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    Question about GTX980m in Alienware M18xR2

    Discussion in 'Alienware 18 and M18x' started by I_AM_MUSTANG, Sep 4, 2019.

  1. I_AM_MUSTANG

    I_AM_MUSTANG Notebook Guru

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    Hi everyone,

    So I have now upgraded to the 3940xm CPU which is SO much better than the 3630qm I had.

    I also have a single GTX980m on the way to replace my GTX675m.

    My question is, am I able to just put the 980m in and it works out the box or do I need to modify any drivers or anything.

    I also have a GPU right side heatsink coming, I have attached a picture of two I found, are these the same or different? If so which one would fit my computer?

    Many Thanks
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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    I_AM_MUSTANG, Sep 4, 2019
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  2. Arrrrbol

    Arrrrbol Notebook Deity

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    You will need to modify the .inf file for the drivers to get them installed. Nvidia have made it more difficult to do than on older driver versions, but if you are fast you can copy the .inf you need and save it before the files are removed. The one you need is nvdmi.inf

    There is a guide here: https://null-src.com/posts/nvidia-notebook-driver-inf-mod/post.php
     
    Arrrrbol, Sep 4, 2019
    #2
  3. M18x-oldie

    M18x-oldie Notebook Evangelist

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    You can just copy the whole nVidia-folder while the error message is present and you haven't clicked it away.


    Btw hadn't the 9xxm been added to the m18x r2 or was that just for the aw17/18?
     
    M18x-oldie, Sep 5, 2019
    #3
  4. ssj92

    ssj92 Neutron Star

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    980M was added to the M18xR2 for drivers I believe so should not need to modify inf.
     
    ssj92, Sep 6, 2019
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  5. M18x-oldie

    M18x-oldie Notebook Evangelist

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    Ok then I may have recalled correctly.
     
    M18x-oldie, Sep 6, 2019
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  6. I_AM_MUSTANG

    I_AM_MUSTANG Notebook Guru

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    Ok, so does that mean I can just swap out the 675 for the 980 and switch it on and it will work. There’s nothing I need to do?


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    I_AM_MUSTANG, Sep 6, 2019
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  7. ssj92

    ssj92 Neutron Star

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    ssj92, Sep 6, 2019
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    M18x-oldie likes this.
  8. I_AM_MUSTANG

    I_AM_MUSTANG Notebook Guru

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    Hi all,

    Urgent help needed. I put the 980m in before I got the most recent reply about flashing the bios. When I turned on the laptop I got the 8 beeps and a black screen so I removed the 980m and put the 675m back in so I could flash the bios but now every time I start the laptop it starts absolutely fine and loads the desktop but after around 4-5 minutes the computer just dies and restarts with a message saying the computer didn’t shut down cleanly and restarts.

    Any ideas why it keeps dying and restarting?


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    I_AM_MUSTANG, Sep 21, 2019
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  9. I_AM_MUSTANG

    I_AM_MUSTANG Notebook Guru

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    I haven’t flashed the BIOS yet because I don’t want it to die whilst flashing the BIOS which might break my system


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    I_AM_MUSTANG, Sep 21, 2019
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  10. I_AM_MUSTANG

    I_AM_MUSTANG Notebook Guru

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    Crisis averted. Flashed bios and switched to 980m, all seems fine now.


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    I_AM_MUSTANG, Sep 21, 2019
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  11. Hully333

    Hully333 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Does it have to be the A11 bios ? I am running A14.

    Also I'm not familiar with unlocked ? Is there an A14 locked and A14 unlocked? I got mine from Dell
     
    Hully333, Jan 3, 2020
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  12. MagicMike

    MagicMike Notebook Consultant

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    MagicMike, Jan 3, 2020
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