M17x R4 1070 Succesfull Upgrade 2020 (Tutorial)

vBIOS' are available at TechPowerUp along with the NVFlash program you'll need. It's actually a very simple process to flash a vBIOS, if you ever need to, although it can seem a little complicated if you've never done it and are just reading through guides online.

 

Thank you again for your answer.

I will inquire about it.

Regarding the driver modification (.inf), I read some available tutorials, but most of them offer ready-made solutions but not the general greeting that we can adapt to our own configuration.

Do you have some advice on this?

 

The guide I used to teach myself was this one. It's a pretty easy step-by-step guide. If you need any help then I can walk you through it.

https://null-src.com/posts/nvidia-notebook-driver-inf-mod/post.php

 

I know this guide, I have some questions about it.
In a while, I will try to formulate my questions clearly.

I will be training on my GTX 980m while waiting to receive the 1070.

Thanks again.

 

Hi fellow nerds

The problem I'm trying to solve for myself is to find an unlocked BIOS that supports a 1070.
By "supports" I mean the version of UEFI where you don't need to disable signature enforcement.

Originally, all the modded BIOS are kept i n this thread. The question is do you know the one that will help me solve my problem and that of the this thread creator, although they don't necessarily know about such a possibility.

 

You only need to disable signature enforcement for installation of the driver, after that its not necessary.

Also your link points to the wrong model laptop, that is for the Alienware 17 R1 (R5) Ranger laptop, not the M17x R4 which tis thread is for.

Even if you are referring to the Ranger, no modification has ever been done for 1070 to be included as a stock option (White list)

 

Hi guys! i took the time but i managed to modify the last nvidia driver for my gtx 980m.

One thing strikes me: I have changed each line corresponding to the reference of my graphics card.

Each reference referred to a section.
I did this for the 4 lines corresponding to my graphics card.

It works but I wonder what is the use?

If I only modify one line, which line should I choose for it to be optimal?

 

Sorry for the very late reply but just change all of them

 

Hi guys.

Well it's done:
- the GTX 1070 is installed, with its 5 heat pipe dissipator and the latest modded driver.
- the CPU 3720qm has been upgraded by a 3940xm.
- the 2 hard drives are now SSDs
- the A15 bios is unlocked !!!

I get 12700 on fire strike without forcing too much.

Question:
I cannot unlock the voltage control command on MSI after burner.
Any idea how to do it?

 

Can you upload some pics or links?
Would be great to see the detailed FS results.
Great job!
You can‘t use the voltage control with 1070, you have to play with the voltage curve.

 

Thanks

here is the link:

https://www.3dmark.com/fs/24826275

OC:
+135 on the core
+450 to memory

 

My biggest problem is that Crustieraxe is ahead of me in the ranking!

 

Hey guys,
I am about to order the 4pipe heatsink for CPU and 5pipe for GPU. Looking to do the 1060 or 1070 upgrade (which one is better in your opinion?). Now, I read different opinions about if it is REQUIRED or not to upgrade the display or not. If I can get away with it, I would prefer not to, if it is proven that it doesn't work, then I will have to find the right screen to install.
Thanks in advance for all help and advices.

 

Buy 120 hz display instead of cpu heatsink
Save more money with 1060 if you actually dont need 1070.

 

You don't need the heatsink for the CPU. I have installed the I7 3940xm and have no overheating.
Buy the 120Hz screen, it's easier and safer.
For me the 1070MSI GPU is at the top, (GTA 5 and red dead 2 in full), but it will take the 5-pipe heatsink.
Much has been said on this subject and in this file.

 

Anyone know what vBIOS that are supported on the M17x R4?
I got a black HP/Dell 1070 off AliExpress that said it supported M17x R4, I asked the seller and he guaranteed it but it keeps giving me 8 beeps.

Might have to get a LVDS 40 pin display just to be able to boot and flash the GPU, or do I still need to use a programmer?

 

Any 1BA1 MSI vBios should work on m17x r4.

 

Okay I collected a bunch of vBIOS for the 1070, but still waiting to get my LVDS display so I can boot via the Intel GPU and flash the nVidia one because I am too lazy to repaste the GPU just to flash it with a programmer.

My problem is, I have the black PCB GTX 1070 one the HP variant, which is 125W??
Anyone know a method to read these nVidia rom files so I can extract the TDP out of them to see which one is the right one?
Also, how far can you push these black PCB GTX 1070 MXM cards? Will they do 150W or 180W vBIOS before blowing up?

 

The black PCB 1070's are the "Dell" variant which are said to be Quadro p5000 PCB's fitted with 1070 GPU die/mem

I believe stock is 115w, no idea an overclock capability.

 

I get my 1070 today, and then next week I get the EDP cable and the 120hz monitor.


Do y’all know if it should boot and work just fine with just swapping the screen and the cable or do I need to mess with settings? I wanted to do the screen upgrade before the 1070 just to be safe but wanted to see if there were issues?

 

Not sure on the R4, on the Ranger I typically advise going back into the BIOS to change it over to eDP / PEG, shutdown then make your component changes.

 

Your 120Hz monitor, is it a complete assembly or just the panel itself? Cause its a real son of a gun to separate the plexiglass from the screen, you need a heatgun and something like a painters spatula to slice it.

You can install your 1070 right now with your current panel no problem it will boot via LVDS through your intel GPU, make sure you have the right vBIOS on your GPU before you install your eDP display.

 

I don’t have a modded bios, so unless the Alienware OSD does that when switching from iGPU to dGPU then I’m already gold because the iGPU currently doesn’t initiate.

If not then I’ll need to figure out how to install a modded bios and which one to install. Still don’t know what I would be doing on that one lol

 

NOW YOURE SCARING ME!
I ordered this( https://www.ebay.com/itm/401335285379)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hola, tengo un Alienware M17xR4 con estas características:

CPU: Intel Core I7 3610QM

GPU: GTX860M

y me gustaría actualizarlo, sepa si esta configuración le conviene

Componentes futuros:

CPU: Intel Core I7-3940XM

Procesador de gráficos: GTX 980M

RAM: RAM Crucial CT102464BF160B 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL11 Memoria para computadora portátil (8x4 = 32Gbs)

SSD: Samsung 860 EVO SSD 1TB SATA3 (x2)

MSATA: Samsung 860 Evo SSD 1TB mSATA (x1)

Y mi pregunta es si para piezas futuras tendría que comprar algo más como:

mi nueva CPU tendría que comprar un tubo de enfriamiento

¿Mi nueva GPU simplemente la compraría e instalaría?

mis nuevos discos de almacenamiento son posibles?

Gracias.

 

What made you think you can write in Spanish in English spoken forum?

 

It's not the first nor the last time a foreign language is used, it happens from time to time.

 

Well guys, as a personal update, I have decided to sell my beloved M17x R4 for an M17 R4 2021. I just belived that for the money used for upgrading, It would be better put up for a new computer. I sold the laptop apart from graphics card to minimize the money lost because I did lose money. To all who want to upgrade the M17x R4, I will just recommend to get a new alienware/other laptop instead of upgrading unless you want the M17x R4 for light gaming or the old school alienware asthetics. I think this would be a good upgrade if you only spend 500 or less In total. And I mean computer + a 1060

 

I hear ya! Spent roughly 1.700 € for the rig with all components. It's like tuning Oldtimers for the love of it, not for performance. On the one hand it's cool to get a machine from 2012 properly pimped up but there's a lot of downsides too! I never got the RAM above 1600MHz to work and the 5-pipe heatsinks have so bad contact that on full load under stock with Cooler I get about 80 degrees with CPU&GPU. So the 3920XM is somewhat superfluos and without unlocked BIOS you can't undervolt the CPU....

But besides of these issues it's running fine!

 

I am having a problem with my GTX 1070 to the point of where I have no idea whats even going on anymore.
The GPU in question is a complete bog standard Dell MXM card variant, the black PCB.

It came with the 1BA1 vBIOS from the seller, it wont boot in eDP, the Alienware is giving me the regular error beep code.
It will work in LVDS mode and I flashed it with multiple different vBIOS to see if it will work in eDP, but it refuses to.

I have tried the following vBIOS to try get it working:
86.04.42.00.03
86.04.33.00.04
86.04.31.00.05
86.04.7D.00.37
86.04.7D.00.29
86.04.54.00.1E (Alienware vBIOS)

The GPU came with the 86.04.42.00.03 vBIOS preflashed, which is an MSI vBIOS?

Ironically the card wont run anything but Vulkan in LVDS mode, OpenGL or DirectX it just refuses to start the program, driver fault? Who knows.


The automatic fan control even works for this GPU too, I am so puzzled by what is happening, am I flashing the wrong vBIOSes?
@Crustieraxe01 @Maxware79 Does one of you know which vBIOS you guys used that worked??

 

I had the 1BA1 Bios. This might be a card related issue If I had to give it my best guess as mine worked perfectly with it. And It is the same card you have

If you recently bought it, I would ask for a return and test another dell black pcb 1070. But with confidence I can tell you this dell varient 100% works.

Make sure to check if the card has any blown resistors by any chance since this did happen to me once with one of the sellers, and was giving me the same error code 43. Prompting me to return it

 

I'm at work so I don't have my machine handy to check my vBIOS. I definitely wrote it in one of the M18x threads in here somewhere so I'll have to do a search

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/gp104-8604420003-zip.181358/

It was this one

 

It says I do not have permission, do you have a link to the forum post? Sorry for nagging.
If this does not work I will just have to return the card.

 

Ahh. Must be because it was in a private message. I’m home now so I’ll jump on my R2 soon for you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You got the vBIOS for that? It looks similar to one of the ones I downloaded but might be different to yours somehow, worth a try I guess.

 

That’s just the version I got from TechPowerUp. If you’ve downloaded one that has the same numbers then it will be identical


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Definitely weird as it the same vBios which came preinstalled for my rig.

Gesendet von meinem LE2123 mit Tapatalk

 

Yeah I just tried the vBIOS again I even redownloaded it, but no its just Error 43 and 8 beeps suggesting GPU failure, it refuses to launch into fullscreen mode in Windows 10 through LVDS mode.

I am just gonna have to send it in, and maybe just give up this entire project or something LOL

 

It would be much better if you find a MSI version of GTX 1070..
Those Chinese Dell‘s PCBs are crap...too high failure rate.

 

Mine failed too after awhile. Which is why I ended up buying a brand new M17 r4

 

I was in the same boat with my original MSI 1070, LVDS wouldn't work, and broke more after I NVFlash'ed the 1BA1 vBIOS.

 

LVDS works for me, but while in LVDS inside of Windows, the GPU only works in windowed mode and Vulkan, its really funny, it refuses to launch anything in fullscreen or DirectX, OpenGL.

In eDP mode, it gives me 8 beeps, Error 43.
I just returned it though, not sure what to do, those MSI 1070 are not easy to find anymore probably hoarded by miners a while ago.

 

There’s a guy selling a whole GT62VR on ebay for like 550 USD, you could do what I did and buy the entire MSI laptop, take the GPU out, and then stick it into the R4, and then if any issues arise, you have the GT62VR to double check if everything’s alright. And then when you’re done, you can part out the GT62VR

Here’s the ebay link if you’d like to check it out (it’s an auction though )
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164858017630?hash=item26624db75e:g:N-YAAOSwyDdgi2eh

 

Thanks, I will watch over it, it really sucks having to ship your GPU back to China though LOL, oh well.
Interestingly, I found some "HP" ?? RTX 3000 cards in MXM 3.0b format, no odd shape or anything, but they do not come with vBIOS, which means you gonna have to flash one to it. If I remember these are basically RTX 2060, but damn that price...

 

With the HP's you tended to need to solder on the vbios chip as well though dont know if that trend is continuing.

 

Yeah but check the price on this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/265144478289?hash=item3dbbd7aa51:g:HW4AAOSwhNtgjZcj

Its a damn lot for a 2060, I could get a RTX 3060 laptop for 900 euros and this GPU is like 580 euros LOL.

Might just get a cheap 970M use that for a while, seems like if you want a laptop to stick harddrives into, you need to buy external harddrive cabin cause every laptop these days has M.2 slot.

 

That one surprisingly DOES have a vBIOS chip on it for some reason.

 

THats just how it is when MXM cards start dropping into the wild.

2080 is still 1,100 on ebay lol