to upgrade... or not to

ok, some im deciding whether or not to completely upgrade from my m15x to a newer alienware 15 r2 or not.

my current specs are. i7 720m (just ordered the 920xm today.)
gtx 280m
10gb ram
120gb ssd

1600X900 screen. (a nicish one)

and the rest is trivial.

i WANT to upgrade to the 980m (though ive read the 970m is the better choice)
and get this up to 16gb of ram. but that isnt necessary and is pretty low on my list of priorities.
1TB ssd. they are around 200 now and with my plans to potentially turn the dvd bay into a liquid cooling for a potential 980m upgrade that ssd is big enough for me to horde all the data. (i also may reroute a dvd rom caddy converter to a differen part of the laptop to get a second hdd in there or maybe a another 1TB ssd later and use raid 0)

this is obviously alot of work. and money to get all of those parts. what do you guys think? upgrade to a newer model? with crappy(er) build quality. (i love the quality of this laptop. dat metal chasis <3 ) and every time i go to look at a newer laptop the upfont cost coupled with its not the m15x makes me lean away from it. ive also been kicking around the idea of razers blade 14.

i do like the idea of using the graphics amp when i get back from a day out. and just plugging it into the laptop with a couple of external HDDs for more storage

also what of the alienware 13? does both the alienware 15 and 13 using X4 pcie speeds over the GA?

right now im thinking of dropping in a 770m (i alrteady have the drivers for it in dropbox from when i owned this laptop before. ) and working with it for now. and if i upgrade down the line. put the 240m back in here. take out my upgrades. and sell it as is.

oh yeah. i also dont have a battery at all. and i cant find a 9 cell anywhere. even a broken one. if anyone has a link to one if would be MUCH appreciated.

 

The 900p screen is pretty good. I would leave that alone unless you are dead set on it.

RAID 0 is probably not gonna be great (or possible?) The HDD port is SATA 2 while the optical drive port is SATA 1.

The 980M is really too hot for this machine. Best bet is still the 970M at the moment. Looky here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/980m-in-a-m15x-feedback.792246/

 

How much are you willing to spend? A 980m alone is like 600+ dollars still isn't it? It sounds like you could almost buy another Alienware laptop (or other option ) instead of upgrading components. Also, if your not in a rush, you may want to wait for a little while, as it seems likely we will hear about the mobile graphics card offerings from Nvidia and AMD sometime in the coming month or two. If you need the laptop upgraded soon don't bet anything on that, but I would guess the new cards will be coming out this year (980m is quite quite old now), and probably be detailed more soon.

 

thanks for the info on the optical being sata 1. i had no idea.

as for the temps. as i said. ive had plans for years. (but never got around to it) for putting internal water cooling into the laptop. using the dvd rom bay for a micro pump and resevior. my old plans involved turning the entire lid of the laptop into the radiator. but now i think im leaning toward turning the dvd rom into that as well. i just need to crack this baby open and get a better idea on how much room ive got to work with. this should combat any temp problems with using an OP gpu lol. and yeah. ive been debating waiting for the new pascal chips to drop. hopefully they work in this laptop.

also i read somewhere on hear about different fans for this laptop? faster ones? do you guys know the part number for that?

 

As far as the original question about upgrade or not... that is personal. I did it because I think these machines are cool. For a little more money I could get a Clevo with a 970M that will have USB 3.0, etc. But I just *like* it.

I think you will find the DVD does not occupy much space. Please update this thread with your findings and what you end up doing.

I have tried to source a fan with no luck. I know it exists as others have done this and gotten a small decrease in temps (around 2C).

 

ok heres a question. what PSU should i upgrade to? im borrowing a 150w should i get a 240 or 330? (i know advice currently says not too. but if i run a 980m in it would that change the psu requirement?)

 

The 210W PA7E model works great and should deliver enough power for an overclocked 920xm and a 75-100W MXM graphics card. To eliminate any throttling issues you may face you can remove the center pin on the AC adapter's DC side plug (the part that connects to the laptop, NOT the plug that connect to the wall) . Pulling this pin disables battery charging so it's best to use a right angle adapter and pull the pin off of that so when you need to charge the battery just unplug the right angle adapter and plug in the stock power adapter with center pin intact. Read this thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/the-m15x-throttle-the-final-solution.729756/

I wouldn't get the 980m. King of Interns had one in his M15X and it runs way too hot even with cooling mods.. The 970m is the best choice atm for the M15X, although they are still quite pricey.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/980m-in-a-m15x-feedback.792246/

210W PA7E Power Supply:
https://www.amazon.com/PA-7E-Adapter-Dell-Precision-Alienware/dp/B0045XLZ3E

Right-angle adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/90-degree-Co...sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=dell+right+angle+pwr+

 

Your best bet is to wait for the mobile version of the RX 480 to drop. Then you get desktop 980 performance while running cooler than a 980M!! 110w vs 125w.

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980M is going for $500 in the forums now. Sold mine for $480. They will never get $600 with the market as it is.

Thankfully I bought it for a bargain 500 6 months back ao only 20 dollars out of pocket.

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There's a particular model of fan that has 400rpm higher observed speed. Though in my exp it doesn't increase cooling performance AT ALL.

 

That's cheap rental.

 

s omaybe thats why my after market battery wont charge? the aftermarket adapter im using right now doesnt have a middle pin on it. hmm but its charging my girl friends older m17 r1s battery. werid? i thought i read somewhere that after market batteries dont work at all in this thing at all. which is annoying. as OEM batteries cost an arm and a leg. if you can find them.

as for heat. im waiting for the new 1XXX from nvidea to drop and see if amd finally made something that isnt an 7970m rebadge. (which i believe even the 29 290ms are?)

either waythere is a a good chance ill be picking up a gtx 770m. there are below 200 right now on ebay. and i laready have the inf files from techinforno from a different m15x i had years ago.

 

But to get a RX 480 running on this one you obviously would need a modded Bios, right?

 

You never need any modded bios for M15x. It is like a desktop. Plug and play for ALL mxm cards.

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ok i need help. i just got my i7 920xm today. and my new PSU that was recomended to me. (the 210w) and its being stupid.

CPU is lagging/acting weird. when i run prime 95 its only going up to 65c? lol its says its running on 2.3Ghz but i dont think it is. when i switched back to my other 150w non dell psu and removed my herp derp 2GB ram stick i had running with different voltage 8GB stick of memory its loking normal. temps going upo correctly and the computer is lagging. so i thought i fixed the problem by removing the 2GB stick of ram. i stiched back to the 210w. and it went back to running at false temps and stuttery.

ideas? also the new PSU also wont charge this after market battery.

 

Make sure stealth mode is not enabled.

If the middle pin has been pulled, turn off adapter warnings in the Power section of the BIOS.

Try running benchmarks with battery removed.

Try doing a power drain. Remove battery and power adapter, then hold down power button for 20 seconds.

 

Install throttlestop. This will show you exactly what your cpu is doing under load.

In my experience the cpu doesnt power throttle under load in the M15x. Rather it will pull until either it hits 100C and then system shuts off or until the PSU trips which has same effect.

With 210w you simply will not power trip even with 100% in prime 95 at a high OC. However on stock cooling forget keeping temps under control (in prime95) with a high OC especially in summer with the higher ambient temperature.

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ok, the system was "hiding" that it was throttling. i cant remember how but core temp finally showed that it was at 1.2Ghz (cpuz i believe was also falsely showing 2.3ghz)

anyway long story short. i, using the 150w i had for now. the right angle adapter is supposed to be here tomorrow. and i will pull the pin on that. also is the laptop supposed to recognize the 210w psu in bios?

thanks for the help guys i got a refurbished red LCD lid. and it loookks sweeet i plan on either getting the silver for bottom chasis or another red one and turning all the mate black plastic on the laptop in a white maybe. idk.

 

The silver and red are sweet but the black is the most durable. I've had all three.

 

durable? how so? better materials? or the paint doesnt wear off as fast?

 

The paint seems stronger and small nicks can be easily fixed with a black magic marker

 

Or you can spray paint it like some have done

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Been there, done that. I painted (at least I tried to paint) my panels white. They looked great but they were not durable at all; then again I used regular acrylic spray cans. If you can find an autobody shop with an oven they should be able to create a nice, professional and durable finish. I always wanted to paint mine with a Subaru Rally Blue paint like they use on the WRX.

I remember back in the good ole days there were some members that powder coated their M15Xs. A member named Inap had a really nice yellow one with black racing stripes that looked incredible. Powder coating is sure to be more durable than regular paint, but I think the paint has to be stripped down to the bare metal in order to powder coat. Another member used rifle barrel paint to create an awesome looking camo finish on the screen lid That paint is rather expensive though but should be super durable too.

Or you can even strip the paint completely. I did that once to a set of panels expecting a brushed aluminum look but it did not turn out as nice as I expected and it was a pain in the backside to do.

 

I was just going to paint the matte plastic pieces white. I think it would add a nice contrast. But it will probably be a pain in the butt to clean and keep that way

 

Not to mention masking the cutouts for the led backlight around the touchpad.

 

how do you overclock the CPU the right way? with XTU? im not seeing any voltage control. :/ im on A9 bios

 

You mean the 920/940xm? Use Throttlestop. Make sure you have the 210W or higher PSU though as overlcocking enough will draw A LOT of power.

 

In the same boat regarding the upgrade. Not sure what to do at the minute. Have an 720qm - 4gb - 240gb ssd - 320gb hdd 1080p 5850M was going to just chuck in a 920xm and a 7970m but just cant decide.
Just a quick question, what are m15x's going for with my spec on here nowadays?

 

Not alot. On ebay you do much better if in good condition.

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Thought as much. Looking into a decent gpu upgrade, something plug and play basically.

 

7970m then. I had one in here before. Just beware of the temps. Others please correct if im wrong. I'm pretty sure it was plug n play

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I think I remember reading that it needs a new backplate as can't use the one from the 5850m without a mod or 2.
Quite fancied the 970m but still bloody expensive in UK.

 

Yes, the 7970M uses a different backplate exclusive to AMD cards starting from the 6900 range. It has different dimensions in the square portion than the other backplates and looks like this:

 

That's great thanks. So If I picked up a 6970m or even the 7970m with the correct backplate it's just a drop in replacement?
Have read around in the forums, just trying to find the most hassle free route. Cheers.

 

Correct, but taking the backplate off is another issue. It is held with strong double-sided tape. Best method I found is to use a hair dryer to soften the tape's grip, then push down on the screw holes with a small screwdiver until it starts to separate. Once the metal separates enough from the pcb, you can pull it off slowly with your fingers. Careful with the screwdriver though; you don't want it to slip and damage the board. Also, some people use heat guns but you need one with temperature control; if it is too hot it can melt the solder on the board. If the tape is damaged upon removal, you may want to replace it. Finally, make sure the insulation layer is not damaged because metal can obviously short components on the board.

Have a look at the first post in the link below. It shows the different shaped of the x-brackets for the newer AMD cards.

https://www.techinferno.com/index.p...-amd-6970m-6990m-everything-you-need-to-know/

EDIT: Must have misread your post. I thought you were planning on using a 6970M bracket on a 7970M. Anyway one more thing to note with these x-brackets for the 7970M cards is that the screw posts are much taller than the screw posts used in stock M15X cards. This problem is covered in the link I provided under the "Backplate Problem Part 2" section.

I just want to add that it's best to do this with the backplate removed from the card, and it's better to use a file and manually (and slowly) file down the screw posts. It's pretty simple really. This is how I have done it:

1- Get a Vernier caliper
2- Remove the backplate from your stock M15X GPU
3- Remove the 7970M backplate
4- Measure the height of the stock M15X GPU bracket's screw posts with the caliper.
5- File down the 7970M backplate screw posts in small increments (~1mm at a time) until the same height as the stock screw posts is reached. Don't file down too much.

Make sure all screw posts are the same height.

Clean the bracket and make sure there are no metal shavings stuck inside the screw threads.

And always observe how well your thermal paste is spreading before putting everything back together.

Good luck

 

Fantastic info that kosti! Thank you.
Not sure which route to go down yet. Would love to chuck a 7970m in her. But seems quite a few people have been having issues with them.
Was after an easy upgrade, or more rather the most compatible card to upgrade to. Not fussed about the work involved in installing the actual card as quite enjoy that.
DP /HDMI audio is a must as game on my TV.
Thanks again.

 

All cards are plug n play with M15x. Nvidia cards require the inf file to be modded slightly in the driver. Otherwise you are all good.

Avoid 780M, 880M,980M cards as they run too hot in the M15x.

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That's great. A 7970m (with the correct x plate) it is then. Will keep an eye out in the classifieds.

 

I would suggest you look at the Nvidia Geforce 680M GTX as well. It is in the same price range, and is reported to run well in the M15X. You can use your stock backplate too

You also may want to upgrade your CPU to a 920xm (and overclock it) because the 720qm will be a bottleneck for some newer games. You're also going to want to upgrade the power supply to a 210W or 240W model regardless of the CPU upgrade. The 7970M/680M and similar cards in that range are 100W cards so your stock 150W adapter may strain to handle the extra power. You're gonna be safer with a higher power adapter. The PA7E series 210W adapter works well for me.

680M:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/questions-with-680m-in-m15x.725555/



If you upgrade the graphics card you may experience throttling which can be fixed with some simple mods.

Throttling Issue:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/the-m15x-throttle-the-final-solution.729756/

 

Hi, I am in the process of upgrading my m15x, after reading the forums I decided the 7970m 920xm with a 210 dell psu with the pin pulled. the problem I having is with the 7970m over heating when i turn stealth off. When i use the render on the gpu-z the temp spikes almost instantly and then powers off.
I have tried reapply the thermal paste multiple times today in case i was apply too much paste. Is there anything else that could be doing wrong? I had initially kept the original thermal pads as the new pads were delayed awhile. I never had any overheating issues, then when i received the thermal pads i read threw the throttling final solution thread and determined that i had been running the pc with stealth on.
The GPU is set at the stock 850 1200, the 920xm is at 25 across all cores.

Any thoughts on what i could be doing wrong as i have run out of ideas.

 

I'm thinking maybe the screw holes on the card need to be ground down, does anyone know of a guide or video showing how to grind them down?

 

i had the same problem AND i ground down the screw holes. im pretty sure i was using liquid ultra as well. if not noctua nh 4h or something like that. (very good thermal paste) im interested as well as to what couldve fixed it. i think the solution is to flash the vbios to a lower voltage. i think i read that somewhere.