I have a M5550...not a M5500!

The case says it is a M5500 but the diagrams of the heat sink etc proves differently. I don't get it why AW did it, but what the heck.

My video card is GF GO7600 and I'm getting 1/4' think blue lines, 1/4" apart running vertically across the entire width of the screen.

My device manager sees a generic video adapter and the option to install the video driver is grayed out on my restore disk.
My bios is 2.03. I installed the

This is a used computer and cannot get support from aw. Can someone send me the 2.06 bios?

 

Then Deven Look at my Post on your last Tread. Becuse I had the m5550. the pictures where from the m5550.

Here what I am going to do send some pictures and we can find out what system you have. This is the m5500

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=35593

Best to look at the bottem becuse they are differnt

This was basicly like my system listed below M5550

http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/18-8-alienwares-m5550i-notebook-means-business.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/m5550_closed-95616,0101-95616-3791----jpg-.html

I beleave there info under the battery but not sure. That where they had it on the m17x.

If you can do some cpuz and it might give us more info on what your system is. We can send the right software.

 

I just Move this from your other tread.

I use to own the m5550. The issue I had was It would boot up and 15 min it would shut off. It depend on what I was doing. game it would shut off in a few mins or 15 to 20 mins. Searching the web but it was due to the gpu fan would not kick on. Unless I restart the system or it overheated and the fan would kick on. That was my system. My system was a core 2 2.33 ghz 4gb of ram geforce.
7600gt.

Ideas you can try redo your thermal grease or pad. Use speedfan or Hwmonitor. to check your temps. Your system should be under 80c. Mine would shoot to 100c and shut off.

What bios do you have? I had M5550 BIOS 2.07W

Found some info if you go on alienware support faq and type in m5550 gpu. It will tell you how to remove and replace the gpu. Very easy to do. I done it a few times. What I found in my heat would of ended into a gpu break down.

 

I'll take the service panels off and takes some pics and then post them.
Will that be best?

 

the two websites I gave you and here a area of writing on the m5550 that tells you model. It should say Alienware then spec below it like M5550i R3. You confused us on the last Tread. It best to be sure which one you have.

Things I can see differnt are like disabling Mouse buttion above the mouse pad. It silver and black on top.

 

I apologize for the confusion. I'm one of those guys who knows just enough about computers to be dangerous!
I'll try to be more clear in the future.

I'll get the panels off, take pics, and get the info off the tag on the bottom.

 

That would give us the best info. We have problems with the m17x and M17x which are differnt systems. If we are able to look at the system inside and out we could go oh this is a m5500 or m5550. It could be the party that sold the system to you miss print on the Sale. There are key features of each system.

Like the m5550 the top of the laptop was two colors Black and Silver and a button above the mouse that disable the mouse pad. What I see on the M5500 it was all black. Both system are 2 years old or older in m5500 case.

It best to be sure.

Area we can look at is CPU useing cpuz that can give age of the laptop with the type of cpu like t7600 which is what I had
Gpu which should show with cpuz. should give us a timeline the laptop was around. I had a geforce 7600.

 

You've pretty much got it all right. I have the pics and they confirm what you are saying.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550i001.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550i002.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550i003.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550i004.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550i005.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550i006.jpg

The video card is marked: GF-GO7600-N-A2

These are the drivers I have tried to install:

165.32 Beta, 84.71, and 86.28.

The 84.71 and the 86.28 cause the blue screen of death. The 165.32 will install, but the screen is black after xp loads. In all cases, I have to go to safe mode and uninstall the card.

Here are pics of the screen.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550iscreen001.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550iscreen002.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/Ironrod1960/M5550iscreen003.jpg

My settings are as follows:
1024x768 Medium quality 16 bit color.

If I change to 800x600 16 or 32 bit color, or to 1024x768 32 bit color, the pictures gets worse.

I assume the first step is a bios upgrade or new thermal pads and grease. But, as always I defer to you guys.

 

Will this video card work for my model?

http://cgi.ebay.com/MXM-Graphics-Card-nVIDIA-GeForce-8600M-GT-laptop-8600_W0QQitemZ170364830438QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Video_TV_Cards?hash=item27aa8902e6

 

Does your lappy look like this?



This is my old m5550.

 

Yep. It has the wireless switch on the right front and the button above the touch pad to disable it.

 

Read the MXM fourm and found this.

For the Alienware m5550. From the MXM website The 8600GT is not compatible with the v2.07 (or up, if that is around bios for this system. You need to revert back to v2.06. If needed, it can be supplied upon purchase. The most obvious effect is that it will not longer be possible to use 4GB of memory in the system.

So stay with the v2.03 bios untel someone find a v2.06 bios.

I think the gpu failing but let see if we can get more input before having you buy a new one.

 

Sounds good.

I'll watch for a few days.

Thanks much!

wes

 

I did find the bios update for your system. Just use the Alienware f/q and in search type in bios Update it will give you a how to. Useing Nero.
http://aliendl.alienware.com/Mobile/m5550/BIOS/m5550_BIOS_2.06W.zip

 

Did you take a look at the card on ebay I linked to? From everything I have read, this looks like it will work.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170364830438&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

Yes I did and read the Mxm fourms where I found the bios update. People have it in the m5550 laptops. Mine had 256mb cache. The gpu is the same but 512mb cache. If you go with the Grapics card Follow the guide on how to replace the thermal grease Thermal Pads. Then let us know how it gose.

 

Awesome efforts on your part!!! Thanks so much!

I have an email into the guy on ebay and as soon as he confirms, I'll buy and install it. I got the BIOS from your earlier link.

Wes

 

I have installed the card and it woks perfectly so far. I just have to find the proper drivers and install them. I'll let you know how it works.

 

If you're using XP use these: http://www.notebookforums.com/thread229229.html

Vista or W7 use these: http://www.notebookforums.com/thread229230.html

 

Update:

OK, I put the card in, rolled back to 2.06, and installed the drivers and IT WORKS! Thanks to all for their help.

The one thing I had to do was remove the screw races off the old card and superglue them to the new one. That was kinda scary, but it worked out fine.

Thanks again everyone. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Wes