HOW-TO: Upgrade your 9300 with the Ultra or 7800 "Photo Guide" - Page 27

I'm not certain if this is your problem, but I've had issues before burning the .iso image to CD properly. I have used Sonic successfully by double-clicking the .iso so that it recognizes it as an image and burns it as such, rather than just as a file on the CD. You might need to try different software if you're not having success with burning the image.

If you're talking about the BIOS, you should have no trouble upgrading it, as your computer now thinks it is an XPS anyway. I'm currently running rev A05 which was a simple download and flash from Dell's site - since I had already flashed from the hacked BIOS.

Ah ok.. So once you've used the hacked bios, you can update to whatever the latest is on Dell's site. Thanks for the info!

bingo

Shit!
Never mind am I doing something wrong? I downloaded the file made the disk bootable in a new program then I saved the program in my documents. Then I went into cdburner xp and added the file then burned the disk then I restarted and booted with the cd and nothing happened.

nope...you'll need to burn it to CD as an ISO/image file. Just copying the file to a CD doesn't work. You have to use Nero or Roxio or some similar program and select "Burn as image" or "Burn as ISO" from their menu's.

Wow. Some @sshat negative repped me for the above post...anonymously, of course.

Pure class.

I just did this mod. I didn't do any flashing or software update 1st, went straight for the hardware. Basically the first thing I did was use Dell Service Manual to install card as instructed.

I then booted up and the screen looked fine initially, then when it went into windows, it was skewed. (I was at the nvidia 84.25 with laptop2go inf updated for my 6800). Basically it looked like them old TV with the vertical sync setting cranked all the way to the extreme.

So now for the software bullshit. I first downloaded the XPS bios hack (IXPS2A01.Hacked.EXE), copied it to a folder. Since I am at work, my work PC doesn't have a burner or floppy, but it does have the USB. So I went to the bootdisk site mentioned, and all their EXEs want an actual A: or B: drive and my USB was an F: drive in win2k. So I went to manage and tried to redirect the drive letter with no success. I then went to the bootdisk site mentioned at the beginning of the thread and grabbed win98c.zip and winima61.zip (Non-Windows Based Image Files W/ImageApp and win image further down the page). I used winimage to extrace the img file from win68c.zip to a folder and used this folder to feed the hp usb format utility.

I booted on my 9 cell battery with this using F12 to get the USB device, ran the exe, flashed the BIOS. Rebooted and viola, still skewed.

I rebooted again, pressed F8, selected VGA mode, reinstalled the NVIDIA driver and the also the bluetooth (it prompted me???) and viola, I am whole again.

Recap:
(1) Go straight for the hardware. Install the card as instructed.
(2) Plug a USB key that you can blank out into your other internet connected PC
(3) Download winimage and win98c.zip from bootdisk website (here are links, not sure how long they will be good, http://www.winimage.com/winimage/winima61.zip and http://1gighost.net/fishnet/win98c.zip)
(4) download HP utility from this post on first page
(5) extract bootdisk IMG file from win98c to a folder using winima61.zip's included winimage
(6) boot the laptop with this USB, pressing F12 to use usb device as bootable.
(7) flash away
(8) reboot with F8 and use VGA mode
(9) reinstall nvidia drivers

Thanks for the guide, and thanks to all the other posters, especially those that mention the little rubber bits and the bluetooth aerial screw which Dell forgot to mention. Card in and working perfectly, off to the 'Best Graphics Driver' thread now.

Thanks again,
Gerry.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard would you say the process of installing the 7800 GTX really is?

In my opinion:

If you have never opened your laptop before and don't know much about computer parts, probably about a 6 or 7.

If you have worked inside your laptop before and know your way around your computer, probably about a 2 or 3.

Hello,

Anyone know if the GTX heatsink will fit int he E1705, I would like to use it on my o/c'd 7800go to alleviate some of my heat concerns. I would probably need to replace the cpu and northbridge heatinks with those of the M170. Any thoughts? Also I'm looking for part #'s for all 3, the m170's cpu & northbridge as well as the # for the gtx heatsink...haven't been able to find it on ebay without the card attached to it.

Thanks,
Jack

Has anyone been able to modify the old northbridge chipset heatsink (aka Dremel), so that the new GTX second heatpipe will fit? Mine has a pipe and heatsink that bridge off the northbridge chipstet heatsink over to my fan on the left. I was thinking of trying this because dell is out of stock atm for the xps2 northbridge heatsink

I just got off the phone with Dell. They are shipping me the part no later then april 7th. But man were they anal about shipping me the part. I bet this will be the last laptop that uses the same mobo as the XPS counterpart.

What kind of stuff were they asking and what did you say?

They were asking if I played games and if I upgraded my laptop ... stuff like that. Just tell them what difference does that make when you are trying to buy a heatsink. They kept trying to get me to let out I was upgrading a 9300 with the better video card. If you have a 9300 don't tell them you have that as they will try to send you the 9300 heatsink. If you tell them the part number for the XPS2 heatsink they will either tell you that is the incorrect part number for your laptop or if you ask them for the xps2 part they will tell you it is out of stock.

So eventually I called again, told them I wanted to purchase the part and just got transfered over from tech support (which was true since I was verifying the part number. The one listed here is still correct). Do not give them the phone number you bought your laptop with, service tag, etc. Just tell them you want the heastsink for the xps2. Eventually they will send it to you.

I don't know what difference it would make since most recent 9300's come with the newer (same as XPS) northbridge heatsink. It may be a different part number, but it's the same thing. The vast majority of people who've put a 7800GTX in their 9300 haven't had to replace the heatsink, as it's already been the correct one. I don't think they're putting the old style into any laptops at all anymore.
Heck, when I ordered my 7800GTX, I just gave them my 9300 service tag, and they said "Thank you very much" and sent it out. They also asked me why I wanted it, if it was an upgrade, etc., and I told them the truth and they said OK. I think they track why people buy certain parts, if it's an upgrade or to replace a borked part, etc., just for their own market research.

They where anal about it with me too. I told them the truth also, but they said it was out of stock. I think I'm just going to mod mine. My cousin has an xps and
we added the AS5 yesterday, while it was open I looked at the heatsink and saw that it doesn't make contact to the 7800gtx's heatpipe. I also took his heatsink and traced it on paper and mapped out the fins. Going to use my dremel and Mod it so it will fit. Unless anyone here has ordered the part, didn't need it and would like to sell it.

Flashing bios

Ok made the usb key bootable. have the 9cell and 130w adapter. I have the 6800ultra. I tried flashing the bios so it would recognize the battery and adapter. When I flash with the 9300 it get that it can't flash a 9300 with a 9300 bios warning. When I try the XPS bios I get that it can't read the rom. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to have the 90w and 6 cell in prior to flashing?

update
Burnt the CD rom ISO. The 9300 bios update says "Dell Inspiron 9300 Bios" cannot be used on an "Dell Inspiron 9300". The XPS2 says it "cannot acces rom" and ends.

I am really looking into doing this. Do I need to have an 9300 or can I do this with a E1705?