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    Need your knowledge my friends

    Discussion in 'Alienware M15x' started by dodgeball585, May 12, 2017.

  1. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    hello all , I've been scoping the forums decided to finally come ask a question. I have a m15x i7-q740 gtx460m 8gb

    1. I would like to upgrade ram to 16gb (2x 8gb) which brand would you recommend and I also read around that you can't do 16gb?

    2. Seems like the right thing to do is upgrade to 920xm , what GPU would been a good recommendation?

    3. What other upgrades would be in my interest?

    Thank you in advance
     
    dodgeball585, May 12, 2017
    #1
  2. Raidriar

    Raidriar ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

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    2x8 works fine. i have corsair vengeance in mine.

    920xm + gtx 970M

    SSD and a 1080P display if you don't already have those.
     
    Raidriar, May 12, 2017
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  3. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thank you for your advice , 970m is a bit out my range what would you recommend for around $150?
     
    dodgeball585, May 15, 2017
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  4. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    And also , would anything be required for CPU like programs to install etc.
     
    dodgeball585, May 15, 2017
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  5. Raidriar

    Raidriar ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

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    Maybe firepro m6100 at that price. 920XM is a must. no special software needed.
     
    Raidriar, May 15, 2017
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  6. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    dodgeball585, May 15, 2017
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  7. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    dodgeball585, May 18, 2017
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  8. cleber

    cleber Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have a Crucial M500 960gb. Any ssd will work i bielive... The max speed that you will get will be around 250~300 MB/s so don't matter get 600MB/s or 300 ssds, just look to 4k read and write that will really do the difference.
     
    cleber, May 21, 2017
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  9. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Just ordered a FirePro M6100 is there anything I should be aware of when installing?
     
    dodgeball585, May 22, 2017
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  10. cleber

    cleber Notebook Enthusiast

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    Just normal procedure to install the card. If the drivers don't work try the radeon 8950 drivers.
     
    cleber, May 22, 2017
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  11. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thank you GPU just got here now to wait after work
     
    dodgeball585, May 24, 2017
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  12. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    The m6100 didn't come with hen x-bracket , would one from 460m fit?
     
    dodgeball585, May 25, 2017
    #12
  13. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yes.
     
    kosti, May 26, 2017
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  14. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Read around here that some people had to grind the bracket, will I have to do this?
     
    dodgeball585, May 26, 2017
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  15. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    Not for the 460M bracket. The 460M bracket has the correct dimensions for the M6100. I used my 460M's bracket on my M6000 which is similar.

    In fact the stock M6100 bracket looks the same as the M6000 from pics I've seen which means it is probably 1.5mm thick. The 460M bracket, and all brackets for M15X GPUs, are 1mm thick which is actually a good thing because the thicker bracket will cause some flexing of the card when inserted into the M15X. So even if your card came with the stock x-bracket, you would probably still be better off using the 460M's bracket. I talked about this here:

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

    I also mentioned how I removed my x-bracket in the above thread.

    The brackets that needed grinding (or filing) of the taller screw posts were the AMD specific brackets that came with the later Radeon cards (6990M onwards). Those brackets had different dimensions as well as taller screw posts but were only used on specific AMD cards and not the Firepro M6100.

    Hope this helps.
     
    kosti, May 27, 2017
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  16. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks a lot for the information I was looking all around and I could not come to a conclusion I ordered a bracket on eBay for specific AMD GPU now that you're saying that the 460 X bracket I might just have to remove that one.
     
    dodgeball585, May 27, 2017
    #16
  17. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    These are the most common types of brackets. You will find some with heatspreaders for the VRAM but those will not fit in the M15X. This is the shape that your 460M bracket has and is the right shape for the M6100 as well:

    TYPE1.jpg



    The one below is only compatible with AMD Radeon cards from the 6900/7900/8900/R9 M290X, and possibly some others. This is not the kind of bracket you want to use on the M6100. Note the obvious shape difference. This is important since the bracket is designed not to interfere with components on the underside of the card. If the wrong bracket is used, you run the risk of shorting or damaging said components.
    TYPE2.jpg


    Also it is important that the insulating layer between the metal bracket and video card is intact when inserting it into the new card.
     
    kosti, May 27, 2017
    #17
  18. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    If it isn't intact what can I use
     
    dodgeball585, May 27, 2017
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  19. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    I think the original material is mylar but you can probably just use regular electrical insulating tape. Mylar is better though because it is high heat and not as easily punctured. Just tape it to the base and use a scissor to cut around the shape of the bracket. If you are careful, the original material should not be damaged when removing the bracket. That's why it's good to use a hair dryer to soften the double-sided tape before trying to remove it from your old card.
     
    kosti, May 27, 2017
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  20. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yeah I seen this method being used quite a lot , thanks for the great information. Got the gpu and CPU , just waiting on thermal pads and I should be ready for the install
     
    dodgeball585, May 27, 2017
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  21. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    Cool, best of luck.
     
    kosti, May 27, 2017
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  22. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    BTW, thermal pads on the stock cooler are an odd .75mm thickness. 1mm pads are easy to find and if they compress enough, you shouldn't have any fitment issues. Some thicker pads, and those that don't compress well, may prevent the copper heat-spreader from sitting properly on the GPU core. You can observe this by applying the paste, seating the cooler, and then removing it to see how well the paste spreads.

    I had some fitment issues with various sized pads on two of my M15Xs with the M6000 cards and ended up using Ceramique2 instead of pads and it solved my problems. I also used K5 Pro thermal pad replacement paste with good results in the past as well but Ceramique2 is almost as thick and is much easier to work with. Just in case you run into thermal paste spreading issues, consider the Ceramique2 as a thermal pad alternative.
     
    kosti, May 27, 2017
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  23. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'll definitely keep that in mind. I ordered some fujipoly .5mm &1mm . Do I have to do any bios updates? My set up will be a i7920xm and the m6100 , I've notice my psu supports 210-240.
     
    dodgeball585, May 27, 2017
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  24. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    The latest BIOS is A09 so it's best to be running that. How many amps is your power supply rated for? You should probably use at least a 210W power supply for that setup. Look on the power supply label and then multiply the amps by the volts which are 19.5 and you'll know the watts.
     
    kosti, May 28, 2017
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  25. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    7.7amp * 19.5V =1,501.5 Watts? looks like i have the latest bios as well.
     
    dodgeball585, May 28, 2017
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  26. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    http://m.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-Ali...ACKET-3PVGK-/112175775070?txnId=1666421643001 Would this work for the bracket?
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 6, 2017
    #26
  27. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    No, that's the wrong bracket for the m6100. See my previous post.

    Also, your PSU is 150W. An m6100 and a 920XM combo will be pushing that power supply to its limits. You should considering upgrading it. This is especially important if you plan on overclocking the 920XM.
     
    kosti, Jun 6, 2017
    #27
  28. Jdpurvis

    Jdpurvis Notebook Evangelist

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    Watch the decimals - 150.15 watts. Note, you will need more than that for a cushion. :)
     
    Jdpurvis, Jun 6, 2017
    #28
  29. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Link for power supply?
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 6, 2017
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  30. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Too bad I ordered this, but I'll just use the 460m one, had to borrow my gf's hairdryer lol
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 6, 2017
    #30
  31. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    Just do a search for Dell laptop 210W or 230W or 240W power supply. They should all have 19.5V DC outputs and have a 7.4mm output jack. I recommend you get an official Dell part and not a cheap aftermarket supply with no name.

    This is a genuine 210W model:

    https://www.amazon.com/PA-7E-Adapter-Dell-Precision-Alienware/dp/B0045XLZ3E
     
    kosti, Jun 6, 2017
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  32. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thank you, always great help
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 6, 2017
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  33. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    Good luck. :) Let us know how it goes. You may experience some throttling during gaming, but there are ways around that. Also, I forgot to mention that there are reports that the 240W SLIM adapter eliminates throttling without any mods. It is more expensive than the standard adapters though.
     
    kosti, Jun 7, 2017
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  34. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I think I'll ill do GPU first till I get the PSU
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 7, 2017
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  35. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    GPU installed fine , only problem is that when I start to game it shuts down. Any clue?
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
    #35
  36. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    Check your temps. Maybe it's overheating. Did you check if the thermal paste is spreading well over the GPU die?
     
    kosti, Jun 10, 2017
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  37. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    It's running at about 70c so it's the issue. I'll open it back up check the paste. Also I've read that the heat sink may come in contact?
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
    #37
  38. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    If it is running at 70C at idle then there's definitely an issue with the heatsink not making proper contact.
     
    kosti, Jun 10, 2017
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  39. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I've just repaste, at idle it's now around 47c
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
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  40. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    That sounds good. Run a benchmark like Firestrike and have a temperature monitoring app running in the background and see how high the temps get.
     
    kosti, Jun 10, 2017
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  41. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    First start up is around 45c once I start a game it goes to 70-75c any clue how to make it better? You mention heat sinks
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
    #41
  42. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    Honesty, 70-75C is quite good under load, but that depends on how quickly it reaches those temps under load.

    Best thing to do is make absolutely sure that the paste is spreading well, and then run a benchmark for a few minutes. The GPU-Z built-in render test is actually quite good for this. It will put a full load on the GPU so you can see how hot it gets after around 5 minutes of straight-on full GPU load. If it stays in the 70s, I'd say it's fine. Also make sure the fan is spinning.
     
    kosti, Jun 10, 2017
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  43. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    After starting up a game (dark souls) right around that time frame it gets to 75-78 , paste is spread well without goingover edges
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
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  44. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    What drivers are the best for m6100 and the settings?
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
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  45. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    That does not seem normal. It may gradually reach those temps over some time during a game, but it should not shoot up to 78C shortly after starting a game. Something is wrong there.
     
    kosti, Jun 10, 2017
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  46. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Went back in , cleaned it and place the thermal pads again, I'll give it another shot .
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
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  47. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Now hanging around 70-78c I turned off GPU scaling seems to do a bit better . I think it's just the game I'm playing
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 10, 2017
    #47
  48. deadsmiley

    deadsmiley Notebook Deity

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    Check your screws. If they are the shoulder screw type there may not be enough deflection on the heatsink spring arms. I bought an M15x off eBay that was "shutting down after a few minutes". Turns out the graphics card was replaced with a 5870M at one point. The standard shoulder bolts combined with taller screw standoffs of the ATI card did not allow the heatsink spring arms to apply any force to the GPU die. The GPU was idling at 80+ C and would shutdown under the slightest load.

    The solution was to remove the shoulder screws (use a small needle nose pliers to remove the E-clips retaining the shoulder bolts) and replace them with standard screws. Bingo! Temps were idling in the high 30's and gaming was not an issue. I snagged this laptop for $165 off ebay because the seller was frustrated and wanted to get rid of it... all because the wrong screws were used.
     
    deadsmiley, Jun 15, 2017
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  49. dodgeball585

    dodgeball585 Notebook Enthusiast

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    What are the size of the screws?
    So far everything seems to be working fine , idle around 40-45c gaming is 75-80c if I can get it were gaming isn't an issue that'll be great. A few times I got a random shutdown and a weird discolored patchy green screen (I usually connect to a hmdi tv) but now it runs good but if I can get it better that always a great option
     
    dodgeball585, Jun 15, 2017
    #49
  50. deadsmiley

    deadsmiley Notebook Deity

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    If you are at no more than 80c then you don't have heat issues. I *think* the screw size is 2mm. I will have to check this weekend as I am currently out of town.
     
    deadsmiley, Jun 15, 2017
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