system tray using coretemp and the gpu using gpuz.

Iam running 3.73ghz (28x) on 4 cores and 30-31x on 1-2 cores(4+ghz) so this is very extreme OC no one has done this except for me and svl7. I don't expect you to do this and do not advise it if you are not sure what you are doing exactly.

If you buy the 240w the plug is the same so you can simply go ahead and use the the right angle mini adaptor thingy that used for the 150w. All dell psu's have same plug tip


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

Thanks king for your help! I purchased the 240W adapter and the tiny adapter. When I get it, I will remove the pin inside the tiny adapter as you suggested. Now when you say that I can OC 4 cores to 24x and 1-2 cores to 26-27x...is there a setting on the bios that I can change to achieve this? Or is it a software I can download and run on Windows? Do you think that the auto fan cooling is adequate enough to cool the CPU while it's OC'ed properly?

That sounds like a crazy OC on your part! I would love to attain it, but I don't want to go too crazy on modding and aftermarket cooling solutions. I am perfectly fine with a 3.2Ghz OC. I have a desktop at home with a 3.6Ghz AMD Phenom II and 2x GTX 460's for heavy gaming. I just want a laptop that I can take with me and do some moderate gaming on. I do respect the fact that you do it though. Maybe one day I will get the courage to try it...

Also, What can I do to OC the GPU? What settings would be safe for the 8970M? What program can safely OC the GPU? With the 240W adapter, is it safe to OC both the CPU and GPU? I'm sorry if I am asking too many questions and please let me know if I am bothering you. Thanks in advance!

 

Not a bother that is why I come here to help others and learn from others.

To control CPU clockspeed you can download the free program called Throttlestop. It is a great program and there are tutorials in how to use it. The creator is also a member on the forum (unclewebb) you can also control the tdp settings to control how much heat you allow it to create before throttling. Really easy and fantastic to use once to learn how

I recommend you elevate your M15x a little with the elevation higher at the back. The 9 cell battery does this perfectly but it costly to buy. Use gel/rubber feet or whatever you can find around the house. Also I recommend using a decent thermal compound such as ICD 7/24 or MX 4 etc. If you want to increase airflow a bit more if you look at the air intakes you can see the plastic grill/mesh covering the intake. You can open the access door where the holes are mounted and simply rip this mesh off. Pretty easy to remove. Airflow goes up nicely.

The 8970M should give your 460's a run for their money. Probably about as powerful but without the sli scaling issues and possible microstuttering. In some games the 8970M will be a clear winner! To OC the 8970M you have to do your own research. If you ask this question on the gaming part of the forum I am sure some people would offer advice. I use a vbios editor and flash when I want to change clocks but this program doesn't work with the 8970M it was custom made for the original 7970M. I can imagine however 1000/1500mhz should be easily attainable over stock 900/1250 at stock voltage blasting your desktop away haha. My card which isn't the best can achieve 960/1450mhz at stock voltage the 8970M has to perform better!

Yes you can safely OC both CPU and GPU with the 240W especially with the throttle fix mod completed. You might just find your M15x outperform your desktop

Also are you still ok with budget here. You are really splashing out. It is nice to see but just making sure you are ok with that lol!

 

Thank you king! I really appreciate your time and advice. I will download the program Throttlestop tonight and test it out when I receive my 920XM. I'm going to run it at 24-4 cores and 26-2 cores. I usually keep it on a flat surface. I have a cheapo notebook cooler, but I am thinking of getting this: Thermaltake Massive23 LX Notebook Cooler CLN0015 - Newegg.com Is this good? If not, I can go to the hardware store and figure something out. I use Antec Nano Diamond 9 thermal paste. (Only the best.) I will see how temps go before removing the mesh.

I figured that the 8970M would be more than enough GPU power. Especially paired with my 920XM. I guess someone in the gaming forum can help with OC'ing the 8970M. Would 1000/1500Mhz be safe in terms of power draw/TDP and heat? It would be crazy to see my M15x outperform my desktop! I may end up using it more than the desktop honestly. Once I get all the parts, I will see how things go, and if it works out the way I hope...I will have a beast laptop for quite some time!

I had the budget to keep costs low. I didn't have a job before today! I just got a call confirming a background check clearing. I'm super excited, and I can afford these upgrades now. I was a bit hesitant to spend this kind of money, but I'm the kind of person that spends a lot at one shot and get something I won't have to touch for a while. Unlike a lot of people I know who buy cheap $500-700 laptops and replace it every 6 months to a year and a half. You can tell by the specs of my desktop that I have had it for quite some time. It is still rocking and I plan on keeping it for as long as it can go for. Same goes for my soon to be BEAST M15x

 

It will outperform your desktop especially if you do a little ocing. 460m sli is great but getting dated. 8970m with tiny oc = 7870 desktop.

As for the CPU well it is a unlocked and better binned version of the desktop i7 920. It has a lot of potential.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

I have the Desktop GTX 460's on my desktop, they are a bit more powerful than the 460m's I'm assuming. I will then do as much of an OC as would make it stable with stock cooling with the 920XM. As far as the 8970M, I checked with the Gaming forum and others have suggested that because the 8970M has not really been seen with the M15X and because the 8970M is already pretty powerful, that I hold off on OC'ing the GPU. I would like to be the guinea pig and try a slight OC on it though. I feel like I got the equipment for it and there is nothing wrong with a free boost haha. The only question is, How would I apply the OC? I am thinking to try 1000/1500Mhz.

 

Okay, so I got the adapter. Is the little pin inside the hole the one I pull off for the mod to work? Thanks in advance.

 

There should be only one visible pin which is on the end of the adaptor that will plug into the laptop. This is what you need to remove. Take some tweezers and yank that sucker out.

The 8970M will draw the same as the 7970M.

 

Okay, so I yanked out the data pin and plugged it in to the laptop. My laptop does not charge when it is plugged in with the cheapo L adapter plugged into the PSU plug. However, since I don't have the 920XM or the 8970M yet, Is there a way to test to see if it works? When I remove the cheapo L adapter and plug in the laptop to the PSU directly...it resumes to charge. I installed my Samsung 840 EVO SSD and the Intel Centrino Ultimate-N WLAN adapter today, they both work phenomenally. My SSD scores a 7.7 on the Windows 7 rating, and the 5Ghz wireless network gets full bars everywhere in my apt! Just waiting on the rest of the stuff patiently :/

 

Not really. It definitely works though. The fact that the battery doesn't charge means the mod is complete.

Now when pushed the GPU will not throttle instead the PSU will provide power all the way up to it's tripping point at which point your system would switch off instantly. If that happens then you will need to get the 240W as the 150W would be inadequate.

Anyways you are lucky to have it I have numerous PSU's as I didn't know this until we discovered the fix here at NBR. Enjoy the knowledge You keep your PSU's intact and save tonnes of money

 

Thanks for the tip! (Pun intended haha) I am looking forward to testing out the CPU + GPU. I will let you know of the results.

 

Just a quick question. I am looking at putting an 8970m in a m15x as well and I have a question about the the mounting bracket. I've heard that it needs to be filed. Is this accurate? Or will the stock amd x bracket line up with the stock heat sink in the m15x? The m15x I am purchasing came with a 560m so I'm not sure if a different heatsink is required. Thank you very much for any information. And I apologize if I hijacked the thread at all.

 

Not accurate. Don't do any such filing! Just make sure you have the correct xbracket. The Bracket for the 6970M/6990M/7970M/8970M is the same. The 5870M/5850M I think is the same too.

HOWEVER you have the 560M which is a NVidia card. It will not fit properly. Do NOT attempt to mount it to the card or mod it to do so. You will fry the card. Instead head to ebay and get yourself a compatible x bracket and screws. Not that expensive and FAR FAR cheaper than a bricked $300+ GPU!

 

Yeah. I was going to definitely use the 8970m xbracket. It's good to know no filing is required. I just happened upon the m15x and it seems like a really good test laptop and from the specs it should perform awesomely. I appreciate the help sir.

 

I am glad to hear more people trying the 8970M with their M15x's! I hope everything works out for you Expo, and please post results when you test it.

 

I am severely disappointed! I received the 240W PSU, 920XM CPU and the 8970M GPU today. HOWEVER, the 8970M ebay listing has shown that it's supposed to come with thermal pads for the GPU and ram chips....But the actual shipment did not come with it! I will try to install the CPU and see what happens. As for the GPU, I will have to order some thermal pads for it. From the looks of it, I think the bracket will need to be lowered. When the heatsink is installed, it does not feel secure and is a little loose. Would I have to shave off some metal from where the screws get screwed in? Thanks in advance!

 

You want to use thermal compound on the GPU die. Only use the pads for the ram

 

I'm aware of that. I already have artic silver nano diamond 7 compound for the GPU. The problem is, It seems like I only have enough padding to cover the ram chips. There seems to be more of the board that I have to apply the pads to, hence the need for more pads. I ordered more and should get them tomorrow with overnight shipping. The 920XM installed perfectly and noticing temps around 45-48C without OC'ing yet. What can I use to shave some of the metal off the bracket?

 

Pads go here



Don't shave anything, get longer screws from a hardware store.

 

I would love to get different screws. The problem with that is, I went to every hardware store in my area and no one has screws that tiny. I bought a power tool to grind down the screw holes. I have no choice. When I get The thermal paste, I will add it to the layout above. Thanks for the image. I do see the Seagate 600 series 480GB SSD on sale for $180 on TigerDirect. I think I'm going to return the Samsung 250GB SSD I bought for $150 and spend the $30 extra for double the capacity. I feel like I am so close for this M15x to be a beast....Just waiting for all the parts to come together and just work. :/

 

I could have given you some! Dont grind it yet let me look at home first!!

 

Thanks King, please let me know as soon as you can. I would like to get this card setup, I am getting so tempted. The CPU is installed and ready to go, just need the GPU to work...then it's smooth sailing!

 

Don't ever rush with this kind of thing. To go smoothly things must run naturally.

If you rush too much you might regret doing something...I am home now give me a few of hours to have dinner and put baby to bed etc then I will have a root around for you. Mind you I live in Japan so it will take a few days to arrive.

 

You are right, it's 2am here in Bellingham, WA so I'm going to bed. Take your time to eat haha! If you have it, that would be great. I don't mind waiting if it means getting it done.Worst case, I still have my 5370M installed if I need my machine up. Thank you again!

 

Gotmilk70. We bought the same card. the listing on ebay for the 8970m. I purchased mine yesterday though. how long ago did you buy yours? we are going for very similar setups. I ended up with a m15x that came with an i3 330m and some kind of dedicated graphics. The ad didn't specify. The seller of the 8970m did they take a while to ship it? I can't seem to get them to communicate with me. How many were left available when you bought yours?

 

Also King. Do you experience any throttling from the 7970m? It draws less voltage than the 8970m and I've heard the m15x has problems with throttling back when you have an xm cpu installed and oc your cpu and gpu. Thank you

 

Awesome Expo! The seller did communicate with me, the only issue is that he/she forgot to put the thermal pads in the packaging. If the seller includes it in your package, then great! But just in case, I would order a new patch of thermal pads. I ordered mine on Sunday and got it yesterday. But the transit time depends on where you live. After I purchased mine, there was one left, which I am assuming you bought the last one! My M15x came with an AMD Radeon HD 5370M 1GB. So you can imagine the jump in performance we will get from these cards haha. If you get the Core i7-920XM, it will be well worth it! I tested my 920XM yesterday and it's BEAST. You may just require more time for the seller to get in contact with you. I am going to receive the 16GB Crucial ram today (Crucial uses Micron ram chips...very reliable and that's why I use only Crucial) and will test it when I get it. If you are interested, Tiger Direct has a sale going on the Seagate 600 series 480GB SSD for $180 after MIR and coupon code.

You will most likely require either grinding the screw holes down the bracket, or buying screws that better match the bracket. You will see what I am talking about when you get the card. The throttling issue really only happens when you have a weaker 150W PSU and both the CPU+GPU OC'ed by a good amount. It is also advisable to OC the 920XM to a certain amount. I would suggest 23x for 3-4 cores and 25x for 1-2 Cores. The 8970M already has a high clock speed and I hear the memory clock does not have much play in OC'ing. You can try 950/1400 or MAX 1000/1500. See how it goes when you receive all your hardware. You would probably be better off buying a 230-240W+ PSU from ebay or amazon and get this adapter: Amazon.com: Pwr+® Right Angle 90-degree Power Adapter Connector Converter for Dell Latitude ; Inspiron ; XPS ; Studio ; Vostro / Hp Pavilion ; Probook ; Elitebook ; Envy ; Hp Compaq ; Compaq Presario Laptop Notebook Ac Adapter Battery Charger Power S When you get it, be sure to remove the data pin that is located on the side that plugs into the laptop. This will allow the M15x to use more power than 150W and draw as much power as the system needs. (Or as much power as the PSU can supply, whichever works...) This would resolve the throttling issue and keep in mind that doing this mod will make your machine not charge the battery. Which is why you should get the adapter. Use the adapter when gaming on AC power, and then remove the adapter and plug in the PSU normally to charge the battery. Give credit to King for this info!

I decided to plug in the 8970M in and hold the heatsink in place to test if it works. I see the light! It posts and goes into the desktop. I am just waiting for the thermal pads and I need to figure out what to do with the screw situation. Hopefully King has some screws available! If you have any questions, let me know!

 

I planned ahead for my m15x project. I have the adapter coming and a 240 psu from dell. I also got a 920xm but I'm pretty sure my laptop is an older revision or at least cheaper as the cpu is an i3 330m and I hope that doesn't interfere with my upgrade plans. I will look into the screw situation and ill post if I find anything. Thanks for the detailed response

 

It's no problem. I don't think that the mainboard is any different, just different CPU configurations. But I could be wrong so don't hold my comment with 100% weight.Good luck with the OC and Keep us posted with your progress on the 8970M!

 

I forgot to look yesterday. I will tonight! Sorry!

They shouldn't be hard to get hold off. No grinding please!

The throttling on the GPU isn't because the PSU is insufficient. It is the mainboard throttling back automatically. Removing the data pin disables the mainboard from throttling the GPU power circuits allowing throttle free performance.

The 8970M doesn't consume more volts than the 7970M. The 8970M is basically the same card but probably better binned.

Considering all 7970M's can achieve 950+ on the core at stock voltage the 8970M will not have higher power requirements. I do recommend undervolting however if it can be done on the 8970M. At stock clocks voltage is set to 1.05V. I find 0.975V enough to be perfectly stable and the card runs MUCH cooler. Also increases longevity of the card. Some can even do it at 0.95V if they have a good card.

The 8970M undervolted would experience the same effect.

 

It;s no problem! How would I be able to under volt the GPU? Would a 1000/1500Mhz OC be fine on stock cooling and voltage?