m9750 (m9700i-r1) GPU Questions/Help Please

Okay so my next project is a Alienware M9750! buttt.....I need help with some gpu questions!

First of all the m9750 takes the mxm III 2.1 graphics cards (correct me if im wrong)? Could I put in a mxm II graphics card in this machine?

Secondly...What GPU's work in this machine? Please suggest sli or just single cards.

So far the cards that work in the machine I know of are...
Nvidia GTX 260m
Gefore Go 8700 GT (can sli as well)
Gefroe Go 7950 GTX (Can sli as well)

 

3870 has been confirmed working. Probably a 4850/4870 as well.

 

Nvidia 9700GT (Can sli as well)
HD 3870 (can cross fire)
Nvidia 9750?
Nvidia 8600?
Nvidia 9800?
HD 5830
HD 5650

These are just some of the ones I have found. Looking around it also appears if you don't buy a mother and daughter card then you have to flash the vbios on the cards with a master/slave vbios.

 

Okay also I am finding that HE cards can work in MXM III 2.1 slots but run at a lower frequency. Is this ture?

 

They can run at full clocks.

I put an FX3700m (same core as gtx 280m) in an MSI gt627 (mxm 2.1 type III, no HE tab) and it worked full clocks.

I don't know if it's the same for the M9750.

 

Whats up with the cards being called FX500 etc? Its confusing :/ How am I supposed to know the card model equivalent?

 

Use notebookcheck, they tell you what the cards are based on.

 

Thanks, at the moment the HD 3870 is looking like a top runner in this machine. Now the next problem......where to buy mxm cards?

Before you say mxm upgrade is there anywhere else maybe in the UK or willing to ship to the UK.

So this machine I bought has two graphics cards 2 x 512mb 9700GT in it. Now the problem with it is that a guy had been playing a pretty heavy high graphic game for three hours before the lappy screen went off. I should get the laptop today and hopefully will hook it up to an external monitor to define if its an lcd/inverter problem or indeed the graphics cards. The laptop still turns on but just does not display anything as far as the description says.

Im thinking he might have fried the cards. I will try reseating the cards, new thermal paste etc before I think about cooking them for 20mins on 180C.

Is it possible to put the daughter card in the mother slot and have the laptop run as normal or can i just take one card out and the laptop just use one of them?

Thanks

 

hey i have the same machine, but with 7950gtx cards in SLI.
check the cmos battery, sometimes they die and it will not post everything after it. I had the same problem. You will find it next to the CPU. Change it and try firing it up, or remove it all together and see what happens.

Also a weird one that i found is pressing on the top left and left below the keyboard, helps my machine register the cards. I know that is not a techy response but i have had this puppy 5 years and it is going strong, 3 lcd's and a new motherboard later and I can still get it on every day and enjoy a pre Dell master piece.

 

Well I will be trying your suggestions before I cook the cards.
1) Attach an External LCD
2) Remove cmos battery/replace
3) Remove components 1 by 1 to determine faulty hardware
4) Reseat GPUS + CPU with new thermal paste
5) Swap GPUS around/ take 1 out (check if screen turns on) then replace with the other(check if screen comes on)
6) 8-10min cook 200C Master then Slave card

Here is a question for you cc//mini could you please tell me which slot is the master card slot and which is the slave and by doing step 5 will that have any effect?

 

ok guys so a laptop without a cmos battery should not stop it from booting! So any way I reseated everything new artic silver etc and still no display but the laptop sounding like its running. Connected an external display and still nothing...then I removed both graphics cards and booted the computer.....a white flash then you could see the screen just being blank! So i looked at the g cards more carefully and could make out burn marks on the backs of the cards...look like they might have got too hot! So im gunna try cooking them now and will report back the results asap! any more suggestions then please post!

 

Cooking didn't work...looks like im gunna need a new gpu

 

Thats a shame. I have the same problem but have yet to go through all the testing you have performed. If you can could you PM me or post a pic on what and where the burn marks are located?

Thanks!

 

Already sold the cards off in part exchange for a new 8700 gt master card. Didint want to buy anything too heavy duty. rsgeiger look at this post i found this may help you

[SOLVED] Alienware m9750 : dead Graphic Card and/or dead Motherboard ? - Tech Support Forum

1. LEDs light up (just like in a normal boot)
2. HDD activity as if initializing (HDD LED indicator blinks a few then stops).
3. CD/DVD drive activity as if trying to read media
4. Fan spins .
5. Nothing on LCD.
6. Without a gpu plugged in screen flashes white then stays dark with the say symptons as above.

It turned out to be a burnt out gcard which is my suspicion with mine. I have ordered a new card and new cmos battery and will let you know the results on thursday

 

I hate to burst your bubble here but if you tried baking it and it didnt fix the card even temporarily then the fault lies with the socket on the motherboard. Apply a high amount of pressure to the top of the socket using your finger and then switch the machine on - if you get a display you know the problem lies with the socket.
In any event I do not recommend baking the card in an oven - it will never be a lasting fix.

 

Baking is never 100%, lets just hope its not the socket. Although if applying pressure does work then there is the coin fix. Otherwise It must be a mobo problem will be selling the machine.

Exactly the same scenario:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...cy-systems/573355-m9700i-r1-wont-startup.html

Coin Fix:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...systems/414150-diy-m9750-motherboard-fix.html

 

Baked correctly i've not seen it not work for a short period of time at least - it won't last though. As for the coin fix - been there done that again not a long term fix. The only real solution for the socket problem is to change the socket completely.

 

well I have taken it in turns to put both gpus in the master socket on their own then the slave socket and the same problem. If it was just the one socket then something would happen if the cards were plugged into another?

Could you suggest anywhere I might get a new socket and or fitted/repaired? UK preferable ^^

Summary:////
With both Cards plugged in there correct slots...
1. LEDs light up (just like in a normal boot)
2. HDD activity as if initializing (HDD LED indicator blinks a few then stops).
3. CD/DVD drive activity as if trying to read media
4. Fan spins .
5. Nothing on LCD.


With each card on its own plugged into the master slot...
1. LEDs light up (just like in a normal boot)
2. HDD activity as if initializing (HDD LED indicator blinks a few then stops).
3. CD/DVD drive activity as if trying to read media
4. Fan spins .
5. Nothing on LCD.


With each card on its own plugged into the slave slot...
1. LEDs light up (just like in a normal boot)
2. HDD activity as if initializing (HDD LED indicator blinks a few then stops).
3. CD/DVD drive activity as if trying to read media
4. Fan spins .
5. Nothing on LCD.


With no GPU plugged in...
Screen Lights up but does not post

So its either two burnt out slots or two burnt out graphics cards, would you agree?

Should find out what the problem is tomorrow when my new cmos battery and gcard arrive. Fingers crossed!

Can some one please tell me on the m9700i mobo next to the cpu on the other side to the screw lock there is a line of black rectangle microchips. From bottom to top, I have 3 black then one yellow then one black then a blank connector with two solder points and no microchip. Is this normal?