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

I don't exactly understand what was fixed? Where in the picture was the heatsink modded? I'm looking to upgrade to the 6970 and was a littler worried about power consumption. Is the 6970 a direct fit with the 280/285m heatsink or do i need to perform this mod?

 

Hi everybody !

I read a lot of threads regarding upgrading the W860CU with a 6970M, but I'm now a little confused... This is my situation :

- I have a W860CU (obviously) with a GTX280M inside. It was bought in November 2009.

- My heatsink has the following part number : 6-31-W860N-023. According to Pkhetan, this is the P/N of the NEW heatsinks, but this one is obviously OLD (bought in Nov' 2009)...

- According to what I read, the 6970M's from Clevo are different. They are green, they have a P/N that looks like "6-77-X720L-D02". I would like to know where the differences are exactly located ?

- According to Pkhetan, the heatsink with P/N ending with 023 will FIT with a Clevo 6970M...

- My heatsink looks exactly like this one : http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/sager-clevo/53734d1280766342-clevo-w860cu-ati-hd-5870m-wrong-heatsink-p1000565iw.jpg

- My heatsink does NOT look exactly like the one used in this video, which is strange 'coz they mount a 6970M in a W860CU... : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kPs7iLln9A

So, the question is : Will a Clevo 6970M fit with my heatsink without mod ? Will another 6970M fit my heatink without mod ?

Great thanks !

 

Alright well I understan your confusion. The old part number ending in 022 for the 280m heatsinks is actually different from yours. See, you DO have the new heatsink because heatsink part number ending in 022 does NOT have that extra pipe line located to the left of the two coming from the heatsink. That was the new revision. As far as your concern with the heatsinks go, your newer heatsink p/n 023 will FIT with the clevo based 6970m. The old 280m heatsink p/n 022 will also fit, it just doesnt have that extra pipeline. The revision is almost identical except for that pipeline and the chip indentations. The one they are using in the video is most likely the revision to the 5870m card which of course also works with the 6970m. Compare the heatsinks and you'll find that they will fit because the chip indentations are in the right spot for the 6970m to fit well. Oh wait nvm, it seems you do have the old heatsink. If someone can confirm what the newer revision of the 280m heatsink looks like it would be appreciated.

 

The version linked is the new/old version. I've never seen the -22 heatsink, but this is the same heatsink I have for my 285m (july 2010).

I received my alienware 6970m today, and after extensive modding it is working fine. Memory and shader temps are a bit high, I guess I have to replace my thermal pads.

Hopefully I'll post some pics, but after spending all day modding, repasting etc, I'm tired of opening this thing up

 

Haha new/old version? Whats that supposed to mean? Like the "newer version?" Cause I actually have the -022 version and it looks exactly the same. So it's been confirmed that the old gtx 280m heatsinks will fit perfectly with the clevo based 6970m right? Forgot to mention that my computer tech friend also sugstested using thermal compund under the thermal padding for increased heat reduction for the the Vram chips. Anyone know if that would work?

 

After 10-15 minutes of playing bfbc2 my np8690 shuts down. Looking at the gpu temperature logs it doesn't appear to be a heat issue. Is there way to tell if it's a power consumption issue? I have a 180w psu on order but is there a way to tell from HWiNFO64 logs if this is a lack of power? Here are my logs leading up to shutdown:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Apa2usOUg0EpdFNKdGI0aE1pN0NXSmlLeEZGUlJCbEE

I highlighted in red where things got strange. If you look at line 179 the gpu/cpu load suddenly drops to 50% and there appears to be battery usage as well. I'm plugged in the whole time and yes my battery charge is really crappy but hey it's a 2 yr old machine

 

Have you added thermal pads to the backside of the card? This prevented shutdowns under heavy load for me.

These are the parts you should try to cover:


Also, I would suggest trying to undervolt the GPU:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/576540-6970m-undervolting.html
Use ATI Tray Tools for this:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/576540-6970m-undervolting.html#post7472193

I am running stock clocks at 1.0V which greatly reduces temps. Others run as low as 0.91V.


As far as power goes, I am also using the 120W PSU, and it is working fine. I can't, however get a stable overclock in stress testing with OCCT etc. The screen just goes black at some point and the machine keeps running...

 

if u add pads to the backside of the card it ll lower temps more?

 

Okay, I'm trying the ATI tool but it's somewhat confusing and I'm a complete newbie when it comes to undervolting. I tried reading the thread but I'm still a bit confused.

1. right-click ati tools
2. go to Hardware->Overclock Settings
3. click on "..." next to voltage
4. add a custom VDDC value... in my case "1000"
5. I use the pulldown menu and select "1.000 Unsafe!"
6. clicked on "Include clocks in profile
7. Move Core Speed slider to 680.00
8. kept Memory Speed slider to 900.00
9. click "Apply" at the bottom
10. click on save disk
11. Created profile called "gaming"

Is that it? Does this mean it's always at this setting now? If so, should I leave at this setting all the time even if I'm not gaming?

thanks.

 

Yes, that is how you make a profile. It will only be enabled when you Apply it.

I made a second profile "Desktop" and set the voltage to 0.75 and clocks to 100/150. I checked "Load selected profile at startup" (I also have Tray tools starting every boot).

After that I went into Hardware -> Auto Overclock and checked "Enable auto 2D/3D overclocking" and selected the appropriate profiles. It works pretty good.

You can also set keyboard shortcuts to enable specific profiles using Hot Keys -> Enable and Customize.

Did you add pads to the backside? Is it still crashing in BFBC2?

Yes, it will lower the temps of those specific components, but they haven't got temperature readings. Unless you are getting sudden shutdowns/hardlocks you should be fine. After all, you have the latest gen Clevo which was designed to work with the 6970m

 

The earlier gen wasn't? Works fine on mine Also Johnnyman have you tried less than 1.0V stock? I can also run 0.91V voltage at stock but any lower it locks up!

1.075V is enough for 800/1000 is my tests so far too. Temps loading in mid 80s

How cool are people idling. At 0.75V at 240/720 I get 45-49C how do people get down to 100/150?

ATI Tray Tools doesn't let me take it lower than 240/720 is there another program I should use?

 

The w860cu was not designed to take the 6970m, and is not officially supported by Clevo. Still, it works fine on mine as well.

To get to lower clocks go into General options -> Advanced and uncheck "Set overclock limits".

I'm idling at 41-43C.

 

maybe they are included in memory temp reading??

 

I don't think so. The memory modules are on the front side of the card.

 

thanks for all the help! Underclocking seems to have solved the problem. Set it to 1.00V 680/900 and it played without any shutdowns. Also set a normal desktop setting of .75V and 100/150. Idle temps here were around 45 degrees. Max temp while playing was 74 degrees. This was actually lower than my 280gtx so I'm satisfied with that for now Now if only I can figure out my resolution problem which has me baffled :-/

 

how much does it actually cost you ( card, heatpaste, heatsink (if you have to replace it))?

i want to upgrade it but i live in Indonesia which doesn't have a support for w860cu-based DTR , sadly. so i have to consider our PITA customs if i want to order from abroad T_T

 

dous any1 know if this 6990m upgrade works with the W880CU

 

please has anyone tryed upgrading the clevo W880CU with eather a 6970m or a 6990m?
if so what bios/vbios is the best to use and were can i get it?
any help anyone can give me with this would be great thanks

 

is that 6970 a dell card? or is it just a dark picture of a blue eurocom card?
i only ask as i wont to know can a dell 6990m gpu be put in our clevo W880cu/ w870cu/ w860cu laptops??? if so how is it made compatable is it just " flash the dell 6990m with clevo 6990m vbios & then it will work???

 

hi oan001 so dell 6970m cards work in clevo's was there any modded vbios that you had to use?
im wondering if a Dell 6990m will work in a w880cu? or if only clevo and eurocom cards work?

 

Don't flash the vbios from one retailer to another there are various variations on the cards like different memory type's etc this will be enough to brick your card stick with the vbios already on the card. You will just need to source the correct heatsink to fit the 6990m. I had to do the same thing recently on my MSI notebook after doing the same thing

 

Yes the 6990M Dell OEM card works in the W860CU see my sig. Same plug and play as 6970M

 

Hi, I'm new here and I have also a W860cu with a mb radeon 5870. I bought a 6970m from Eurocom and now I have the typical heating problem like frickeladmin.

So, here are my questions: Which thermal pads do you advise and which components beside the gpu and ram I have to cool down?

thanks for your replies
drieschel

 

heat pads :
i just used thes ones from e-bay:
eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace


also my clevo w880cu is now running iv played a fuew games for around 12hrs it has turnd of 2 times but when i turned it back on it was still in the game it was as tho the screen hd just turned off or went to sleep but i have it set to hever sleep??????? i am using a eurocom 6970m and i have no fan control the 6970m tho sits at 60.C when gaming but the CPU which is a 840qm is at around 80.C in HWiNFO64.
when the screen last turnd off HWiNFO64 temp CLEVO EC sencer that say it was 734.C yes i know how the heck can that be right ????
oh and i have tryed the clevo w870cu bios on this laptop to see if it would work better with the 6970m but it makes no diffrense so i have flashed it back to clevo w880cu

 

Thanks for your reply, yoshey791.

I think the pads from your link are too thin for the memory chips. They have to be 2mm thick (I have read that somewhere in the forum). Otherwise doesn't sit the heatsink correct.

Another problem was, that the heatsink (from my old 5870m) didn't fit exactly. Thats the reason why I modded it a bit. Perhaps your problem is a similar one.

I will make a photo of the modded heatsink to show you the problematic zones. I used a Proxxon FBS 240/E for cutting.

 

Here a pic from my heatsink mod:

 

Hello. I have visited this forum alot over the past few months and am interested in upgrading my NP8690 (W860CU).

I purchased my laptop in Nov of 2010 right before all the new models came out and it was out-fitted with a Nvidia 460M.

I am considering purchasing an i7-920xm and a 6970m.

Do I just need to find a 180W AC adapter to compensate for the higher power draw of the components??? Do I need to get thermal pads or can I just use MX-2 on everything?? Can I use my existing heatsink or do I need to get another one??

Can my laptop handle the load of the upgraded components?? I seen in some earlier posts that the electronics on the inside of the laptop itself may not hold up well.

 

Hi, I am new to the forums. I am just wondering, is there a tutorial on how to install 6970m on the np8760? I currently have the 5870m with i7 820q. also, where can I get the mxm 6970M? thanks in advance.

 

Here is my write-up on how I installed a 6970m in my w860cu/NP8690:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...dell-oem-m18x-my-w860cu-pics.html#post8090552

 

Thanks oan001. Quick question.Where did you get the 6970m for a decent price? I don't wanna drop like $500 on just the GPU, I think that may be a bit too much. I think I found one on amazon here in the U.S. for $200 do you think that is a good price? I have a sager NP8760 by the way.

 

1. $200 is an absolute ridiculous steal
2. i see it's being sold by Mythlogic, which is a trusted seller around here, so you should have no worries

 

Awesome. Do you think it's worth upgrading from 5870m or should I wait it out?

 

As Kevin said, $200 is a very nice price. I would definitely recommend upgrading if you want more fps.

I bought mine used for $250 on the marketplace. Coming from a gtx 285m the gain was about 100% and made games like bf3 much more enjoyable.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

Yeah I might go ahead and buy it. I have a few questions though. I called mythlogic today and they said I could get the heat sink as well for $30 USD. will it fit the sager np8760 or should I just modify my current heatsink? they also sell 6990m should I just go big and buy that instead? will it work like the 6970m? thanks a lot guys, you have been helpful.

 

so 6990m is the same process as 6970m? I'm thinking about getting a 6990m then if it's not way too expensive. I know mythlogic has them, i don't much though.

 

The 6990m works as well. The performance increase isn't that much though.

Ask mythlogic id the heatsink they offer for $30 is modded to fit your system. Otherwise I would just do it myself.

 

Sidenote: I have a heatsink that I bought from Eurocom which is designed specifically for W860CU + HD6970M...

I ended by buying a P150HM so I don't need it, if somebody is interested I would be happy to sell it, it's still untouched...

 

Just the heat sink or heat sink plus 6970M? If so, how much?

 

So I guess it's not even worth getting the 6990m over the 6970m then huh? i heard it's only about 10%-15% difference in performance is this true?

 

I have got only the heatsink left, the 6970M has already been sold

 

So I successfully modified and installed 6970m on my clevo w870cu. However, after installing all of the video card drivers, my monitor can only display 1600 x 900. I used to be able to do 1080p since my laptop display does support it. any input on this?

Nevermind, I figured it out. It was set to two displays on default instead of one.

 

Hi guys I already posted my experience in the owners lounge, but maybe it will help here too (about fitting a 6990m into a w860cu):

I bought the card at ebay germany (that is where I life ). I bought it for 315 € + some money for liquid metal cooling pads for the gpu core and some normal cooling pads for the ram. It's a used card from a p150hm, at least the bios says so.

I used the heatsink mod like it is explained for the Ati 6970m. It's nearly the same for the Ati 6990m.

I overclock my cpu and the gpu. When I used furmark and TS Bench simultaneously. I got stable values at 4x2,8 GHz (limited TDP@62 W) with hyper threading, 4x3,1 GHz without hyper threading and both times 760 MHz for gpu core undervolted to 1,05 V.

In games higher values are possible, because both benchmarks use GPU and CPU up to 100% the whole time. But it is nice to know, that in games it can run stable.

Any higher values higher than taht my notebook turns off, bluescreen or ati driver restart. I always turn off hyper threading, because ARMA2 works better without it.

I use a 180 W power supply and I think my hardware is at its limit now.

After some time off gaming I got random bluescreens or my noteboke simply turned off. The reason was, that I used to much energy. For the first hour the battery could deliver some, but after a while it was empty. I reduced the values for GPU to stock clocks and removed the battery. That did the trick. By having no battery in I never had any bluescreens or else. Using the same values with battery my notebook will fail after a while. After a lot try and error I can confirm 750 MHz for the GPU at 1,05 V. No more bluescreens or else. CPU is still at its values I wrote above.

Hope I could help
Arne

 

Good info. I use a targus 180w power supply as well. I never remove the power supply anyway, so I think I am good on that and even if I do, it is only for a brief moment like relocating the laptop. I have a quick question though, how are your temps? I am using Arctic Silver 5 and my GPU temps are around 57 degrees Celsius. I checked my heatsink if it sits right, it does. I think my temps are a little high. I am also using a laptop cooler on top of this as well. The brand of the color is cooler master notepal X2 for 17 inch laptops.

 

My temps are at idle:
GPU ~52 °C
CPU ~45 °C
at full load:
GPU ~84 °C
CPU ~82 °C

I do not use a notebook cooler but I rise the a bit to get better airflow.

I use liquid metall cooling pads for GPU and CPU die.

 

My temps are around 59 degrees celsius idle and after about 8 minutes of furmark, here are my temps

The temps seem to top off at 80 degrees celsius so far, is it alright? also, what is metal cooling pads?

Arne, I noticed that my GPU voltage is at 1.100 stock based on gpu-z is it better to undervolt it to maybe get lower temps?

 

Undervolting definitly helps to get lower temps. Less voltage means less current means less power consumption means less heat

But if you got to low you will have bluescreens etc under load. With stock clock I can set it to 1,00 V, but that is boring . I like overclocking and to get 750 MHz I need 1,05 V. Stock voltage is 1,10 V, which I do not use, because I am afrait of killing my notobook...

 

Thanks, I will most definitely undervolt this then... do you have any suggestions on undervolting? I am not familiar with it. also you still overclock the card with 1.05? man I am now tempted!

 

Try which values fit to your system.

Lower the volatgae in 0.05 V steps and run a benchmark (a few minutes). You will which values will work. If you have bluescreens or shut downs use the last working value.

For overclocking:
At extra 5 MHz and run a benchmark (a few minutes) @100% load of your GPU. Repeat these procedures until you are satisfied with the resuls or until you are afrait . I cannot recommand overclocking the RAM. It just generates heat, makes the system unstable and nearly no extra fps.

My values:
GPU: 715 MHz --> 750 MHz
1,10 V --> 1,05 V
RAM: stock @ 900 MHz

For me it was possible to set it to 785 MHz @ 1,10 V but then I got random shut downs or bluescreens after some time.

I am quite happy with my results and will stick to them.

P.S. If you overclock your GPU be aware of the fact you do reduce your hardware lifetime and run the risk of bricking something. So be careful and know what you do.

 

Thanks. I think I will just stick to stock clocks and lower the voltage in order to run it cooler. ATI Tray Tools is not working for me, it gives me an error when I start the program saying "Can not initialize ATIPDLXX library! Exiting now...." Should I use MSI Afterburner instead?

 

I think the voltage control is locked on my card... I tried using MSI afterburner, but the voltage is locked. I did some research, i heard that voltage control only works for unlocked cards. is this true?