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m9700 new video card = no picture!

post #1 of 8
4/10/10 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
Hello all I'm looking for some help with an issue I have with a friends laptop. It's an Alienware Area 51 m9700i-R1 series. (M7950). The video card is nearly dead it has loads of articfacting and locks the computer when he tries to run anything graphic intense at all. We ordered him a replacement card off ebay, a 7600go. I know the card isn't as good as the 7950 that it's replaceing but at this point he just wants the laptop to work and he didn't want to spend much money. So the card arrived today after 15 days shipping and after I installed it for him I get no picture at all. Nothing. So I went to the ebay listing to email the seller and let him know the card is DoA when I saw in the listing description the sentence "some computers may need updated bios". So I figured before i pack up the card and send it off why not update the bios and see if it pics up the card. So long story short does anyone have the latest bios for this motherboard? I have tried navigating the AW website and the dell site with no luck. Any help or thoughts appreciated. thanks.
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post #2 of 8
4/11/10 at 5:11am
Getting no picture - meaning no start up? Or can you get something with an external monitor?

cheers ...
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post #3 of 8
4/11/10 at 8:10am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the reply qhn. No start up. When I press the power button the drives spin and it sounds like it's powering up but the screen stays completely black not even a flicker. I have removed and reinserted the card a couple of times and with the old card in there it boots up fine, I didn't try and external monitor. I called him yesterday and he has never updated the bios on the computer so I thought before I send this card back it would be my best option. If anyone has a link to the latest bios for it that would be really helpful.
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post #4 of 8
4/11/10 at 8:28am
I personally feel that the card is DOA, as you suspected. It is after all another nVidia card, you should not have to rely on BIOS unless there is a change in the device manufacturer .

cheers ...
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post #5 of 8
4/11/10 at 12:33pm
Thread Starter 
That was my first thought as well i even packed it back up and got ready to ship it out when I thought hmmm maybe just updating the computers bios might do the trick. I know I had to update the bios on my XPS before I installed a new vid card in it just a month ago. The sellar on ebay has a 30 day DoA guarantee so I have a few days to try a new bios if I can find one and if not I guess I ship it back.
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post #6 of 8
4/16/10 at 1:41pm
is the 7600go a compatible card ?
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post #7 of 8
4/16/10 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 
According to the guy at Alienware tech support it is compatible. i will find out in a few weeks after the defective card makes it's way back to china and they send me a replacement.
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post #8 of 8
4/16/10 at 5:28pm
It might take longer with the Iceland volcano ash if the planes take that route back to China

Good luck with the replacement though.

cheers ...
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