Alienware M18x R2 with ATI 7970m Crossfire, Black screen with perfect timing..

okay  I see you tried removing and reinstalling the drivers, BUT have you tried booting up into safemode using a driver cleaner to remove the entire  driver uninstalling dosent completely remove the  installed software.

are you trying with both Xfire enabled and disabled(dual cards disabled so runs primary card only this will help determine is primary is failed/failing).

if   it boots fine with no drivers for the video card it uses a generic driver to operate the 7970  so its possible conflict with an exsisting driver hanging in there, refer to first  answer.

I to have a M18X R2 with dual 7970's and ive come to learn I cant use both cards with my Killer wireless card properly installed otherwise issues arise...  ive got a few posts on this and  I  rarely use  wireless anyway (not sure what wireless card you have) .

Enduro dosent exsist on this system, Enduro  is like NVidia optimus and  will switch automatically from onboard to discrete cards , which  the M18X is manually controlled, I find this a better option IMHO .

the machine will work   with just the onboard by removing both amd discrete cards .

Sorry I have to ask, but why would you spend this amount of money on a system and not get the warranty to back   it  up specially with the way parts are mass produced nowadays.

If you remove both cards and hit Fn+F7 it will either do nothing or give Error saying discrete not found.

Hi my friend, thanks for the fast reply.

okay  I see you tried removing and reinstalling the drivers, BUT have you tried booting up into safemode using a driver cleaner to remove the entire  driver uninstalling dosent completely remove the  installed software.

Yes, unistall with ATI tool i try with CClean, and yes in safemode, and for the last I do a clean install of windows 8.1, not the DELL recovery but clean Install, and same problem.

are you trying with both Xfire enabled and disabled(dual cards disabled so runs primary card only this will help determine is primary is failed/failing).   if   it boots fine with no drivers for the video card it uses a generic driver to operate the 7970  so its possible conflict with an exsisting driver hanging in there, refer to first  answer.

Is impossible to me undestand this, because if I try to install ANY drivers the screen become black and the PC frozen, now I wrtite with the intel card, the only way to boot with ATI GPU is with generic drivers and with wifi OFF, because if the wifi is On windows update the drivers and the screen become black.

the screen become black if I try to install the drivers, if I leave the generic drivers, so I thing probably is the second card the problem, yes i need to leave one card for try, just before open the M18x (hard job) i wont to do sure is not a stupid sw problem, if is only sw problem Im so happy, the second 7970m double the performance... I cry when I understand this card is broken after one years.

I to have a M18X R2 with dual 7970's and ive come to learn I cant use both cards with my Killer wireless card properly installed otherwise issues arise...  ive got a few posts on this and  I  rarely use  wireless anyway (not sure what wireless card you have) .   Enduro dosent exsist on this system, Enduro  is like NVidia optimus and  will switch automatically from onboard to discrete cards , which  the M18X is manually controlled, I find this a better option IMHO .

Yes, I have the Killer, I have disconnect problem when i use torrent or download big large file, so i dont know if the problem of the Killer is the crossfire becouse if I use torrent I dont play any game normally so I thing the crossfire is in idle mode, but the problem still.. but maybe you are right, I need to try but for now the beatifoul crossfireX is just lost dream.

the machine will work   with just the onboard by removing both amd discrete cards . If you remove both cards and hit Fn+F7 it will either do nothing or give Error saying discrete not found.

One good news..

Sorry I have to ask, but why would you spend this amount of money on a system and not get the warranty to back   it  up specially with the way parts are mass produced nowadays.

I buy the PC with 1 years warranty, this problem start like one months after the warranty is expired......

Finally do you thing just one card is gone??

Is very dishonest I cant ask nothing to DELL just because the warranty is expired for one months after i spend a lot of money just because I dont have other money for pay the extra years warranty....

Thanks for the reply

Hi

After all the troubleshooting you've done so far, it seems like this isn't just a software issue. To find if the problem is affecting one or both video cards, you need to test the computer with the Crossfire disabled. You don't need to open the system for this, you can disable the Crossfire from the Catalyst Control Center by following the steps on this article. Let me know how it goes!

..and, is possible is damage only the cable?

If I leave just the crossfire cable, the second GPU became deactivated?? So I to open just the keyboard and not all for the test...

PS: whot is the "ST Microelectronics 3-Axis Digital Accelerometer" ????

8.1 ouch  did  it come with windows 8? or windows 7?  have you tried original OS not  the 8.1 upgrade this can be causing issues.

HDMI out  is  usually caused  by the cable not pluggin far enough in, I had to  trim mine to work.

killer wifi is  the killer drivers/dell drivers  control   panel  whatever   I run windows drivers and  I just gamed right now for 4 hours on a dual   band 3x3 router  and  it was better then the wired .. (on a single 7970 ).

audio card not detected, bios update should fix that .

the 3 axis is the freefall sensor, basically locks the hard drive in place if it detects a drop or fall to protect hard drive from damage

if the cable was damaged it would error  saying Xfire cable  missing or disconnected..

8.1 ouch  did  it come with windows 8? or windows 7?  have you tried original OS not  the 8.1 upgrade this can be causing issues.

I have a 8.1 updated from 8, I use the crossfire for some months without issue in windows 8.1, every time I have the last drivers.

But yes, now I try just for sure to install the original DELL installation with windows 8, the only problem is I upgrade the HDD750 to a SSD256 and normally DELL installation dont permitted installation to disk minor of 750gb...

But maybe i have some usb pen backup.

This is my last chance, after I begin to open for remove crossifere cable and look what happened, and after removing one of the card... and maybe after the second card... long job...

HDMI out  is  usually caused  by the cable not pluggin far enough in, I had to  trim mine to work.   killer wifi is  the killer drivers/dell drivers  control   panel  whatever   I run windows drivers and  I just gamed right now for 4 hours on a dual   band 3x3 router  and  it was better then the wired .. (on a single 7970 ).   audio card not detected, bios update should fix that .

I need to try all of this, but i can just after I resolve this issue, I hope I resolve...

89fordprobee thanks a lot for your INFO, now I try with the original installation..

yea I  haven't strayed away from the   original operating system..

I worked out a lot of  issues with conflicts on mine and  learnt a lot about  the system...  reason I ask  you to try  original operating system install is  to rule out 8.1 being the issue since it seems its causing a lot  of   issues with a few companies ..

Yes, but remeber, I use crossfire in gaming for two months without issue with 8.1.....

finally I cant use my DVD and usb backup, i write me a error, probably because I change my hard drive, god move DELL.... why..

So now I need to find one windows 8 pro dvd installation.

Or i f some know how I can use my hold DVD of recovery of the 750gb HDD with the 250SSD...

UPDATE:

I installa a clean windows 8 pro, when I try to installa the catalyst, same problem.. black screen, for precision the scren became black and the pc frozen when the catalyst install the driver, after you can hear the typical sound when you switch crossfirex on/off.

I thind is the secondary card..

Now, I try to leave one card, but I have one question, where is the primary card, and secondary??? right, left???

Check the Owner's Manual for disassemble instructions. 

Check the Owner's Manual.

Sorry but Really?

open laptop looking at keyboard Primary card  is left side center is CPU and right side is secondary card .

If you remove secondary card and  issue persists then  if I remember correctly the secondary card should work as a primary but would require you swapping the heat sinks/backing plates around  to   use secondary card as a primary, but only if you feel comfortable doing such.

Check the Owner's Manual.

Naomi, please...

i understand my warranty is expired, really i have another DELL in warranty status, so I remain customer you need to care, so if you wont help me, just dont kidding me, for sure you help me to understand this is my last DELL Laptop, I dont thing have this problem after one month the warranty status is expired is just a case, and Im not the only..

I write this experience to all forum, now I understand why DELL focus a lor for spot the warranty.