M57U - video card replacement issues (Alienware)

Okay, here we go...

I have a Clevo M57U (an original Killernotebooks Executioner) with a dead Nvidia 7950 GTX Go.

It seems these cards are tough to come by these days, as they use the weird proprietary slot, so I found a possible replacement in a used Alienware 7900 GTX, purchased on Ebay. I know this is a long-shot but I can't see letting a stupid video card issue brick a $$$ machine that's only a few years old and otherwise performing nicely.

The card arrives and doesn't work right off the bat (expected). I blind flash the Clevo 7900 GTX video BIOS and it's close, but no cigar. The display output dimensions are wrong for my 17" widescreen right from POST: it displays what would be correct for about a 14.5" screen, then repeats at the bottom ~1.25" and has multicolored stripes along the right ~2"







I tried fiddling with the video BIOS boot options using NiBiTor with no luck.

Windows doesn't really like the new card (defaults back to 640x480(?) with a maximum resolution of 1024x768 and complains about missing nv4_mini.sys). Upon updating the GeForce drivers (179.48), Windows now recognizes the card as a Quadro NVS 510M (which seems to be 7900 GTX-based).

So now what? Is there a Clevo video BIOS out there for the Quadro NVS 510M? Is that really even what this card is, or is that a fluke with the Windows drivers? Is this a hardware issue and I'm SOL?

 

you can find the Clevo videocard modules from vendors like:
- www.ztronics.com
- www.eurocom.com (email or call them)

 

Does anyone on here have a vbios from an m570U with a go 7900 GTX?

I have a feeling that the bios from clevo is for the quadro (hence it being recognised as such) so a proper 7900 bios should hopefully fix this.

 

those pics make me think its not the videocard.... could be the LCD cabling or the panel itself.

you can check by plugging the system to an external monitor

 

Hmmm...external display works fine.

I also just tried this using the old card: nothing at all on the external display (no signal) and the notebook display is still a garbled mess: lots of stripes, blocks, blinking, flashing, colors and plaid patterns, and sometimes blank.

 

if the external display is fine, then you need to check the LCD cables next.

unplug the system, remove the battery

then
- remove the keyboard (no screws, just 4 or 5 retractable plastic tabs on top of it)
- then you should be able to get to the LCD cable connected to the motherboard
- disconnect it and reconnect it firmly.

see if that helps

 

My LCD connector is on the top of the mainboard, next to the LCD socket. Tried reseating it, but no dice.

 

then you can to take apart the LCD casing to check on the cabling there and the LCD inverter.

 

I don't see any obvious damage to the cable or the inverter. However, those multicolored stripes do correspond well to the [A] ribbon (?) on the PCB on back of the screen.

Any idea where I might find a replacement screen/inverter/cable, and what they might cost?

Also, might the failing video card have somehow damaged the screen...or vice versa? Seems odd to me that they would go simultaneously.

 

replacement LCD can be bought almost anywhere online... any of the 17" single lamp LG.Philips panels should work.

as for inverter or cable, contact a Clevo vendor and they should be able to get it for you

 

Hey I am starting to have intermittent graphic issues with my Clevo M57U notebook as well. I bought it branded as a Sager NP5760-V notebook (from Xotic PC) about two years or so ago. Lately (typically when the screensaver is on) I have noticed flashing horizontal white lines appearing on the screen cutting across the picture and now the entire screen is randomly going black and fading out completely. It works again when I reboot and the graphics is affected when it is plugged into an external monitor so I presume it is the card.

From what I have read the nVidia 7950 GTX for this is still not upgradeable due to the form factor and the only place I can look to find a replacement card is on ebay (very sad and quite pricey!).

I contacted Sager and their pricing is a bit out of whack so I am considering doing it myself. Is there a good guide somewhere that will walk me through the process of taking the old card out and putting in a new (same model) for this particular laptop?

Thanks so much for all the good info on this forum.

PS~ Gophn I'm looking forward to your website updates on the best bang for the buck laptop recommendations for rest of the pricing options (interesting thoughts on the 500 and under sets).

Best

 

service manual in my sig

 

Thank you for the service manual. Now I just have to find a suitable and affordable replacement Nvidia 7950 GTX graphics card for the laptop.

 

I've sent inquiries to the suppliers that Gophn suggested but I was wondering if anyone has any other ideas? I'm looking to replace the dying nvidia 7950 gtx card I have in my Clevo M57U laptop.

As I've said, the only ones I find are on ebay for a silly amount of money for a three year old used card. Sager Support offered to send the machine back to Clevo to refurbish saying, "No more video card, we need to send your machine back to the manufacturer for refurbish for $320.

I am wondering what anyone thinks about this idea. I don't believe there is much in the way of a guarantee in refurbishing anything and I would hate to sink good money after bad but it may be my only alternative.

Opinions?

 

Sorry to resurrect this thread. I too am in need of a 7950gtx vbios for a M570ru. Could anyone provide this and point me to where I could find it? I need to blind flash it with the original vbios but I can't find it anywhere. Thanks!

 

Yeah, I need a video card for my M570U also. Contacted RJtech and they don't have them anymore. Killer Notebooks is now unresponsive. Any help?