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Nvidia, Vista and the Bios

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8 replies

by valkyriecronos

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Ok, so I have an Alienware m5750, currently with an ATI x1800 mobility Radeon... me and my partner purchased a Nvidia 8600 GS (That's what he said it was when I asked him just before hah). We can find plenty of drivers just fine, the problem is that it won't install. He seems to think that getting the 1.15 bios for it will support the Nvidia. My question is, I can't find the bios for this laptop to support the 8600 as Alienware doesn't have FTP anymore. Is there anyway someone could tell me where I can find this so I can attempt to fix my laptop

8 replies

by older mycroft

I am unaware of any way that this can be achieved.

How do you intend to supplant one for the other?

by larryd4

Most laptops are designed around the chipset of the video card it was engineered to support. Though the cards are removeable in 90% of the scenarios you can only upgrade a laptop with a comparable card from the same company.

For instance the Dell C840 came with Nvidia 2Go cards that could be upgraded to the Nvidia 2Go 4400s but that was it.

You will also hit issues with bus speeds between the newer 8600 and what the laptop can support.

Did you get any type confirmation from Alienware that your laptop would work with the 8600?

by oh smeg

As Clevo do not supply BIOS Updates for their systems I doubt that Alienware would either.

Also there is no way to change the Video Card in this unit as it was designed to make full use of the ATI Video Chip Set and not any other.

Col

by valkyriecronos

Yes this model can support both ATI and Nvidia, the support disc that came with the machine actually had drivers for both on it. Not to mention, researching on it, has said you CAN swap between the two. Alienware DID make a 1.15 bios for the m5750, I just can't find it because they took their ftp section down.

Forgot to mention, the Nvidia has been put into the laptop and worked, it obviously just needs the drivers to be installed to get it all pretty again. Hence why I need the bios... which I know exists because I've looked it up, just can't find it.

by older mycroft

Some day we'll come to you for advice.

Thanks so much for the educational insight into the impossible. ;)

BTW - how did you manage to overcome your OP problem:
[b][i]"We can find plenty of drivers just fine, the problem is that it won't install"[/b][/i] if now [b][i]"the Nvidia has been put into the laptop and worked"[/b][/i]

[i]I'd simply love to know![/i] :)

by valkyriecronos

Haha... I thought I'd worded it wrong. No, I mean it works in there, but its got those basic settings it has before drivers are installed. And on another note... apparently a friend just found the bios for me :/

So yeah, erm.. what was happening I guess is the system wouldn't actually let the drivers install and the only way that could fix it was with the bios update. Or something like that.

I guess I don't really know how to explain it. But either way, found what I needed, afraid to flash the bios eh @.@

by oh smeg

Way too many people have stuffed up the M'Board in their NB's. As the BIOS Chip is soldered onto the M'Board it's not possible to replace it if the BIOS Flash goes wrong. So you have to replace the M'Board.

Follow the directions that are listed with the BIOS Download and you should be OK but there are no guarantees here.

Col

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