Clevo p170em + gtx 980m

Hi! This is my first post at this forum.

I have a Clevo p170em laptop from 2013 with an nVidia gtx 680m gpu.

I've recently learned that it might be possible to upgrade to a gtx 980m.

My current EC/KBC is version 1.02.12 and my BIOS is version 1.02.14.

Is that enough to upgrade?

 

Yes iirc that should be ok, but you will need modified drivers.

 

Considering the price of the 980m, why not install a gtx1060? Or a quadro p4000 or p4200? I believe those will all work in this system.

 

It can depend on heatsink compatibility.

 

As Meaker said, there might be problems fitting a gtx 1060 physically. Afaik, a gtx 1060 is only 10% better than a gtx 980?

Thanks, I think I've already found the correct drivers for win7 but if you happen to know where to find them I'd appreciate it.

 

Laptopvideo2go.com

 

Fitment issues depend on the version of the card. There are gtx1060 versions that would fit perfect. I was only trying to help with the suggestion since the prices are about the same.

 

Ok thanks.

Sorry I didn't mean to sound ungrateful for your input. Yes you're right, a 1060 should fit, except for
different placement of thermopads. Seems I need extra thermopads using a 980 too, and that does
make the 1060 a reasonable alternative

 

The VRMs are the vital part to ensure they make contact.

 

I used to own a p150sm-a and ran a 980m in it without a problem. When I upgraded to the clevo p750dm platform, I started with a 980m and upgraded to a gtx1060. What I liked about the 1060 is that it was more efficient and ran cooler than the 980m while performing the same workload. I made the mistake of getting a gecube 1060 and despite the configuration being incompatible with my heatsink I managed to make it work with some tricky pad placement.

The GPUs below in order are:
GTX 1060
GTX 980m
GTX 680m

The component placement is all very similar on all of these if you get the right version of 1060. The heights of the components might differ though. Applying new pads isn't too difficult. Just buy some 1.5mm, 1mm and 0.5mm and try to minimize stacking. The pads can squeeze down a bit, as long as everything is close to level it will be fine.

 

I replace all my thermal pads anyway and hand tune it.

 

Thanks for helping When it comes to pads and stacking them, does one glue them against the
card and to each other, or do they stay in place simply by the pressure of the heat sink?

I'll ask you the same question as I asked MKazmer above

 

It's always different so I just buy different sized sheets and tweak it.

 

The pads have a slight gumminess to them that helps hold them in place. Meaker is right, you want to buy different thicknesses. I personally like the thermal conductivity of fujipoly and Gelid GP-Extreme. However, they are more dense than Arctic thermal pads, meaning they are less forgiving and you will want to be more precise with the thickness you use. If you make it too thick in one area, you might not achieve proper contact in the surrounding areas. The image below is for a different machine, but the thickness of pads will likely be similar for your system. This should help give you a starting point. Then just test fit it. When I first did it, I like to be precise to I bought a digital caliper for $10, then put kaplan tape over the GPU die to protect it and test fit the card with the heatsink. I then I cut a stack of paper (25 sheets) into thin strips and stacked them to gauge the thickness of the gap between the surface of the heatsink to the surface of the components (memory, VRMs, and MOSFETs). Then I measured the thickness of the paper and took note of it. I used padding slightly thicker than the measurements since it will squeeze down a little.

I didn't mean to type so much, but I remember feeling uncertain about this the first time I swapped a gpu in a laptop and I hope this helps.

The gpu below is a 980m, the components on other gpus should be similar, but the VRMs might be a different height.

 

Just remember at 0.5mm you could be looking at manufacturing tolerance differences.

 

I am having to press my NP9170 back into service as my NP8173 took a dump and cannot play games reliably anymore. I have access to a 980m from another Sager my friend has and I was researching putting it in my 9170. My question is, why do we need modified drivers? If the 980m is recognized by the bios and shows in windows, shouldn't I be able to simply download the latest driver for the 980m for Windows 10???

 

Because the driver string is made up half of motherboard, half of GPU. That has to be in the Nvidia driver files for it to identify it. If you have a modified BIOS that can get past that.

 

Meaker,

Thank you for your response. My NP8173 has gone from needing a new keyboard, a new screen to being unable to play a game all within 6 months. As everything is soldered to the motherboard, it is now a $1800 paperweight. I am having to use my old 9170 but it needs a bit of performance help so I have a few questions meantime.

1. My current bios is v. 1.02.17 and the EC v. 1.02.12, will I be able to run a 980m on that bios or do I need a modified bios like from Eurocom or PermaMods?
2. I will have to use modified drivers for this to work or can current drivers be used?

I did flash the Eurocom bios to the machine however, the current 675m was no longer detected in Windows 10. I flashed the original bios back on as I don't have the 980m in hand yet.

I'm hoping this will work and last me until Sager releases a Nvidia 3080 model. Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

From what I remember any later stock BIOS is fine but you will need modified drivers which is not much of a hassle.

 

Welp,

I put the 980m in the NP9170, Windows immediately loaded the drivers I had for the 675m (391.35) and Geforce Experience said there was a driver update (460.89). I updated and to my surprise, they loaded and the new card runs perfectly. Didn't need to use modified drivers for some reason... .

 

Oh cool

 

Hi guys,

First post here !

@Örjan Olofsson , did you upgrade ? I have the same config and want the same upgrade as you.

@Meaker@Sager , could you tell me how to mod drivers please ? I found this thread which is appreciated by many : https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/nvidia-inf-driver-modding-guide.377158/. This is something I'm new at

I just want some feedback since it's my first upgrade

Thanks guys !

 

I always just downloaded sets from laptopvideo2go.com

 

Thanks for your anwser

I will update this thread concerning this upgrade

 

Hi! No I never did any upgrade, didn't feel confident enough to try.

 

Certainly the newbie friendly way.

 

Is that a problem ?

@Örjan Olofsson Well, maybe you will after my attempt. Will keep you posted.

Cheers

 

Nope, a great way of getting up and running with a good set of drivers.

 

Hope so !

 

It should be, the manual side can be nice to get the latest set immediately or for some really odd ball setups.