M17x r3 GTX860 upgrade Guide

[Sentarshi]

Hello everyone I just installed GTX860m on my R3 and faced with several issues so I want to share my experience hopefully it will help others.

Part 0 - Preparation
All these things you need to prepare BEFORE you will do Anything with your laptop.
Modified Nvidia Driver for your graphics card - guide
The following IDT drivers Packages - R298411 and R289922
Your new MXM card
If you have 120Hz panel - your old MXM card will be also needed (THERE IS NO WAY TO MAKE IT WORK WITHOUT ANOTHER MXM CARD IN CASE OF 120Hz Panel - Because your Intel HD graphics is not available!!!)
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND do all these actions on a fresh installed system!
All your usual drivers for the laptop should be also downloaded first.
All these actions require A12 modded bios for our laptop in attachment

Part -1
Bios:
Flash Bios from the link above and set the following option there:
Sata mode - AHCI
Intel HD Audio - Disabled

Part - 2
Install your NEW Mxm card
Install the fresh system
THEN install the drivers by the following order: order Until Step 9 ONLY
Don't forget that you need to install Modified Nvidia driver after Turning off Windows Driver signature verification - (How to)

Part 3 Making Intel HD Audio great again

To install IDT audio drivers you need to do the following:
Switch your NEW mxm card to your OLD one
TURN ON Intel HD Audio in Bios
Boot the system
Then follow the steps:

• Install R298411 IDT Audio Driver
• Open R289922 install to extract files, but do not install, Cancel !
• Go to C:\dell\drivers\V05PT\OEM\Dell
• Copy IDTNGUI.startup to C:\Program Files\IDT\OEM
• Go to C:\Program Files\IDT\WDM
• Run IDTNGUI.exe
• Advanced
• Enable Power Management... done

Then turn off your laptop and switch the cards again.

Continue drivers install.

You are all set!

Please note:
There are many guides where you need to clear CMOS switch cards and wait and so on so on they all sounds like magic - and doesn't work for me - the main issue is Intel Power management system which causes conflict between the Card and HD Audio.

I really hope this guide will help someone

Alienware_M17x_R3_BIOS_A12_[unlocked]_&_'SATA_fix'.zip

[Maxware79]

FYI, the link to the correct driver order is dead but here's the link from the NBR archive

 

https://www.nbrchive.net/xfa/alienware.1018/HOW TO- Clean Windows 7 Install (Driver Install Order) Guide for Alienware Systems/