How to upgrade the Phoenix (Clevo P870DM-G)from FHD to 4K (PICTURE GUIDE)

Hi all! Figured since there aren't many avenues out there as of yet that properly show how to dissect your phoenix, I'd try to take up the mantle with my own experience in upgrading the LCD panel from FHD 1080 to the 4K panel. Before we get started, I'd like to present a list a useful tools to have beforehand if you intend to pursue this endeavor. I'll be providing pictures of my own tools as well as links to various components you need for purchase if you intend to follow-suit:

1.) Anti-static wrist band:



You should always have something prepared to control static whether it be the wristband here or an anti-static matte. All it takes is a single static discharge on the MOBO of your machine to scramble it. Also, the surface you choose to work on plays a role. For me, I prefer soft surfaces that are distinctly colored from the components I have to remove so I don't lose track of them.

2.) Prying tool(s):

During the tear-down I waited to the very end to remove the screen frame and then eventually the screen, in retrospect, I should have done that first because I had to be extra careful when I finally got to that point with the top-base plate completely removed. So on, I recommend having multiple, smooth-edged prying tools to minimize potential scuffs or indention to the screen frame. I only used the IFIXIT tool for that but for the sake of freedom, choose whatever you're most comfortable using to get the job done. Once I get to that part in the tutorial I'll show the ideal spot to start opening with your tool of choice.

3: Forceps:

Not the best image, I know, but these also happen to be anti-static and help with removing ribbon cables, opening/lifting tabs, and so on and so forth. A godsend for people with sausage fingers.

4.) Storage for screws and other small bits:

Really, this is redundant but with that said, keep special screws separate from generic ones. A good majority of the screws on the phoenix are the same specifications in dimension/length, but for the ones that aren't which may be shown throughout the teardown, do yourself a favor and put them somewhere distinct but obvious. Also be sure to remove ALL screws that frame the laptop at the bottom once open (the other edges, around the heatsink, etc). And to remove the darn dummy SD card. There are quite a few times I tried to remove the frame and forgot it was there. XD With that said...


Remove the back of the laptop (I won't be showing that process since there are plenty of other guides for that and to get to the important bits quicker).


NOTE: I can't post anymore images here so I'll detail the rest as various posts in the thread and update as I go so it'll be very much a "living post" until complete.. Sorry if it's not as streamlined as I'd have wanted...

 

Next: The battery. Remove it. and then you'll be confronted with these three ribbon cables:

Notice the "MB" printed on each? Lift the black tabs using the forceps or another small, precise tool. Heck, your fingers if they're small enough.

This isn't really a difficult maneuver. The hardest for me being the cable that rests to the far left and is bent (the one with the metal-ish sleeve). With that done, move on to disconnecting the subwoofer.


At the bottom you'll see where it connects with a tab at the very top. From my experience it's easy to take at with only your fingers since they are durable enough. Just be sure to bring your finger tips as close as you can on the wire and to pull both cords at the same time.

Here is what it looks like once removed so when you reconnect you'll have an idea how to re-plant it. Future-speak, I used the forceps to re-align the cord and used my screw-driver to push it back in correctly. Aim for the other edges so you don't end-up damaging the connections.

As a bonus, here's a picture of the screw-driver I used the entire time. From GPU heatsink to screen panel. It's pretty reliable. Not to mention magnet-tipped so that it's easy to lift screws in some of the deeper spots with a steady-hand. Philips brand. Specifics are printed on the holster.

 

Next I'll be showing GPU and CPU removal. If you have an SLI config, the second GPU heatsink blocks the CPU heatsink from being removed (well, unless you unscrew, twist while lifting and maneuver around the GPU heatsink, but it's not really beneficial). I don't feel it's necessary to show the heatsink removal process for the same reasons and the laptop bottom plate, but for the CPU you must loosen the four large screws. They do not come off. Once loosened, if you try to continue unscrewing, they'll just "clank" repeatedly letting you know it's okay to lift. When removing the CPU heatsink, grab firmly the back of the grill (the part that is unseen and facing parallel to your eyes on the image) with all four fingers and place your thumb on top of the grill as seen (where the sticker is) and push down while lifting the heatsink toward you. Once removed, place it upside-down on your surface of choice to keep from smearing thermal paste if applied.

Since we're skipping GPU heatsink removal, know that in order to remove the heatsinks, each heatsink has four screws keeping it aligned with the GPU. Unscrew those and then repeat the process I mentioned for the CPU. Keep the four screws (totaling 8 if you're utilizing SLI) someplace safe since these are easily the tiniest screws. Since they're silver and uniquely tiny, it's not a bad idea to separate them.


With all that said, here's what the laptop should look like with the heatsinks and GPUS removed. What's left is this black plastic piece. I wasn't sure if it would have had an impact upon removing the bottom of the laptop from the top, but I removed it anyway.



So on, here's an image of what the laptop looks like with all the core components removed. The ones you see here that are left (RAM, CPU) are the parts of the package that can stay put during the entire process. Next I'll be showing images of screws and locations that are often missed if you only focus on the ones bordering the laptop frame. Such as:


Removed some of the screws before I took this image. Ignore the large screw for the subwoofer and the one above it. We're focusing in on the ones outlining the machine. Next:


The screws in-between the area where the the two heatsinks used to be. Also remove the screw there the HDMI connector (the bordered by pink). Already removed before photographing but it's all about context for these shots.

 

Next:

And:

Remove this back-plate with the various ports on the back. the screws have unique dimensions but are black like the majority of generic screws so keep them separate .


Just to keep this in perspective, here's an image of the plate removed. While it doesn't feel cheap, it is very thin so keep it somewhere safe where you won't accidentally lean on and bend it. Now with all that done. Well move on to the keyboard and which connections and sever so-to-speak...


Incase you don't already know, to remove the keyboard you must find the hole on the bottom of the laptop labeled "KB" and stick an narrow, firm object through. Beforehand I usually turn the laptop on its side and push. In my case, I usually use a thin screwdriver or two unraveled paper clips and bend them ever so slightly around eachother. For an example, refer to this @HTWingNut video: around the 7:00 to 7:25 mark. It's slightly older model but pretty much the same principle. Now let's identify where the connections need to be undone. Firstly:

The two primary keyboard slave cable.s. To remove, I recommend forceps. For the bottom, place the tips of the forceps on an indention on the place tab and pull towards the screen. The bottom ribbon should then be easy to remove. For the top cable, the same idea. When you decide to re-insert the keyboard connections. remember for the black tab (bottom connection) ribbon goes BENEATH the black tab and not sandwiched between the black and white. For the top connector the ribbon cable must go BETWEEN. Both strange and simple enough.

 

The ribbon cable to the leftside of the image and just under the CMOS battery controls the lighting on your keyboard. push the black tab up and pull the cable out. CMOS, RAM, and M.2 SSDs can stay put the entire time during your venture. We just want to get all the screws securing the faceplate down and the ribbon cables removed.


Now that we've removed the ribbon cable that dictates keyboard lighting we're going to take out the Speaker cable. It's pretty much the same as the subwoofer. Two or more firm fingers (or forceps if you have sausage fingers or Shrek hands) nearest the connector on the cables seen here; tug and remove. When re-applying, this one isn't nearly as cumbersome as re-connecting the subwoofer.


This guy right here coming from the very top near a would-be M.2. Very simple. Flip the tab up, and gently pull the blue tab outward then upward.


And then this last ribbon cable marked "MB". It comes from the underside of the faceplate and connects it the the part of the MOBO that will be disconnected once the faceplate is removed. Be sure it is not stuck when you re-apply the faceplate. Always be sure when you put your machine back together that all cords are not trapped and are fully re-affirmed in the right tabs. The keyboard was a drag for me to get right because if it wasn't all the way secured certain keys won't work. I recommend putting a soft, cleaning-cloth inbetween the keyboard to keep the magnets from sucking it all the way down just in case you need to make minute adjustments.



Be sure to take out any screws on the sectors you may see above. Those are often missed. Once again, all the components you see here can be left in during the entire process. But keep in mind that the wi-fi card often has a piece of tape on it on it connected to the faceplate. Nothing drastic, just remove it or temporarily stick it entirely to the wif card. Okay, lets move on to the stuff everyone has been REALLY wanting to see...

 

FACEPLATE REMOVAL!!! To start, bring the laptop screen towards you (as in a bent hinge but not so bent that it begins to fall because of gravity). Start prying with your fingers at the back (where the speakers are) while keeping the detachable half secure to whatever surface you're utilizing. My own personal method: I also try pushing my thumb against the MOBO (be sure hands are clean, dry, and you're wearing an anti-static strap if you opt this method). Visualize yourself holding the laptop at a slight 30 or less incline and using your left thumb to push the faceplate away. The area where the CMOS battery tends to be is the easiest. Will provide more images of the plate to show any loose parts you might want to lookout for.


Flipped faceplate. You can now see where all the connections are made. Keep in mind their positions when putting the phoenix back together. Notice the ribbon cables that were formerly under where the battery would sit.


A full-shot of the laptop without the cover plate. In all its beauty. At this point this is why I mentioned earlier that I should have removed the screen first. With the core components largely removed, the screen tends to make the laptop not so securely planted so you may find yourself applying minimal pressure/handling to keep it from rocking.


Bringing our attention to the EDP cable here. Remove the tape to the left. For removal I'd recommend pulling on the outer-edge of the black sleeve. As you can see there's a black handle bar which I tore by mistake when trying to use it to lift the EDP connector from the board.


Now that it's disconnected, notice where the rest of the EDP cable runs through. You know what's coming next...

 

Notice the little screw covers along the hinge? Simple to remove. All it takes is a finger-tip. No knife or
poking utensil. It's secured with a very light adhesive. Just put your finger at the very top of the square and "scrape" the edge in a downwards motion, so-to-speak. It may cause the square to curve a bit but it's perfectly replant-able. It may stick to you once removed so put it somewhere that's dust or lint free for re-application. I personally placed these squares on the dummy SD card. The screws underneath are unique so place them somewhere safe in the meantime.


Get out that oh-so-important prying utensil! While not in complete focus, notice the out edge near the tab, use your tool there. Note, not IN the same space but to slot bordering the frame. It's also best to start at the bottom when applying pressure. Don't be afraid to go a little deeper to begin frame removal, the screen is more centered then the image here will allow you to see. Another shot to follow.


Have a better idea where to start prying now? When you starting opening, go natural. It will come loose in a series of "pops" as the connectors are little circulars between the face plate and the body. When working your way around the camera don't be afraid if it's a little stubborn. The plastic frame in this area is a little more flexible. Use reasonable force. Especially when finally making your way back towards the hinge and noticing the light stubbornness.


This should be what you're affronted with next if all went well. Notice the four screws and holsters around each edge. We'll take a closer look.

 

Here's the screw and holster on the upper-left side. See the little stick poking through? When securing your 4K AUO screen be sure the stick goes through it. I won't show the right-side because that'd be a little too redundant so lets look at the bottom screws for the panel.


Bottom-left


Bottom-right


Now that we've identified, place a soft preferably foam material down between the screen and the base of the machine. Lean the screen back to reduce the chance of it unintentionally flopping forwards once unscrewed. Follow-suit and then gently lean the screen forwards and then lie it down. I wouldn't use only a single hand especially if your panel is still perfectly-fine. Be careful from herein if you weren't already.


The back frame w/o the screen. You can see all the connections here from the camera to the lighting assortment.

 

The Screen lying down on the foam spread. Keep you eyes on the pin connector placement jut below the right side of the hinge since we brought it forwards. Now even closer...


Lift the clear tap from the back of the panel first. I'd recommend using a paper-clip or forceps to ensure it isn't ruined because of finger residue or dust.



Disconnected from the screen. Now disconnect your EDP cable from the MOBO as well and keep it safe. Now for the new 4K EDP cable.


Just what you need! Also, here's a link for purchase yourself:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Clevo-P870D...e-/131718160828?&_trksid=p2056016.m2516.l5255

A standalone currently sets you back $169 USD excluding shipment costs. In case you're unsure about the re-seller, they're called Razorsedge http://stores.ebay.com/razorsedgebyeurocomnotebooks/
They seem to be a direct Eurocom correspondent if not one in the same.


Now here's the screen you need! The 4K AUO (3840 x 2160) screen; model number B173ZAN01.0. A link to all info available on the panel: http://www.panelook.com/B173ZAN01.0_AUO_17.3_LCM_overview_25358.html

Also for purchase: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUO-B173ZAN...43-94mm-LCD-/111894039402?hash=item1a0d678b6a

It'll set you back $625 USD though there are certainly ways to find it cheaper than what's on offer here.

 

Lay it as see on the foam and connect the EDP cable. Remove the piece of plastic from over the stick portion of the tape and at last, secure the pin cable to the screen and MOBO if you haven't already.



After extensive surgery the phoenix can now begin to adjust to its new, ultra clarity 1000:1 face. Put your phoenix back together in reverse order and then the true journey can begin! When you first try to reboot the laptop it may take a little while longer so don't be afraid if it's not SSD level boot speed! As I can confirm you WILL lose G-sync in the Nvidia control panel though in the bios you will still have the "-G" moniker. And thus far panel overclocking is not extensive compared to the FHD though I've been trying to see if that is at all possible especially if down-scaling the resolution and then opting to run at 100Hz or more. Hope I was able to help those who wanted to make the upgrade as well. Enjoy your 4K guys!!!

 

Did not want to interrupt before you were finished, nicely done

 

Thanks a bunch! I felt that a guide like this was necessary and few are out there if at all, especially ones with HD images so that one can make out what they're seeing exactly. Felt that if I was going to do this I'd share the process so it's not such foreign territory for others who want to upgrade or repair their machine. Someone had to do it at least, y'know?

 

Thanks for taking the time to post all of that and for all of the detail in the steps. Congrats on the new 4k screen!

 

It's very good You may want to put a disclaimer that anyone trying it is doing so at their own risk though

 

Good idea. You never know...

 

What do you mean you cant just pry off the screen with a crowbar? Its all your fault obviously now that my screen is broken.

 

Crowbar? Such a n00b. You obviously need to up-the-antee if you intend get that screen off in more than one piece...afterall, two is always better than one...and three or more? Hoo boy...

 

Very nice guide! Thanks for doing that!

 

Wouldn't cutting the old one out with a sheetrock knife be easier... I mean, as long as you stayed close to the edges of course...

In all seriousness though, great job... Thanks for taking the time to show us too!

 

Of course! What better way to make your mark (or various marks) as a tinkerer? It's practically like an initiation ceremony!

Lol, no problem. There aren't much guides if any out there yet that go in-depth in enough clarity and I felt it'd be nice to share my experience. Since this is my single largest investment into a computer of any kind, ever, thought I'd share my experience. When you invest this much into a notebook or any high-profile machine, I feel being able to take it apart and put it back together has you "own-it" far more than SOLELY relying on a company (within reason, naturally). Say, compared to certain companies nowadays that enact laws and policy (especially software) where you never really have any kind of ownership and control can be revoked at almost anytime by the author/licensing company.

 

Yeah I don't think we or Clevo are going to come after you with a legal team for this

 

Interesting that you mention that... When I was younger I would avoid breaking the silver tape for fear of ruining the laptop from Hell (or other rhyming word) warranty... Much like I would avoid replacing/upgrading components of my cars. On cars, I now know that in the US, warranties cannot be voided due to aftermarket upgrades unless they can show causation... It's a shame it isn't so for computers!
Again .. Thanks for the writeup! I ordered my np9870-s with the 1080 screen from SagerNotebook.com a few hours ago... with added confidence that I'd getting the right machine / screen in large part due to your writeup! Can't wait til I get it!!!
Sager should thank you!!! Lol.

 

Enjoy your machine and we appreciate everyone who contributes to the community

 

Meaker, can you do this at your shop if I ship you back the machine? I have beeing writing back and forth with support but are not being very helpful other than offer me to refund me the cost of the machine, this whole operation is a bit risky for me, although I'm sure I'm capable of doing it, the standard HD screen is really low quality, and for someone that makes a living out of printing and photography, a good screen is a must. The regular HD screen is so bad that it will even clip the small sRGB color space and has a distinctive purplish cast on the blues that cant be removed, I have tried to calibrate is it with a ColorMunki, with a Spyder 4 and 5, and with a Spectracal, nothing can get this screen correct since have delta errors of over 9 in some colors, just figure that any delta error over 3 is considered bad...

Well, I hope you guys reconsider and try to get me a 4K screen and exchange this really bad HD screen.

 

Akaraah, how long it took you to do all this???

Thanks for posting it!! Have you had a chance to calibrate this LCD and find out how much of the Adobe colorspace this screen really covers?

 

Heya. Sorry for taking a while to respond. XD And thank you! It took me about anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours to do (was taking pictures along the way and being careful so mileage may vary). In short, if you do decide to follow-suit, know that it's going to take you more than an hour to do regardless (it's a very intricate process that you can't speed through unless you're a cyborg).

As for Adobe color range, I haven't really tested or calibrated it as of yet. But if you have some methods you could share on how to do it I'd gladly test and share my results. But from what my eyes can see the colors are really vibrant. As an artist, I also I tested games like Ori and the blind forest, Skull girls, the Indivisible Prototype (same people that made skull girls), Oceanhorn, Rayman Origins and Legends, and many other triple AAA games and Indie with strong art direction to see the color clarity and say I'm pretty happy with the results. Even some new games run pretty well on dual 980ms at 4K such as unraveled. I still haven't produced any native art utilizing my wacom and the 4K screen yet but intend to in the coming weeks if not days.

I'm intending to buy some robust animation software (Toonboom or TV Paint) around April-May time-frame to start getting into animation and see about animating in 4K.

 

It's definitely worth the upgrade in my mind. The only drawbacks are loss of G-sync and high-refresh rate (if you're fine with just having 60Hz then you'll be golden). But does Sager offer the 4K screen option or are they willing to special order the components you need? From when I checked I never saw the option for the 4K panel unless you intend to do what I did and get the components separate. I personally liked the G-sync screen and would love for a better/improved 4K 17.3 screen to come along (rumored from Sharp if I'm not mistaken) that COULD be G-sync compatible. It will more than likely utilize the same 40-pin EDP connector as well, but, I digress.

 

Thanks for your Answers. Did not took that long. Since I posted them last night. I found the same screen in a reseller in China for a lot less money than the eBay seller from NY, the only thing I'm not sure is about the cable. You didn't happen to take a closeup photo of the cable where you can see the model?

The only way to test the screen is actually with hardware, a ColorMunki or Spyder 4 or 5. There is no other way to get a real result.

FYI, the quality of the included screen is a disaster for people like me working with printing and photography, the screen have some delta errors of about 10 on some colors, which is by standards close to a disaster or something that should failed quality control at factory.

Did your computer reseller told you what will happen with your warranty? Did you voided it by doing this? I purchased a 3rd year or warranty, if I'm going to void it by replacing the screen then I should probably ask for a refund on the warranty since will not be used anyways. It's a bit scary to have a machine like this one without warranty because they break, this is the 4th Sager machine I have and they always have something at some point that requires fixing.

Color wise on paper this screen says to cover 100% of the Adobe color space while the HD one does not even cover 60%, a 100% rate is suspicious since is technically impossible. Eizo monitors cover 98%

 

I don't really care about the G-Sync. The applications I use don't really care about it.

How did you noticed the HiDPI scaling on Windows 10? Do you need a loupe to read the screen?

 

No problem. I actually ordered my screen from a reseller in China as well (I got it through ebay as well and did best offer and only paid about $150 excluding shipping cost). I listed the current link for the screen in the thread because the re-seller is a Eurocom correspondent and people tend to go with the familiar. With that said, definitely go cheaper where and whenever you can. If you can put up with waiting two to three weeks economy shipping from China then you'll be golden.

The 4K screen is definitely superior when it comes to clarity and coloration, sorry I can't do more to test it to your satisfaction. Notebook review has a review of the 4K model listing results from the screen more in-depth, though. Here you go: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Schenker-XMG-U726-Clevo-P870DM-Notebook-Review.153136.0.html (it's towards the middle of the page)

Altogether I paid about $320 or a little more between the screen and EDP cable vs. buying from Eurocom which would have cost me over $625 for the screen excluding the cable)

Also, here are the extra photos of the cable you wanted. These are all I have that I took a while ago when dismantling just in case anyone needed more clarity, though the only way I could get more would be dismantling the laptop again, or at least removing the screen to show the 40 pin connector. Hopefully these suffice though:

1.) Connected to 4K screen
2.) Connected to MOBO 3.) Connected to screen with other end of EDP cable visible
4.) Close-up of end that connects to MOBO

5.) Close-up of end that connects to screen

Couldn't find the EDP cable anywhere for purchase other than through Eurocom or through the link I shared linking to the re-seller on ebay. As for my warranty, I actually had to send my laptop in because of some issues sometime after and reinstalled the G-sync the screen so that my reseller could re-install the 4K for me (which they agreed to for a $100 service fee and would allow me to keep the G-sync screen as well). My warranty would have been the same albeit not covering the 4K screen since it was a 3rd party part. The only things they were concerned about would be the GPUs which if replaced would have voided my warranty (unrelated to the screen, it was because I heard about desktop 980 SLI and was curious about having them special-ordered to my re-seller, and having my re-seller install them) because they sell the Clevo P870DM-G as distinct chassis based on the GPUs (they call it the XM-11-SS for 980m SLI and XM-11-D for desktop 980). Basically just like my RAM and m.2 SSDs that I got outside of Xidax (my reseller).

In any case you may end up voiding it because you may need to flash the non-G-sync bios in order to use the screen with G-sync GPUS. I'd say talk to your re-seller to see if they'd be willing to do it for you or if they make it permissible in your situation and give you a guide on doing it yourself. I bring this up, FYI, because Nvidia and/or Clevo put in a bit of malicious measures so that if you use a 4K screen non G-sync screen with G-sync GPUs the GPUs will go into "low-power mode". You'll also need to consult with Prema for a proper driver .inf file (and disable driver signature enforcement via recovery) to install the latest driver otherwise the GPUs MIGHT not be recognized and will appear as "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter) in GPU-Z and device manager. If I can, I'll consult with prema about having a proper bios flash linked/archive to this thread with his permission so others can utilize it if they weren't able to flash stock non-g bios (not talking about his PREMA BIOS, but a literal "flash" file that will convert the laptop from being G-sync bios to non G-Sync). Hope I was able to help more.

 

So let me is if I got this right, once I change the screen, the machine will not work correctly unless a new BIOS is installed? That sounds like a lot of trouble, you mentioned that took long to boot, was because of that? I do not care at all for G-Sync, I don't need it. I have the desktop version of the 980 with 8GB or RAM, I see it have an option to turn off G-Sync.

I wrote to Sager about getting them to do the upgrade for me, but they are not being very helpful, they don't seems to care at all, even if I send them the parts, as you can see I even asked Meaker in here but he is not responding

 

If support are saying they are not able to do that for you then I can't really step in.

 

Thanks, another reseller is going to help me.

 

Fair enough, other places might be more setup for doing one off custom mods.

 

Lots of work? Yep. Worth it? Definitely. Honestly the hardest part is just doing the dis-assembly and rebuilding but that's the extent of it. If you've ever flashed a bios (plenty of guides out there, check prema's flashing guide here): https://biosmods.wordpress.com/flashing-guide/

And a link to the clevo bios repo (Clevo P870DM-G and P870DM) : http://repo.palkeo.com/clevo-mirror/P870DMG/
And a link to the main page (all models): http://repo.palkeo.com/clevo-mirror/

If you do decide to flash it's at your own discretion but the guides are pretty easy to follow and each archived file comes with a readme with easy steps. If there are any other issues Prema is more than happy to help when given the time. But as I've just read you've found a shop willing to do it for you. Mind telling me which shop? Be sure they're willing to test run it and are more than capable of flashing the Non-G bios for you. Best part for me is that I get to keep my G-sync GPUs so in the future if there is ever a 4K G-sync screen compatible with the P870DM in the near future I don't have to sell/trade them in. At least until mobile Pascal which is rumored for Mid-June. All I'll have to do is just swap out the screen without complete dis-assembly (so long as it uses a 40-pin connector as well which is extremely likely).

 

Thanks for the answer, the shop is Eurocom, I will ship the machine to them and they will do all the stuff for me, BIOS flashing included. What do I do not understand, is like you says that the flashing of the BIOS is optional? why would one want or not to flash it? Not sure I understand that part.

 

No problem. As for the bios flashing portion I said it's at your own discretion only because sometimes people make mistakes and end up bricking their systems or something lesser. Otherwise, there's no cause for worry.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

Also, it seems like those BIOS are for machines with the GTX980M, my machine have the GTX980 desktop, not the M version

 

Sure I get that, whay I do not get is the "why" flash it, is it neeed for the machine to work correctly with the 4K screen? or is it just an option to overclock it? Sorry for so many questions, I just do not want to waste my money if there is no right BIOS for my GPU or if is not going to work correctly. I can always buy an external 4K monitor Although I like the portable part of the laptop... hahaha

 

I hear ya'. Yes, the GPU(s) will act up if you just do a screen "hotswap" without flashing the Non-G sync bios (they'll go into low power mode) or installing a modded driver file. Or you could do what I did and consult with Prema and see if he's willing to work with you and send you what you need. But since you're sending your machine to Eurocom they should do everything for you for hopefully a fair price.

Unfortunately if you send it to them there's a chance they'll remove your G-sync GPUs since in their case it's either G-sync or 4k, not both. But it's a non-issue for you, of course.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

out of curiosity, what did he had to send you? I see you have the M version of the GPUs, while I have the Desktop version. There is where my concern comes. I just left a message for Prema to see if the BIOS on his website is compatible with my GPU. It says it is not compatible with soldered GPUs, but it does not mention the Desktop version, which is not soldered. At least I think is not, it looks like is a card you can swap if you want. I selected that card because none of the applications I use takes any advantage of SLI connections, only games and I'm not a gamer.

 

Basically he sent a simple "flash" file that I was able to load in DOS (you get there holding F2 when starting the computer to get to the BIOS, going to bootable drives and disabling UEFI boot, restart, hold on to F7 and select your USB drive after you've used RUFUS to make it a bootable drive and moved the files to the root of the USB drive). Basically it converted my laptop from Clevo P870DM-G to Non-G. Also, I think there may have been a miscommunication between us. When I refer to the BIOS I mean the actual System BIOS (the one you enter by booting up the machine and holding F2), not the VBIOS for the GPU that you find on Prema's website.

 

where do I contant Prema directly? here? Or via that website?

Oh yes, I was getting that wrong, I thought there was a special BIOS for the video card. I hope it is not needed. I suppose the guys at Eurocom knows all about this. On Prema website says that they work together. I guess when one is about to modify a Laptop that cost as much as these ones, it is always a bit scary.

 

Yeah, just email him through the forums via personal message and explain your situation. I'm sure he's already got what you need to avoid having to go through another vendor/third party. Let me know how it goes. . If this is the route you choose to take and all goes well all you'll need to do is install the 4K screen yourself so long as you're equipped for it.

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Thanks! I'll be sending it to Eurocom anyway, I rather someone seasoned on getting these machines opened to do it. Even though I think I'm perfectly capable, it does not make sense to take the risk of frying the machine

 

Fair enough, do whatever is most convenient for you. And let me know when the whole ordeal's done and how you're enjoying 4K

I totally understand not wanting to risk your machine. Not everyone will want to try taking the laptop apart, I suppose. Just crazy people like myself. XD

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I get support on soldering delicate devices and laser cutting when I need it where I am sure others can do bits themselves, we each have our strengths

 

I have enough or a thrill maintaining the whole system at work, about 15 computers from HP, most of them Z800, 820 and 840, and a central storage over 10 GigE of 164 TB, that have clients connected across the street So I rather leave this one on the side to someone else while I keep running my second business on photography or jewelry.

http://www.victorwolanskyphoto.com/#!The-invisible-neck/c1ti3/33755DA7-7AAA-4573-B838-4D52E62D71C9

Awaiting for the shipping label to ship the machine to Eurocom.

Maeker, how will the warranty business is going to work? do you need any proof that the machine got back to me in working conditions after I get it back?

 

Great guide thank you for doing that. I am a little curious though, every screen I have replaced I just disconnected the battery, and disconnected the EDP, snapped off the bezel, unscrewed the old screen and replaced it. Was the full teardown more of an educational thing?

 

I believe you can not unplug the LCD cable without taking the top part off, which you can't without taking the down part off.... and so on