Acer MXM BIOS Mods and discussion (was: x920G vs. 9600M GT)

[u6b36ef]

@ .NetRolller 3D,

I have a another 9600M GT now. It is in the 5920, and boots fine.

However I don't know if it's working properly. The problem may be with the card. There are 4 performance levels of power/clock settings for the 9600M GT. Unfortunately it will only operate in the first lower two settings. It will not clock up to either of the higher settings.

I have tried 2 recent nvidia website drivers, and now have the Acer website driver installed. (I find the Acer website driver is a good fallback if there are problems, like flickering with other cards.) I got the LV2G drivers, though I never tried LV2G before, and I might not know how to use them. They didn't install, couldn't find compatible hardware.

Anyway there are lower voltages for this card compared to 8600M GT/9500M GS, and it runs cooler at the idle clocks. (Hooray.) The upper clock settings demand lower voltage than the 8600M GT/9500M GS. I doubt then very much the 9600M GT is suffering from not enough power to clock up. (More transistors though, and approx same power consumption I think.)

My only idea is that the previous cards fitted to the 5920 had three power/clock settings, and the 9600M GT has four. While this is a difference between the 8600 series cards and the 9600 series cards, I thought stepping independant. [Did 6920 ship with 9600M GS, which will have same four clock steps.]

This 9600M GT VBIOS is version: 62.94.38.00.04 which is available online
http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/3...12.080619.html
There is only one VBIOS version which is higher (at TechPowerUp), and is stated for Acer Aspire 7730G.

I can move the 9600M GT to an 8920 and flash your modded SBIOS there. If it steps up the clock settings there, then we'll know the card is OK. I read the SBIOS for the 8920 was not fixed though, from Mookill. Any more info at this point would be good though. I'll try that soon, most likely. I was going to leave the 9600M GT in the 5920, and seek another 9600 for the 8920, rather than be swapping lots.

[jhonst]

I have a another 9600M GT at the moment. However I don't know if it's working properly. It is in the 5920, and boots fine.

(...)

Oh yeah. Image on a 5920. Success.

Do you confirm a 9600M GT working in a 5920G?

[.NetRolller 3D]

@mookill: So, you are seeing the BIOS POST screen on the external display, but not the internal one? I'm pretty sure you flashed the wrong BIOS version then.

Do you have a "Workaround control" menu in your BIOS setup?

@u6b36ef: That's good news - the MXM structure mod helped. However, not going beyond perf. level 2 is a sign that something is still amiss with the structure - perhaps the thermal records are wrong.
Do you get an MXM structure warning during POST?

Also, just to be sure that it is not a driver or throttling/overheat problem, try using PowerMizer Manager to lock a higher performance level. If it works -> driver or thermal issue; otherwise it's the MXM structure.

P.S. Try downloading 62.94.38.00.04 from TechPowerUp, and binary-compare it with the BIOS you have in your card. I suspect yours is patched to avoid 30-second beeping on startup - however, this masks any remaining issues with the MXM structure.

@TehSuigi: Time to remove the "NOT compatible" note I guess.

[triturbo]

@u6b36ef - I've read about this exact issue in the C90 topic. Check Step 5, I hope it helps

[u6b36ef]

@ .NetRolller 3D,

100% clean boot: no MXM structure 30 second message while booting.
Temperature wise I have not managed to push it above 55'C yet, including benchmarking. Not temperature or power throttling then. It idles cool.
It would go to high clocks normally on opening 3D Mark, to test, but as it's throttling for an unknown reason, clocks stay low.

Yeah, I've tried two powermiser gadgets.
Powermizer Switch - get the most out of your video card
PowerMizer Manager | Some More Bytes
Though I can't be certain they worked. (The first suggested 'running as admin', yet couldn't find that option. The files ran from .rar file, and doesn't install)

I have the two vBIOS copies open to look at. I have seen one discrepancy; a blue 'n' character, in the third line; that's in the card copy. The third line says db 7Fh ; n. Wierdly it dissappears intermittantly too. That n is missing in the TechPowerUp version. It hints that you are onto something though. Sadly there, there are 1300 pages of code in IDA and hex. It would take days to compare the whole files.

@ Tirturbo,

Thanks, that looks like it. The mods are scary, and designed to leave the card with only two performance levels. Argh - shame, they may only be safe on an Asus too, I'll have to read again and more, to be sure. I'll read the rest of the 137 pages to see if anyone has a fuller fix, or a less risky fix. I'll need to open up the back of the 5920 now to see what the memory chip placements are like. (I.E. If they are Samsung and vertically placed or horizontal like Nightstalker said you need to check.) While I'm there I may as well test the 9600 in the 8920.

I hope there is an even simpler fix than page one of the Nightstalker thread, in there. However I have been googling and nothing's shown up so far. Maybe .NetRolller 3D might be able to make sense of it (the VBIOS) now we suspect exactly what the cause is.

@ Mookill, Did your last post mean that you get normal BIOS screen with external monitor. (As you said before no BIOS screen with the laptop LCD "8920".) Usual 8920 9600m GT result seems like what you said before - no repair.

[.NetRolller 3D]

@u6b36ef: Try flashing the TechPowerUp version for a test. I suspect the 7F byte is really a hack to bypass 30-second beeps on startup, probably added by the card's previous owner - but when working with the MXM structure, it only makes our job harder.

Also, please post your version of the BIOS.

[.NetRolller 3D]

BIG UPDATE!

The BIOSes in the first post (all 3 of them + a new one, for 4720G) have been updated today:
-A BIOS for 4720G has been added. The fix was straightforward, as the problem was exactly the same as with the 5920G.
-5920G has received a small update, fixing minor nits in the HDMI and TV-Out fields. (The 4720G BIOS also contains these fixes).
-The HDMI display descriptor of the 6920G and 8920G was altered to re-enable audio-over-HDMI. (I probably disabled this one accidentally when doing the original mods; or maybe it was disabled from the factory, with the stock cards of these machines never checking the audio setting and unconditionally using SPDIF audio, even when it is disabled in the MXM structure.)
-The display order of the 6920G/8920G was altered to internal-first. This should help mookill's issues.
-All 4 BIOSes have had their MXM structure version bumped to v2.1 (previously, they were v2.0). This may help u6b36ef's throttling problem.

Enjoy, and flash responsibly! :-)
--NetRolller 3D

[u6b36ef]

@ .NetRolller 3D,

8920 with the 9600M GT
I tried the 9600M GT in the 8920, and it runs from the start. I can see the BIOS screen with your 8920 SBIOS, that I downloaded about a week ago, (the first version). "8920 is OK with 9600M GT" .
(I don't know what has happened for Mookill.)

Ref: 5920
I will most likely try your 'new' 5920 SBIOS with the 9600M GT soon. I'd like to see the 5920 going 100% with the 9600M GT.

Ref the 9600M GT VBIOS. I have thought of flashing the VBIOS to the TechPowerUp one (same version), just in case. I don't know how to add files (or pictures) here, sorry; I don't know how to post the 9600M GTs' original current VBIOS. I'll try to get it to you.

EDIT: @ .NetRolller 3D, additional info;------- the 9600M GT ran in all four performance modes in the 8920. The card is functioning normally. Therefor we can draw conclusions about the 9600M GT's performance step clock fault in the 5920. Its either the 5920's SBIOS/9600M GT VBIOS combination, or the '7F byte' you refer to doesn't affect the 9600M GT in the 8920.-------------

P.S. I tried HDMI out from the 5920 once, and I think it didn't run audio, too. That might have been the cable though, since I bought it used at a market.

@ jhonst, Do you get where we are with the 5920 yet?
----------------

Top end temperatures in the 8920 with the 9600M GT are good now.
80'C after 3D Mark '06 run twice.
Crysis (demo) 82'C.
Idle temps are impressive dropping to about 42'C.
All standard voltages and clocks. Room temp 21'C.

[mookill]

just used the V2 bios and still same issue.

BTW - i am using winphlash.

should there be any advance options when flashing bios?

[u6b36ef]

@ Mookill,

You must be reflashing the original Acer SBIOS back in. Easy mistake.
1. Once you have downloaded the Acer 8920 BIOS file from the Acer support website, open it.
2. Click the 'window' folder.
3. With this 'window' folder open, copy in the modded .NetRoller 3D SBIOS file. (Just copy and paste it into the contents of this folder.)
4. Clich the Winflash icon to start flashing. [Phoenix Winflash opens.]
5. In the block where it says "Specify New BIOS File", click the 'Browse' button on the right hand side.
6. Select the modified BIOS file, and then initiate the flash.