M6600 with m290x/HD8970m

[toastofman]

Hey all:

 

Just wanted to verify:  there ARE LVDS vbios available for the m290x/HD8970m 4gb card that will allow it to work on the M6600?  I've not tinkered with laptops in a while so I'm thinking of trying this out!  My m6100 is now artifacting during games, but has a clean mxm connection and is properly pasted/padded.

 

I also read the post about upgrading the M6600 to a better panel, but it requires a lot of hardware and it seems to still be a LVDS output with a converter to make it eDP for the panel so it provides better visuals but doesn't actually increase GPU compatibility.

 

EDIT:  I should add, the NBR archive pointed toward a few options that are long expired so they don't give a ton of help.  I did spend a while digging through old threads.

[Aaron44126]

M6600, like M6700, has separate eDP and LVDS connectors on the motherboard (right next to each other).

 

There was an IPS panel option that uses the eDP connection.  M6600 and M6700 used largely the same parts for the eDP panel hookup.  (It does include an "interposer" between the motherboard and the panel, but it did connect to the eDP port on the motherboard and not the LVDS port.)  This thread describes the parts needed to "upgrade" to an IPS panel configuration, but most of those parts are probably hard to find now.

 

M6700 also had a 120 Hz "3D" panel option which also used the eDP connection on the board.  That configuration came with a "3D cable" which is an eDP cable that you could use to attempt to mount a different eDP panel in the system (without an "interposer" or anything).  It appears to be still available on eBay.  I believe @TheQuentincc had it working with a standard 4K panel in the M6700 at one point, and demonstrated that (in the M6700) you can actually use both the LVDS and eDP connectors at the same time to drive two different displays.

 

There are some unknowns with regards to the M6600.  I believe that the IPS panel configuration required an NVIDIA GPU (in both M6600 and M6700), so you may or may not be able to make use of the eDP port with an AMD GPU.  And since NVIDIA GPU upgrade options are limited(/nonexistent) for the M6600... kind of stuck with AMD.  AMD supported LVDS in their MXM cards a little bit longer than NVIDIA did (IIRC).

 

If you attempt to use the eDP port, you'll probably have to pull the coin-cell battery to reset the BIOS/NVRAM after connecting the eDP display before it will be functional.

 

 

So, yeah.  I'm not that up to speed on the AMD GPU options, so I'm not answering your question... but hopefully providing some context (for you or anyone else who happens across this thread).

[TheQuentincc]

eDP on the M6700 is native, no MUX, it's directly wired to the dGPU. It works both in Legacy and UEFI mode (the latter one can display a clearer version of the Dell logo at boot).

The only issue is to mount the panel, it require some modification, there is a thread about it on forum.51nb.com (but you need to be register now I believe)

[toastofman]

20 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

M6600, like M6700, has separate eDP and LVDS connectors on the motherboard (right next to each other).

 

There was an IPS panel option that uses the eDP connection.  M6600 and M6700 used largely the same parts for the eDP panel hookup.  (It does include an "interposer" between the motherboard and the panel, but it did connect to the eDP port on the motherboard and not the LVDS port.)  This thread describes the parts needed to "upgrade" to an IPS panel configuration, but most of those parts are probably hard to find now.

 

There are some unknowns with regards to the M6600.  I believe that the IPS panel configuration required an NVIDIA GPU (in both M6600 and M6700), so you may or may not be able to make use of the eDP port with an AMD GPU.  And since NVIDIA GPU upgrade options are limited(/nonexistent) for the M6600... kind of stuck with AMD.  AMD supported LVDS in their MXM cards a little bit longer than NVIDIA did (IIRC).

 

So it outputs eDP from the M6600, locking out onboard and forcing fulltime dedicated graphics, and the eDP signal is translated by the interposer to a LVDS 50-pin signal, and then is piped to the monitor?  I just wanna make sure I understand why the parts are necessary!  It stands to reason if I could get the BIOS to recognize an eDP card, it would output to the interposer and then the panel.  This would open up more options for the M6600.

 

I did find the interposer for 35 bucks I think, on eBay.  Panel for $70.

[Aaron44126]

48 minutes ago, toastofman said:

 

So it outputs eDP from the M6600, locking out onboard and forcing fulltime dedicated graphics, and the eDP signal is translated by the interposer to a LVDS 50-pin signal, and then is piped to the monitor?  I just wanna make sure I understand why the parts are necessary!  It stands to reason if I could get the BIOS to recognize an eDP card, it would output to the interposer and then the panel.  This would open up more options for the M6600.

 

I did find the interposer for 35 bucks I think, on eBay.  Panel for $70.

 

Yes, this is how it works as I understand it.  Not quite sure why they went this way.  I think that the LVDS port on the board is just 40 pins?  Probably needed extra bandwidth for the 10-bits-per-color display output to the IPS panel.

 

And again...  Dell was limiting IPS panel / eDP configs to NVIDIA GPUs only when this system released.  No idea if it will work with an AMD GPU at all.  (I don't remember hearing a story of anyone trying it.)  It might just be that AMD GPUs of the day didn't support 10-bit color output, so there was no point pairing one with the IPS panel.  Assuming that the eDP port works with an AMD GPU, you could also attempt to fit a "standard" eDP display by using the M6700 "3D cable" which I mentioned before.  It should be able to connect directly from the eDP port on the motherboard to the back of an eDP panel.

 

(Note that if you're using the IPS panel then you also need to replace the display enclosure.  The one holding the IPS panel is slightly "thicker" than the standard one.  All of the needed parts are in the post that I linked above.)

 

I know that using the eDP port unlocked additional GPU upgrade options on the Precision M6700.  It works with, for example, Quadro P5000 which does not support LVDS.

[toastofman]

6 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

 

Yes, this is how it works as I understand it.  Not quite sure why they went this way.  I think that the LVDS port on the board is just 40 pins?  Probably needed extra bandwidth for the 10-bits-per-color display output to the IPS panel.

 

And again...  Dell was limiting IPS panel / eDP configs to NVIDIA GPUs only when this system released.  No idea if it will work with an AMD GPU at all.  (I don't remember hearing a story of anyone trying it.)  It might just be that AMD GPUs of the day didn't support 10-bit color output, so there was no point pairing one with the IPS panel.  Assuming that the eDP port works with an AMD GPU, you could also attempt to fit a "standard" eDP display by using the M6700 "3D cable" which I mentioned before.  It should be able to connect directly from the eDP port on the motherboard to the back of an eDP panel.

 

(Note that if you're using the IPS panel then you also need to replace the display enclosure.  The one holding the IPS panel is slightly "thicker" than the standard one.  All of the needed parts are in the post that I linked above.)

 

I know that using the eDP port unlocked additional GPU upgrade options on the Precision M6700.  It works with, for example, Quadro P5000 which does not support LVDS.

 

Well right on then!  I have a M3000m I got for 35 bucks, it was sent as "tested and working" but it won't fire in either the M17x R4 I have or the M6600, with an external monitor hooked up.  I know the M6600 bios was rather restrictive, but like when I was testing the W7170m it would at LEAST pipe the output to the HDMI and I could pull tests and such.  But no luck with the maxwell 3k card.  I wish I had a way to actually TEST the damn thing to see if it actually works.  The M17x R4 I have killed off the W7170m and (I think) its motherboard in the process of setting up fan control, so I'm not certain it is a reliable test bench.

 

I could just get a really cheapo known eDP card and test it out.  Buuuut if it wasn't a little tough it wouldn't be as fun/gratifying when things work.

[Aaron44126]

M6600 is known to have issues with NVIDIA GPUs.  Some kind of BIOS conflict.  I would not expect Maxwell GPUs to work.  I've heard a couple of people saying Kepler GPUs work but more people saying that they don't work.  Unfortunately...  AMD is really the only way to go for GPU upgrades with this system.

 

(If you can somehow manage to trade up to M6700 then there are more upgrade options.  A lot of parts can be moved forward like the display panel, memory modules, drives, ...)

[toastofman]

On 4/6/2022 at 6:04 PM, Aaron44126 said:

M6600 is known to have issues with NVIDIA GPUs.  Some kind of BIOS conflict.  I would not expect Maxwell GPUs to work.  I've heard a couple of people saying Kepler GPUs work but more people saying that they don't work.  Unfortunately...  AMD is really the only way to go for GPU upgrades with this system.

 

(If you can somehow manage to trade up to M6700 then there are more upgrade options.  A lot of parts can be moved forward like the display panel, memory modules, drives, ...)

 

Lord a Mercy I could switch to eDP-interposer IPS screen, buy a w7170m, reflash to m390x (again) and live the dream.  I just need to find many hundred dollars my wife won't notice...

[Ather]

Hi, I have recently developed love with M6600 , have 3 of them now , me & boys. My first Workstation was 8740w with IPS , loved it for long 8 years or so.  

 

One of M6600 is working M3000M, here is how I was able to manage it

M3000M & M6600 Youtube Result

 

One of My M6600 is hooked up with W7170M which I was using in 8740w, so card is fine. I could use external monitors(2) with M6600 but , internal LCD remains Blank, BIOS says unknown card and Optimus options do not appear in BIOS. Tried both W7170M vBios available at TechPowerUp GPU-Z.

 

m390x was not tried as it was for 8GB, W7170M is 4GB.

 

Any help would be much appreciated. I have slight idea of LVDS and eDP , but consider me newbie on LVDS/eDP.

 

Thanks

 

[Nowan]

what number is the bios for m3000m? Did it require bios version to be flash for it to work? 

 

 

[Ather]

Here is TechPowerUp Screen Shot for M3000M

[bmcreider]

Thank you Ather for these posts. I recently got into upgrading an old M6600 myself and thought I was great with the M6100 upgrade…. Now I can’t wait to get in an M3000M and see the difference. I watched your video and found a new old stock HP m3000m…hopefully all I need is enabling Optimus and it’s plug and play…

 

Thanks again