MS-1029 updated to BIOS 2.5, now Video Issue.

All,

Thanks for reading and the help in advance.

I just updated to BIOS version 2.5 on my MS-1029. Which I did just after adding RAM. Everything went pretty good with the boot/flash CD.
But now I have a problem.
The display starts to get more and more grainy and pixelated as the notebook is running.
Now, what I think happened was; The video core is now running at 400Mhz. (According to Sandra) Which if any one is familar with THQ's article on the Turion, they used the 1029 (M635) to evaluate the CPU. In the article they mention the the video core is suppose to run at 351Mhz. (With VRAM at 297Mhz)

So can any one help me? Is there a bios tool that will further unlock the BIOS screens so I can "under-clock" the video core, or is there a driver fix that I am missing? (From a driver perspective, I have not done a complete removale and a successive update from the 6425?? MSI drive, upto the ~6460 drive. IE i havent used the LiveUpdater to update the drive the 6 times or so, from the utillity disk.)

Thanks for reading a "Whitebook" NOOB's problems.

 

Use a program called atitool should do the trick no problems and its freeware.

 

Thanks Matt h1.

I installed this and....
Nothing appeared to be overclock. Could I talk some kind soul into listing out all the settings they have on a none overclocked 1029? Even timings and all?

Also, has any one noticed where the bios battery and jumper are? And if so, is there documentation to be had, I cant seem to find any, on what settings clear the BIOS?


FYI, I have "deduced" I did not have ID10T error that I thought. I had the "misfortune" of burning the CD on an about to die CD burner. Every CD I have tried since has failed to burn correctly.
I did finally install burning software on a 3rd computer and the latest BIOS update CD didnt correct the problem.
Or do those of you with a better BIOS understanding, think I am chasing the wrong thing?

Thanks Again.

 

UPDATE; Finally had tech support at my reseller answer the phone. Thier suggestion is to go back to BIOS version 2.3.....
Any one know where I can find that? Google searches havent turned up much.

 

blancj:

I would have to respectfully disagree with your reseller and suggest that you replace the stock thermal pad on the GPU heatsink/pipe (clean all of that red/pink stuff off with isopropyl alcohol) with AS5. Make sure to clean the residue off of the GPU chip (again, with isoproply alcohol) and apply a thin but thorough coating of AS5. Once you have removed the heatsink/heatpipe assembly, you will also have to clean off the stock Shin-Etsu thermal compound from the CPU heatsink and what has bonded to the chip itself (this is only good for a single use). You'll have to replace this with AS5 as well, applied in a thin but thorough amount (about the size of an uncooked grain of rice...spread it around on the surface with a business card or something similar) on the CPU chip.

In my experience, the stock thermal pad on the GPU is inadequate to the task...I'd wager that peforming the above tasks will resolve your issues without requiring a reversion to BIOS v.2.30.

If you have any questions about what I've outlined, please feel free to PM me.

 

<--- another vote for what unleaded said.

 

Thanks Unleaded.
I will certainly try that first, if only because I know where to get AS5.

*Not to be thought a complete dumb *** but I did consider that and rejected it because would not someone else have "discovered" this before me and posted about the problem????
I will accept half dumb *** designation though.

 

it has, but the threads get pushed down after a while.

 

A high percentage of the MS-1029s I've gotten of late have exhibited VGA distortion due to GPU overheating. This is resolved by applying AS5 to the GPU.

Here's my take on the issue and MSI seems to agree with me (I believe they put out an email advisory to resellers after we discussed the matter):

The Heatpipe/Heatsink assembly on the MS-1029 is responsible for cooling BOTH the CPU and the GPU. Heat from the CPU must pass over the GPU along the pipe before reaching the fan to be vented/cooled. I believe that the stock thermal pad does not transfer heat rapidly enough so the combination of the heat being dissipated by the GPU and the heat from the CPU passing over it results in too much heat build-up. The use of a compound such as AS5 with better thermal properties/transference characteristics allows the heat to be taken away from the GPU faster and avoids heat build-up.

 

Is this something a prospective buyer should be concerned about? I don't really trust myself enough to crack open the back of my computer and start messing with its components. Has this been the case with MS-1029s alone and not other models?

 

The good thing about buying from resellers (like, I don't know, rawpower and xmeld? ) is that you can simply ask them to use AS5 on your computer, they will always be more flexible in that aspect than hp or dell.

 

both Rawpower and Xmeld will be glad to use Arctic, just ask as Hucsman said. Especially on the 1029 gpu.

 

I should be able to update this tonight. I was out of AS5 and my usual back up source, a co-worker, is on vacation. So I ordered it from that egg place rather than pay more $XX.99 to the local computer shop..... (note the two digits to left of the decimal place)
It was a fine idea but I have started getting jittery over not having it running.

(Edited not vs note)

 

AS5 seems to have worked. 10 minutes of the ATI Tray Tools OC rendering and everthing is still okay. As opposed to the 1-2 minutes to the decay start before.

Thanks all.

 

Glad it all worked out without an RMA.