M15x GTX 260m Graphics Card crashing

I have been trying to run any game possible on my laptop but it keeps on crashing. Even low requirement games like Warcraft 3 .. The error which pops up is that my graphics card has crashed and has successfully recovered. Most of the time it just hangs , the screen completely goes dark and i have got to reset the laptop to make it work again. It doesnt crash during Movies only during Games. After going dark it either goes into the blue screen dumping files and restarts or just hangs doing nothing . Once while running Dungeon Siege 2 i got the error code 0x8876086c which stated Video Initialization Failure: GetBackBuffer DirectX error code: 0x8876086c('Invalid call') .. I tried everything , opened up cleaned , changed thermal paste , Updated Drivers everything but nothing helped and i cant run any games whatsoever now . Anyone faced this problem or any Solution .? I dont want to run DirectX 11 games or such normal games with no such requirements . Please Help.

 

It could be that the card itself is failing. Are you seeing artifacts or any kind of flickering while gaming?

 

Aye, sounds like the card is on its way...

 

While Gaming Nothing.. It used to be like I'll switch on the laptop start any game it will run for 5 mins then the entire laptop will crash and i will have to reset because cant even shutdown. Then next time when i start the laptop after crashing ill again start the same game and it will work perfectly for as long as i play (6 hrs straight i played) but once i shutdown it will again crash when i switch on . This was the case. Now it doesnt work at all . The game will start and laptop will crash .

 

Any way to surely determine the card is gone and that i need to buy a new one? And if i need to buy any suggestions on which card compatible with my laptop to buy ?

 

I'm afraid the only way to diagnose that the card is 100% at fault is to try another card. Before buying another card, try a couple of things first.

1- Try changing drivers, and not necessarily the latest drivers. Try the drivers from Dell's site. They are old and outdated but probably the most stable for testing.

2- Monitor your temps. Your card may be overheating, causing the system to shutdown. Use an app like Open Hardware Monitor or HWinfo. Try running a 3D benchmark like 3DMark, and check how hot your card is getting. Report back with your results.

3 - There may also be a problem with your power supply. What CPU do you currently have installed?

If you want to replace the video card, you have tons of options. Dell officially supported up to the 460M GTX on the M15X model, but you are not limited to that. Lots of people here have had success with high end cards like the Nvidia 970 or 980m, and the AMD 7970, but you will need to do some tweaks and upgrade your power supply to get those to work. If you want a good card with excellent mid-range performance for a cheap price, you can look at the AMD Firepro m6000. I am waiting for one to replace my 460m GTX. It can be purchased for as little as 70 USD on e-bay and requires no mods to get it working on the M15X. The m6000 will be a huge improvement over the 260m GTX.

 

The temperature of the GPU came off as 99-108 Degree Centigrade

 

This is way too high. Is your fan running? Make sure the heatsink fins are not full of dust. I'm thinking that there's some poor contact between your GPU and the heatsink.

Try repasting the gpu.

1- Remove the heatsink
2- Clean the GPU and heatsink with ispopropyl alcohol
3- Apply a small drop (a little less than a grain of rice) of thermal paste on the middle of the GPU.
4- Attach the heatsink
5- Remove the heatsink. Ensure that the paste has spread evenly over the GPU.
6- Clean the heatsink and GPU again and reapply thermal paste. If it did not spread well earlier, apply a bit more, but not too much.

Report back with results.

EDIT: BTW, what type thermal paste are you using and is it new or has it been lying around for some time?

 

Did all the above already with new thermal paste but same results.. BTW the card you specified AMD Firepro 6000 does it support Direct X 11?

 

Again, make sure the heatsink is making proper contact. Temps that high indicate a cooling issue.

 

Will try as soon as i can and will let you know..

 

Will do it as soon as i can and will let you know though i am more bent towards changing it to AMD Firepro 6000 you suggested ... Thanks a lot for all this

 

Yeah, it will be a big improvement over the 260m GTX and will consume less power (43W vs 75W), thus it will run cooler

Here are a couple of links for you:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-FirePro-M6000.77894.0.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/m15x-gtx-660m-upgrade.784999/

https://forum.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/5743-amd-firepro-m6000-and-m15x/

This is where I ordered it from. Haven't received it yet:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301818103746?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

Thanks a lot

 

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There is just a very important query i have. If the card is failing how is that sometimes the game works ? Or how is that i can watch HD movies without a hitch. Why is it working like half half if the graphics card was to fail then nothing should be working right ?

 

That's the thing with hardware failure, it can be sporadic at its onset. A good example is traditional platter hard drives. Often times they just fail, but some times there are warning signs that come first like slowness and corrupt files. If you already tried software troubleshooting like drivers and perhaps a clean OS install, and hardware troubleshooting like thermal paste and ensuring the heatsink is making proper contact and the fan is working, and the card still behaves this way, then it's most likely a failing card. Sometimes graphics cards will show symptoms like artifacts and sudden black screens that will flicker sporadically. From your first post, you said the screen goes black. This is why I think it may be the card itself. I had the same issue on my old Gateway p6860fx and it was the soldered on gpu that caused it.

HD movie playback is not a good way to troubleshoot graphics card problems. Most HD movie playback, depending on the player and codec, depends primarily on the CPU, not GPU. When processing can be offloaded to the GPU, it usually doesn't put much strain on it (I'm talking about modern GPUs, like yours). So 3D games and 3D benchmarks are better for troubleshooting.

 

OKay.. Are there any other cards which are compatible with M15x at the same range of Firepro m6000 or is it the best at its range?

 

AMD M6100 is quite alot more powerful and still within similiar power range.

Sent from my SM-A500FU using Tapatalk

 

The AMD M6100 is equal to the Nvidia 770m and is also fully compliant, fully plug and play with no mods needed.
also a 75w card so the heatsink will have no issue.
just look for a red pcb version

 

I bought the Amd Firepro 6000 but am being unable to use without a x bracket.. Where to find a x bracket which is compatible online?? Help pls..

 

Just regular x-bracket from any dell branded NVIDIA cards and AMD cards 4xxx and 5xxx series.
Actually your backplate from 260M should fit.

 

Yeah the 260m X-bracket should be the same size. If you have trouble removing it from the 260m, use a hair drier to soften up the double-sided tape that's used to hold the bracket to the card. That should soften up the glue and make it easier to pop out the bracket. Make sure that the black insulating material is still intact when installing the bracket to the new card.

 

Kosti you said in an earlier post that you had ordered the AMD Firepro 6000 but hadnt got it delivered yet.. Did you by now? if yes did you run your Alienware on it ?

 

I got it but I did not have a good experience, but it was my fault, not the card's. I installed it and found that the heatsink did not make solid contact with the GPU die so I decided to do some modding on the heatsink. I decided to remove the stock heatsink screws and install longer screws. The idea was that the longer screws would allow the heatsink plate to be pushed down further, applying more pressure on the die. The problem is that too much pressure on the die can also result in damaging or cracking the die. Well, it appears that's what happened on mine and I must have screwed down too far because after a few minutes, my screen just went blank. Tried several things and determined the card was dead. I could not see any visible cracks on the GPU die, but I must have done some damage to it internally from applying too much pressure to it.

I am now using an AMD 7970M which also required some heatsink modding, but I was more careful this time.

I wish I had been more careful with the m6000. It really is a great card based on the the results others have been getting with it.

Did you install the card yet?

 

If you want I'll happily trade my M6000 for your 7970M

 

Lol. I paid 250USD for the 7970m. You thinking of selling the m6000?

 

I got it but have not installed yet. Will be very careful thank you for sharing your experience with it. Bit more nervous now of damaging it though. I'll let you know when i do. Most probably by next week . Gotta find that x bracket first .

 

Make sure to use a decent thermal paste (I use Arctic MX-4). Also, make sure you are all set with thermal pads. If the stock thermal pads are intact, they could be reused, but you may want to order new ones and add some pads to the VRM modules as well. 1mm pads should fit fine for both the VRAM and VRMs.

 

Well i got the card did everything , everything was running good , i played AC Brotherhood and everything was good.. Monitored the temp which was around 40 without playing anything and 60 to 65 when playing.. After two days i realised that the card which i just installed wasnt AMD Firepro m6000.. It was an AMD Firepro m4000... They shipped me the wrong card and i paid for the 6000.. I have emailed the seller but no reply.. Sucks.

 

Did you get it on e-bay? File a dispute if the seller doesn't respond. I ordered another m6000 last night from this seller. He has one left but only ships to Europe. Good price too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/262328484928?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I wouldn't keep the m4000 if you plan on gaming.

 

Yes from ebay. The seller replied and apologised for the mistake and has promised a replacement. Have to ship it back when he recieves he will confirm and ship the m6000.. Its gonna take a month to get everything sorted out now. :/ .. Do tell how your m6000 works out.

 

It works great but I need to work out some issues with the heatsink.. Please check out the 7870 thread so we keep things organized

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/m6000-7870m-gpu-thread.785735/page-17

 

I contacted the seller he assured that he'll return the money but after I shipped he stopped replying to any email. After so long I was able to get the money back thru PayPal. Anyway now I am with an Alienware without a graphics card. Could you please suggest any other card or the same one for around 75 $ which is shipped all over the word. U really need it desperately.

 

Looks like Maxslo sold all his m6000s otherwise I'd recommend him. He has some other cards for sale but none come close to the m6000 in terms of performance in that price range. For your budget the m6000 is the best choice. If you are willing to spend more you can look at the Nvidia 765m GTX. I see them sold for around $150. The m6000 overclocked delivers about the same level of performance though.

 

Quadro K4000M can perform pretty good too. Сould be bought now from $150 to $169.99.
I got card for $110 + some amount of money over $8.35 for international shipping by eBay:

Spoiler

OC'ed to 931MHz on core and 4000Mhz on VRAM (stock voltage) for 24/7. Working great, no any problems so far.

 

Like @kosti said all my M6000 are gone, and i won't be getting more, i will the broken ones that i have to a specialist if they can be repaired and if it's even worth it, but i wouldnt keep my hopes up.
If you are in the 75$ range there are 460M and 5870M, both will double the performance of the 260M, and both can be pretty easily overclocked aswell ...

 

5870M far better than 460M. Can OC to stock 6990M levels.

The last ATI card and the last time AMD were head and shoulders above nvidia!

Sent from my SM-A500FU using Tapatalk

 

Thanks a lot all of you.I am getting a M6000 for 90$ on eBay with free shipping I guess I'll go for that.

 

Is 90$ reasonable for m6000?

 

Kosti I also have an m17x r3 but it's Graphics card same Gtx 260 has become outdated. I wish to upgrade but have no idea about a graphics card which will support m17x as well as the 3d feature. I am looking for a card around 100$ though . I tried to put the previous card I got m4000 for the m15x (by mistake one) but it didn't fit. I want a card suitable for it plus one which will keep supporting the 3d feature of my m17x.

 

That's about what I paid for mine considering the Euro to USD exchange rate at the time.

Not sure what the M17X R3 supports. I'm pretty sure Maxslo can answer this question or have a look at the M17X subforum.

 

90$ is about the expected price for a m6000.... Never had a M17x R3 in my hands (or R4 for that matter) so i'm not really the guy for this question, but i do remember that if you wanna upgrade the GPU, you will lose the 3D, period... And i'm pretty sure you have the 560M in there and not the 260M ... anyway the only upgrade wich allows you to keep usign the 3D is 580M, but i'd stay away from that card beacuse it's lifespan is incredibily short.

 

http://m.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Dell-Prec...cket-FHC4H-CN-053Y5X-/301954065866?nav=Search
So this is the card I am planning to buy. I contacted the seller if it was compatible with Alienware m15x and he had no idea about it. Could you check it out and advice if it will.

 

Thanks a lot. I'll go check out in the m17x forum and post it. Let's see if I get any replies there.

 

Yes, it will work.

I suggest you do not use the x-bracket that the m6000 comes with. You should use the x-bracket from your 260m GTX. The reason for this is the thickness of the m6000 bracket is too thick and will cause the card to flex in the M15X's MXM slot. When you get the card and install it with the bracket it comes with, you will see what I'm talking about. You will also notice besides the flexing of the card that the card will also require more pressure to press it down and screw it in place. I posted about this in the link below.

Changing the bracket is not that hard. You'll need to soften the double-sided tape with a hair dryer (do NOT use a high heat professional heat gun) and pull the bracket off slowly.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/m6000-7870m-gpu-thread.785735/page-17

 

So i got the card. But I realized that while shipping off the last wrong card back the x bracket of my gtx 260 also went with it. I had no choice so I tried to change. At first after doing everything the screen came blank. Again I redid it and this time it switched on perfectly. Problem came when I ran a performance test from the properties of my computer where the score is given. As soon as I refreshed, it started scanning to get detailed information of the new hard drive. My laptop switched off completely as soon as the refresh started. I again switched on and ran a game. Unreal Tournament 2004 nothing too much. Again laptop switched off completely. I took graphics card out and reinstalled it more 5 to 6 times. Each time with different result. Once it showed only a white screen. In the 4th time I let the white screen be for some time. On its own the screen came back to life and I thought done. But again on my start up window the screen again went back to white screen. Again I redid it with same results but this time I switched on the gpu temp software as soon as I was able to log in. Without doing anything the gpu temp went from 35 to 90 degree Celsius in a min or two. I already installed the Amd catalyst the last time I could log in before the coming of the white screen. Then the screen started flickering and u knew the white screen was inevitable. So I shut down the laptop and have let it be ever since. As you had said the x bracket is not the right size and screwing down the heat sink fully Is impossible without damaging something. So I screwed the heat sink a little light. But not too light. I checked several times if it was in contact or not. And I applied thermal paste too. And I took care I wasn't static. And I haven't changed the power adapter. It's the same charger I have been using. I have no clue what to do next and I am scared I have already damaged the graphics card beyond repair.

 

It could be the card is bad to begin with, but I suspect it is overheating based on your temps.

How well is the paste spreading? It needs to spread evenly over the entire die (GPU chip), and the amount of paste used should be small (about half a grain of rice).

I would try attaching the heatsink without the thermal pads temporarily. The m6000 chip sits a bit lower than other cards and prevents the heatsink from making good contact. The thermal pads only make things worse if they are too thick and do not compress (this is why I use K5 Pro thermal pad replacement paste). There is also a problem with one of the heatpipes pressing down on one of the card's chokes (the square grey blocks); and this prevents proper contact as well.

These are just a couple of things off the top of my head, but you need to look at the m6000 (7870M) thread. All install issues are addressed there by members including myself. You don't have to read every post, but there's a lot of good info there that will help you to get this card working right in your laptop.

 

The paste is properly spreading. I felt that the heat sink might be in contact with other extruded components of the card and as I saw in a video they had put double tape on such parts to avoid friction I have done the same. I wanna know what the white scree means. And if it's still possible to save my card and make it work.

 

A white screen is usually an issue with the graphics card either being defective or about to fail or as a result of overheating. If you put tape on the choke that makes contact with the heatpipe, you haven't solved the problem. Putting tape on said parts may actually make things worse depending on the thickness of the tape. The heatpipe needs to be flattened or bent to achieve clearance.