XPS M1730 and SLI problems

Read directions about replacing INF files at laptopvid2go.

 

I asked for a link. The thing is i don't know where to get started, and i'm not really to good with drivers and stuff like that. Please be kind and give me a link for it, the drivers listed on the page are quite dated..

edit: i'm going to try this one, as it seems that most people that have tried it likes it. http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=16679

 

Anandtech's talked about downloading Beta drivers for it from Nvidia.com, but I can't find them. All I see are 167.51 drivers from December, and they're supposedly just for the 8700GT. I'm not sure where they're getting the newer betas.

 

I don't know if this helps or not, but on my desktop (with vista 32bit) I was having a hard time getting SLI running at all. after quite awhile I found this patch on Microsoft's website:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936710

Once I had installed this patch my SLI was working just fine. It wasn't due to drivers or anything else but an issue in vista itself. I hope this helps people.

 

I also seem to be having problems with my performance. Already called DELL and they are apparently running the games I use with the specifications I have on them on their own M1730.

This might sound stupid.. But.. How do I check if I REALLY have Dual 8700's as opposed to just one 8700. Cause.. Nowhere in my computer do I see the video card being named Dual or have Sli on its name. I do have the option to turn SLI on in the Nvidia control panel.. But yea..

I play FSX, COH, HL2: Day of Defat (source), CnC3: Kanes Wrath.. SHould I be able to run these to the max? Or am I under the wrong impression that I purchased a computer thats stronger than it really is?

Also.. I seem to be having choppyness on the HL2: Day of Defeat (source). I have my AA off on that game.. Which one should I enable IF i were to enable an AA? Cause theres so many choices there.. 4x, 6x, 16x..

 

To find out whether you have two graphics card installed: right click on 'Computer', then click on 'Properties',now you should see a 'Device Manager' tab on the left hand side of the window.Click on 'Device Manager'.Now you should see a list of all the hardware on your laptop.Expand(click on the '+' sign) 'Display adapters'.You should now see 2 Nvidia Geforce 8700M GT.

Hope it helps!

 

Thanks! Have two! Anyone run those games with their M1730's?

 

I've tried updating my M1730 video drivers with recent drivers from both Nvidia and laptopvideo2go, but when I go to enable SLI in the control panel, it says some applications must be closed to enable SLI, and when I click Yes to confirm, my screen goes black and I have to power down the laptop. Does anyone else get this? I have dual 8700M GT's.

 

Anybody out there?

 

Did you try the Dell Performance drivers(174.31) from the Dell website?Try them out and see if the same thing happens?

 

No, I haven't, but I will. I didn't know this version was available - thanks.

 

Can you guys post a link.. I cant find the PERFORMANCE Drivers anywhere.. I found the ones that are listed for my computer.. but not the ones you specify.. Do not know if they are all the same.

 

Find your "normal" video driver for your OS from here: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...SystemID=XPS_1730&os=WLH&osl=en&catid=&impid=
and when you scroll down the download page, there is a "performance" section.

I downloaded the XP performance driver 174.31 and I was then able to set SLI mode. Instead of saying it needed to shut some apps down, it said I need to restart for the change to take effect. On restart, SLI was enabled. The new driver also adds an option to limit the number of render-ahead frames, and strangely my anisotropic filtering only goes up to 8x instead of 16x in the stable driver.

In the game I am trying to play (Race07), I get really good performance in the alternate rendering 2 SLI mode, but it blue screens and is unusable in that mode. The other SLI modes don't seem to make any difference and may even be slightly worse. I don't know if it's just the game's SLI support, but it seems silly to have paid for a second video card that's just doing nothing. (Oh, and off topic, don't get 4 GB ram on a 32-bit system - I can only use 3.2 GB of it because of the 32 bit address space limitation).

 

I found this post ( http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=17753) regarding 8800M GTX's (Clevo/Sager). Regarding card underclock issues with non-stock drivers.

I've had major issues with my Dell 1730 with dual 8800M GTXs (using Dell performance and laptopvideo2go drivers) which match exactly what that guy was experiencing. Sadly I can't find any video bios update for my Dell (the way he fixed it) so I'm stuck with the stock drivers for a while yet.

 

Found this post ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=229035) which links to a driver ( http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=18537) which has fixed my downclocking issue. Thank gawd...

Still hasn't fixed my TF2 weapon switching crash though.

 

Bah, had it underclock on me again, disconnected from one CS:S server, joined another and the game was gittery so check rivatuner and it had indeed underclocked. Wasn't a heat issue either, the temps on the card barely hit 58. Was strange, the previous server was running fine, was just when I disconnected and switched to another server that the card underclocked. /baffling

 

Sorry I just dont see the performance section you are saying.. It does not appear for me. :S

 

Found It!!! :d

 

Performance driver didnt work too well.. after a while my nvidia control panel did not work.. it crashed everytime i tried to open it.. so i reverted to the latest Nvidia has to offer on their site.

Meanwhile, Dell Latin America has yet to contact me back on this issue. THey are apparently running the games I play with my specs ( i sent them a list) on one of their M1730's.

 

Well jsut spoke again with DELL.. Apparently at least in Latin American DELL they havent heard about this problem. So.. They say they will look into it. I cant do anything.

 

The M1730 and its SLI problems are really beginning to get on my tits...

 

I'm sorry to hear all you guys having SLI problems. Personally, this being an M1730 and therefore an enthusiasts machine (arguable, but generally true) we should be venturing into the realms of non-approved graphics drivers.

If you're a real enthusiast, interested in getting peak performance for gaming, you already know about laptopvideo2go.com and have tried a couple of driver revisions from different driver branches.

I'm using a slightly older revision of a desktop branch driver under Vista x64 (for which, annoyingly, there are no official Dell drivers downloadable from dell.com) and have only a minor issue (dual screen use sometimes screws the resolution of the LCD up when resuming from standby). Everything else, including SLI, works perfectly. I can even switch between SLI and non-SLI without rebooting (though Vista wants to).

Perhaps I could gain more performance by using a later driver, but it's fast enough for me. I only have 8700's but Colin McRae DiRT plays well at 1920x1200 with motion blur turned off. Hardly a yardstick to measure other games by, but everything I've previously played except for Crysis ran at acceptable rates.

If you want to stick with stock Dell drivers (or even the performance ones), you're going to miss out.

 

yea I'm using laptopvideo2go ones with 8800GTX...

 

I tried DIRT when I had my 8700's, and it wouldnt run nice - so you're definately doing something right!

Nevertheless I tend to stick with Dell drivers, since that way everything works - such as my BluRay drive etc. I only really change drivers if I cant run a game, or if I really need to.

The 8800mGTX got rid of all the problems I was having with SLI 8700's. Im using the Dell Driver 174.31, and stability is much better then the 8700's. Even though its a Dell driver, Im running all games I throw at it. DIRT runs maxed, as does Assassins Creed etc. Im even playing Crysis at all High settings perfectly smooth.

 

Hey I was looking at the laptop2go drivers and I dont see the Nvidia 8700 listed there on their little list of Nvidia cards that I supposed mean are supported.

??????

 

hey guys.. Is the only way to get Nvidia 8800's SLI through DELL? Or can you purchase M1730 compatible cards somewhere and install them yourself? If so, where do they sell them (link preferred so I do not end up purchasing something different). Thanks!

 

They are about 2G from Dell right now. Heck I am selling an xps m1730 with 8800's in it for 2750 shipped. That alone is a better deal.

 

Not to crap on your sales, but fact is there are dell refurbs that costs less than 2k which has 8800's, and Dell will offer upgrade program pretty soon which I'm sure will be less than 2k.

 

2 GRAND?!?! WHAT?! OMG! Thats insane! Its almost worth more than my computer!! jeez! Dell is incredible.

 

And then they have the nerve to tell you that it wouldnt fall under your warranty.. I mean, jeez its already comming out in other M1730's and they are installed by a certified Dell guy.. I dont know whats the deal...

 

Hey guys.. Is there any way one can buy a single 8800 from some store and install it? Or does it have to be a dell branded 8800 beacuse of motherboard compability or what not?

 

Like *ALL* notebooks, the GPU/video card has to have been made specifically for the notebook.

Unfortunately Dell's never offered a single 8800GTX on that system, just a single 8700GT, two 8700GTs or two 8800GTXs, and unfortunatly mobile hardware costs a lot of money compared to desktop stuff.

 

No, dell uses a special 8800M GTX SLI setup, that cannot be split.

 

I'd like to contribute to this discussion. I found this thread much after having issues with SLI. I wish I frequented this board more often.
I've had issues playing FPS (games) for the most part, having low frames and more importantly sporadic performance (large fluctuations in FPS) with SLI turned on.
I'm running windows vista with 8700gt SLI like most of you.

After installing several drivers, I've settled on the 169 drivers. I've since stopped playing most FPS games, only playing WoW now (which I also had spotty performance with). I've found that the 169 driver with split frame rendering is the ticket and I get over 90 FPS with settings on high.
While I know this is no feat considering the game is graphically docile, I just wanted to confirm that this isn't COMPLETELY a hardware issue.
In single GPU with the 169, I get 60fps which fluctuates dramatically in cities, and with SLI I now get 90FPS that lowers to 40 at the lowest.

I know that some of you may be holding on for better support, while some of you may suspect hardware issues. I think the fact that I've found settings that yield higher frame rates than the single GPU versions on a game shows that everyone's suspicions are confirmed.


I do have a question. I know that WoW doesnt support SLI, much less need it, but I was wondering if I should go to XP for more driver availability.

 

I solved it all….

I bought my laptop in febuary 2008..

Since then I wase able to play any games that I throw at it, with a driver that I found on Laptopvideo2go.com

But 2 month ago, my XPS died of a heat stroke…mobo fried and the cpu fan to….((( I'm a real gamer to that thing, but it suppose to deliver extra performance.

Send the pc to dell, and they return it to me 4 days after my sending.

Good service do.

When it came back, I install the ghost from the HDD, and install the new Nvidia driver 175.32 from the site.

OH BOY!!!! What a lag….any game that I try was choppy and ugly….so I began to tweak the machine, install around 30 drivers from Laptopvideo2go and so on…..after 2 weeks of sweating on this ting (( like if i had nothing else to do))

I solved it all….here is what I've done


****First, don't use the ghost image on your hard drive for installing windows on your new Laptop. (( that ghost is full of bugs and scrapwar install in it, dell put to much stuff that are not necessary in general. And it makes some conflicts with hardware)))***

- So, I install Windows from the cd that came with your brand new machine. = FRESH INSTALL FROM CD.
- Reboot
- Install chipset from dell site
- Reboot
- Install audio driver from dell site
- Reboot
- Install the last video driver from Nvidia: 175.32 whql
- Reboot
- Install Call Of Duty 4
- Reboot
- Test the game in 1600x1200 in aspect ratio of 16:9, Dual video card enable and the rest at maximum settings.
- *****wow, never seen the game so byutifle and fluid, no lag = PERFECT for the first time since january*****
- Install Nostromo game pad + Raser Lachesis mouse driver
- Reboot
- Test again COD4 = perfect no change
- Make a restore point
- Install Dell Quickset from Dell site
- Install Dell LCD monitor from Dell site
- Install Lan from Dell Site
- Reboot and test againe = perfect
- Made a Restore point
- Install Ageia Physx
- Reboot
- Test againe = perfect…..

So, to have a real XPS laptop without any graphic problem, you have to make a fresh install from cd, when your machine is built up, use Norton ghost to make a real ghost that you will put on a cd or on an other HDD.

Hopping it will help you run your XPS laptop like Hell…

Spamer : French Canadian dude.

 

FYI - nVidia just released drivers today (December 18, 2008) for the 8700m GT. I purchased my XPS M1730 in August and have experienced all the problems posted in this thread and more. I was very disappointed with this gorgeous boat anchor due to instability and performance issues that Dell has not resolved for me.

I installed the new drivers this morning, and the difference is simply remarkable. I no longer experience issues while booting Vista (black screen) and the system is far more responsive. Crysis, Gears of War, F.E.A.R., Doom3 and Quake4 all running much better, at higher settings. The entire system operates much better overall and seems more stable.

Even the driver installation seemed smoother than normal. (I have been trying various modded drivers.)

I hope this resolves most of your issues, too. Merry Christmas to all.

Current Notebook:
Dell XPS M1730
Core2 Duo T9500 @ 2.60 GHz
4.00 GB System Memory
nVidia 8700m GT 256 MB (2) SLi
AEGIA PhysX 100 Series PCIe
WD 320 GB SATA II HDD (2)
DVDRW/BD Optical Drive
Vista Ultimate x64/Ubuntu 8.10 64bit

Here is the x64 link:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_notebook_winvista64_179.28_beta.html

Here is the x86 (32bit) link:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_notebook_winvista_179.28_beta.html

With previous modded drivers:

With today's release of 179.28:

 

You had issues even with just running Nvidia's reference drivers (without any modded files)?

At any rate, that's fantastic it's working!

 

Yes. Nothing but horrible problems since I purchased this machine. I am a major computer geek and have spent countless hours troubleshooting, trying probably 100 different driver configs, reference drivers and the OEM drivers from Dell. I have installed XP, Vista32 and Vista64--using RAID0 and non-RAID, deleted Dell's recovery partition and the MediaDirect (ISA) partition--and the problems have been the same no matter what OS or drivers I used. It has been maddening, to say the least. My display drivers were only part of the problem. I was having battery charging and boot errors.

Dell's XPS Premium support was not much help. Dell has replaced the motherboard, power supply and battery. Also replaced the keyboard (it was defective). I have also had issues with the MBR (BCD) not being found, but all HDD diagnostics show no problems. I had been using EasyBCD to fix the MBR. You find find my issues outlined on Dell's Community Forum under the user name BJFox. Do a search for "Strike F1" threads and you'll find it quickly.

I was just sick about plunking down $4k for a piece of garbage and wishing I had either gone with Alienware or built my own gaming laptop from white box parts like my last one. I was needing an alloy chassis, which I only found with Dell and Alienware.

I have a 4 year warranty with accidental damage coverage. I asked Dell for a replacement and they declined. I was about ready to have a terrible accident to get a replacement unit. I am crossing my fingers, but I think nVidia has saved the day with this driver release. I'm hoping and praying as much.

 

Check out this article... certainly good news for all of us who are notebook gamers! Thanks nVidia!!!!

My XPS M1730 has not had even the slightest hiccup since I installed the 179.28 driver. I normally uninstall and use NVLCleaner before installing new drivers. I forgot and installed directly over the modded driver that I had been running. Nonetheless, it is running so well that I may stop calling this machine a lemon. I have made a backup image of the installation just in case I ever need to restore it to its pristine state. (It ran so crappy before that I did not care and was only backing up data files.)

http://www.techspot.com/news/32941-nvidia-begins-providing-notebook-graphics-drivers.html

Download Links:
Nvidia GeForce Notebook Beta Drivers v 179.28 for Windows XP | XP 64-bit | Windows Vista 32-bit | Windows Vista 64-bit
(Released 12.18.08)

 

That's good to hear! I installed these drivers and they are working perfect for me so far.