Alienware Dead ? Help please. Blue screens :(

Hey all, I am thinking my video cards (or card) is dead.

IF I boot up with my 6990 cards enabled, I get a blue screen full of vertical lines. Computer just locks at that screen.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, etc. If I boot in safemode, or regular with those card disabled, computer boots fine.

I Can't get my Intel HD3000m to work though. I try to install drivers from Dell.com and get told I don't have the prerequisites to install the drivers on my system.

Anyone have any idea folks ? I don't want my baby to be dead....

 

Hey stranger. Haven't seen you 'round here in ages. I've missed seeing your M18xR1 overclocking for a good while now. Welcome back, bro.

Sounds like one of your 6990M cards gave up the ghost. Those bad boys have lasted you a really long time. Most likely it is the primary GPU and the secondary is probably still good. It could also be your CrossFire cable. Try taking out the secondary GPU (the one under the numeric keypad) and boot the machine. If the problem is still present, the primary GPU (the one under the TactX keys on the left side) is toast. Get some thermal paste and swap the heat sinks out and you can run the other GPU solo until you decide what to do next. Now would be a great time to upgrade that old monster to 780M SLI. My M18xR1 with 2920XM runs like a banshee with 780M. Even just one 780M GPU will run circles around 6990M CrossFire.

From what you are describing with the Intel drivers, you need to press FN+F7 to switch to Intel Graphics. That error message is what you get if you try to install the drivers running with discrete graphics.

 

Yes when not installed your cpu is rendering the screen and the gpu is just outputting it to the monitor which uses less transistors allowing partially functioning gpus to output something. You install the drivers, it starts to try and render the display itself and then fails.

 

Which system? If windows 8 then just look at Windows Updates with IGPU enabled, it'll list intel driver to install there.

I also had 6990Ms and they are totally unreliable gpus. Im sure that you're one of last HD6990M users because they died in near every computer and we have replaced them. Do what MR.Fox says and at least one of it should work. I recommend looking for some GeForce next time. They're more expensive but I think they're worth it.

Also make sure you have IGFX display mode set in BIOS. IGFX is Intel IGPU only.

 

Fox !!! Well, you know, after the 6990s got pushed to the side I no longer really had a horse in the game I did pop around to watch some of the impressive numbers being posted, and by now well, my machine is practically dust

That being said, you were bang on. I ended up pulling both GPUs and moving the secondary over to the primary slot. Disabled the Secondary (old primary) with control panel and things seem to be working well. As well as they can on a single GPU Given that I mostly Play Diablo 3 these days it will be adequate, however I think I will shop around for some new (or usd but new to me) GPUs.

Many thanks for the feedback.

I can't hit FN F7 unfortunately as I don't have the alienware software installed, didn't see the purpose when I set this thing up a couple years ago for benching

 

Hrm, what you think for 780s ... Just ebay ? I have seen upgrade kits for M18x but they all seem to be ended.

 

PowerNotebooks, RJ Tech, HIDevolution, Eurocom are all places you can get 780M cards brand new. Prices are all over the board among vendors. Good deals on new 780M GPUs can be found on eBay (if you're patient) for around $500 give or take a little, and used generally go for about $300-400 unless you are dealing with a seller that wants too much. You can also snag a good deal on them in the NBR Marketplace or Tech|Inferno Marketplace.

Those 6990M cards have served you well. Not many seem to have lasted as long as yours have. You definitely got your money's worth out of them.

Edit: looks like $435 (USD) from PowerNotebooks.com - great price for new 780M if you can get the Clevo type for that price. http://powernotebooks.com/category.php?catId=309 just make sure you are getting a CLEVO GPU for that price and not an MSI GPU (MSI GPUs may have compatibility issues, and they generally lack any SLI connector... Clevo 780M GPUs work exactly the same in an Alienware as the Dell GPUs).

If you have an unlocked BIOS, change the video configuration from PEG to IGFX and that will do the same as FN+F7 in Windows.

 

Awesome info, and yes I have the unlocked bios, that will be handy to know if this GPU craps out while I decide what to do.

I was considering a Lenovo y50 with a GTX 860 4GB as well, its just over $1000.

Now that this thing is at least limping along it gives me more time to decide.

 

That would be a pretty severe downgrade. For half that amount of money a 780M upgrade will breath new life into that beast and it will literally rape the plastic Y50 in terms of performance and build quality. For about the same amount of money, maybe a little less money, a 780M SLI upgrade your XM CPU monster would massacre the Y50.

 

Hey,

Lenovo, huh? Eeee let's just compare it:

3dmark Vantage:
Lenovo Maxwell 860M: 18276.5
Crossfire Radeon 6990M: 24558
SLI GTX 780M: 43525

So you know, you're going to massacre it

If you ask me then build quality of all computers around gone down heavily in last 5 years. All crap laptops like lenovo, asus low-end and HP are very bad quality and have throttling issues becuase chinese guys wanted to save 7$ (OR EVEN 8.50$!!! WOW) on cooling components. Even last Alienware 2015 is crap.

I have M18xR1 too and it simply destroys that lenovo. Build quality is superb, display is very good. CPU and GPU power is unmatchable. No need to talk more because you already own that machine. If you choose that lenovo you will be very dissapointed. Don't put m18x to thrash only because AMD produced crap like HD6990M that was faulty from start. I also had them and first card died after 1,5 year, second one several months ago. I won't ever buy any AMD gpu again because I hate their drivers, crossfire issues and self-destroying GPUs. Just buy something like GF780M and don't think about GPU problems ever.

 

Gentlemen, points well made. A 780M may be on order in a short time, 2 is going to be hard to justify, but a single does indeed look like it destroys even Xfire 6990s ... so ... that's nice.

Is a 780 the highest single I can pop into this thing ?

And by that I mean does an 8XX series work. I know it has to be Mxm 3.0 compatible correct, or does 3.0b work as well ???

Oh, another question. Do I need to alter the heat sink at all ??? Or does the standard heat sink I have from the 6990s work with the 780m or other ???

 

@GodlikeRU has 880M SLI in his M18xR1 and he modded his 6990M heat sinks (soldered some generic aluminum memory or chipset heat sinks along the edge of the GPU heat sink). If I remember correctly, this was a matter of necessity because 780M and the correct heat sinks were not available where he lives. In your case the parts are easy to come by. The way the 6990M heat sinks are made they will not work right. The heat sink needs to cover and cool components along the edge of the GPU and the heat sink does not reach those components. 780M is actually a better GPU than 880M. It runs much cooler and overclocks a LOT better. The fastest, best and easiest route for you would be to grab GTX 680M heat sinks. They fit 780M like a glove and work perfectly. If Dell has them in stock they are only like $30 USD brand new and that even includes new thermal pads, support plate and screws. On eBay you'll generally pay twice that for used heat sinks. 7970M heat sinks will work OK as well, but you have to peel off the black plastic shroud glued to the copper plate. Not a big deal to do that if you cannot find 680M heat sinks for some reason. If push comes to shove and you can only find 7970M heat sinks, the part numbers are V4NXK (left) and 8J8TM (right).

You can expect this kind of overclocking performance from just one GTX 780M: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/9522018

Below is the information from my last heat sink purchase from Dell Spare Parts. The 680M heat sink part numbers and price are shown. Obviously, if you go with only one 780M, you'll want the left heat sink.


The Maxwell GPUs will not work at all in the M18xR1. It will not boot with GTX 980M, so for the M18xR1 the 780M is the most potent option and 880M the option with the most available vRAM (8GB versus 4GB with 780M).

 

Again fantastic info Fox, I will order heatsinks and not bother messing around with crap if I grab a 780m, and it looks like I might be ... just need final wife approval.

10100 is pretty impressive for a single fricken card, the most I pushed with my duals was 8802 I think, which I was running in a -25 C environment, and which was pretty awesome at the time I thought.

Looks like an 11% gain, over dual cards, which is kind of funny and awesome, especially knowing how hard I was pushing them.

The tough call now is SLI 780s or a single.... leaning toward a single ... just because ? It will do everything I want, I really only play Diablo 3 and Dota 2 these days ... and both of those still work well on my single 6990... My main concern is that this card will fail at some point in the near future, and I don't want that to happen.

 

And Crap, powernotebooks.com just let me know they only offer the MSI, not Clevo GTX 780m.

There is one on ebay ... for 400 USD that was pulled from an alienware (the seller says he upgraded to 980) ... but I would much rather a new one ...

 

Well, there is probably nothing wrong with that one, and $400 is not unreasonable. Find out if he is a member of this forum (user name) in good standing and if so you can see what kind of activities are posted here. As I am sure you already know, overclockers are a small minority, so chances are good that it had a pretty easy life doing mundane tasks like playing games. If there was anything wrong and he is a member of our community, I'd be willing to be you would find posts from that person looking for help with GPU problems. 780M is a really hearty GPU and I have seen very few examples of failures. The few I have seen have been mostly new GPUs that were DOA, but so far almost no examples of good ones that failed over time.

 

That's why I had to buy GTX 880M because 780M was not available.

 

Have you tried RJTech? Website seems down now... I think you should get the 780M quite cheap from RJ..

 

Looking at RJTech they have the GTX 780m listed at $865. Seems a little steep

GTX 970M only $450

 

If you can't get 780M and don't plan overclocking then you can try to find 880M. I had to do that because 780M was even more expensive than 880M(!) in my country. I don't have heat problems because I don't overclock these cards, no problems so far.

 

Hey guys, and Fox in particular So GPU 2 didn't last long, already dying. Running on the Intel 3000 ... which funny enough will run Diablo 3 and Dota 2, my main two games.

Anyway, I am out of work right now, so cash is kind of an issue. 780s are pretty dang pricey from ebay (only looking for 1)

What are your thoughts on 680 GTX, 770, or 880 ?

I am guessing they will all work with an M18x R1 ?

 

All three should work fine in the M18xR1, but of those the GTX 680M is your best bet. Excellent GPU, overclocks and games nicely. Get a 4GB Clevo version for the extra 2GB of vRAM. Avoid 880M unless you can get it for next to nothing. It has far too many issues and is the least desirable mobile Kepler GPU. If you are only going to play games and underclock it to 780M speeds, @GodlikeRU is doing well it that. If you run it at stock clocks or higher it is going to throttle. You can use @svl7 880M vBIOS to help with that, but to run on battery requires switching to Intel HD Graphics. With that vBIOS you will get a BSOD trying to run on battery power.