Driver updates

bump

Most people go to the NVIDIA website for the video drivers.  Have you tried that?  

@ rla1999

I think I would be echoing naryka's thoughts in saying that our AMD Radeon 5870's seem to have an aversion to Nvidia drivers.

Oh, I didnt notice it was AMD.  Sorry.    I don't have much experience updating AMD video cards' drivers as I have never had one. But my first attempt would be to go to AMD's site to see if they have any drivers for it.  It's typically what I do when updating drivers.  Go stratight to the manufacturer.  

Good luck.

There are 2 problems with that:

1. The ATI drivers always result in BSOD's.

2. Under threat of voided warranty, Dell explicitly prohibits us from using drivers that do not come from their own download pages. This would be fine if they provided regular updated driver support but they don't. Certainly, in the case of the M17x R1 and R2 driver support was discontinued after 1 year of release. I got my R2 in March 2011 however; the last updated drivers for its AMD 5870's are dated 30 October 2010.

naryka's point is that these high end laptops are being marketed as the ultimate gaming machines so we pay 5x the price of a regular Dell laptop to access this amazing performance ...and what happens? Dell abandon driver support so that when we want to play the latest games we either can't or we have to settle for similar performance to that provided by bottom of the range $500 Inspirons. Nobody realizes this when they buy an Alienware. How many would want one if they knew that driver support was limited to 12 months following model release?

p.s. when I say that warranty is void if you use Nvidia or ATI drivers, this only applies if you subsequently damage your machine. They cannot stop you installing OEM drivers but, let's say your MOBO gets fried, they will refuse to replace it if they discover that you are not using Dell's own drivers.

7Leagueboot, I could not have said it better. I will now call tech support and try to get a new graphic card in. will keep you guys posted. my warranty is off anyways so this wont come cheap i suppose.

Not qoute sure this is correct. At least not in all cases, i.e.:. 

Perhaps these problems and the warranty rule only apply to Labtops, in which case disregard the following:

As to my Desktop (Area 51 ALX) I had problems with my AW installed driver as qouted here:

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19376761/19878991.aspx#19878991

So unless, due to not being able to get a Dell replacement driver and my situation was an isolated approval, I asked first if using the ATI retail driver would result in a loss of warranty and received two e-mails from Dell-Chris M. on May 31st, 2011 stating:

• No, you can used the retail desktop driver
• Make sure you remover the Dell Driver first, then install the retail driver.

Also, I managed to install the retail driver on June 20, 2011 and it  worked as posted here:.

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19340381/19892033.aspx#19892033

Also successfully updated on July 29th, to retail version CCC 11.7 - Driver 8.872.0.0. but my Win 7 Experience Index was down from 7.7 to 6.0 based on the graphic index, most likely due to the newer retail driver I installed - could be simply the way Win7 establishes this score,  I was going to test that by re-installing the older retail driver but have yet to find the time. BTW, a few weeks later running the Heaven DX11 benchmark didn't show any degradation.

Discussed on Aug 10th with AW Tech Support the Win 7 Experience Index and they offered to take over my PC and check into it.. I thought they probably would do some settings in CCC (I am not that up on it)  but they tried to re-install the latest retail driver and the (older then what my system came with) Dell driver but totally messed up my system, having taken over my PC. They then arranged for a replacement of both 5970.  As far as I could see it was due to not doing a correct and full un-install first.  Not sure that required a replacement ob both cards when a Acronis re-install of my last image may perhaps have done the fix, but that what they thought a replacement was necessary.  Didn't change the Win 7 Experience index.

So on both issues, loss of warranty and retail driver not working I have a different experience - ON MY DESKTOP.  As to the warranty issue, unless I am officially be told in writing that there has been a rule change, I have to go by what I was told in writing.

For my present system specs see my profile by clicking on my name.

Correction: quote = quite

Also should have added as a 3rd link my follow-up post on the installation post.

en.community.dell.com/.../19892325.aspx

you both make a great point 7League and naryka. I guess I have been lucky with my alienwares since I have never had any big issues.  But yes, they should all work 100% and be up to date at all times.  It's why we paid the big bucks for these machines.  I got tired of waiting for Dell's drivers so I just get them up to date on my own.  

Good luck with your issues.  Hope you guys get to resolve it soon.  

For ATI/AMD driver info look here-

www.alienwarearena.com/.../-guide-proper-amd-ati-driver-install