M15x and GTX 560M

When you use the modified inf it will break WHQL certification, just carry on.

 

Anyone knows if it is possible to re-sign the drivers with a digital certificate to avoid getting that message? I mean, we are developing an application and we sign the release package using a digital certificate issued by Verisign. Of course the signed package bears our company name and certification path etc. But would it be possible to sign the modded driver using that certificate? I don't care if it shows our company name instead of nvidia, and I don't think about releasing the re-signed driver, I would just like to know if it may work so I can use it locally.

I also wanted to ask a different questions: since I started using the modded drivers, Microsoft executables like mmc.exe (and a lot of other ones that need admin rights) also show 'unknown publisher' instead of microsoft when they are opened (yellow popup instead of blue, i hope it makes sense). I was wondering if anyone else gets the same popups or if the cause may be different, like a virus or some other kind of malware.

 

I have another question. when I was trying to get the drivers to install I went to the Dell website and under the m18x there is a bios update for the 560m gfx card to version 70.26.36.00.09. Now I downloaded it and was was going to flash the bios on my card as it's version is 70.26.28.00.0C

But after booting the CD I made, it tells me that the Device Id's don't match. Will it cause me problems if I flash my card?

 

I'm just curious what is the part number for the gtx 560m that works for the m15x? Would part number 0Yt99j work with the m15x? Thks in advance

 

Greetings all,

Im depressed & i need help very fast.

i want to flash my vbios to an older version due to throttling issues, & i dont know what to type into the command screen, can someone undertand this & let me know how to do it :

Here.

Plus, i have all the files into my flash drive, but didnt know what to type.

 

these are my files.

 

Vbios flashing is done with a tool from nvidia called NVFlash, you can get the latest version over at techpowerup.

Assuming it's a valid bios for your card the command should be NVFLASH Bios.rom with no modifiers needed.

 

I finally got this done on my M15x and just wanted to share a few things in case it helps anyone else out.

1. I am using Windows 8 and had to disable the driver signature enforcement before I could install those drivers with the modified .inf.
2. I also found that I was getting some throttling when playing Battlefield 3. After monitoring temps, using Throttlestop, etc, I found that if I disabled Intel Speedstep and set the Power Management Mode to Performance in the Nvidia Control Panel in the BIOS it seemed to go away. I have the 720QM chip.

 

So here is the run down. I am pretty tech savvy and have repaired hardware/software issues for the last 10 years. I recently purchased an Alienware m15x second hand from someone who had originally put it together and bought it in 2009. It's an i7 720QM. so therefor I guess it makes it the Dell model? I had the laptop running fine for 3 or 4 days. The person I purchased it from had it running Windows 7 64 bit and had some stock Alienware CC software installed. So I updated from older Nvidia drivers to the the recent ones. I had also installed many games to test some FPS on. such as Bioshock Infinite, Witcher 2, LA Noire, COD Modern Warfare. Before I could install any benchmarking or monitoring apps like CPU-Z or GPU-Z I let my fiancee play some LA Noire while I was in Class. When I returned from class the laptop had powered down ( No shut down procedures. just immediately off ) The laptop itself was fairly hot when I returned so I unplugged it from it's AC power and moved it to a cooler location. After letting it sit for about 45 minutes I still couldn't get any response turning the laptop on. I tried all the power cycle steps I found to reset any static power inside. I've reseated the RAM and tried to disconnect the CMOS for about 60 seconds. Still no avail. The AC adapter shows that it is plugged in and gives me blue rings. The battery is showing that it holds charge.

Given the circumstances I've read a lot of forum posts related to motherboard failure. warranty exchange etc. First off I am not seeing any reason for it to have actually been a motherboard failure. Secondly I can call and extend a warranty for 1 year for 350+/- dollars. which is something I am not actually wanting to have to consider seeing what I just paid 2nd hand to have this. Is it more feasible that the GPU will not let the laptop start? (when I say start I get absolutely nothing. no fan action. no LED's.). I am pretty sure the drivers I installed are compatible with the 560m as well.

So if I replace the 260m inside with the 560m could that possibly hold sway in things? Or am I looking at biting the bullet on getting an extended warranty and stuck with my less then desirable 260m?

 

Try taking the 260m out and powering it up. Should run with integrated graphics like when you update drivers. That way at least you'll know whether or not its the gfx card or m/b.
If you are technically minded you could do the motherboard replace yourself using excellent youtube guides and just buy a new mother board.

 

I thought that the i7 boards don't have intergrated graphics though? is there still going to be a standard VGA for it to use and try to boot from? Also I can't seem to find which motherboard it's using?

 

Yes it has a standard VGA adapter.

This is the motherboard. DELL ALIENWARE M15x MOTHERBOARD rPGA989 0G5VT 00G5VT
A quick search of eBay reveals many sellers offering brand new Dell M15x motherboards for around $200-300. Hope you don't need one though.

 

So I go home and tear it down and once the card is out I can just slide the back panneling back on leaving the heatsink assembly and the fan disconnected as well. then plug it in via AC power and try to have it post?

 

Update : so I went home. tore down to removing my 260m GTX and re assembled and put the fan back in aswell ( only thing that had a plug to the mobo so I guess it's safe ). Closed my back just with the snaps and put my AC adapter in. The Alien head lights green briefly for about 5 seconds. Then nothing. I unplug the adapter. Power cycle. then add the battery and the Ac adapter at the same time. it shows that it's charging the battery. I hit the power button and it remains showing me that it is charging. no response. I unplug the AC however and the alien head begins blinking red showing me it has low battery. I manually remove the battery to stop it from blinking? Strange yes? I then go ahead and put the card back in and it is responding the same way it was when I originally started having the problem. so does this confirm it's a motherboard issue? Since I didn't get any post? or is it feasible that it won't boot? I know the Alienware Area51m 15x has onboard video. But without a graphics card like on these then it shouldn't post? confusing. Any responses would be helpful

Edit : also tore down again and tried to reseat the CPU processor and no avail either.

 

I will answer my own question, in case someone else is interested. I managed to re-sign the moded driver using a self-signed certificate. I then added the self-signed certificate to the trusted root CA on my computer and installed the drivers. No red warning, everything seems just fine, Microsoft executables work just like before, with no security warnings.

 

hi man i need help getting my nvidia 660m (blue card) to work on my alienware m15x any ideas? ive tried everything on the web

 

Hey folks, been a while since I posted, but I have an issue with a 560m and I was wondering if anyone could help.

I recently ordered a 1.5GB 560m to replace my 260m, however I ordered one that was being sold in "as-is" condition - I only paid $35 for it, since it was likely to be non-functional, haha. Anyway, it arrived and I hoped for the best...

Well, wouldn't you know it, after installing it, my machine wouldn't POST. I got the flashing indicator lights that were warning me that there was a GPU issue. After putting the old card back in, everything's fine. Swapping back, the issue comes back - so the 560m seems to be a dud.

However, there are no signs of physical damage, and the card appears to be in pretty good shape. It doesn't look like it's been shorted or mistreated, though cards do sometimes just go bad. I'd like to think that at some point someone tried to flash it to the wrong vBIOS and ended up bricking the thing. If that's the case, I could just flash it back, however, my machine won't boot with it in.

It needs to be in my machine for me to flash it (I can make a bootable USB stick to flash a new vBIOS to it).
... But if it's in my machine, it won't POST. I can't get past a black screen and blinking warning lights.

So, anything I can do to try and revive this card, or did I just waste $35?

 

Just as an update -

Some have said that you can take out the GPU and power it up, and the laptop will run on integrated graphics. What I've found is that it won't power up at all if there's no GPU inserted. Don't get me wrong, my laptop is running just fine, there's no mobo issues here, it's just the 560m I was having issues with. I thought if there was some way to get it to boot with integrated graphics while the 560m was inserted I could flash the vBIOS, but I haven't found a way yet.

So far all I've found is that I'd have to remove the eeprom chip from the 560m and have it reprogrammed, which I'm not really prepared to do...

 

which card do you have dell/clevo? and what memory size is it you have ?

 

There's a chance it might be an MSI card. It's green, I know the blue one's won't work in these systems. It's a 1.5GB 560m. The problem is that it won't POST, it's not a driver issue. I can't boot my system with the card in. I get the flashing scroll and numb lights, indicating a GPU issue. The GPU could just be fried, but I'd like to try reflashing it. I just can't flash it if my machine won't boot. That's the main issue here.

 

I wanted to join today to thank you dutchess63 for looking into the process for upgrading to the gtx560m... I just finished it using the newest drivers provided by nvidia and I couldnt be happier. Thank you soooo much. If anyone else is stuck with the upgrade I would be happy to assist.

Also... on a side note, I upgraded from a gt240m... to do this I ordered the eurocom card referenced countless times in this thread (sold by upgradeyourlaptop on ebay), made sure they sent me an x-bracket that would be compatible with the new card as the gt240m bracket isnt. Also, it seems the screws for the heatsink have a c-stopper on them... you have to manually pry them off to be able to install cards using an x-bracket that isnt currently installed.

Once again... ty for the data!

 

This isn't entirely true... windows just registers the card using generic diplay drivers as opposed to showing it as an nvidia. The only time I've seem this happen via forums (hasn't happened personally) is if the card is the wrong mxm type, or if it was fried during or prior to install.

 

Good listing of manufacturers and mxm types from mxmupgrade.com for reference:

MXM notebooks 3.0 and up

 

I recently bought a 560m and installed it (using the x-bracket that I pulled from my 240m) into my m15x.

The hardware id for my graphics card is:

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_02A21028&REV_A1
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_02A21028
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&CC_030000
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&CC_0300


I've downloaded the latest driver from nvidia (320.18) and I've found the nvdmn (there is no nvdm one) inf file but I'm not sure where to modify it.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

post deleted

 

Here ya go:

Find this line:

NVIDIA_DEV.1251.04BA.1028 = "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M "

Add this beneath it:

NVIDIA_DEV.1251.02A2.1028 = "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M "

Find this line:

%NVIDIA_DEV.1251.04BA.1028% = Section118, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_04BA1028

Add this beneath it:

%NVIDIA_DEV.1251.02A2.1028% = Section118, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_02A21028

Save the file and then re-run the setup

I finally got mine upgraded tonight, temps are reasonable enough in the mid-late 40's whilst idling but those will come down as the new paste/pads bed-in. If you are on Windows 8 you will need to look into either re-signing the catalogue file or disabling the driver verification mechanism whilst you install the modified driver.

 

Hello, i have ordered gtx 560m for m15x yesterday on ebay.
It's the blue one .
I understand, that it doesn't work with alienware ?
and i've just wasted my money ?

 

Hi Pavlya,

Unfortunately I think Alienware needs the green one.

Try contacting the seller, asking if you can swap it for a green one or send it back for a refund.

 

Anyone else having troubles with the M15x - GTX560m and the new 320.49 driver?, machine locks up (albeit infrequently) when browsing the web etc, seems to be a known issue with the 320.49, just wondering if anyone has found a way to resolve those issues on the M15x?, followed the advice on the Nvidia forums to go back to 314.22 and as yet no more freezes (phew )

On the positive side, I've finally re-flashed the VBIOS to the Dell one (Was originally MSI and clocks were locked) and been able to test out the OC potential after applying the new paste and pads. Runs stable with no artefacts on: 874/1371/1748, based on an overclock posted on the ASUS forums. Anyone got any other OC sets I should try to get the best out of my 560m?

Cheers

 

I ordered a gtx460M off of ebay to avoid the issues Ive read about here. I received a gtx 560M or I think, No drivers work. It has an Nvidia sticker and device manager says it a standard VGA graphics adapter. the hardware ids is PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_02A21028&REV_A1
I can not get it to accept any drivers. Ive tried the inf mods above and get nothing. Help please.

 

double post

 

Ok I got it figured out and working. This is a great card and I'm happy with it.

 

Just ordered one of these for my machine - hopefully it's gonna work fine

 

I received it today and got a VGA error - long beep and two short

It's a Toshiba 560M module - am I doing something wrong or is this model just not compatible?!

I reset the Bios also and that didn't help..

EDIT: So on further research I've noticed that of course I bought the wrong one. Someone somewhere suggested that if I flash the Dell VBIOS to this card it might work? Of course there is no way to use integrated graphics on my M15x so wondering if there's another way or maybe a dual-card alienware owner in London who might be willing to let me flash the card on their machine?

 

Alright so I've been running the 560m in my m15x for almost 2 years. It started acting a little crazy so I decided I probably need to update the driver after so long.... So here I am. I just tried updating to the 320.18 driver using the same technique as last time and following the post a couple back that I quote below.

Unfortunately it still didn't recognize the hardware. So here's what I got:
The hardware id for my graphics card is:

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_02A21028&REV_A1
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_02A21028
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&CC_030000
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&CC_0300
Same as that other guy.

nvdmn.inf file:
C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\320.18\Win8_WinVista_Win7\International\Display.Driver\nvdmn.inf
**side note, I did notice it says Windows Vista/7/8 (32 bit) at the top. I'm on 64 bit Windows 7. Make a difference?**

My edits are here in red:
NVIDIA_DEV.1251.04BA.1028 = "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M "
NVIDIA_DEV.1251.02A2.1028 = "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M "
...
%NVIDIA_DEV.1251.04BA.1028% = Section117, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_04BA1028
%NVIDIA_DEV.1251.02A2.1028% = Section118, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1251&SUBSYS_02A21028

as per the post quoted. I noted that I don't have a section 118 in there already, but 117. I tried with it saying section 118 as he recommends and 117 so that it matched the current entry, neither worked.

So what am I doing wrong here?

 

Anybody able to run 560m with win 8/8.1 yet? Please tell how if you did.

 

Hi,i have got gtx 560m o my alienware M15x. Can anyone say the best way how to oc this card? Or maybe anyone can help to oc over vbios?

 

I recently purchased the gtx 560m and installed it in my computer. I downloaded a modded driver for it and my computer picked it up right after but all my games are very laggy. I believe it is because the driver i downloaded is very old and when I go to update the drivers from nvidia they wont work. They tell me to download them from my manufacturer or something along those lines. So my question is, How can I mod the new 331.82 nvidia driver to be compatible with my m15x?

I got the original driver from DriverIdentifier and it is from may 2011. Would these drivers be so bad that almost all my games would lag very bad, or could the problem be something else?

Also i upgraded from the gtx 260m and everything was running reasonably well, I just purchased cod ghosts and couldnt play because of directx11 issue with the 260m, So i said screw it, its about time i upgraded anyway.

 

I use EVGA Precision X. Not sure if its the best but it works for me

 

Here is a link to the .inf file that I modded you need to copy it into the display.driver folder (C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\331.82\Win8_WinVista_Win7_64\International\Display.Driver) and then it will install

 

Thanks alot man. I switched out the file with the modded one you gave me and it's working like a charm. I really appreciate it. I had been looking for a new driver for a couple weeks and couldn't find anything. Will I have to find a modded file every time I want to update my driver? Or will the nvidia experience thing just get me the one i need?

 

You're welcome. You'll have to change it every time. Chances are I will have updated to the latest driver too so just send me a PM on here and I'll send the modded file to you

 

So if i buy this, it will work on my Alienware m15x ?

Tested Toshiba Qosmio X775 NVIDIA GTX 560M MXM 3 0B Laptop Video Card N12E GS A1 | eBay

 

Looking to update my M15x before I go out of town for thanksgiving, but I have never been able to get the INF right on my own. Anyone have the file for the latest drivers?