Alienware M17xr3 : can we have updated graphic drivers?

Question

I've buy an m17xr3 alienware with ati HD6990 and drivers are never updated!

labdog99 · Answer

yes, its a problem. the drivers from ati don't work. we have to use the alienware version

Mangonz · Answer

Updated drivers are on the Alienware m17x R4 page.

They are officially for the 7970m but they also include updated drivers for the 6990m (Catalyst 12.3). Just make sure uninstall the current driver then reboot before you install the new ones otherwise they don't fully install.

Why they don't put them on the R3 page as well I don't know.

jd636 · Answer

I just installed them to give them  a try and they work great.

7Leagueboot · Answer

I wish they would offer updated drivers for the R2's equipped with ATI 5870's. :(

Archetypical · Answer

I tried the new R4 drivers as well, but Skyrim kept erroring out instead of starting up. I did the uninstall/driver sweeper/AMD mobility driver thing for the new 12.4 whql drivers, and, for the most part, they work. I haven't been able to get the OpenGL driver to install, but everything else (that I've tried) is fine. I haven't tried the hdmi in, and I was having a couple of issues with the USB 3 driver dropping out and requiring a reboot, but I'm not sure if it's related.

I'm currently deployed and I bought this laptop last summer as a replacement for my personally built desktop at home. While I was quite pleased with its performance and price, the ongoing support is awful. When people pay this much ( >$3000 ) on a computer, I expect some kind of dedication to its development. Instead of only making new drivers when it's absolutely necessary, quarterly updates would be perfect. Especially for something like graphics drivers, where new games and technology require tweaks and bugfixes. Even once every four months would work. AMD puts out an updated driver just about every month. Just pick one, add on the requisite proprietary and addon stuff (graphics card switching, etc) and roll with it. The 12.4 driver works well enough that it doesn't seem like it would be too hard to quality control a Dell release.

I'm not sure how the driver thing is going with the nVidia cards, but I kind of wish I'd put in the extra $200 (at the time) for the 580m instead of the 6990m. The performance delta certainly didn't warrant that much money, but in hindsight, it could have been worth it to reduce the frustration. One thing I don't want to do, though, is punish AMD for Dell's lack of dedication to its product.

I spent over $5000 dollars on Dell laptops last summer (one spec'd out XPS 15 for my wife, and the M17x R3 for me) and, unless the follow on support improves, I don't think I'll do it again.

M17x R3: i7 2720, 6990m, Killer wireless, 1080p screen, 2x 750Gb RAID 0 Storage, 8Gb RAM

Client Nine · Answer

Looks like none of the money they take from us goes into driver support. Modded drivers or unlocked bios are the only options if you want to be able to play the latest games without issue.

DamonAE0306 · Answer

Anyone know if that newer 7970M driver would work on a R3 with 2GB-6970M ?

Client Nine · Answer

removed attacking statements? Nice. Good to know you guys are quick at something.

Tesla1856 · Answer

removed attacking statements? Nice. Good to know you guys are quick at something.

Good one ...

For you AW laptop users that are looking for new drivers ... others can't help if you don't clearly state your exact model, system config, and especially ... your video card make and model. System specs in Sig works good (see mine below)?

And an initial general observation about some of these posts ... some of the mobile cards are very new. Unless the official Dell driver is bugged in some way, there doesn't need to be an updated one. Just because AMD and nVidia release a driver version refresh every month, don't mean the last one is broken or the new one is fixed or has any new features.

Client Nine · Answer

We are not talking about printer drivers here...

If you were to take that post to ANY active m17x forum or a general graphics card forum, you would be torn apart.

Your answer tells me everything I need to know about this community.

7Leagueboot · Answer

Tesla1856, with all due respect mine is an M17x R2 with dual ATI 5870's. Last Dell driver update for them was in 2010. I would love to play Skyrim with Crossfire turned on but I can't because all let's loose as in the graphics fail miserably and polygons appear all over the place. R3 owners can use the latest offering from ATI which is being offered by Dell for R4 owners but R1 and R2 owners have been dumped.

Chris says Dell are well aware that customers are unhappy about driver support being abandoned after 12 months but they wont do anything about it and won't provide him with a reason.

Is it surprising that a few people are ranting?

Tesla1856 · Answer

We are not talking about printer drivers here...

If you were to take that post to ANY active m17x forum or a general graphics card forum, you would be torn apart.

Your answer tells me everything I need to know about this community.

And he STILL hasn't posted his specs or video card make/model

So, you are just here to complain. That's cool ... have fun with that.

Tesla1856 · Answer

Tesla1856, with all due respect mine is an M17x R2 with dual ATI 5870's. Last Dell driver update for them was in 2010. I would love to play Skyrim with Crossfire turned on but I can't because all hell let's loose as in the graphics fail miserably and polygons appear all over the place. R3 owners can use the latest offering from ATI which is being offered by Dell for R4 owners but R1 and R2 owners have been dumped.

Chris says Dell are well aware that customers are unhappy about driver support being abandoned after 12 months but they wont do anything about it and won't provide him with a reason.

Is it surprising that a few people are ranting?

Good example of a proper post.

First, I'm a big believer of using official manufacturer released drivers on Laptops. Due to the high level of video hardware customization on laptops these days (hybrid systems, optional ports, etc.) that's one sure way to make sure everything works.

If that is Dell response, I agree it's not right. I doubt Chris agrees with it either (he is just messenger ... don't kill him). That being said, I think there might be some work-arounds.

Now, there are more knowledgeable people about this next step. You really need a Power-User that actually has the same or similar config (in your case ... at least AMD 5xxx-m CFx) to methodically work through the possible work-arounds. For instance, I have seen people modify INF files in the new driver packages so they will install, and don't say "no supported hardware found". Again, I don't have an AW gaming laptop so I can't try any of this ... but I bet you could follow some directions that someone wrote and test it.

Also (and this might not apply to laptops) but I have compared AMD.com desktop drivers packages to Dell drivers and they were byte-for-byte the same. The fact that newer ones weren't posted at Dell.com was just because they hadn't gotten around the "validating' or testing them yet (and getting someone to actually post them on their website).

AMD 5xxx cards have always been DirectX-11 compatible. Not sure I would let the Skyrim devs off-the-hook quite so easily. Everyone always looks to video drivers ... often it's not the case. Try testing with Unigine Heaven.

I'm not surprised people are ranting and complaining, but I can't help with ranting, complaining or Dell policies. All we can do it work the problems with the tools and resources we have available.

You told Chris-M and now Dell knows (hopefully, he passed it up the line). Do you think that Dell management (that could actually make a policy change) are looking in Tech Support forums?

7Leagueboot · Answer

Don't fret, I'm not blaming Chris at all. He has sent the message upline but as far as I understood the matter he came up against a brick wall.

What will Unigine Heaven tell me please?

I'm no geek so I may be talking out of my hat however; Skyrim runs fine on a single card but it will not tolerate being run in Crossfire. To me that seems as though the problem is not with Skyrim's development but something lacking in driver compatibility.

Do you think that Dell management (that could actually make a policy change) are looking in Tech Support forums?

Nope. Too busy putting out propaganda on Facebook to waste time here checking out what their customers have to say.

Client Nine · Answer

m17x R3 with ati 6970.

You read the thread topic. You know what we are looking for.

So unless help means you are going to provide us with new dell drivers, stop using me as a distraction.

I don't need you to tell me where to find modded drivers (http://drivers.leshcatlabs.org/), unlocked bios' or how to do this: http://www.alienwarearena.com/forums/topic/7628/hardware/-guide-proper-amd-ati-driver-inst all/

I am complaining about how dell doesn't update the offical drivers for the hardware they sell. Hopefully complaints will be read and something will be done.

I guess you're right though, there is nothing to come from this. Dell won't listen anyways.

There are People who can't play Max Payne 3 with the official drivers. Lucky ones can but only at 1024x768. Others have to go into DX9 mode.

I'm not having fun. No one is. And that's the point.

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Alienware M17xr3 : can we have updated graphic drivers?

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