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    6970m into the Clevo W860CU/W870CU or Sager NP8690/NP8760

    Discussion in 'Sager and Clevo' started by KipCoo, Feb 27, 2011.

  1. KipCoo

    KipCoo Notebook Evangelist

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    Been thinking about going this route and we all know it's possible according to this review:

    Review AMD Radeon HD 6970M Graphics Card - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

    So they outfitted the w860cu with a 6970m, and it seems to work with the correct bios.

    So the question is how much are vendors going to be selling the barebone 6970m gpu? For those with a 5870m already, can the original heat sink be simply swapped to support the 6970m? I am doubting this since the TDP of the 5870m is 60 watts, and the 6970m has a 100 watt TDP.

    As far as layout of the 5870m versus the 6970m seems different so a simple heat sink swap seems out of the ?:

    [​IMG]
     
    KipCoo, Feb 27, 2011
    #1
  2. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

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    the real question will be bios support
     
    trvelbug, Feb 27, 2011
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  3. FGame

    FGame Newbie

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    FGame, Feb 28, 2011
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  4. Fatal1ty39

    Fatal1ty39 Notebook Consultant

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    hawkforce.de told me it works but it will need a special bios he also mentoined that he sold many w860cu with the hd6970m
     
    Fatal1ty39, Feb 28, 2011
    #4
  5. johnnyman27

    johnnyman27 Notebook Lover

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    what special bios??where can we find it??
     
    johnnyman27, Feb 28, 2011
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  6. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

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    Can the W860CU support a 100W GPU, the PSU is sufficient even? That review sounds like some voodoo done by Eurocom to make it work, considering they had troubles booting, etc.
     
    HTWingNut, Feb 28, 2011
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  7. Fatal1ty39

    Fatal1ty39 Notebook Consultant

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    Fatal1ty39, Feb 28, 2011
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  8. kaltmond

    kaltmond Clepple

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    It's System bios compatibility problem....Don't know the details, maybe eurocom required Clevo to modify the bios or they do it by themself which i think clevo will not be happy to know.
     
    kaltmond, Feb 28, 2011
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  9. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Most likely. According to Clevo 6970M is not ready yet.
     
    Aikimox, Feb 28, 2011
    #9
  10. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    Hi, nice thread! I am also looking to install a 6970m in my w860cu, eventually.

    Here are some of my other posts from other threads on the matter which might be usefull:

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/556994-amd-radeon-6970m-eta-resellers-2.html#post7184715

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/556994-amd-radeon-6970m-eta-resellers-4.html#post7187717
     
    oan001, Mar 1, 2011
    #10
  11. mushishi

    mushishi Notebook Consultant

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    Is this the ES or is it the real deal?
     
    mushishi, Mar 1, 2011
    #11
  12. Fatal1ty39

    Fatal1ty39 Notebook Consultant

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    most of the hd6970m on sale are es afaik
     
    Fatal1ty39, Mar 1, 2011
    #12
  13. KipCoo

    KipCoo Notebook Evangelist

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    The question is...why not allow bios upgrades so the 6970m is an option. I think Clevo should allow this. It would give buyers more comfort that their laptops would be upgradeable in the future, and give them significant advantage over their predecessors. Just makes sense to allow users to upgrade their graphics cards to give them a significant edge on the competition.
     
    KipCoo, Mar 1, 2011
    #13
  14. ichime

    ichime Notebook Elder

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    According to mxm-upgrade.com, the 6970m works as is in a Clevo w870cu.
     
    ichime, Mar 2, 2011
    #14
  15. Patrck_744

    Patrck_744 Burgers!

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    so get the ES before they run out of them.
     
    Patrck_744, Mar 2, 2011
    #15
  16. ichime

    ichime Notebook Elder

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    Got an update from MXM-Upgrade.com regarding the W870CU + 6970M. They say the heatsink needs to be modified as well as the placing of the thermal gear. The PSU can handle it, but it will be pushed closer to its limits.
     
    ichime, Mar 2, 2011
    #16
  17. AndrewKW

    AndrewKW Notebook Consultant

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    You can always get 180W TDP AC which are used in P150/170HMs....
     
    AndrewKW, Mar 2, 2011
    #17
  18. KipCoo

    KipCoo Notebook Evangelist

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    I don't think anyone is selling the ES. I'd need more details too before pulling the trigger on a card and how hot the card would run at load. I think idle suppose to be even lower on the 6970m versus the 5870m.
     
    KipCoo, Mar 2, 2011
    #18
  19. JohnnyFlash

    JohnnyFlash Notebook Virtuoso

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    It's not the adapter, the internal power components aren't that strong. A bunch of us have killed our machines pushing the power numbers too high.

    Not saying not to try, just keep that in mind.
     
    JohnnyFlash, Mar 2, 2011
    #19
  20. LaptopNut

    LaptopNut Notebook Virtuoso

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    I am guessing part of the reason is about selling more new laptops. For us gamers, the GPU is really the most important and with the new line of SB laptops, many would not buy a new laptop if they could officially upgrade to such a powerful GPU. Think how many were enticed into upgrading to accommodate the GTX 485M, the improved CPU power and better battery time are often seen as mere icing on the cake. I don't think they want their laptops to be too upgradeable and I am beginning to think the MXM is partially a marketing / sales gimmick to some extent.
     
    LaptopNut, Mar 2, 2011
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  21. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

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    Well to be fair the 8690 had the 260m, 280m, 285m, 5870mr, 460m. Thats a lot of gpu models right there.
    Also not many 17inch laptops will be able to handle the power draw pf the 100w 6970; which by the way is a huge leap in performance from all previous cards.
    It could just be that the 8690 has reached its eol with all these new power hungry gpu's coming out
     
    trvelbug, Mar 3, 2011
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  22. KipCoo

    KipCoo Notebook Evangelist

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    To be fair the 280m, 285m, 5870m, 460m are too near in performance. The 6970m is more of a next gen card, granted that the 5870m is more than adequate to play the newest games any way.

    It is clear that the mod can be done. I really don't think it would thwart sales of newer laptops, since for a lot of people, splurging for a new 2k-3k laptop just isn't an option.

    And what does this say about Clevo laptops? The w870cu/w860cu laptops are not much more than a year old.

    The upgrade should be with an official supported bios, so it's a bit sad that this might not be the case. And..

    Kind of gives caution to the wind for the people thinking about buying a new $3000 laptop from Clevo knowing that in just a year's time, the gpu won't be upgradeable.
     
    KipCoo, Mar 3, 2011
    #22
  23. Tirenz

    Tirenz Notebook Evangelist

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    Tirenz, Mar 3, 2011
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  24. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

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    There have only been two major leaps in performance in mobile gpus, the 8800gtx and the 485m( and its amd equivalent). All the rest have been incremental gains.
    However i will agree that a year is too soon for clevo to stop supporting the 8690, if they actually stopped releasing bios upgrades. As you say, it will have little effect on future laptop sales and could provide an additional income stream for clevo on the upgraded parts.
    Consistent support for existing models would also inspire confidence to owners that their machine would not turn obsolete in such a short time.
     
    trvelbug, Mar 3, 2011
    #24
  25. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Aikimox, Mar 3, 2011
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  26. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    Hawkforce.de has confirmed that the 6970 works with the first motherboard (without usb 3.0) :)

    Then it's just a matter of getting a compatible heatsink. Still wondering how it will handle the power drain though...
     
    oan001, Mar 8, 2011
    #26
  27. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    Badabing!

    Works, extensive heatsink work required, PSU inadequate.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 8, 2011
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  28. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    Thank you! Hopefully this will work in wth w860cu as well.

    I'm a bit concerned about using a bigger PSU though, as some have reported that the w8x0cu doesn't handle it that well...

    Also, would be nice to know more temps
     
    oan001, Mar 8, 2011
    #28
  29. Fatal1ty39

    Fatal1ty39 Notebook Consultant

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    Fatal1ty39, Mar 8, 2011
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  30. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    I would assume it would. But the heatsink on the 860 is a bit smaller I believe. Might cause some issues.

    Running Vantage, temp hit 79-80. But Vantage is a performance test, not a thermal test. I would assume heavy gaming to raise the bar a bit.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 9, 2011
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  31. 1341

    1341 Notebook Guru

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    I agree

    hope reseller or clevo will release new bios for 485m/m6970 on w860cu

    I think w860cu can support 100w . 480 is ok but the temp is a little high as opposed to w880cu .
    ================
    w860cu's idle temp is 50+ Celsius in aircon room when using gtx480m
    after running 3d06 the temp is 84 Celsius .

    above data shows that w860cu is struggling with 100w GPU 480m，
    but the 485m maybe has lower temp than 480m .
    I wanna put a 485 in w860cu but the bios not support well .
    ================

    [​IMG]
     
    1341, Mar 9, 2011
    #31
  32. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    Which BIOS did you use and where did you get it?


    EDIT:

    1341: What is up with the double heatisnk on wht w870 (?) on the left? Has it been modified?
     
    oan001, Mar 9, 2011
    #32
  33. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    Ah, forgot to mention that indeed.

    It worked fine on the old bios (must have been over a year old). I picked up a more recent one somewhere here on the site when I was troubleshooting but I don't think it's really needed. I'll dig up the reference and update the article accordingly.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 9, 2011
    #33
  34. Fatal1ty39

    Fatal1ty39 Notebook Consultant

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    Fatal1ty39, Mar 9, 2011
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  35. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    oan001, Mar 9, 2011
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  36. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    I'm.. confused on how he mounts the heatsink without interference. I know the 5870 heatsink is different, so I guess it's possible.

    I'll check the landscape of both and see if this would be possible. And I'll post a pic of *my* heatsink. In the pictorial on my site you can see there was quite some interference.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 10, 2011
    #36
  37. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 10, 2011
    #37
  38. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    Actually grinded a bit away at the bottom as well.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 10, 2011
    #38
  39. Fatal1ty39

    Fatal1ty39 Notebook Consultant

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    when they will release a proper heatsinks for the hd6970m so people can test it
     
    Fatal1ty39, Mar 10, 2011
    #39
  40. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    Would be sweet if the 5870 HS could be used witouth modding. I know that is what eurocom does. However their temps are very high, maybe due to improper contact?
     
    oan001, Mar 10, 2011
    #40
  41. KipCoo

    KipCoo Notebook Evangelist

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    Did you test it Ice tea? What are the temps? I was going to do this on the 8760 but said the heck with it. I just didn't know if a proper bios would be released by eurocom to support it. It would be nice if Eurocom posted the working bios.
     
    KipCoo, Mar 12, 2011
    #41
  42. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    oan001, Mar 13, 2011
    #42
  43. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    Yeah, tested it in the W870CU. Temps were about 80 in Vantage. Furmark will push it quite a bit further, I guess..

    Doing the D900F now. Bit troublesome, fan not reacting. Rewired it with a thermocouple, it's cool now. Work in progress ;)
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 14, 2011
    #43
  44. oan001

    oan001 Notebook Evangelist

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    Does that mean that the heatsink for the 5870 will work with the 6970 without modification?
     
    oan001, Mar 14, 2011
    #44
  45. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    That I have not checked yet.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 14, 2011
    #45
  46. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    OK, filling in some blanks:

    - Bios version is one released 4/1/2010. I think this is v12?
    - Performance, Vantage: P6979 (GTX285) -> P10927 (HD6970).
    GPU Test 1: 17,14 fps -> 33,08 fps
    GPU Test 2: 15,85 fps -> 31,19 fps
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 15, 2011
    #46
  47. gustav_g

    gustav_g Notebook Enthusiast

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    how is this moving along ? i might be interested in a card later on if the modifications required can be made with a normal dremel multitool or something similar.
     
    gustav_g, Mar 15, 2011
    #47
  48. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    Won't be doing any more work untill Thursday. Currently:

    - Heatsink mod with Dremel and cutting wheel
    - Rewiring of fan (which does not react). Crazy glue a thermocouple to the heatsink. Bit of soldering for the wires.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 15, 2011
    #48
  49. Ice-Tea

    Ice-Tea MXM Guru NBR Reviewer

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    Running late with the D900F.

    As far as the 5870 vs 6970 debate: can't be sure as I cut up my heatsink already but it seems the landscapes are comparable. So, it *might* be a plug and play thing.
     
    Ice-Tea, Mar 21, 2011
    #49
  50. JohnnyFlash

    JohnnyFlash Notebook Virtuoso

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    Would it be possible to compare at the wall power numbers under GPU load?
     
    JohnnyFlash, Mar 21, 2011
    #50
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