Vortex 17.3 GTX 880M maybe dying? (video dxgkrnl fatal error)

[vicalv]

That's what I mean though, windows doesn't connect to the BIOS in this way, nvidia optimus is at a driver level, not a BIOS level, and the method that's used on your model laptop is now deprecated anyway so it's legacy code, ie hasn't changed for many years and never will change again as it's not used anymore.

If that was the issue, everyone with older hardware using Optimus technology would have the same issue, ie me. But I guarantee that's not the issue.

My BIOS from the BIOS screen is 2.15.1236

Sorry for the late reply, I was trying to fix the issue. What I did so far:

Clean Install Windows 10
Used Ubuntu (It becomes a GTX 780m also on itself)
Flashed New BIOS
Reflashed the vBIOS


Nothing worked. I am going to replace the card. Will be upgrading to a gtx 980m that I now it is fully compatible. What I am afraid is regarding the possibility of the problem being on the motherboard and not on the GPU. I think it is on the GPU because after a lot of research on forums, I have found that for Kepler Architecture, some of the Device ID is placed on the resistors. That explains why the GTX 880M, when booted sometimes, it is recognized as a GTX 780M: A faulty resistor changed the value of one of the numbers/letters of the Device ID and it keeps doing this. It appears to be the GPU. I would like your opinion on this. As a matter of fact, I disabled the GPU on the Device manager and haven't any problem ever since.

Thank you!

 

[SpyderTracks]

I am going to replace the card. Will be upgrading to a gtx 980m that I now it is fully compatible.

To update the gpu you’d need a compatible BIOS otherwise it won’t boot.

I do think it’s the GPU as well, possibly some burnt out VRAM.

 

[vicalv]

To update the gpu you’d need a compatible BIOS otherwise it won’t boot.

I do think it’s the GPU as well, possibly some burnt out VRAM.

I flashed the lastest BIOS possible for our P170SM-A, From may 2015. The BIOS is 1.03.11 and the EC 1.03.09. There weren't any new updates to the BIOS ever since. And this model shipped with 900m series before it was discontinued. Therefore, I think that the most recent BIOS (the one that I flashed), it will recognize the GPU.

Regarding the GPU, doesn't matter what operating system Is, I was biased. If i turn off the laptop now and wait some time, and boot it again, in the BIOS the GTX 880m is recognized. After sometime a BSOD happens when closing a 3d application and going back to Windows. On ubuntu, after a reboot the system recognized the GPU as 780m. What I think that happens is that as the laptop gets warmer with use, the burnt resistor or NVRAM with a short or something like this changes the ID, and them the OS goes crazy (Windows). I can reproduce the problem now by not even going to the OS: Just by turning it on after some time and rebooting, it changes to a 780M.

There are some users from forums on the web that report the exact same issue on older Kepler models (600m) being recognized as NVIDIA QUADROS. I think it is the same phenomena.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I flashed the lastest BIOS possible for our P170SM-A, From may 2015. The BIOS is 1.03.11 and the EC 1.03.09. There weren't any new updates to the BIOS ever since. And this model shipped with 900m series before it was discontinued. Therefore, I think that the most recent BIOS (the one that I flashed), it wil recognize the GPU.

Yes, even if the chassis eventually had the 900 series gpu's, you'll need an unlocked BIOS as yours will be restricted to the 800 series GPU's. It's very different on custom chassis.

You can get an unlocked BIOS from Eurocom here in the top option for $125:

CLEVO P170SMA / SAGER NP8278 Upgrade

EUROCOM Fully configurable and upgradeable Desktop Replacement Notebooks, mobile workstations, mobile servers and Portable LCD PC systems. Our products are engineered for quality, performance, long-term stability and serviceability. Eurocom Corporation is based on the philosophy that the...

eurocom.com

That will then allow you to fit a 900 series card. It's worth trying the new 900 series card before buying an unlocked BIOS, but I don't think it would accept it on the current BIOS.

Further edit: on the eurocom website, it only stresses you need the unlocked bios to add the 10 series cards, so you may well be right, it may actually fit the 900 series ok with the current BIOS you have.

 

[vicalv]

Yes, even if the chassis eventually had the 900 series gpu's, you'll need an unlocked BIOS as yours will be restricted to the 800 series GPU's. It's very different on custom chassis.

Please correct me if I am wrong so I don't make a wrong purchase. As far as I researched, 980m is MXMb format, exactly the same from the GTX 880m, it fits perfectly (I measured it with a rule ). I would not need any modifications on the Chassis. According to Eurocom, that mod that you are referring to is needed to replace with 10xx series.

Regarding the BIOS, PCS did not replied my via direct message. What I did was to go to the repo from notebookreview and used the latest BIOS for this machine. What I am supposing is that, after several updates (the initial one from PCS was 1.03.03, now my machine is 1.03.11, that is a lot of revisions), they just included the recognition of the 900m series. If not, from what I read (and I might be wrong), even if the BIOS says "N/A", The card works perfectly. I just need to install the drivers manually. For the p17sm (without -A), some guy on the same forum upgraded and it worked. on P177SM-A (Revised), the process was plug and play.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Please correct me if I am wrong so I don't make a wrong purchase. As far as I researched, 980m is MXMb format, exactly the same from the GTX 880m, it fits perfectly (I measured it with a rule ). I would not need any modifications on the Chassis. According to Eurocom, that mod that you are referring to is needed to replace with 10xx series.

Regarding the BIOS, PCS did not replied my via direct message. What I did was to go to the repo from notebookreview and used the latest BIOS for this machine. What I am supposing is that, after several updates (the initial one from PCS was 1.03.03, now my machine is 1.03.11, that is a lot of revisions), they just included the recognition of the 900m series. If not, from what I read (and I might be wrong), even if the BIOS says "N/A", The card works perfectly. I just need to install the drivers manually. For the p17sm (without -A), some guy on the same forum upgraded and it worked. on P177SM-A (Revised), the process was plug and play.

Yeah, I further edited my previous comment, on Eurocom, they specifically state that you only need the unlocked BIOS to fit the 1060, so it does appear that you'll be ok with the 900 series on that BIOS you have.

BTW, can I you PM me a link to the BIOS you got? I'd quite like to flash it also

 

[vicalv]

Yeah, I further edited my previous comment, on Eurocom, they specifically state that you only need the unlocked BIOS to fit the 1060, so it does appear that you'll be ok with the 900 series on that BIOS you have.

BTW, can I you PM me a link to the BIOS you got? I'd quite like to flash it also

Yes, absolutely! It is the least that I can do since you were really nice responding all my concerns!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Yes, absolutely! It is the least that I can do since you were really nice responding all my concerns!

You're a star, thanks so much!

 

[SpyderTracks]

By the way, where are you getting the 980m? Is it expensive?

 

[vicalv]

You're a star, thanks so much!

You are welcome! No worries at all! Thank you for using your time to respond all of this concerns and questions!

 

[vicalv]

By the way, where are you getting the 980m? Is it expensive?

Well, I am an adventurer , maybe ebay/aliExpress, I am still not sure! But they are costing $250-280 USD, it depends on the seller. However, since the rest of my system seems fine and works really well, I think it is the nicest thing to do.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Well, I am an adventurer , maybe ebay/aliExpress, I am still not sure! But they are costing $250-280 USD, it depends on the seller. However, since the rest of my system seems fine and works really well, I think it is the nicest thing to do.

That's not bad, they're extremely expensive on Eurocom, but then everything on Eurocom is expensive.

It's a decent upgrade to consider. For me the 1060 would be quite a major leap in performance. I love this chassis so much despite how big it is, it's served me very well and the CPU is still surprisingly capable.