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    M17x Crossfire in 7

    Discussion in 'Alienware' started by zennik, Oct 21, 2009.

  1. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    So, I got my M17x with the twin 4870s today... and in my zeal to be rid of Vista immediately and go to 7, I didn't check to see if the respawn DVD or the website actually contained ATI drivers for me to download... they don't.

    So, I just grabbed the ATI mobility driver off of ati.com, and while that installed just fine... it won't let me enable Crossfire, the second card shows up as Disabled in CCC.

    So, suggestions, anyone? I already called AW support and they told me drivers should be posted 'within the week'.

    Another strange thing I noticed: GPU-Z reports the 4870 as being GDDR3... aren't these supposed to be GDDR5?

    For those that are TLDR this thread:
    With Win7, can't get Cat 9.9 to recognize the cards in CrossFire, have to use mobility modder on AWs 4850 drivers(Cat 9.7).
    GPUZ and CCC both report the US 4870 'GDDR5' as GDDR3.
    Vantage benchmarks are here: http://go.notebookreview.com/?id=525X832&url=http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=1517848
    3DMark06 benchmarks: http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=12274344

    Few pics of the card:
    http://thebasementlan.org/upload/7116797DSCN0575.JPG
    http://thebasementlan.org/upload/2924835DSCN0576.JPG
    http://thebasementlan.org/upload/2166773DSCN0578.JPG

    Proof that the order said GDDR5: http://thebasementlan.org/upload/7436783001.jpg

    UPDATE: The cards ARE GDDR3, NOT GDDR5. This has been confirmed by checking the memory chips on the card. Confirmed by at least one other.
    Dell has promised that a 'resolution specialist' will call me in the morning to get this resolved. We'll see what they have to say.

    UPDATE 2: Dell has started modifying orders, removing all references to the GDDR5... do they seriously think this is something they can take white-out to and sweep under the carpet?
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  2. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ok, so I figured out a solution.
    Grabbed the 4850 driver for the regular m17 off the AW websitem, extracted it to a folder and used the DH Mobility Modder tool. Installed, rebooted, and CrossFireX works like a charm, now!
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  3. Marvie100

    Marvie100 On a Mission

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    If that's the case you could've just mob modded the ones off the ATI site and been more current. What about your integrated 9400, does it function?
     
    Marvie100, Oct 21, 2009
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  4. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    I tried that, actually. Same results as initially... cards installed, but CCC reported the second disabled even though device manager showed both enabled...

    The onboard 9400m works like a charm.

    Another thing I noticed, don't know if it's just GPU-Z or what, but it reports the cards as being GDDR3.
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  5. WANGJINFU

    WANGJINFU Notebook Guru

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    play games , run 3D marks please man, post the result. then we would know it is DDR3 or DDR5.
    I am eager to know that.
     
    WANGJINFU, Oct 21, 2009
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  6. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    working on that as we speak...
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  7. italian.madness

    italian.madness Notebook Consultant

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    Please, tell us 4870 is Gddr5!!!
     
    italian.madness, Oct 21, 2009
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  8. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  9. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    Not looking good, so far. Going to call the sales guy up tommorrow that sold this to me, and talk to him. He swore up and down and promised me the 4870 was going to be GDDR5, and everything I run spits out GDDR3
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  10. italian.madness

    italian.madness Notebook Consultant

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    nooooooo...shame on DELL
     
    italian.madness, Oct 21, 2009
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  11. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    I even double-checked my order, and it even says GDDR5 right there:

    [​IMG]
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  12. Marvie100

    Marvie100 On a Mission

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    Zennik are you in the US or Europe?
     
    Marvie100, Oct 21, 2009
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  13. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    United States
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  14. italian.madness

    italian.madness Notebook Consultant

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    I'm with you zennik, call them and ask what's happening!
     
    italian.madness, Oct 21, 2009
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  15. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    Looks like the UK Site was the honest one - these are GDDR3 cards.
     
    nickbarbs, Oct 21, 2009
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  16. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    if that's the case, then they need to explain the multiple misprints, not just in their marketing from their sales guys, but on my actual order/invoice. It's got GDDR5 plastered everywhere.
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  17. Marvie100

    Marvie100 On a Mission

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    You're able to swap between the 4870's and the 9400 with the push of the stealth mode button?
     
    Marvie100, Oct 21, 2009
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  18. Megacharge

    Megacharge Custom User Title

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    GDDR3.. Ouch!
     
    Megacharge, Oct 21, 2009
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  19. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    Not directly, no. Push the Function-F7 key to swap, and it spits out that I need to reboot in order to switch out from discrete to integrated.
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  20. Megacharge

    Megacharge Custom User Title

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    Yeah, if it's not GDDR5, that's false advertisement, which is illegal, and there are going to be a lot of disappointed people.
     
    Megacharge, Oct 21, 2009
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  21. Marvie100

    Marvie100 On a Mission

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    That's what I suspected would happen, thanks for verifying :)
     
    Marvie100, Oct 21, 2009
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  22. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    I'm happy with that.

    Unfortunately I can't have any say in GDDR3 VS GDDR5 because my m1730 has GDDR3 RAM. However, had I known for certain I might have looked into the 280 SLIs.. oh well. I think the XFIRE 4870s at stock speed should at least match the 8800MGTX so I can't complain.
     
    nickbarbs, Oct 21, 2009
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  23. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    Well, I will complain because stock, the 4870s that I have, in CrossFire, don't even come up to par with the 280m in SLI, stock. Unless I'm completely misinformed.
    And if that's the case, why the hell did I pay the extra $100 to upgrade to the 4870s from the 280s, when ordering?
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  24. hottestzephyr

    hottestzephyr Notebook Consultant

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    can you show GPU-Z?
     
    hottestzephyr, Oct 21, 2009
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  25. italian.madness

    italian.madness Notebook Consultant

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    Well in Italy SLi 280 costs 300 EURO more than ATI Crossfire....
     
    italian.madness, Oct 21, 2009
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  26. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    One moment, trying to get Catalyst 9.9 working.
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  27. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    yeah Dell needs to release a statement on this. Are there TWO VARIANTS Of GDDR3 and GDDR5 ATI 4870 HD's. If not, why the price difference (Most expensive Top spec cards in USA, as expensive as 260s in Europe with the 280's as the top spec)

    Maybe Catalyst 9.9 will correctly read GDDR5 because it has support for that specific card?
     
    nickbarbs, Oct 21, 2009
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  28. hottestzephyr

    hottestzephyr Notebook Consultant

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    I haven't seen GPU-Z report wrong data except for the gpu that not release.
     
    hottestzephyr, Oct 21, 2009
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  29. hottestzephyr

    hottestzephyr Notebook Consultant

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    but the expensive top spec cards in USA is GDDR3 so the cheap one in EU is GDDR2 :p
     
    hottestzephyr, Oct 21, 2009
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  30. Marvie100

    Marvie100 On a Mission

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    What does dxdiag report the memory as?
     
    Marvie100, Oct 21, 2009
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  31. Megacharge

    Megacharge Custom User Title

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    I'm pretty disappointed to hear this, I was hoping on upgrading to the GDDR5 4870's. :(
     
    Megacharge, Oct 21, 2009
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  32. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    Not sure where it would list that?
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  33. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    GPUZ, and I know it says CrossFire is disabled. Catalyst 9.9 refuses to work with the cards in CrossFire mode, rolling it back to 9.7 right now.

    [​IMG]
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  34. Marvie100

    Marvie100 On a Mission

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    Marvie100, Oct 21, 2009
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  35. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  36. zennik

    zennik Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm calling it a night, for now. Got it back up and going on Cat 9.7 with Crossfire and everything, i'll screw with it more when I wake up in a few hours.
     
    zennik, Oct 21, 2009
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  37. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    Yeah I heard bad things about ATI's drivers having full mobile support. Hopefully 9.9 will work with the 4870s..
     
    nickbarbs, Oct 21, 2009
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  38. catacylsm

    catacylsm Notebook Prophet

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    Huraaay asus w90 clone...

    GDDR3 Sheeesh, bad alienware. 4850's would be better because of there stupid overclock ability.
     
    catacylsm, Oct 21, 2009
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  39. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    Would you equate GDDR3 4870's to 260GTX level performance?
     
    nickbarbs, Oct 21, 2009
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  40. catacylsm

    catacylsm Notebook Prophet

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    Hmm slightly higher then the gtx 260m, on par near enough with the 280's but personally, i'd wait for mandrake to get one before making any final conclusions, mandrake pushed the 280s nice and hard and im sure he will do the same with the 4870s (if he doesnt return it due to false advertising.)
     
    catacylsm, Oct 21, 2009
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  41. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    Cool. I'm happy to overclock the hell out of mine too and push them like crazy as soon as I get my system :)

    Bummer about version 9.9 not working in Xfire mode - lets see if alienware releases a driver though, the Dell M17x Support Driver page shows NO drivers for the M17x with ATI Radeons..

    Honestly though, ATI should be on point with unified drivers for their mobile AND desktop GPUs like Nvidia.. The competition is fierce enough on the actual hardware front that they really need to sort their driver compatibility.
     
    nickbarbs, Oct 21, 2009
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  42. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Hi all. Without Dell supplying the proper drivers for the cards anything reported from the OS will be useless. Especially if the OP installed drivers for the 4850s. There is an easy solution until Dell supplies the drivers, open the system up and pull the cards. Take a pic and post it here. We will be able to tell which exact card it is.

    Edit: Someone correct me if I'm wrong but there are no such thing as ATI 4870 w/GDDR3 that are MXM 3.0. There was an Asus proprietary card that were MXM II GDDR3 w/512MB that wouldn't be compatible with the M17x. Do we really believe this would be a 3rd version of the 4870s? Basically I'm 99% sure these will be the cards we think we ordered. Bad on Dell for not releasing the OEM drivers with the system. (Where's E-wrecked when you need him? ;))
     
    Mandrake, Oct 21, 2009
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  43. italian.madness

    italian.madness Notebook Consultant

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    SO basically you're saying that with appropriate driver support gpu-z would be able to see the real ATi 4870 memory type (which is going to be GDDR5)?
     
    italian.madness, Oct 21, 2009
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  44. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Yes. The software driver is what is supply's the information to the OS.
     
    Mandrake, Oct 21, 2009
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  45. italian.madness

    italian.madness Notebook Consultant

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    Right, Logical. Thanks.
    (I'm learning a lot thanks to this forum, +rep)
     
    italian.madness, Oct 21, 2009
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  46. Megacharge

    Megacharge Custom User Title

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    What do you think of his initial run on vantage with a base GPU score of 10600?
     
    Megacharge, Oct 21, 2009
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  47. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    It's another indication that it's GDDR5. I believe my stock score was 10.3K with the 280s and that was with drivers that where geared toward benchmarking. He has the wrong drivers and hit 10.6K.
     
    Mandrake, Oct 21, 2009
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  48. Megacharge

    Megacharge Custom User Title

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    That's a good sign then, I know my stock 260's were 9400 or something.
     
    Megacharge, Oct 21, 2009
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  49. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    Yeah agreed, bad on dell for not releasing the OEM drivers, however lets give them a bit more time, IE end of the week before judging - people are just getting their ATI XFire systems and i'm sure Dell has some internal validation of drivers before they're released to the support page.

    If what you're saying is correct then, it's possible my GDDR3 cards (as specified in my invoice AND on the UK order page) are actually GDDR5 cards? If the UK site is accurate then there are MXM 3.0 ATI cards with GDDR3.

    This is strange that we're even debating this haha. I guess we need more users to get their hands on these things so we can finally see if there are any variants of the 4870HD within the M17x country-configurations.
     
    nickbarbs, Oct 21, 2009
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  50. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    I highly doubt they are different based on location. It would cost them more to manufacture different types of the same card. The only MXM 3.0b 4870s are of the GDDR5 variety. I'd be 100% sure if I had it in hand. The OP just needs to open up the system.
     
    Mandrake, Oct 21, 2009
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