K53TA.. The best deal ever... could be!

Does anyone have the 214 modded bios with fixed graphics mode they could upload for me?

 

Ok, so I'm currently using the 13.12 WHQL SG Fix from LeeKM as my driver, installed on top of the regular ASUS chipset driver (is it correct to install the chipset? I usually find that I can't use the usb ports, the functions and the volume buttons near the speaker if I don't) and 13.4 WHQL. Performance seems alright, but my CCC interface doesn't have the "manually select which GPU to use" option I saw in some of the screenshots in this thread. Instead, you set each application to either save power or run on high performance, via the 'Switchable Graphics Application Settings' sub-menu under the Power tab. Is this how it's supposed to be, or should I be able to pick what GPU to use? As it is I can only select whether I want to use crossfire or not, and then set individual applications to high performance or power savings, and then hope the game uses the proper GPU (Crusader Kings 2, for instance, doesn't use the dedicated GPU even if I put it on high performance).

p.s.: is there anything else I need to do? Like, I just disabled ULPS in the registry because apparently that's recommended for crossfire setups.

 

I think you're doing everything right. Instead of hoping if dGPU is working, you can precisely monitor activity of dGPU with AMD system monitor, GPUz or MSIafterburner (to make sure your game or app is using the dGPU or integrated). But Switchable gfx isn't always perfect for all games; when you set the application to high performance it's supposed to be using the dGPU, but may not work as well as expected on some games. I find the best graphic performancein most games when CCC dual gfx is set off (or to single gpu). Very few PC games work better with dual gfx set to on.

Disabling ULPS makes it possible to use MSI afterburner to overclock the dGPU a little more. But you'll only notice a small improvement in graphics (+3-5 FPS) (at the expense of more heat like 60-85C), so not really recommended to do all the time; I do it as a curiosity for short experiments.

 

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I use GPU-Z to monitor whether it's using or not the dGPU, but if it isn't I can't do much to change that. I don't intend to overclock GPU, although it does stay, according to GPU-Z, at around 70 - 75 celsius when I'm gaming (the 6520g one, the 6600/6700m Series stays at around 60 celsius) - that seems pretty normal, and even when I stress tested an OC'd CPU and monitored the temperature with AIDA64, it never went above 85 celsius. Only thing I was worried about is whether I should install the chipset before the other drivers or not.

 

I'm not sure if it matters or not to have chipset drivers first. All I do is first uninstall your present AMD CCC, then use DDU in safe mode for clean uninstall, then install official AMD13.4whql and set up my desired apps, browsers, and video players to high performance. Finally I overlap install the latest drivers by Leekm: the last good ones were probably 13.12whql Leekm, 13.11beta9.5 LKM, & 13.11beta9.4 LKM(which I'm currently on). If there are problems with usb 3.0 port, then install the usb 3.0 portion from 13.9whql LKM to function again.

Regarding latest info about AMD drivers on our laptop : (also see next post)
The Latest version 14's have been disappointing for game performance on our laptops, since they were designed for newer graphics GCN architecture, and due to PowerXpress technologies not currently being supported by the Mantle codepath. If the support for PowerXpress returns, then I believe LeekM can once again make another modded driver that will function properly with our APU dual graphics.

According to AMD site>> http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/mantle-faq.aspx

 

Update 3/10/14:
AMD Catalyst 14.2 Mobility (Revision 13.351) Switchable Graphics modded Driver >> AMD Catalyst 14.2 Mobility (Revision 13.351) Switchable Graphics modded Driver - Guru3D.com Forums
Do not install these like other drivers.
The CCC of this driver is not compatible with our laptop (it has missing switchable gfx menu); but "display driver" is reported to install ok by itself. So we have the option to have the "latest display drivers", while using previous 14.1b1.6 ccc LKM mod.
To do this:
1. first clean install older 14.1 beta V1.6 SG FIX leekm ccc the way we've been doing past drivers.
2. Then overlap "custom install" the new 14.2 mobility Rev 13.351, by unchecking ccc.

But IMO the performance may not be as good as older version 13.11b9.4 drivers for general all around game performance. (note: I have not tested this 14.2 display driver & stayed with older drivers). If anyone finds the above drivers to be better, then pass on the word.

 

Thanks for letting us know, atoneapone . Maybe i'll try it if i get bored but like you said last divers gives decent performance so why bother...

 

can anyone upload 13.11beta9.4 LKM ? links are broken

 

i wanted to attach but its to large, it's 1.6mb, email me at [email protected]

 

13.11beta9.4 LKM
Here you go:thumbsup:.>>> http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/601808-k53ta-best-deal-ever-could-474.html#post9558118
(download both rars and extract)
or see directly below:

Code:

13.11beta9.4 LKM Download links for: Win7x64 and Win8x64 APU drivers.
[url=http://www23.zippyshare.com/v/29728123/file.html]AMD_Catalyst_13.11_Mobility_BetaV9.4_SG_Fix(APU_MOD).part1.rar[/url]

[url=http://www54.zippyshare.com/v/59481761/file.html]AMD_Catalyst_13.11_Mobility_BetaV9.4_SG_Fix(APU_MOD).part2.rar[/url]

200+mb file: extract both rars to get leekm's archive
The archive password is [url]www.notebookreview.co.kr[/url]
Select the left button to extract LeekM's archive--it's not in english but it will extract.

Leekm's links always die, so I download all his drivers & burn them to disc in case we need them in the future, but 13.11b9.4 are the only ones I've re-upped for everyone.
They've been the best IMO...slightly better than later 13.12 for Batman and other games, & probably better than latest 14 betas.

Try zippyshare, very easy fileshare site.
Original modded 214 is here, but not sure if it has "fixed gfx mode" menus unlocked>> http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/601808-k53ta-best-deal-ever-could-350.html#post8630217

 

@atoneapone thx

 

The only bad things about 13.11b9.4, are that LCD brightness adjustment control is lost and USB 3.0 is broken. But usb 3.0 can be fixed with a subsequent install of just the usb 3.0 portion from another driver (I use 13.9whql ).(install only usb 3.0 while unchecking the display driver and ccc.)

 

On 13.12 whql brightness work just fine, performance is basically the same as 13.11.

 

Yes, it's good to know lcd is working on 13.12. But when I had 13.12whql, the game Future Pinball (which has FPS indicator) clearly shows games having around 10+ fps slower performance, and Batman Arkam Origins also indicated 5-10 fps loss when game booster was active. But for most other games the difference may be negligible.
So if a PC game feels choppy (<25-30fps), then try the older driver. The future pinball game was dipping from 50-60fps to around 35-45fps. Batman was dipping from 25-42 fps to around 10-30fps. My final assessment was that 13.11b9.4 felt "slightly" smoother than 13.12. so graphics potential seems to have reached its peek since newer drivers are slightly worse.

 

Could you please upload 13.11b9.4 somewhere. I can't find it anymore!

Thanks!

 

13.11 v9.4 here one page before
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/601808-k53ta-best-deal-ever-could-476.html#post9607738

 

New driver has been released(in the past 24hrs).
AMD Catalyst 14.4 PX FIXed DRIVERS (by Vfriend)--- but scroll down 2 posts for LEEKM'S new driver fix with full Win8 & Win7 support.
The support list shows our nonGCN cards(eg.6520g,6600m & 6700m,etc).
The user Vfriend made this power express fixed driver for only WIn8 x64 users (so switchable gfx menu will work).
see here>>> Guru3D.com Forums - View Single Post - AMD Catalyst 14.4 (14.100.0.0 March 27)

I only have Win7x64 so I can't test these yet. (it's ok since I may find old 13.11b9.4 slightly better.) But Vfriend told me game performance is about the same for the last 5 drivers. Maybe Leekm will release a driver like this later supporting Win7 (also Vfriend said he will make Win7 support later after official AMD drivers are released.). Nice to see we still have graphic driver options in year 3 of this laptop.

 

we need cooling mode and oc this cpu much more i guess i ll change thermal paste this year
@atoneapone thx for news bro, if i was at home i could try this driver. i just want stability :laugh:

 

Latest update: (4-17-14)
AMD Catalyst 14.4 Mobility SG.PX Fix Drivers (14.200.0.0 April) by LeekM ---This one has the latest display driver (14.200)
Minor change: If you did the Bios mod 2 years ago about forcing Fixed and Dynamic modes, then you will lose this Switchable graphic method menu, and not be able to force this any longer with this driver. The menu setting was still available on 14.100 display driver below & all past drivers. I never needed to change the modes for the past 2 years, and always keep it on the default Dynamic mode(select graphic processor based on app needs). So not a big loss. If you never did the bios mod then you never had this menu before & after this driver, so no loss at all for most people.

AMD Catalyst 14.4 Mobility SG.PX Fix Drivers (14.100.0.0 March 27) by LeekM --(previous display driver 14.100)
----Click on red title for link; Choose AMD download (skip IntelHD); compatible with Win7x64,Win8x64,Win8.1x64 dual switchable gfx laptops.

Leekm's SG PowerXpress fix driver just came out today, so good news for those that need the latest drivers with "working switchable gfx menu"!
-- Untested by me, so not sure if these are better or same as past drivers for all around general game performance. I'm sticking with 13.11b9.4 until I need newer drivers for future games.
So our laptop's lifetime run continues thanks to 3rd party support from LeekM!

 

Driver update: (Thanks to Vfriend)
AMD Catalyst 14.4 RC V.10 Apr 17 >> Guru3D.com Forums - View Single Post - AMD Catalyst 14.4 RC1 (14.100.0.0 April 15)
Alternate 14.4RC1 DL link if above link doesn't work>> Download LINK

I heard it has good performance with working switchable gfx menu. (not sure if it's the best performance of all drivers but it's the newest CCC available despite using previous 14.100 display driver). It's also compatible with all Win7x64, Win8x64, & 8.1x64.

Now the bad news: Leekm has announced he is discontinuing posting his modded drivers due to some disagreements with certain people, (which I don't really understand). But atleast other modders like Vfriend are still around to save the day making mods for our Llano dual graphics to work properly. And who knows, maybe the whole thing will blow over and LeekM will be back again in the future. But he will be missed since we all relied on his drivers for nearly a year now.

 

Just tried 14.4RC it's great so far, performance is better than a 13.12whql, i recommened trying. It also work on W7 64.

 

Thanks Undyingghost! I'll try these out when I have a chance & report back. Great to see our laptop's gaming graphic drivers are back in busines.

update:
I installed the most recent 14.4RC1. From a few game benchmark comparisons, I found these to be on par with the best drivers we've used. Sometimes benchmarks indicated 13.11b9.4 to be better by a 1/2 to 1 FPS, but most times they felt the same /too close to tell, and sometimes it was 14.4RC1 that was better by 1FPS but at the expense of screen tearing. All my usb ports are functioning properly, and my LCD brightness control function is working while powered by battery and AC outlet, so now I'll keep these new drivers.

I cannot comment on how they compare to 14.4 by Leekm since I skipped that release. But imo, the best 4 drivers have been 14.4RC1,13.11b9.4LKM, 13.12whql LKM, &13.4whql.(They are all very close in game benchmarks).

Note: I did experience an error on CCC after installing (instead of Done completed successfully), but everything installed ok. I chose custom install so I could refuse to install Evolve AMD optimizer. Hydravision is set to boot on startup, so I had to go into CCC to turn that off. I disabled radeon dual graphics but this is optional since dual gfx seems to work well. There is also Framepacing set to ON so not sure if setting it off will make things more stable. (needs more testing, but all seems fine so far)

 

i installed 14.4 WHQL S.G fixed by Mahmoud Elfar, installed with no error but catalyst doesnt work (windows 8.1)
i will install 14.4 RC

14.4 whql by Mahmoud Elfar

 

Thanks for trying Haymanali2006, but sorry to hear 14.4whql didn't go so well.... esp since mahmoud elfar stated it had little better gaming performance. I have win 7 and may try these later if I find some time, and also if we can figure out why CCC didn't install on your laptop. Vfriend also gave me instructions how to mod the driver inf file. But I never tried modding & I'd probably make the same driver as Mahmoud so I will wait. Someone should ask Vfriend if he can check over the inf mod file that Mahmoud made and see if it was done correctly. Hopefully we can get it working.

 

Rc1 is so good. Seems so stable. Installed with No problem on windows 8.1
I loved this driver

 

So I'll stick with RC1 unless we find whql more worthy. Maybe whql is nearly the same thing as RC1. I couldn't even see much difference between 13.11b9.4 or 14.4RC1 so no rush for me to update yet.

edit: true, I forgot having brightness control makes 14.4RC1 better.

 

Brightness is working this is big difference

 

Just letting everyone know 14.4whql mod by mahmoud elfar installed & works fine on my Win 7x64 laptop. I first install 13.4whql and then overlap Installed the new 14.4whql mod as an administrator and CCC loads up fine with correct version.

No bugs & my lcd brightness control works. After Installation was complete, it stated warnings occurred, but everything is fine. Everything seems a slightly bit smoother & snappier than 14.4RC1..games also play equal or slightly better. But if you have RC1 already then it's also very close.


update: the brightness control works but it seems unable to get very very dark. it starts off at a reasonable low setting and then at the highest setting it gets too bright like gamma turned up too much . I never checked to see if 14.4rc1 was also like this. But it's not a deal breaker, so I will keep it.

 

Sorry for the off-topic, but good lawd this thread! I originally joined this forum when I bought my K53TA and this thread is still going strong. Sadly my K53 finally went to a new and less-demanding owner, but this thread will forever be in my memory as some of the best forum conversation ever.

Props to atoneapone for carrying the torch for almost 3 years now! The K53TA is a historical milestone of price/performance and this huge thread is a testament to it's greatness.

 

Thanks ryanlecocq. It is amazing about this thread still alive, and I expect 2014 to be another good year of gaming (next year it may only be used for other things...). I'll keep posting as long as the modders on guru3d continue updating gfx. I've enjoyed my time here even if it only helped 5 people, but the more the merrier (eg. HP,Lenovo,Acer,toshiba Llano dual gfx users).

K53TA will always be remembered by me since it was my own first laptop & since I learned so much good(bios flashing&mods, gpu mods, ocing cpu&gpu,cooling mods,ssd,drive caddy, gpu driver installation, & fixing any problems like LCD hinges,etc.).

 

I just got this laptop off craigslist and love it so far. I've been reading as much as possible about this laptop and need some help.
I installed a 128gb ocz agility 3 I have for the speed, but can't seem to unlock the full speed. I installed regular Win 7 Home Premium because using the ASUS recovery discs left me with only 30gb to do anything I manually updated to the regular BIOS 214 before I saw this thread and tried flashing the modded 214 BIOS but still don't get better than about 200 on crystal disk. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Reverted back to 13.12whql and i can say it runs much smoother than a 14.3 - 14.4rc/whql and have more stable fps for some reason. Planetside 2, PoE and even Stalker LA. Maybe it's finaly time to stop udating drivers for this machine, it's shame becouse we can use modded drivers but performance is worse.

 

Undyingghost, thanks for the feedback. I've not tested all of my old games but most of them seem fine to me on new 14.4whql,as good as 13.12.( Definitely depends on which games we are playing.) But Maybe you're right about stopping updated drivers after 13.12, since the differences are very small--hardly worth it any more. (so best to keep 13.12 & 13.11b9.4 as backups). Someone else on guru3d also found 13.12whqlfix to be the best for these particular games (prototype2 & world of warcraft)>> http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=388828

So maybe I will try 13.12 again in the future, if new 14.xx drivers continue to disappoint.

 

I'm surprised amd actually made a driver that supports our notebook.

performance noticeably improved in the new wolfenstein.

 

You tried Wolfenstein on this laptop? How is that working out, any playable fps?

 

With where AMD are going product wise it's an area they have to improve to survive.

 

Hello everyone. I am having trouble with temperatures on this notebook.
Even when I keep the maximum clock at 1567MHz with 0.95V. In games, my APU temperatures reach 97 degrees and my GPU also reaches 92.
What should I do? Should I take it over to Asus since I have 3 months warranty remaining on this.
Or should I open it up myself and look into the cooling thing? Maybe it requires cleaning and a fresh thermal paste application.

The ambient temperatures in my city are pretty high (~45 degrees C) [New Delhi, India].

 

it's playable on low settings.

didn't try medium settings, but it might still be playable. I already finished it and uninstalled since it has no replay value.

 

That's your problem.

If my room temp gets to 80F, my cpu temp gets to 85C under load at 2ghz. It gets hot quickly if room temps are not lower.

so it looks like your notebook is acting normally. Remember, your cpu is designed to run at 1.4ghz, and only jump to 2.3ghz when thermal conditions are right.

 

My still hangs at massive 2.4Ghz (1.1125v) and only reaches 80c after hours playing Planetside 2. I really recommend new paste, it reduced my temps by amazing 10-15c. GPU is clocked at 700/1000


Btw, link626 what drivers are you using?

 

i'm using 14.4 wqhl

 

Is the switchable graphics feature back in the official release? I'm still running 13.4 as all the drivers released since are lacking the "configure switchable graphics". Last official ones i tried were 13.12 or something like that and the switchable graphics control was gone. I tried 14.4 from Leekm which seem to be the beta, and they crashed diablo 3 to desktop after a few minutes.

 

I just started to play games on this laptop again since college semester is over and I played GRID for about an hour and my temps went to about 90 C. How can I make my temps lower? Is there a how-to guide on taking apart this laptop to clean out the heat sinks/fans and reapplying the thermal paste?

Edit: Right now my temps go to about 45-50c while browsing the internet etc. on a dual monitor setup and idles at about 50c depending on the temps in my room. Also I clocked the cpu at 2.3 (1.0750v) and 2.4 (1.1000v boost)

 

It used to stay the same for me when it was new. Back then, I used to run it at 2.35GHz (1.1125v) and it never crossed 76 degrees. Even the GPU stayed below 70 whilst being clocked at 725/1050 MHz

Now that I've reduced the OC to stock speeds @ 1500 Mhz(while also undervolting it @ 0.95v), my temperatures still cross 96 degrees! My GPU also hovers at 92 degrees even when I've removed the OC and gone back to stock 600/900 MHz speeds.

Should I get it done from the service center before I get my hands dirty on it?

PS - I'm running 13.11 beta 4 drivers and have a Samsung SSD as my main drive along with the original HDD in the caddy bay as a second drive. Is the second drive interfering with the air flow?

 

76 celsius running NFS The Run 2 hours with cpu @2300, 1,075v and gpu @725/1050 very stable clocks

 

It looks like it's there, but I haven't played with it.
I haven't needed manual switching for a long time. I prefer the auto switching because I can run separate apps on different gpus simultaneously.

 

remove the 2 screws holding the keyboard, then push the tabs on the top edge of the keyboard, and tilt out the keyboard.

You will see the exhaust fan hole. For most people, the heatsink fins are clogged with dust, so blow hard from left side of notebook into the exhaust, and let dust fly out from the hole that was under the keyboard.


You guys with overheating should clean it out first before doing anything else.

 

No, I don't think official drivers have working "Configure Switchable Graphics" menu. But the modded driver 14.4whql made by mahmoud elfar has it working perfectly.
see here>> Modded Catalyst 14.4 WHQL (switchable graphics fix) - Guru3D.com Forums

I think Link626 thought you were talking about the "Switchable Graphics METHOD" menu in CCC.--he has a picture in his post; This menu only shows up for us if we previously did a ASUS BIOS mod 212 opening up fixed mode.
Note: That menu is lost on the latest 14.6beta modded driver since it is using display driver 14.200. Without this menu, you lose ability to force Fixed gfx over Dynamic switching gfx. But not a big loss for most of us, since It is defaulted to Dynamic switching & is what nearly everyone leaves it on all the time. But at very few special times, it is nice to force Fixed mode (I haven't used it in 2 years, so unneeded by me).

***14.6 beta is the first driver to have Mobile gfx mantle support for enduro dual gfx, but only if you have HD 77xxm-79xxm, 8xxxM or AMD Radeon Rx 200("R7" and "R9 gfx) mantle supported GCN architecture. [Mantle is Unsupported on our 6000m series(non GCN) gfx].
- We have the option to update to 14.6b and have working configure switchable gfx menu.. (But I'm sticking with 14.4 for now since my games play well, and I have no need for latest gfx right now; If you have the game Watch Dogs, then maybe worth it for more GPU utilization.)
- You can follow more info on latest 14.6b SG fix mod here>> http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=389511

 

pretty stupid how the switchable graphics method shows up and then gets taken out in different driver packages.

What's this talk about driver 14.200?

Was that not in 14.4 drivers?

My biggest complaint is still the locked apps where I can't switch power settings unless I rename the exe and set the renamed exe to high performance.
I still can't fix this bug.

 

-I don't know why switchable gfx method was removed; my guess is some kind of conflict with making Mantle work with mobile dual gfx.
-Each graphic driver usually has a different display driver version; And 14.4whql has 14.100.0.0 display driver version. (See Attached pic)
Display driver is in parenthesis: eg. AMD Catalyst 14.6 Beta v1.0 (14.200.0 May 23), AMD Catalyst 14.4 WHQL (14.100.0.0 April 17),AMD Catalyst 14.4 RC1 V10.0(14.100.0.0 April 17), AMD Catalyst 14.1 Mobility BetaV1.6 (13.350.1005.0 January 31).
Leekm also made a 14.4 modded with 14.200 display driver and it was the first gfx driver we noticed with missing switchable gfx method, so I blame the 14.200 display driver.

About locked apps, that' a whole different mess. I really hate that bug; usually involves browsers and vid players. But I found a work around by doing clean uninstall and FIRST installing official AMD 13.4whql drivers, and set all the apps which will become locked on newer drivers to either high performance or based on power source; THEN overlap install the latest driver(eg. 14.4whql mod). But the bad news is the app will become locked on high performance or whatever we set it. So I chose some apps to be on "high performance" and some to be "based on power source". Also some apps couldn't be set to high performance & were stuck in power saving. eg. VLC & maybe MPC hc. It's still buggy and may not work for all apps. If you forget an app that needs setting then it will be set to power save. See my pics for the apps with locked symbols--and some of my examples. (There are 2 types of lock symbols - solid black locks & locks with white center loop which are stuck in power save; solid black locks can be changed to another setting after 13.4install&before new driver install).
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