M15x New owner. Some troubleshooting and upgrade advice.

Hey everyone.

So im one of those guys who was too poor or incapable of buying these awesome laptops when they were launched but vowed to own one one day. And after maybe a year of searching for a good piece i finaly got one. WOOHOO.

Specs wise it has:


I7 620m. 35nm dual core ones that had integrated graphics.

Ati 5850m 1gb GDDR5 gpu. I have stably overclocked it to 800mhz from 625 and 1175 on memory.

8gigs ram 1600mhz but running at 1333 for obvious reasons.

FHD display luckily and its a realy beautiful display too.

640gb hdd but a 128gb boot ssd is on its way witht he caddy setup.

Bios is A08 stock

And luckily a 240 watts psu. Its not so good to carry around but great for mods i think. Also battery wear is at 13 percent which is prety good. I get around 2 hours of normal usage.

A fresh setup of Windows 10 with complete updates.


Now i need some help figuring out some quirks with the laptop that i have encountered.


So first off im having these issues with the trackpad since i upgraded windows to the latest version. It was fine when i installed windows. Now its very laggy and juttery and stops randomly sometimes and sometimes doesnt respond to touch the first time around. External mice work perfectly. Ive tried uninstalling the drivers from device manager and installing the drivers from dells website to no avail. Also in the alienfx software when i click on the alientouch tab it just puts up some alienjibberish and nothing else happens. Arent there supposes to be options to control the touchpad?

I also wanted to know how to utilize the ir in my laptop just for fun. I have phone with ir so ha ha i thought why not.

Now for ur advice on upgrades. I dont want to spend too much on upgrades as this is not my main laptop. Its just a hobby project. But i want to try and take it to the max. I am not currently interested in upgrading ram. 8gb for now should be fine i think. I have a cheap ass ssd coming for bootdeive which gives about 500mbps read speeds so that is covered.
As for processor im thinking of 920xm which is about 57usd for me. I think that is a fair amount.
Now comes the big one. The gpu. I want ur opinions on all of the above ofcourse but specialy on the gpu. Which one should i buy. 970m or a 980m. 970 is around 250usd while 980 is 370usd. Are the 120bucks well spent on the 980?

Any and all opinions from felow enthisiasts are appreciated.

Just as a side note after overclocking the 5850m to 800 and 1175 mhz its running at around 86 degrees c at max load. Is that normal? Cpu doeant go above 65 while gaming. Having tried the lateat games yet. Have planetside2 fortnite overwatch dirt 4 and just cause 3 installed. Im not sure if it will even run them .

Also im planning to add usb 3.0 via the express card slot. Should i get the 3port version or the 2port 1 power cord version?

 

The 980m works but runs quite hot in the M15x, most settle for the 970m and also the 920xm works well.

Though I am not an expert or have had one of these. @Raidriar is one the members I would seek for more details.

 

I have replied to his thread. Lets see what his opinion is. Ihave another issue though. Im trying to install a single stick of ddr3l 8gb memorry clocked at 1600mhz but at windows boot animation i get a bsod. I need help in this asap.

 

I think the 920xm only supports up to 1333Mhz on laptops, or at least I cant recall people using 1600Mhz Ram in their signatures but again I am not a expert or well read on the machine.

 

It was not appropriate of you to hijack my price check thread for your problem solving.


Nehlam chips only work up to 1333mhz, but ram sticks typically downclock and tighten timings to compensate. You may have bad RAM. I have 16gb ddr3 1600 standard in mine, clocks down to 1333 no problem.

920xm/940xm are the best you can get, but be wary, apparently fake CPUs have been popping up on eBay as of late. You will need high end thermal compound like phobya nanogrease extreme or liquid ultra to keep it cool. You can overclock with throttle stop.

best GPU options are 680M or 970M, neither runs too hot, neither draws too much power, both offer native fan control. Both will require INF modding to install drivers. You will need new screws either way to tighten the heat sink down properly. Dell screws are different from Cleve screws, be careful which card you buy.

Windows 10 is cancer and offers no improvement over windows 7. I would revert back, 7 is lighter, more stable, and far less intrusive.

Good luck.

 

I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE.
My intention wasn't to HIJACK ur thread. That was the only way to get ur attention as i cant pm u. Anyways sorry.
I went to ur thread just now to delete my post but i see u have deleted it already. thanks.

I will do a bit more research before buying the GPU. Leaning towards the GTx 970m. Already have thermal Grizzley.
I have an extra copper tube that im thinking of thermally glueing to the pc heatsink for better heat transfer.

But i do require some help about the ram as i cant find any reference to the problem im having on google, ie bsod on startup. the same ram is working fine in my friends x230. my other laptops are ddr4 or i would try it on them too.

Could it be that u have non l ddr3 ram meaning 1.5 volt ram. mine is ddr3l 1.35 volt. could that be causing an issue?

 

possibly, I do not use ddr3L memory in my M15x

 

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I will try installing a windows 7 copy in a new hdd as u advised and see if that helps with ram stability as currently it crashes on windows 10 boot animation

 

I have a 940XM w/ 8GB 1600mhz and just got a 970M to refresh the 680M I have been using. Hope it resolves FPS slowdown in Fallout 4 in city areas. Probably the last update I do to this system....

 

I was looking for similar advice for upgrading my m15x, but im trying to stick to a budget somewhere around 250$ if possible since it is not my main pc.
Ill be using it for gaming but i dont mind running lower graphic settings and im generally not playing the newest AAA titles anyway.

Intel Core i7 Q 740
AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5730
Seagate ST9250410AS 250GB
4GB SODIMM DDR3 1333 MHz
windows 7

ive never upgraded a laptop before,
I had read a few older threads about the firepro m6100 and was considering that with more ram and a new ssd.
Would this be worth my time or would i be be better off just putting the whole budget towards a 970M?

 

Ram won't help much. If you can find a 680M for cheap that is a nice card with a SSD for upgrade.

 

Get a M6100, 8GB RAM, a SSD, and a 920XM

 

Friend how you managed to make the GTX680M work well. In my the GTX770M locks the clock in 405/405.

 

GTX 680 works very well in the M15x. I used to run one. The GTX 770 I never tried but it should work fine. I have checked that you are not in low power mode (hit the far right button on the dashboard above keyboard). Also ensure if you are running an XM that you have enough power. A 240W PSU is recommended or at least a 180W adaptor if you plan not to overclock much.

 

I have the 2GB Dell ver of the 680M card and working great.

 

Greetings, everyone! This is my first post, but so far I've spent quite a bit of time lurking all around searching for clues on how to upgrade my newly acquired (and highly coveted) Alienware M15X. Mine is an I7 Q740/240M/8GB 1333 setup (yes, I know, it's the malnourished version), but with an aftermarket 256GB Samsung SSD. Before that I was (and still am) working (and playing, obviously) on fairly new desktop R2 (the tiny black one), however due to my work/travel schedule, carrying an extra screen is not always convenient and/or possible, and while working on schematics (CAD and stuff) some video capabilities come in handy. Hence the M15x. That, and the fact I've been drooling myself dry for an Alienware laptop for the last 12 years and after finally reuniting the Glorious PC Master Race, after being the console peasant for a decade, after being a tech savvy kid who was on top of each electronics trend of the 386/486/5x86/P1/P2/P3/P4 eras (I still possess a bunch of obsolete hardware that I still can assemble in my sleep), and after becoming a certified 30 year old man-child, I believe it's due time to do an equivalent of restoring a vintage Cadillac, which in this case is more like (both visually and performance-wise) a 1,1L Lamborghini Diablo.

I was actually considering preparing a step by step tutorial for Alienware M15x laptops, since they are dirty cheap nowadays (mine was around 300 greenbacks), for all the newbies like myself to have a go at this process with full listings of compatible parts, with all the conditions that have to be met to put some life into this beauty.

1. From what I've gathered around the forum concerning RAM upgrade, it is possible to plug in 2x8GB RAM if the processor is 4 cores /8 threads. Am I right?
2. I've seen a lot of contradicting info concerning 1333 vs 1600, with no clear indication whether it throttles 1600 (as the BIOS states in a few cases) or it simply works as intended?
3. Dare we dream, has anyone ever tried 2x16 1600MHz 1,35V?
4. I think it's fairly obvious that the M15x is bound by the G1 socket and that the full list of worthwile CPUs is i7-720QM, i7-740QM, i7-820QM, i7-840QM, i7-920XM, i7-940XM, or is there any other?
5. General consensus is that the 970M is the most sensible choice, however not without a bit of jumping through hoops, what would be the best natively supported and/or not-stated-on-official-Dell-website-but-it-still-works-like-a-charm GPU?
6. Could we maybe create a list of all replacement possibilities with/without driver modding?
7. If necessary, which upgrades should be done first for the greatest performance increase with least financial input if someone is on a tight budget?
Hmm, well... any other suggestions for such a tutorial/compendium?

Well, that's that. I wish this project gets off the ground and could serve as a definitive tool for the benefit of all gathered here.
Sorry for any mistakes, English is my second language

 

Yes 16gb is ideal for this laptop when using a Quad core and not the dual core i5/i7s as they will not fully boot, as for the ram speed 1333 is as good as it gets unless playing around with the base clock which fell out of favor years ago as the utilities were a pain to use. I recommend only using 1.5v ram if possible as the newer ddr3l would end up running at the higher voltage and some kits hotter than the older ram at least it has been for me. Best for the buck cpu is the 920xm hands down as everything else is too slow or just overpriced. Graphics options are much better than most laptops even when compared to some newer ones but my votes settles towards using a Quadro like the m4000m instead and for dirt cheap you can use a Firepro m6100 to get by but I will always think of this card as the furnacepro as it runs rather hot for its tdp. The fans suck which is why there are some threads here of people trying different fans from other models in hopes of getting better cooling.

 

Quick update - I went for a fairly safe option of ordering:
740XM
2x8GB
980M (found a distributor refurbished for about 150$)

Will keep you posted on how it works afterwards.

Also - does a standard Dell power supply fit Alienware? I mean same parameters, same power output, but the price is half of that of an official Alienware PSU. Anyone tried a replacement?

 

Is the distributor sold out? If not, can you send me a link? Dell/AW PSU's should be the one and the same, same Part number etc. I believe the Dell/AW (FSP) 240W PSU is the only one that works natively with this

 

https://allegro.pl/oferta/gtx-980-s...m=app_share&utm_campaign=AndroidShowitemShare

It seems to have an 'available until it's not anymore' type of offer.

This is a Polish Allegro (eBay type site) offer. 630PLN is around 150-160$. Not sure if they sell abroad, but if you wish to trust me we could manage something with reshipping. It has three months guarantee/return. First let's see if mine works fine, then I will be able to vouch for it

 

Ok, so I believe the problem appears quite obvious. I have received the gtx980m, but it doesn't fit in the case. Is there any solution to this? Any sort of interference with this plug? Or just a different card?

Edit: after further fiddling it also appears that the fan won't fit. I think a return is in order. Can anyone supply a link to a fairly reasonably priced GTX970M?

 

That's not a 980m, looks more like a gtx 980 notebook or a mxm gpu used in desktops. My money is on the latter as that plug wouldnt natively fit in just about any machine.

 

The card is back in mail, and a new FurnacePro 6100 is in order. We'll see how it works.

Anyway - back to upgrade progress, 740XM and 16BG of ram is placed (only the 260M is still holding me back), and the leap in efficiency is very palpable. Before, it was running, now it's RUNNING running. 240W brick power supply is working well, will keep you posted on further updates. Thanks for the help!

 

Another update - got a video card, I've ordered a FirePro 6100, turns out it's actually Radeon HD 8950... But results are good, I'm not much of a current-gen gamer anyway (because most of current stuff bores me to tears or contains lootboxes and twats), Dark Souls 3 runs better than Dark Souls 1 for some reason, but as far as I know the DS 3 engine is far better optimized, and also as another experiment ordered a Quadro M4000M as another replacement, from what I've read i just need to do the .inf mod? Is it similar to the modification posted in other threads about 970M drivers, with all that disabling certification faffery?

Furthermore, I'm making it a truly mobile platform for work, so a 4G card with external SIM adapter are also in the mail (will post pics, it's actually quite an ingenious design) and still waiting for a new replacement battery. You guys over the pond have it easier, most sellers from ebay don't ship here, and those that do are simply Chinese resellers.

 

Now that the battery has arrived I've got a fully operational M15x I would like to share a bit of gained knowledge for anyone who wishes to restore these beauties. For those of us who live in Europe except UK - Electropapa (Germany) is the stuff, even though I couldn't find a single review on the internet I took the risk and was very pleasantly surprised, fairly quick international delivery, stuff as advertised and what I will praise as much as the Sun - PACKAGE TRACKING. I recommend those guys, and on the other hand will recommend avoiding BatteryUpgrade - although customer service is reliable to respond somewhere between 24-48 hours, their deliveries are not traced, they ship from China, from what I've read (and believe happened in my case) morons handling the packaging ship lithium batteries via airmail, and that's how they get lost in transportation. No shipping number, so they just play dumb, but at least have the decency to give a refund. Also, Electropapa is about 30% cheaper.

Another thing, because I've got hooked with restoring those beauties - does anyone here have a spare piece of an old wasted D951T? the legendary 9-cell battery? I have a place to replace the cells, but need the case, and finding those is like looking for a virgin in a maternity ward... Anyone in Europe?

 

I have a working D951T battery (I think it says ~2 hours in OS) in my M15x that I am selling. 940XM & 680M been rock solid.

 

Whoa. Europe? How much?
Edit: just to be clear, D951T, the 9cell battery?

 

I'm in USA so not sure how to get it to Europe given all the extra scrutiny with Lithium batteries in the mail. Yeah working 9 cell that has the stand higher that allows good airflow. I always just thought this was the way all M15x were setup.

Edit: Sold to Canada