Precision M6800 questions and upgrades

[DellBoy]

10 hours ago, panda_zzz said:

16GB modules will not work.

 

I've seen a guy (not on here) claim that he got 64GB to work. According to him the only prerequisites were an i7 processor and the latest BIOS update. However, I bought a 64GB kit counterpart to my 32GB kit (so I could 'guarantee' it was compatible) and all I got was RAM errors and failures to boot.

 

It does seem strange if the M6800 wouldn't be able to take double the official amount of RAM, as E-series Latitudes of that era could (or at least some).

[MicXTech]

44 minutes ago, Annihilator said:

 

i have 2x 8GB ripjaws V 1866 C10 in my M6800 n works perfect at that speed, they r same like hyperX, plug n play with the programmed speed. just waiting for my 4x 2133 to arrive, got a set for around 150 bucks + shipping, isnt cheap but will push the CPU limit another 2-5% up, depends which game 😄 

I am quite surprised you found some! After a full day of searching, I ended up finding some but the price is insane haha. Click if you dare https://thewizzcomputers.com/product/kingston-technology-hyperx-impact-black-8gb-2133mhz-ddr3l-1-35v-laptop-memory-hx321ls11ib2-8/. To be honest not even sure you can buy it because there's no purchase button.

 

I'm still on the hunt! Someone was selling some on eBay (UK) until January for £25 but only 4GB modules.

[Annihilator]

35 minutes ago, MicXTech said:

I am quite surprised you found some! After a full day of searching, I ended up finding some but the price is insane haha. Click if you dare https://thewizzcomputers.com/product/kingston-technology-hyperx-impact-black-8gb-2133mhz-ddr3l-1-35v-laptop-memory-hx321ls11ib2-8/. To be honest not even sure you can buy it because there's no purchase button.

 

I'm still on the hunt! Someone was selling some on eBay (UK) until January for £25 but only 4GB modules.

 

ebay usa 😄

 

someone from dublin has a 2x8GB kit in ebay for 500 bucks 🤪

[Annihilator]

49 minutes ago, DellBoy said:

 

I've seen a guy (not on here) claim that he got 64GB to work. According to him the only prerequisites were an i7 processor and the latest BIOS update. However, I bought a 64GB kit counterpart to my 32GB kit (so I could 'guarantee' it was compatible) and all I got was RAM errors and failures to boot.

 

It does seem strange if the M6800 wouldn't be able to take double the official amount of RAM, as E-series Latitudes of that era could (or at least some).

 

think is depending in the quality of the imc from the CPU too, possible u need to put some mV extra on the imc when u want use full set of high speed mem with dual rank modules

[panda_zzz]

6 hours ago, DellBoy said:

It does seem strange if the M6800 wouldn't be able to take double the official amount of RAM, as E-series Latitudes of that era could (or at least some).

This is not a problem with the laptop itself, but a problem with the Intel processor. The 3rd and 4th generations do not work with modules larger than 8 gigabytes per channel. We tried this on different models and different laptops, and the result was the same everywhere. Even with modifications such as coreboot. It is rare to find mentions that someone has succeeded, but for some reason, there are no screenshots or videos to accompany these claims.

[DellBoy]

1 hour ago, panda_zzz said:

This is not a problem with the laptop itself, but a problem with the Intel processor. The 3rd and 4th generations do not work with modules larger than 8 gigabytes per channel. We tried this on different models and different laptops, and the result was the same everywhere. Even with modifications such as coreboot. It is rare to find mentions that someone has succeeded, but for some reason, there are no screenshots or videos to accompany these claims.

 

Yeah I did press him for further info but he never replied. The guy did also claim that 2133MHz RAM could work, which you guys have confirmed. I don't know why he'd lie about it. The only thing is I wasted about £70 on RAM... although I bought direct from China as a similar 64GB kit in the UK was like £5-600... and that was before the RAM crisis!

[Annihilator]

5 hours ago, panda_zzz said:

This is not a problem with the laptop itself, but a problem with the Intel processor. The 3rd and 4th generations do not work with modules larger than 8 gigabytes per channel. We tried this on different models and different laptops, and the result was the same everywhere. Even with modifications such as coreboot. It is rare to find mentions that someone has succeeded, but for some reason, there are no screenshots or videos to accompany these claims.

 

maybe on XEON mobile with ECC modules? 

 

edit: would be low power ones with LGA 1150 = desktop ones 🫠

[panda_zzz]

1 hour ago, Annihilator said:

maybe on XEON mobile with ECC modules? 

And what Xeon processors are on the laptop socket g3? Just as I haven't seen any ECC memory in the DDR3 SO-DIMM format.

[DynamiteZerg]

On 2/9/2026 at 9:13 PM, SuperMG said:

If 5090 has the same offset as the RTX 4090 MXM then yes. Quadro RTX 5000 Aetina, PNY, ADLINK will fit too!

 

It's the holidays for China, maybe contact the seller if an early shipping is possible or not

Which ones will you recommend? RTX 5090, RTX 4090 or Quadro RTX 5000? I want to give them a try!

[SuperMG]

24 minutes ago, DynamiteZerg said:

Which ones will you recommend? RTX 5090, RTX 4090 or Quadro RTX 5000? I want to give them a try!

5090 not exists yet.

 

Just get the RTX 4080 ZRT or 4090 ZRT version. You need to have eDP display if you want a full dGPU performance + the backlight mod cable.

[Annihilator]

3 hours ago, panda_zzz said:

And what Xeon processors are on the laptop socket g3? Just as I haven't seen any ECC memory in the DDR3 SO-DIMM format.

 

how i said, would be LGA 1150 with LP xeon, n more then enough ddr3 sodimm modules with ECC ava, bcs supermicro used them in their mini workstations 

[DynamiteZerg]

5 hours ago, SuperMG said:

5090 not exists yet.

 

Just get the RTX 4080 ZRT or 4090 ZRT version. You need to have eDP display if you want a full dGPU performance + the backlight mod cable.

Ah yes, I have read some performance issues/limitations if it is working through Optimus. Does the backlight not work using Optimus?

 

I will have a look at the RTX 4080 or 4090 ZRT version or Quadro RTX 5000 depending on your recommendations.

[panda_zzz]

2 hours ago, Annihilator said:

how i said, would be LGA 1150 with LP xeon

Well, we're talking about a specific laptop that has a specific processor socket for which there are no Xeon processors.

[SuperMG]

32 minutes ago, DynamiteZerg said:

Ah yes, I have read some performance issues/limitations if it is working through Optimus. Does the backlight not work using Optimus?

 

I will have a look at the RTX 4080 or 4090 ZRT version or Quadro RTX 5000 depending on your recommendations.

Get the ZRT RTX 4080/4090 and the best CPU available for that platform. I tested Optimus with the cable on. The brightness control works of course because the display is rooted from the iGPU.

 

in dGPU, the display comes from the GPU. The brightness control may not work and you'll be stuck at 100%. Some motherboards allow brightness control without being dependent from the dGPU such as the Clevo P570WM3. On the M6800, the brightness control is dependent of the GPU.

 

I'll make a version 2 of the backlight mod cable (once 80% of the v1 is sold). It'll have a manual tiny PWM slider to control the brightness (pin 27)

Edited Wednesday at 05:10 PM by SuperMG

[aleksandar]

 

Hi guys, I have a problem. I own a Dell Precision M6800 with an Nvidia Quadro K3100M GPU. Everything was working fine, and I was using the laptop for CAD programs (Archicad and AutoCAD).

 

However, one day when I tried to launch Archicad, the program either wouldn’t open or it would freeze. I asked ChatGPT what the issue might be, and it suggested that the GPU could be the cause.

 

I was advised to boot into Safe Mode, uninstall the GPU driver, and test whether Archicad would run on the integrated graphics (Intel HD). After doing that, the program worked perfectly.

 

I then attempted to reinstall the K3100M driver, but that’s when the real problem started, Windows no longer detected the GPU, not even in Device Manager. I tried the following:

1. Scanning for hardware changes in Device Manager

2. Removing the Intel HD graphics driver

3. Removing the main battery

4. Removing the CMOS battery

5. Forcing installation of the K3100M driver

 

None of these methods worked. Even the BIOS no longer detects the K3100M, it’s as if the GPU doesn’t exist.

I would also like to mention that aside from this issue, the laptop works perfectly. I ran diagnostics using Dell SupportAssist, as well as the built-in Dell BIOS diagnostics, and no errors were reported. The BIOS is updated to the latest available version.

I’m wondering whether the GPU had already started failing when the CAD programs began crashing, and after uninstalling the driver it completely stopped working.

 

The last two solutions suggested to me, by Ai, were:

1. Physically removing the GPU from its slot and reseating it.

2. Accepting that the GPU has most likely failed.

 

 

Thank you in advance and best regards.

[Aaron44126]

2 hours ago, aleksandar said:

Thank you in advance and best regards.

 

A failing/failed GPU seems most likely, but it's going to require some actual (physical) troubleshooting to figure out.

 

Removing and reseating the GPU is not a bad idea. I personally think the chances of this actually fixing anything are near-zero. But you aren't "out" anything other than your time and some thermal paste.

 

Resetting the BIOS settings is also something that I would try. I don't necessarily expect that this will fix anything either, but I would still try it before moving on to more steps. (You could use the option to reset from inside the BIOS setup, or you could just disconnect the power and the coin cell battery for a few moments.) Do be sure to note what settings that you have so that you can put them back.

 

We're looking at a hardware issue if neither of those help. Then the question is: is it the GPU (most likely) or something on the motherboard that is preventing the GPU from being recognized (less likely but also possible)? And the only way to figure that out is to replace one of them and see if it fixes the problem.

 

It looks like you can get a replacement K3100M from eBay for around $30, or maybe think about using this as an opportunity to upgrade...

[aleksandar]

I think I may have already tried resetting the BIOS, but I’m not completely sure since it happened about a month ago.

I also think it’s most likely an issue with the K3100M and not the motherboard, because neither diagnostic tool shows any kind of problem.

Now I’m not sure what to do. Should I try the K5100M, which is around 100 euros? Or maybe a 980M / 970M / 880M? Honestly, I’m not sure if I should try the GTX series, because I’m not confident I’d be able to properly set everything up with the drivers.

I could really use some help. Is there any tutorial on YouTube or something similar?

As far as I know, for the 900 series no heatsink or vBIOS modification is required (I might manage to adjust the heatsink, but vBIOS modification is out of the question for me, skill issue lol). I’m also not sure about the drivers.

My dad, who also used it for those purposes, says he’s not sure about buying GTX cards when they’re not officially supported. So I can’t convince him to get a 980M instead of a K5100M lol. Let alone a P4000 or P5000 with all the vBIOS, display, heatsink, and other modifications.

I might be kind of an enthusiast, but he definitely isn’t 🤣

 

I don’t know where you usually look for GPUs, but I’m in the EU.

On AliExpress:

K5100M is 100 euros

980M 8GB is also 100 euros

970M 6GB is 70 euros

 

 

What do you think?

[aleksandar]

Also, i forgot...

Could someone write me a step by step guide for installing a 980M?

Do I need to cut/modify the heatsink?
Do I need different thermal pads, and if so, what thickness?
How do I install the driver? And how does the GPU behave afterward if a new driver update comes out, how do I update it?
If I reset Windows, would I have to custom install the driver again?

Also, would I have a 100% guarantee that the 980M would work without issues? I don’t want to spend 100 euros and then not be able to set everything up properly I need a bit more confidence before buying 😅

[Aaron44126]

If you have hesitations, I recommend sticking to officially supported GPUs. Users installing unsupported GPUs should be ready to deal with extra steps installing drivers, potentially unexpected issues, etc.

 

If you do go with an "unsupported" GPU...

 

You will need a heatsink mod to install a Maxwell or Pascal GPU. You have to cut off a protruding piece so you will need a Dremel or similar tool. You can reuse the existing thermal pads.

 

NVCleanstall can handle driver installation nowadays. You don't need to manually muck with the driver INF file. You would have to use NVCleanstall with every driver update.