Alienware M15X GPU upgrade

Hi guys I'm looking for some GPU upgrade advice.

I've got this laptop - "Alienware M15x Gaming Laptop, Intel i7 840QM 3.2 GHz Turbo CPU, 8GB DDR3 Ram, 500GB SATA HDD, 15.2 inch 1600x900 HD LED Screen" I was wondering what GPU's could be put into this machine.

Somebody kindly stated that these would work -

gtx 460m
gtx 560m
5870m
6970m
6990m
gtx 660m
HD 7970M

I think the 7970m is the best option because it's the best performer and getting hold of a 6990m and 6970m are available but at the same price as a 7970m

I was wondering if I purchased a 7970m would it be plug and play with this laptop or would I need to flash the BIOS.

If I did have to do anything would any of you be willing to help me out?

Thanks for reading.

 

Yes 7970M is a great choice and many of us on this forum have one. If you get a DELL 7970M it is plug and play but if you get a Clevo 7970M there is some functionality that is lost. This includes autofan control is can be very annoying, and loss of displayport function. Some of these problems can be sorted by flashing a Clevo card to a Dell bios but its not guaranteed. Most vendors on eBay sell Clevo cards.

Take a look here [Guide] - M15x with AMD 7970m.

Both this forum and Tech Inferno have all the information you need if you spend the time reading threads. Using google search is better than using the forum search feature.

Also consider GTX 770M if you can get one at a good price. Similar gaming performance to 7970M but with lower TDP (power requirements).

 

Hi thanks for replying so quickly, I believe on the bay there are 770m's and 7970m's the price difference being £50. The 770m being £250 which is a good deal in my opinion.

Can I link ebay links so you can check whether it's a Dell card or a Clevo?

 

Dell Alienware M18X M17x Nvidia Geforce GTX680M Laptop Video Card CPCXD 680M 2GB | eBay This is a GTX 680M which is definitely better than a 7970M but you would need to find a modified driver or modify the inf file yourself (this is not difficult and there are lots of threads on how to do this). You'd also need to flash to the modded vBIOS from Tech Infero. Its all worth it as it performs better and overclocks higher than a 7970M.

AMD RADEON HD 7970M 2GB VIDEO CARD DELL ALIENWARE | eBay This is a 7970M in Hungary. Might be worth watching it, see how much it goes for.

Alienware AMD HD DELL 7970M 2GB GDDR5 -for M15x, M17x , M18x ,upgrade monkey | eBay This is the main vendor of laptop graphics cards but I have no idea what they mean by refurbished. I'd be a bit cautious.

The Dell 7970M is on a blue PCB (circuit board). I think it doesn't matter if you get a Dell or Clevo GTX 770M. I think they both work well with full functionality. Only AMD Clevo cards can run into problems.
Feel free to link to some cards.

 

Hi, I don't think I'd be comfortable with messing around with the system for the 680M because I know you can get a lot out of a 680 once volted correctly and overclocked however I wouldn't feel confident overclocking in a laptop because it could potentially fry the entire thing or am I being silly and fickle?

I think my best bet is to get the 7970M from Hungary for the right price maybe £200.

Shame about the 770M suggestion upgrademonkey were selling them for £198 yesterday but they've increased their prices for some unknown reason.

 

Well the 7970M is a good bet but its still best to undervolt it slightly so it runs cooler. This requires flashing the vBIOS. It will work fine at stock but it might run a bit hot.
I paid £300 for my 7970M roughly 5-6 months ago when it was still the current generation so anything around £200-250 would be good.

Lots of people have tried overclocking 7970Ms and GTX 680Ms in the M15x with very good results, particularly with the very recent discovery of the 210W PSU solving the throttling problem.
Your laptop won't be fried or explode unless you do something really stupid. Honestly all the information you need to overclock, flash vBIOS and modifying drivers is just a few short google searches away.

 

Hey thanks for all of your responses, can I give you rep or something?

Would you be willing to help me out with the flashing or overclocking?

So would you recommend either the 7970m or 680m at the right price?

 

Rep button is bottom left of each post. I definitely can send you all the programmes and vbios versions I have with some instructions but maybe next weekend as I'm pretty darn busy at the moment.
Shouldn't even really be on the forum.....procrastination!!! lol

Also consider the NBR Marketplace. I bought my 7970M from a member here and he shipped from the US.
Here is a 7970M currently for sale at a good price http://forum.notebookreview.com/com...dell-7970m-m17x-r3-r4-heatsink-x-bracket.html
Also there is a GTX 680M for £350 in UK http://forum.notebookreview.com/com...eu-dell-alienware-gtx-680m-2gb-green-pcb.html That would be my preference as it just performs better than the 7970M particularly when overclocked. However it is more expensive. If you could pick it up for £300 that would be excellent. Its definitely worth all the vBIOS flashing and driving modding you have to do to get it to work properly.

 

Hey, thanks a lot dude. Do you have steam or skype? Something of that essence for instant messages?

 

He comes here often enough, why need for instant messaging? Anyways I concur with Fatboy on all the points he made.

I believe if you are a little more patient though you can get these cards even cheaper. AMD may roll out their new flagship mobile card this October. If they do expect the 7970M and 680M to be fairly dirt cheap.