TONGFANG GK5CN5Z / GK5CN6Z / GK5CQ7Z / GK5CP0Z

https://www.eluktronics.com/mech-15-drivers/ has osd haven't tried it yet since I didn't care for it.

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Just a heads up on MyApp, some games will recognize this as a hack and kick you out. FC5 and Ironsight for example. At least this is the case running this App on the Mech 15. This is a known issue that dates back awhile so don't expect a fix.

 

Sorry it didn't work out. A couple thoughts: I would not have uninstalled Control Center first as that may screw with your results. Maybe someone with more expertise than I can create an installer out of the file folder. Or just stand by until we can get a legit version from the manufacturer.

Also, double check to make sure OEM is set to launch on startup. For some reason mine was removed from startup today.

This is unfortunate! Shouldn't be an issue for me since I play mostly offline, but thanks for the heads up.

I am now exploring Mechrevo's drivers for solutions here.

 

That might been it. As described, I didn't uninstall Gaming Center and MyApps 1.6 install worked fine for me following your tutorial. @Blebleuh If you're interested I'd advice trying again and making sure you kill the TODO process before pasting the 1.6 version on the folder created by the 1.4 version install.

On the other hand, per @nhidog 's suggestion, tried the OSD standalone listed in mechs site, it works well with MyApp. Still, it would be interesting if there where a way to make MyApp and Control Center to work together, seeing as some people would find use in, for example, the Power saving Mode option the Gaming Center's past iterations (1.1.16.4 specifically)

 

Does anyone know where I can get spare screws for the chassis? One of mine disappeared into the abyss of my carpet when I took off the back plate.

 

Great point using OSD software with MyAPP! I have been testing that this morning and it works great.

[EDIT: I checked all the Mechrevo drivers, and Eluktronics indeed has the latest version of OSD] Download OSD

(thanks @nhidog )

If you still have Gaming Center installed, you can disable it on startup (OEM) but still enable the OSD processes and it will work just the same. Enable OSDTpDetect and OOBEI2CTpOnOffDetect. [EDIT: this no longer working for me]

Also @ZaiArgylle For some reason I do not have lightbar controls like you do. Maybe it's because different BIOS, or even a difference between 15" and 17".

 

Maybe so. Can you configure a custom user profile without issue?

 

Multiple user lighting profiles are working for me fine on MyAPP.

I just tried setting those other processes on startup again and now it's not working, so that's not really a shortcut fix after all.

 

OP 15 i5 model here and MyApp doesn’t operate the lightbar either.

This is of course after uninstalling GC then installing MyApp.

 

Alright, thanks for the feedback. @ZaiArgylle must be extra lucky!

The best thing to do in my experience is to leave Gaming Center installed, and use it to "set and forget" the lightbar settings before removing it from startup.

Checked Mechrevo for latest MyAPP software and no luck. They are all older than Eluktronics. Huge success for Google Translate though!

 

OOS already, that didn't last long ... also looks like they have a US distribution center in NC. Mine shipped via DHL and says ETA Jan 10, 2019. That's a nice surprise as I thought it would take (at least) 2-3 weeks from China.

 

Why in the world are OpenGL scores so inconsistent in Cinebench? I get a 20% performance increase just by restarting my pc sometimes....

 

A simple search with the word "screws" will get you what you need.

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I really don't want to do another fresh ISO install. Was anyone able to get the Nvidia Control Center to work after installing windows and downloading all of the drivers? The only solution I have seen is fresh ISO and install drivers without being connected to the internet. I'm hoping for a work around with this. Maybe safemode?

 

I don't think it's luck. There must be something behind it. I'll describe my entire process in case you can spot it:

1- Installed OP Control Center (1.2.2.8), ran it and set everything up, including lightbar's both battery mode and plugged in mode
2- Installed MyApp 1.4 and switched it to 1.6 per your tutorial, ran it and set everything up again, with OP Control Center running simultaneosly.
3- Then I proceeded to disable and enable both programs at startup, restarting in between a couple of times, to test how they interacted with eachother
4- In the end, ran them both simultaneously, set OP Control Centers settings (keyboard and lightbar) and then MyApps settings on top of it, with both running at the same time.
5- Disabled OP Control Center, leaving only MyApp at startup and restarted
6- After restart, opened MyApp from the tray (it autostarted at boot up) and had complete control over all settings, without running My Control Center at startup or opening it afterwards

Hope this helps,

 

Good news everyone! I located the installer (with zero help from customer service) for the most recent version of MyAPP which works almost flawlessly on these laptops (working on solutions for minor issues). My previous tutorial is now no longer necessary.

Download and enjoy!

@ZaiArgylle I will look into it, thanks for your help.

 

If you have a magnet you could comb the carpet hoping to find it. This has saved me in the past from similar incidents

 

What about the Nvidia Control Center installer? Am I the only one that can't get that to work?

 

Mine just says payment received.

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No one is responding... evidently you are.

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I don't have it installed either. I do have GeForce Experience and hav eupdated via said software, which didn't install the nVidia Control Center

 

I didn't have any issues updating NVIDIA drivers through GeForce Experience, and I still have the NVIDIA control panel (however, I did NOT do a fresh windows install)

My main issues with updating drivers came with the INTEL UHD 630 driver. The one installed is version 24.20.100.6292 dated 8/27/2018. The newest one is DHC 25.20.100.6471 dated 12/20/2018.

Same error code.

Trying to install the driver included with the OP driver package yields the same result even though it should be what is already installed.... hmmm

Also, the INTEL control panel went missing recently and I can't seem to reinstall it because of the same error code... But it seems the latest version is having issues installing according to posts on their forums...

I was hoping the "not compatible with this version of windows" error code was because I did NOT do a fresh windows install and left everything factory installed and thought it was an embedding issue with preinstalled software in the windows setup from the factory, but I guess its not after seeing you having the same issues.

 

Can you post a picture with your MyAPP lightbar controls open? I have not been able to replicate this yet.

Regarding NVIDIA Control Panel, this should be included with NVIDIA drivers. I'm sure you've tried downloading from here? Uninstall any other NVIDIA software you have and restart before installing the newer drivers.

Geforce Experience just streamlines this process, and somehow allows a newer driver to function on this chassis.

 

It's a punishment for doing the fresh install. If we had only not connected to the internet during the install and installed it manually like mentioned before. I'm really hoping there is a work around. There are so many great features with the control panel like manually setting the screen frame rate etc.

 

Actually I chose to go with High Sierra cause of its ability to use nvidia drivers. I may need to connect to more than one screen in the near future and I hear this is only achievable via the nvidia drivers. Do you feel different? Is Mojave more stable on hackintosh?

As far as the battery goes, I plan to purchase a smaller charger for travel if possible. This way I can get my game on and not worry about the battery dying. This has proven to work for me in the past.

 

I have always disconnected from internet when doing fresh installs of windows for exactly these reasons. It's why a few times I have directed others in here to follow these steps exactly as written.....
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/nbr-windows-10-clean-installation-guide.781178/

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@Blebleuh Try going to C:\Program Files\OEM\OP Control Center and deleting DefaultRGBKB to get rid of the blue lighting transition. If you do, let us know whether or not this solves your issue.

[EDIT:] I was finally able to replicate this blue transition on startup. For me the fix was going back to my keyboard lighting and welcome effects and re-saving them.

 

I'm probably going to do a fresh install on a new drive so looks like I have some reading to do. Installed Win hundreds of times but the process with these OP's seem a little cumbersome.

 

I told the company there would easily be hundreds sold out in a matter of days and to let me know asap when they are ready to be sold. I figured this would happen.

I did my part.

 

Thanks B0B

 

second link in google would resolve the issue with Nvidia driver with 3 different methods.
https://appuals.com/this-nvidia-graphics-driver-is-not-compatiable-with-this-version-of-windows/

 

Anyone have issues on the Intel UHD driver?

 

I'll have to give that a try but I don't know if 2 or 3 is going to be a fix. I'm already up to date with windows and I have already downloaded geforce experience and updated the drivers. This isn't a driver not updating issue, it's that when you download Geforce Experience, for some reason it is not installing the Nvidia Control Panel like it is supposed to.

 

At the time of my previous post referenced here, I settled upon following tweaks:
-145mv undervolt on both (aida64 stable for 20+ min), speed shift 0, both units on their latest bios/EC/GC (not sure why GC UI for fan setting is different on these units from the same install file?!), both units verified to have 180W adapter profile.

So really, for the past few days I was just using these two units normally, no benching, trying to figure out which unit I like more (15+ key caps, touch pad location, fan noise vs 17+ relative bulk and $200 price premium). No settings were changed.

last night I decided to run Lightroom export test again and noticed both units stayed in PL2 and didnt not drop down to PL1 (they dropped into PL1 during Lightroom Export Test before), now the problem is, the 17+ is not drawing as much power in PL2 as couple of days ago and thus is actually consistently performing 5% worse than the 15+ (it was consistently 5% better couple of days ago)

since no settings were altered, what could be causing this lower power draw? (but not dropping into PL1 is definitely a plus)

I am asking this because the value proposition actually now that if the 15+ outperforms the 17+ (tho with higher temps of course due to different cooling system)

any inputs?

 

I reached out to Overpowered Support about the LP1 BIOS from their support page having the N.1.00 Bios. They sent me the updated N.1.02 that it comes from the factory with.

I'll be flashing it when I get home from work.

Copied it onto my Google Drive here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m-YwiaIlu1V20Ara1U7mBGfhSTTaMIC-/view?usp=drivesdk

@sicily428 tagging you since you have the OP in case you want to reupload it somewhere, I'll leave it on my drive for a while. This again is for the LP1 (i5-8300h / GTX 1050)

 

I'm in charge of updating the post page 109 first (and reupload files as well)
They gave you only the BIOS update, right ? "EC_1.33.09" is included in folder's name but inside the folder is only the tool for flashing the bios, right ? If the flashing tool also include EC update (in addition to BIOS update), it means that the walkthrought is sligtly different from usual, so I might update given instructions as well. I try to be as specific as possible to avoid confusion and possible laptop bricks from newcomers.

 

I think the EC is embedded to the bios ROM file, because for the 17+, the big zip file only has the bios ROM file and the .bat file to update bios, but I copied and changed the syntax of 15+ EC .bat file and i was able to update the 17+ EC from that 17+ bios rom file.

 

Hey, are you having trouble turning on your OP laptop? Tried holding the power button for 4 seconds, tried holding it for 10 seconds, tried it and the turbo fan button at the same time... Never seems to reliably start, right?

But have you tried double-clicking it?

 

The issue with gtx1060 is not the absence of web driver. It’s that the need to disable iGPU before one can drive the discrete gpu under current hackintosh technology. And this seems impossible to do physically on this laptop.

I was planning to use the hackintosh with several 4k monitors but it seems I have to give up. I don’t game on PC. Planning to return this bargain of hardwares and maybe get a mac mini i7 for 200 more.

 

We need to see Optimus technology disappear and just improve the efficiency of the CPU/GPU

My Mech 15 with a 7700hq and dedicated 1070 directly connected gets two hours unplugged with its measly 47whr battery.

That’s pretty close to the OP 15+ from my testing. Close enough to rethink Optimus in my opinion. Considering the headache it brings to so many people on different levels.

 

Win-raid guys and few others here including myself are working on trying to be able to "open" some options like switchable graphics in the BIOS but the menus are tricky to unlock and not unlocking via traditional methods. It's possible once we get this working, switchable graphics can be turned on/off, but since TONGFANG went with a muxless set up, it most likely won't work regardless. Stay tuned ...

 

Not good to hear!
I was hoping to use this laptop hackintoshed for graphic design with adobe.
Do you think integrated graphics will be alright for InDesign and illustrator?

Is there still hope if someone modifies the bios? (Just saw the post above)

 

I'm assuming this is only for the 15+ model? Any possiblity of doing the same for the 17+ assuming efforts are successful?

 

please tag me when all is done, so I can update the OP

 

I’ll take the option to strictly run the iGPU. That actually would improve battery life.

Lenovo did this on their 720s ikb.

 

Nevermind.

 

Another option is to clone your original drive to the new drive if everything is working ok.

 

+1 to this, imma keeping the 17+ and returning the 15+, because too many ppl commented on how loud the 15+ fan is even when playing Hearthstone... GG

and it would be awesome if the 17+ bios can be unlocked to allow higher TDP because its cooling system can sure handle more wattage!

 

Quick question. With losing the 2.5" bay due to new batt in mind, how is it recommended to go about storage?

From what I've read here so far, you can't run two m.2 SATA's in the slots, so I'm guessing the cheapest alternative would be keeping the SATA that comes with the computer and getting a cheap nvme ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J2Q4SWZ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 for example).

If thats the case, I'm currently debating whether to run the OS in the nvme or keep it in the SATA and use the nvme to run games from it...