L502X modded bioses download (GPU voltages and more!)

added to the first post, thanks for the feedback guys ^_^

 

can also confirm the A11 0.83/0.83 gt525m works a treat thanks again for ur work capitankasar

 

@daryld1988
thank you
added to the first post ^_^


@all
what are your GPU clocks for the 525m 0.83v/0.83v?

I switched again to the 0.85v one since higher Overclocks wasnt stable at all with 0.83v

currently running GPU core at 720 mhz (memory clocks untouched, gives more stability)

 

my clocks are 830/1660/900 but that is on dx11 games as you seem to get a higher clock on them with less problems dx9 crashes at much lower clocks iv found

 

yeah, same problem with me dx9 games are more sensitive to OC.

anyway I'm impressed how far you got your OC.

that is really crazy with a 525m , specially with such low voltage,it is even higher than most 540m overclocks I saw.
I would love to have that OC stability ^_^

also, since msi afterburner limit is 780 mhz for core I suspect you are using nvidia tools or another overclocking tool

 

yeah dx9 games im limited to around 800 for my clock speed, but yea thats the reason why i stopped using msi afterburner as evga precision allows you to go that bit extra not 2 fussed on the latest version of it tho the ui of it runs very slow so i use the version 2 of it instead

 

Flashed 0.83/0.85v 540M A11 modded BIOS. Works fine, thanks as always!

 

my laptop was also a refurb from ebay so maybe there was some repasting done as my temperature max seems to be only in around 74 or 75 which is pretty good for my clocks, which is what makes me think its not standard paste

 

Hi guys, nice to see you..I downloaded the official A11 from Dell site for my L502X xps 15 notebook...after the flash process the bios ask for a password (never configured before), then after a couple of tries my pc was "System locked" and a strange code appear in the LCD (B7AB6B7B).

After a reboot, I hit F2 key again and the password popup appear again (DOS style)..so, have you the same trouble? some can help me with that?

Best regards for all of you!

 

@matrix

thx , added to the first post ^_^

@daryld1988

mmm, you can allways check it by taking appart the system (well, since it works fine it isnt recomended) asking the seller could be a better idea

@asrhael

mmm, A11 bios worked fine for me, both original and modded.


however if your laptop is bios locked for some reason if you want to remove the bios password try to take appart the system and then remove the cmos battery



ignore those 4 wires, they are from a mod, the battery is at the botton left, the thing with CR2032 text on it.

you will need to remove it 1 minute to make sure the setup data got deleted.

then put everything back, the bios password should be gone, and you will need to reconfigure also the other bios options like the date/time and some other stuff in the setup utility by pressing F2 at the startup ^^.

 

I flashed the new undervolted A11 BIOS, but it failed to reboot. It causes the black screen. Fn+B doesn't work either. Do you have any good advice for bios recovery? thanks .

 

Did you flash the corrrect BIOS for your system? Which one did you flash specifically? - You may require Dell to replace the motherboard, otherwise CapitanKasar should know.

Hope it works out

 

@joel09

yep, wich version did you flashed? (BIOS version,GPU model, and voltages)

did the flashing process finished? or it even didnt started to flash it?

one time I had a similar issue on my tests.

after rebooting , it didnt started to flash, I waited 1, 2 and 3 mins but it keep black screen.

however, I removed the battery, power cord, and optical drive, waited two mins and replugged everything back, it worked again thas curius, but worked ^_^

about the recovery method, FN+B are just some BIOS diagnosis tools to test the screen, keyboard, cpu,memory ... but just diagnosis tools, not recovery tools.

as far I know sadly there arent any proved/working bios recovery tool for this system.

all the tests I did flashing the bios has been done with some caution, knowledge, and some luck too ^^

note: I supose you flashed those bios in a compatible L502X model, right?
L501X and any other laptop different from the L502X are not compatible with those modded bios and will cause the laptop dont boot anymore

 

Hi,
I had regular crashes (screen freeze, sound loop) in League of Legends for like every 2nd or 3rd game. Then I applied the following mod:

----------------------------------
GT540m bios mod for L502X
BIOS version used: A10
2D PROFILE: 0.83v
3D PROFILE: 0.85v
----------------------------------

And now I haven't had crashes for about two weeks now.
Thank you very much for your efforts.

----
Dell XPS 15 L502x: i7-2630QM | 8GB | nVidia GT540M | (1920x1080) | Corsair X128 SSD

 

@masoud_ata

thanks for the feedback

added to the first post ^_^

I am glad it helped you , also league of legends is one of my favorite games and the one wich I most play those days, do you play in european server too?

<- using same summoner name as the nickname in the forum


@joel09

still waiting for your input ^^

 

Yes, I play on EU West under summoner name zendigh. But I'm not a pro

 

me either ^_^

my gamming skills there are also far to be legendary, but I have fun while playing , added

 

Thanks for your reply.
the bios version A11 for gt525m(correct for my system)
2D PROFILE: 0.83v
3D PROFILE: 0.83v.
the flashing process seems to be allright. but it stuck with black screenn after auto-restart. I have tried using your method. did not succeed. I will call dell to solve the problem

 

Don't mention it was a modded BIOS or they might deny your warranty claim

 

@joel09

well, sorry to hear that.

It isnt a BIOS file issue since alvester and daryld1988 already flashed that file without issues.


if your computer is definitly a L502X,maybe corrupt download?
that is why I added the checksum codes, to make people ensure the file integrity is ok.


well, I supose if corrupt flashes happen also with the original bioses ,so it can also happen with modded ones, (bad luck, but it also happens)

if the bios is already flashed and you dont get any led activity or image even throug hdmi or minidisplay, it is definitly bricked and there isnt really a lot of stuff you can do.

is the machine under warranty?

yeah, like Matrix5 said, dont mention anything about modded bios.

probably only solution it a motherboard replacement

 

Fortunately it is in the warranty period. They will collect the machine tomorrow and repair it.

 

well, that make things easier, my laptop warranty expired like 1 month ago >.<

so if something goes wrong with my future flashing tests, it ..... well, lets do not think about it

keep us updated ^_^

 

captiankasar,

I have to say, the only reason I made an account was because of this thread. Thanks so much for your work. Just got my L502X 3 days ago and already love it more thanks to this thread's help.

-J

 

@jdunne

thank you a lot

stuff like this made any of my effort worth of it ^_^

pleased you liked it, if you tell me exactly wich bios and voltage settings you are using, I can add you to the first post as modded bios user

 

Hey Guys,

Great job! Most games did work under 0.83,0.85 540M with A09, A10 and A11 bios.

But there are still games like Bioshock 2, CoD black ops and recently Guild Wars 2 that i'm still facing this crash and i tried all the Bios with 0.83,0.85 v.

Am i missing something here. Btw i tried reducing the GPU clock in nvidia control panel, but its not getting saved. Are there other ways to solve this problem and i havent tried anything else. (like the re-pasting i keep hearing about, didnt quite understand that, so i know im missing some of things to be done). Also should i try my luck with other mods in 540m ?

Please help.... and sorry for the trouble with my noobie doubts.

 

Using BIOS version: A11
2D PROFILE: 0.83v
3D PROFILE: 0.83v

Appears stable at 802/900/1604!

 

just letting yous guys know there is new nvidia beta drivers out should contain some performance gains for newer games they r version 304.48

 

@carlmike2007

well, some games are more sensitive than others, as for me, I found that lineage 2 and dead space series doesnt like high overclocks at all.

all my other games run flawesly with OC and the voltage settings.

modded bioses proved to fix problems for most gt540m cards, and in some cases just improve the issue.

if it just improved it, you will still need to underclock the gpu a little (underclock will decrease performance a little, but still worth of it if it is the last resource of getting rid of the gt540m crashes)

if you are getting issues underclocking the gpu via nvidia control panel, try using msi afterburner to underclock the gpu (you can download it from the first post)

a lot of people reported it runs great as OCing tool.

I also use it and I consider a must have for any XPS owner interested in GPU performance/stability.


yes, there are some hardware mods for the l502x wich improve/lower temperatures, making system more stable sometimes.

* repaste (dell's stock thermal paste at the l502x is not really good)
* remove dust filter (it greatly improve the airflow, resulting in cooler temps)

I have both hardware mods, and also using a modded bios, temperature or crashes are not a problem anymore ^_^







@Rackers

I asume you are using a gt525m right? (since most of gt540m are not stable with 0.83v on 3d)

anyway, that is a very nice clock for minimal voltage ^_^

I had to increase my gt525m to 0.85v get over the 700 mhz

awesome setup you have over there ^_^








@daryld1988


thanks!

I was waiting those driver update so badly

300+ driver series bringed some improvements for games, but gave some issues with OCd cards (I got 1/4 of the fps I normally had sometimes after start a game, to fix the issue I had to restart the whole system to be able to get full fps again.)

will download them now

ty!

edit: for some reason I cannot download the changenotes pdf at this time, got a file not found error >.<

well, will install the driver at the blind way xD

 

Yeah 525m; I'm going to keep testing and will report back!

 

thx for the update

added Rackers and carlmike2007 to the first post ^^

 

@captiankasar

I tested my clockings pretty throughly until I came to my conclusion at my current clocks. The voltage is perfect for GT540M levels, however going to GT550M levels caused my computer to freeze on the benchmark I use.

With repaste and dust-covers removed, the laptop sits at a very comfortable max of 85* (was 95 before repaste) but it is also on a Cooler Master NotePal X3 chill pad.

 

@capitankasar i also had that problem were some of my games would run at lower fps but found out it was a problem with the card not starting the game with my nvidia card but starting it with my intel gpu even when i had set the default to be the nvidia card, i resolved this by right clicking on the game shortcut everytime and then selecting wat gpu to start it with manually from that menu works everytime now

 

@jdunne

well, my 525m is almost at 550m (currently running 720 mhz with no issues) and running the same modded bios as you, every card is different, most people can just run it at 700 mhz or lower speeds, while some people run at 800 + mhz without issues.

you can give a try also to overvolted bioses, more heat but maybe more OC too ^^

you will need to compare results with both bioses.





@daryld1988

it wasnt a gpu selecting issue.

since I learned what optimus means, I allways use the nvidia tray icon and msi afterburner GPU usage graphic to know if the nvidia GPU is being used.

the issues I saw with the previus non beta drivers was reated to low fps, but I noticed the GPU was being used at 100% , but not really eficiently for some reason.

the issue happened sometimes after start some games, it seemed like a bug, lot of people reported same stuff at league of legends, the game I mostly play.

I have now the new beta drivers, as for the moment no more FPS issues at league of legends on very high settings.

however since the issue just appeared in some random matches, I cannot be fully sure until I test the drivers more time ^^

 

Just tested GT525m bios mod, temperature goes really high 96 degree Celsius with overclocking
BIOS version used: A11
2D PROFILE: 0.85v
3D PROFILE: 0.98v

 

@ricohunter

huge thanks for testing the bios , specially a untested one

updated the first post with your name ^_^

yeah, overvolting usually helps overclocking but also result in higher temps.

I advised that at the bios info.

anyway, did you got good results with the extra voltage?

what is your max stable OC with the overvolted bios?

any improvement over the other bioses?

 

Thanks Capitankasar for clearing my doubts. Will work on it and let you know how it goes

 

Eh, I'm currently happy with my performance right now. Running TERA at 1080p with just about maxed graphics is just fine for now. I'll see about using an overvolt when Secret World comes out if I'm not happy with the performance, but I prefer a cooler laptop to a hot one.

Seriously though, thanks for your help plus your responses.

-J

 

Well my stable overclocking is 750 MHz with on issue, the 0.98v did give me four more frps when testing my card with MSI Kombustor 2.3 but i do like the 0.83v one since it gives me 40 degree Celsius the lowest.

 

Hey
Have been watching this thread for a while. I just want to ask a few Ques before flashing:
1)How to Revert to Original - In case I enter into some problem
2) Should I Install Dell's A11 First? (Just Downloaded)
3) If I run into issues and laptop wont start, can Dell figure out that I flashed a Modded Bios??

First time Flashing Modded BIOS, thats why a few DOubts

 

just tested the 0.83/ 0.85 a11 gt525m bios all works well and seems even more stable thanks again capitankasar no more crashes with skyrim now at higher overclocks

 

@carlmike2007

pleased to help , keep us updated



@jdunne

yeah, nice point

thats is also why I am using the undervolted bios, overvolted bioses may let me even OC a little more, but I love my laptop as it at the moment, I remember the old days when it wasnt modded, it seemed like a hot vulcano xD



@ricohunter

thanks for the info

yeah, low temps are preferible than getting a few more fps.

0.83v and 0.85v are usually enough for gt525m cards even for mid/high OC (like 100 mhz increase)




@tejagamer

hey, welcome to the boat


1) all of my bios downloads have a batch file named "flash_original_bios.bat"

run that one instead the "flash_modded_bios.bat" to flash original/untouched bios.

the procedure is exactly the same but executing a diferent batch file

2) nope, you can flash a new modded version directly from any old original version.

3) chances getting a brick downloading the correct file and flashing it correctly are minimal.

however they may happen^in the worst escenarios, bad luck also exist ^^

well, it would be really difficult dell notice that, since the laptop will not even boot, they will probably recovery the bios directly by connecting the motherboard to developer PCBs or something like that.

just dont tell them about modded bios and probably they will just replace the motherboard.

anyway, I flashed a LOT of bioses during the tests and my laptop is fine

it will be fine if you proceed with carefull , I suggest to use the md5 check to verify the size of the download and close all other apps before flashing.

hope it helps ^_^






@daryld1988

pleased to help

huge thanks for the feedback and bios testing

 

Hi Guys,

I have been reading this topic (and several others) about the l502x hoping to find a solution for my problem with this notebook, which is the fan turning on and off all the time when the computer is under hardly any stress at all.
As you all know, the temps for the cores are often around 55C just after startup, and often very light tasks, such as typing in a MS Word document, opening a webpage, or starting a program like Outlook, cause the temps to rise above 60C and the fan to rev up.
I am using a Zalman NC3000U notebook cooler, which does make a difference, but it would be great if the temperature could be a few degrees lower.

My question is: Would using an undervolted bios for the GPU have any effect on the overall temperatures of this notebook? And if so, what bios version would be best for me (I have the latest standard bios A11 now)? I have never undervolted or overclocked or used any modded biosses, so I thought I'd better ask before I do anything.

Thanks in advance,
Arthur

 

@Phonemes

at the l502x laptop, the CPU and GPU share the same fan and heatsink.

so yes, lowering the GPU temperature may decrease at least one or two C

I suggest you try the 0.83v for 2d and 0.85v for 3d

you can start testing with the latest version (A11)

but make sure you download the correct bios depending if you have a 525m or a 540m

if you are concerned about high temps, you can also repaste, remove the dust filter and doing all the other suggested steps like disable turbo boost setting the cpu ussage to 99% at the powersave settings.

however disable turboboost may decrease performance on high demanding cpu apps, anyway you can allways enable it later reverting the setting

 

@capitankasar

Thanks for the information. I have succesfully flashed the version you suggested. GPU voltage is at 83. I will monitor the notebook's performance and report back in a few days.

Arthur

 

@capitankasar just wanted to let you know that with further testing i have now got my directx games to run on your a11 0.83/0.85 bios at 830/1660/900 this is also combined with the latest nvidia beta drivers before anything over 800 clock on direct x 9 games would of caused a crash for me, but now iv played many games including skyrim for hours and theres not any artifacts or crashes in sight great work cannot reccomend the 0.83/0.85 for gt525m users enough

 

@Phonemes

pleased to help

adding you to the first post ^_^

@daryl1988
thanks for the info

I'm currently running my 525M GPU at 720 mhz, the bios is the a11 0.85v/0.85v, I wanted to keep the 2d voltage the same cause I noticed before on older bioses some crashes while alt+tabbing (when it fast switching voltages), so if it allways is the same voltage, there will be no alt+tab issues ^^

anyway I will follow your advice and try to raise a little my OC with the new beta drivers, didnt experienced a single crash since a long time, so it may be time to force the machine a little more ^_^

testing 740 mhz now, if stable will try higher clocks ^_^

 

@capitankasar

I tried the modded bios A11 83/85v for the 525m. I was looking for lower temperatures when the processor was idle, in order to solve the constant fan on-off problem when performing light tasks. The modded bios didn't help for me. I saw no real difference in temps and the fan appeared to be even more restless than before. (I didn't expierence any real problems running this bios though.) I reflashed to the original bios. Both flashing and reflashing went without a hitch on my system.
I might be looking into repasting now, although I'm not sure I'm courageous enough for that. I saw the thread outlining the steps to do that and the laptop has to be pretty much taken apart before you can get to the CPU and GPU.

Anyway, many thanks for all your efforts with these modded biosses!
Arthur

 

@Phonemes

thanks for the info.

well, those bioses are more GPU temperatures and overclocking based.
also the changes on the cpu temperatures are minimal, those bios are more focused on GPU temps.

repaste and dustfilter will definitly help, I also removed yesterday the dustfilters from the memory/minipci-e plastic door.

may help a little too ^^

 

@capitankasar

Is 40C normal after start up ?

Thanks for your modded bios

 

@ricohunter

thanks

yeah, that temps are normal, I usually got 40-50C temps at the startup on the gpu and I get arround 45C when the system is iddle with 0.85v

probably even less with 0.83v