M17 video/audio stuttering Lich King Video (looking for advice)

Greetings,

Here's a video of it happening:

YouTube - Alienware M17 R1 Laptop: World of Warcraft raiding impossible

Huge DPC spikes when there's lots of stuff going on in Warcraft, sometimes In Starcraft II beta (very random 3-10 second freeze-ups), and Mass Effect II. The issue got worse with Windows 7 and is making gaming impossibly frustrating so a month ago I started dealing with Alienware phone techs, and have sent the computer in.

Basic info ~

According to 'My Hive' this is the machine:
order placed 07/30/2009 $2,618.28 (not an M17x?)

M17 17" WXGA+ W/ CAM BLK-RIP REV. 2
INTEL 2.00GHZ Q9000 6M 1066MHZ M17
2 X ELPIDA 2GB DDR3 PC3-8500 SO-DIMM 1067MHZ
M17/M15X ATI RADEON M88 XT 512MB HD3870 MASTER REV. 1
M17 ATI RADEON M88 XT 512MB HD3870 SLAVE REV. 1

2 X 250 GB HDs. Lost a drive running raid 0. Got a new drive, ran raid 1 instead, lost another drive.

Incidentally, the bottom of the machine says M17-R1. I only noticed that it says R2 in 'My Hive' a couple days ago and will find out why. I've been describing it as an R1.

I've done many hours of debug on the phone and have recently sent it back to Alienware and, supposedly, they attached the DPC screenshots and video I emailed them (emailing during phone conversation, said he attached them to my ticket.) It's been a difficult ride so far with Alienware as quite a few promises of call-backs, sure fixes, have been broken. I'll spare you any more details.

Debug:

- Fresh install and driver updates in Vista
- Fresh install of Windows 7 home premium with driver and OS updates (Alienware was absolutely sure that Windows 7 (fresh install of course) would resolve my problem). The problem became worse in Windows 7. It's like it mutated into something where now I get full multi-second freeze-ups (See video).
- Turn WoW settings to absolute zero
- Make sure AA is turned down in CCC (it was.)
- Turn down everything in CCC
- Completely disabled sound devices
- Remove Crossfire cable
- Many driver re-installs w/Alienware over the phone, include the keyboard BIOS.

Questions:

- Almost all of the audio/video and DPC latency information I've been able to find has been regarding the M17x. Very few (but some) regarding the M17 R1. Any idea about why the computer says M17-R1 on the bottom but My Hive says R2? Same shell? Can you tell from the specs I posted if it's describing an R2? (besides where it says "R2" of course. Notice that the ATI cards say R1.)

- Most affective course of action if Alienware sends it back "no trouble found"? If they don't run a PC stress test (not just a video stress test), they may not find the problem. It's been rare to see DPC spikes with the computer doing almost nothing, but I do have a screenshot of that happening (see below)

Screeshots:

My M17 was having a bad day I remember. The problem is far more noticeable in PC games.
- http://imgur.com/cCUkO.png DPC spikes running Chrome
- http://imgur.com/Sm5Q What the DPC meter looks like when WoW is running normally (not fighting a boss)
- http://imgur.com/YIdFt CPU at 0 percent .. was AlienFusion causing it this time?

Thanks for taking the time to even read all of this

 

Your best bet is to try another driver. Not sure if there was ever anything solid showing ATI drivers had a DPC issue. Suggest you also run a trace and get in touch with StamatisX. He might be able to assist you in tracking down the offending driver.

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/461247-m17x-dpc-isr-tracing.html

Other than that, not much more can be done since this you have a AW legacy system.

 

Looks like your CPU timings are well out.

Try deleting your W TF folder in the wow directory including the cache folder.

Re do all your settings and re test.

 

Format your computer and install Windows 7 again but do NOT update your drivers except for the latest MOBILE version of your graphics drivers.

If this does not fix it then your computer is broken and you should demand a replacement (if your warranty is still valid).

Also, there is no reason to update any of your bios versions, i run them all at stock BIOS (oldest there is) and had no problems at all.

I think that updating all the drivers to the latest version everytime messed something up, the drivers that come with the W7 install are good enough.

Good luck!

ps. no you don't have an M17x, its the old M17 system wich is End of Life.

 

what is your wireless card? is it a intel 5300?

don't install all AW crap software except OSD

there is no REV 2 of the m17 only small fixes to the mobo desing
(this might be the point why some system reacted diferently to zfator's bios)

also he has a quad so updating to b14 might be usefull if he has stutering issue but that we won't know until he is donne with his dpc latency issue

 

@Coops025
Thanks. Though, how would this help Starcraft II and Mass Effect? It's not a WoW issue.

Just a note and some replies.

The laptop is en route to Alienware right now so they can look at it. I'm skeptical of course.

Also, I have 2 years left on my 3 year At-Home repair warranty.

- Yep, "INTEL SHIRLEY PEAK 3X3 AGN FULL MINI-CARD"
- B14? The latest BIOS is B04. And isn't the DPC and stuttering issues related? zfator's BIOS? Not sure what this is.

- should I be totally ignoring the ATI drivers that alienware recommends and just go to ATI's site?

- Will do. Thanks.
- If I'm reading what you said correctly, you're saying that M17-R1 + ATI + DPC spikes and gross Stuttering is unusual?

Thanks guys. Keep the advice coming.

Also, did I get ripped off getting an M17 (non-M17x) literally one year ago, with my config costing $2700 (price includes maxed-out warranty). It's blowing my mind that this machine is, a year later, considered 'legacy'.

 

You have a quad core processor, sadly stuttering is quite normal with the quads on this system

 

"INTEL SHIRLEY PEAK 3X3 AGN FULL MINI-CARD"
yup this board is the intel 5300 uninstall the driver for it your bars will goe back into green i had this issue when i upgraded to the 5300 4-5 month ago

this si just a temporary fix as windows will reinstall a driver that will cause less issue but still i'll cheq what driver i used to solve the issue when i'll be home (how ever mine wile no longer causing DPC cause heavy CPU use when there is heavy trafic on the network)




the first bios availible in your my hive is b10 i'm not sure how you'r telling that the last one is b04 but it's definitly notbut upgrading to b14 is sugested only if you have issue with your quad a stutering issue wich is diferent then the dpc one but the effect on your system are similar


yes go to ati's web site and download mobility catalyst they work marvelous

you in no way got ripped
if you prefer nvidia's sli stutering and board dieing to your dpc and potential quad problem then yes the m17 is considered as legacy only because it was sold by alienware and not by dell not because it's hardware is considered obslete

 

A tech at Alienware mentioned this. She also mentioned that there's a possibility that a Dual core proc could be installed instead. Any idea if this is even possible?

 

Yes you can install a dual core into the system I think the X9100 was the best dual you could install.

 

- I'll admit that it's nice to hear that I may not have been ripped off haha. And you're right .. My Hive is showing a B14. I'll check on this when my laptop gets shipped back. I'll try your other suggestions as well.

 

Interesting. This seems like something I could beg Alienware to take care of if the machine is still bad after they ship it back to me. I'm seeing it go for $600 plus. Maybe I'll end up going with a cheaper one.

 

if it's still bad after it comes back i'll try to trouble shoot your issue cause there are milions of fix we tempted to solve these quad issues and dpc latency and the solution is not always the same for everyone

the eseyer ones ranging from not installing AW crap to uninstalling drivers and the most hard core ones ranging from flashing to Z.29 (wich for your info is a custom bios made by a member of the forum to give more control over the hardware ) and copper modding

 

Wow, this forum is AWESOME. I just wish I came here sooner.

I've seen a photo description of copper modding on the M17 and pray that I don't have to do it. I would imagine that it could interfere with my warranty. (Not sure)

Based on all the comments above, so far, here's what I plan on doing if the laptop comes back in the same condition. Let me know what you think.

1) Keep the crossfire cable in.
2) Flash to a B14 BIOS ISO if it's not already there
3) Fresh install of Windows 7 Home premium
4) Install AW OSD driver (is this a mistake or a good idea?)
5) Install latest Mobile Catalyst drivers from the ATI site.
6) Install WoW with (almost) no addons/plugins.
7) Test Raiding.

Note: This is close to something I've already tried, but I installed the chipset, video, and audio drivers from the M17 Windows 7 knowledge-base article as well.

If this doesn't work... I'll try stuff like.

1) Provide a trace to guys like StamatisX
2) Push AW to send a Dual core proc instead.
3) Try different network card drivers
4) Talk to you guys about a different BIOS.

Let me know if you think there's a better course of action, and thank you SO much for the advice.

 

i has my self a dpc lat issue thati never took time of ixing cause my windows instal is crap atm and i'm receiving my ssd in 2 weeks so ......

but i took the time to fix it cause of this thread so the m17 can sustain a single bar up to 8000 without lagging i so what i know yet is that it's impossible to get only green bars with the 5300 in the m17 but the lastes intel drivers (the ones you get from intel's website are disminishing the issue below what you can percive) how ever intel's website is down so you need to get them from somewhere else get the right version

installing the chipset should not cause issue unles it's a specific kinck of your m17

also compermooding void your warenty until when you remove it so when ever you could neet to send your system back you could remove it but let's not talk about extreme i didn't needed to copermod to get my laptop stable



Edit i watched your vid from what i can telll it looks like you have a bad GPU or a un seated CFX cable the kind of stutter is what to intence and look to what hapened when i undervolted my GPU to far. A powr issue could cause a such stutter by underalimenting your cpu or gpu ethier way these kind of issue have potential fixes provided yu are wuiling to try them

 

How did you undervolt your GPU? Hopefully it's not a bad GPU, and I know it's not the cable because I removed it entirely trying to debug the stuttering. Also, I installed an updated chipset driver to try and resolve the issue, so I know it didn't cause it.

This machine always behaved poorly in boss fights, in WoW especially, or just randomly here and there -- but it got SO much worse when I went to windows windows 7.

Alienware probably received my laptop today -- we'll see what they say/do. Hopefully they'll at least call me before returning it... Surely they know about these issues and how to resolve them?!?!!?!?

 

most of them no the only one i trust them to fix is if you have a bad GPU or cfx cable


it's explained in the topic about m17 batterielife but in short i flashed each GPU bios

 

My recommendation:

Replace Q9000 with x9100 processor - Problem solved. This is what I did.

 

Did you have to drop the $600 on the dual core proc? You have an M17-R1?

Are you still running vista and not windows 7?

A month ago, an Alienware phone tech hinted that this might be a final solution...

 

that is the solution to use
A if you don,t wanna invest time to get your machine working
B don't mind downgrading from 4 cores to 2
C doN,t mind investing more $ to get a dual core cpu

 

I was able to purchase an x9100 for $450 off of eBay, but this was a while ago.

I am now running Windows 7, but it ran fine on Windows Vista with the x9100 before I upgraded as well.

I was actually getting stuttering during gameplay, and not just during the video portions as well, it was quite annoying.

 

The video I posted IS gameplay. I get the stuttering at the very worst moments (fighting the FINAL boss in World of Warcraft for example -- see the video I posted). I saw it randomly playing Starcraft II beta; FPS would drop to less than 1 FPS. I saw it in Mass Effect too. Basically any game will show it.

I called Alienware today and they're like "2 to 4 weeks, if they can recreate the issue". They do have screenshots and this same video, but I'm pissed that it could take up to a month.

 

when i was stutering it was only at idle except when it was cause by the 5300