Upgrading to a modern MXM Card on a Alienware M18X R1 - Possible solutions?

[TheSin]

This Alien will soon drive me crazy. Today I decided to try more video cards in SG mode. After pulling out the GTX 980M, I installed the GTX 670MX - and the laptop booted successfully! Ok, the next card was the Quadro K4000M. And... no, it doesn't work in SG mode and behaves like the GTX780M - the laptop just stucks with the Alien head logo. I pulled it out and installed the GTX 870M - and again no luck and stucked laptop with Alien head. So, some GK104-based cards work in SG mode, but most of them don't. Probably VBIOS matters here, maybe I'll test it.

After pulling out the GTX 870M I decided to install P106M. And the laptop was able to initialize and boot. Initially I tried the nvidia 556 driver version. The driver was installed normally without any errors in the Device manager, but the laptop declined to use the card for rendering - exactly as in ssj92's experiment with RTX3000. Then I replaced the nvidia driver with the 425 version. The card started rendering, but with a terrible performance. GPU load jumps between 0% and 50%, and FPS changes accordingly. It's impossible to play, but the card formally works. It's interesting how regular GP106-based will work in SG mode cards.

[ssj92]

15 hours ago, TheSin said:

I am able to select 980M as a high-performance GPU, but in any case, all rendering tasks are performed by the HD6990M - exact as in your case with HD3000. After disabling the HD6990M in the device manager, the 980M starts to render, but with very low performance. This seems to be a driver issue.

 

Probably BIOS\VBIOS combination is the reason? I could flash your BIOS version and check if something is changed.

 

This is the BIOS I am running:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15hcq2MfaAzIDGlualq35v-MBnji9MXB4/view

 

  

49 minutes ago, TheSin said:

This Alien will soon drive me crazy. Today I decided to try more video cards in SG mode. After pulling out the GTX 980M, I installed the GTX 670MX - and the laptop booted successfully! Ok, the next card was the Quadro K4000M. And... no, it doesn't work in SG mode and behaves like the GTX780M - the laptop just stucks with the Alien head logo. I pulled it out and installed the GTX 870M - and again no luck and stucked laptop with Alien head. So, some GK104-based cards work in SG mode, but most of them don't. Probably VBIOS matters here, maybe I'll test it.

After pulling out the GTX 870M I decided to install P106M. And the laptop was able to initialize and boot. Initially I tried the nvidia 556 driver version. The driver was installed normally without any errors in the Device manager, but the laptop declined to use the card for rendering - exactly as in ssj92's experiment with RTX3000. Then I replaced the nvidia driver with the 425 version. The card started rendering, but with a terrible performance. GPU load jumps between 0% and 50%, and FPS changes accordingly. It's impossible to play, but the card formally works. It's interesting how regular GP106-based will work in SG mode cards.

 

Something was changed in newer drivers, that do not play well with HD 3000 GPU it seems. We need to see what changed. 

[ssj92]

I ran 419.67 driver and GPU is now being utilized. But I am getting VRel & VOp limitations in GPU-Z.

 

Performance is bad: Generic VGA video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

@TheSin I tried 980M but it gets stuck at AW logo. It is G-SYNC Clevo model so it seems it may be vBIOS related. 

[TheSin]

On 7/24/2024 at 3:15 AM, ssj92 said:

This is the BIOS I am running

Unfortunately, 780M doesn't want to initialize in SG mode even with this BIOS. Checked with Dell and MSI VBIOSes.

 

On 7/24/2024 at 4:25 PM, ssj92 said:

I tried 980M but it gets stuck at AW logo

I've got the same results with non G-Sync VBIOS. And I'm very surprized that M18X R1 is able to work with Tesla M9 which uses the same GPU but with disabled outputs.

[ssj92]

3 hours ago, TheSin said:

Unfortunately, 780M doesn't want to initialize in SG mode even with this BIOS. Checked with Dell and MSI VBIOSes.

 

I've got the same results with non G-Sync VBIOS. And I'm very surprized that M18X R1 is able to work with Tesla M9 which uses the same GPU but with disabled outputs.

I can use 880M, RTX 3000 so it's weird how yours doesn't work. 

 

So far these GPUs we know boot in SG mode and work somewhat:

 

RTX 3000

GP106 (no outputs)

Tesla M6 (no outputs) 

 

Has to be vBIOS issue. I just wonder how we will get it to work fully though. In SG mode only DX11 and older works. 

 

In PEG, with 880M in primary and RTX 3000 in secondary, everything works even DX12, but for some reason it's stuck at 55w. I wonder if I can do resistor mod to M18xR1 same as I did to AW 18 R1. I didn't see the R006 resistor though easily on M18xR1 motherboard. 

[TheSin]

15 hours ago, ssj92 said:

I didn't see the R006 resistor though easily on M18xR1 motherboard

If you mean this mod, it looks like you are replacing a shunt resistor to trick an onboard power monitor:

 

Spoiler

 

According to M18X R1 schematics, there also should be such resistors (also each one for every MXM slot):

Spoiler

For the secondary slot, it's a PR120 resictor. It should be located on the bottom side of PCB near CPU cooler protective film.

Spoiler

 

[TheSin]

Hmm... But according some more photos of a18 PCB, you are modding PR703

Spoiler

 

 This is a system power monitor shunt:

Spoiler

 

It matches resistor PR45 in M18X R1

Spoiler

 

This resistor is located under the film covering secondary MXM slot

 

Spoiler

 

 

[ssj92]

On 7/21/2024 at 8:05 PM, TheSin said:

5 hours ago, TheSin said:

Hmm... But according some more photos of a18 PCB, you are modding PR703

  Hide contents

 

 This is a system power monitor shunt:

  Hide contents

 

It matches resistor PR45 in M18X R1

  Hide contents

 

This resistor is located under the film covering secondary MXM slot

 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

i wonder if that would fix the 55w issue I am having 

[ssj92]

RTX 5000 in M18xR1:[SG mode]

 

Generic VGA video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

RTX 5000 in M18xR1 [PEG mode 880M Primary, RTX 5000 Secondary]:

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

Generic VGA video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

[i.bakar]

On 8/3/2024 at 6:47 AM, ssj92 said:

RTX 5000 in M18xR1:[SG mode]

 

Generic VGA video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

RTX 5000 in M18xR1 [PEG mode 880M Primary, RTX 5000 Secondary]:

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

Generic VGA video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

this results are better then the 980m SLI in the 18 

 

i think you should make one new thread dedecated for this upgrade with the steps required and the compatible bios Virgen...

 

i am very interested in this ... i bought the alienware 18 because i couldnt update the graphic cards above 880m SLI and i upgraded the a8 to the 980M SLI 

 

i prefere the M18X R1 over the 18 and i would like to be able to use it over the 18 in the day to day tasks + some extra rendering machine if i need an assistance next to the area-51m 

[Tcoil]

On 8/3/2024 at 12:17 AM, ssj92 said:

RTX 5000 in M18xR1:[SG mode]

 

Generic VGA video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

RTX 5000 in M18xR1 [PEG mode 880M Primary, RTX 5000 Secondary]:

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

Generic VGA video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2960XM Processor,Alienware M18xR1 (3dmark.com)

 

On 7/27/2024 at 6:56 AM, TheSin said:

Hmm... But according some more photos of a18 PCB, you are modding PR703

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 This is a system power monitor shunt:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

It matches resistor PR45 in M18X R1

  Reveal hidden contents

 

This resistor is located under the film covering secondary MXM slot

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Wow... Well done on troubleshooting! I may have surface level knowledge on what you guys are doing but I'm quite impressed on what you guys have accomplished. Looks like newer MXM Cards are soon to be used in R1s!

[ssj92]

I have a M2000M on the way to solve the old driver issue. Going to replace 880M primary with M2000M primary so I can use the latest Quadro drivers. 
 

only thing left to fix is the heatsink. It doesn’t fit into the slot in the secondary MXM area. Needs to be bent or something. Also hits subwoofer a bit. 

[Azther]

ive been away for awhile on the forum but this topic looks promising. i have a m18x r1 with a 780m in it. so would be nice to have possible upgrade paths