Razer Blade eGPU, Bios Mod, PCIe 3.0, Lid Mod, Power Button Mod

Hi Everyone,

I just finished modding my Razer Blade 14 QHD+ Multitouch GTX 870M



So what will this thread contain?

- eGPU mod with a GTX 780 Ti
- Bios Modding / all Options enabled
- PCI 3.0 x16 Mod
- Power Button on the side Mod / Lid Mod ( the Razer wont boot with a closed Lid) /Repasting CPU / GPU

All right lets begin

(This will work with the Razer Blade 15 as well i suppose)


The first thing i want to share is the BIOS MOD.




BIOS MOD


What you will need:

- AFUWINGUI
- AMIBCP
- Optional one of my modded Bios


After trying some ways to backup the BIOS, I finally succeded with a program called AFUWINGUI

Just Download

http://www.ami.com/download-license...IOS_and_Aptio_AMI_Firmware_Update_Utility.zip

You will find the AFUWINGUI in this directory:


\AMIBIOS_and_Aptio_AMI_Firmware_Update_Utility\AMIBIOS_and_Aptio_AMI_Firmware_Update_Utility\Aptio\afuwin\64

Unpack it it and its ready to go.

It looks like this when you start it:



Just hit the SAVE Button and it will be dumped



To modify the Bios you will need AMIBCP

https://www.sendspace.com/file/owfsdf

Just start it and open the file you dumped. It looks like this now:




On the Left side you can choose the directories and on the right side you can enable them.

Just change the values you want to see in your BIOS to USER in the ACCESS/USE Section

Dont change things like FAILSAVE or OPTIMAL. These are Lifesavers. Trust me.


Save it (DO NOT OVERWRITE YOUR BIOS DUMP)

Then just go back to AFUWINGUI press OPEN and then FLASH.

The first time i did this i prayed and everything went well.


I have made 2 modded BIOS Files:

This is my original Bios:

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=73218273329004568988

EGPU Modded BIOS ( in this bios i just enabled the things i want to change for EGPU Settings and some other stuff)

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=66128885758044761070

FULL ENABLED BIOS ( this is a little bit messy beacause of all the features enabled)

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=08524545073568834427


I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE YOU MAKE

If you want to be sure, just mod your bios your self. I just showed how you can do it.

If you flash the EGPU enabled BIOS it looks like this:







so thats it with the BIOS mod. Very simple

IF YOUR RAZER BLADE WONT BOOT AFTER CHANGING SOME VALUES IN THE BIOS:

UNPLUG THE BATTERY
UNPLUG THE BIOS BATTERY. ITS ON THE LEFT SIDE NEAR THE LEFT SPEAKER WITH TWO WIRES
LET THEM UNPLUGGED
PRESS POWER BUTTON FOR SOME SECONDS
PLUG IN AC POWER SUPPLY
PRESS POWER BUTTON

then just plug in all the things you unplugged again (Please be wise and Power off/ unplug Power Supply before you plug everything into everywhere)

if it wont help try it one more time. it helped me alot.
If you changed the FAILSAVE values, this wont help you anymore. Buy a new BIOS or desolder it and Flash it with a Flasher.




Now lets get to....





EGPU MOD with a GTX 780 Ti


What you will need:

- EXP GDC Beast V6 with a mini PCIE cable
- Graphic Card
- 400 W Power Supply
- Optional a mini pcie to mini pcie extender
- modded Bios




For the eGPU mod i am using:

- EXP GDC Beast V6 with a mini PCIE cable. (lightly modded for gtx780ti)




- 400 W Power Supply



- GTX 780ti Gigabyte



- Optional a mini pcie to mini pcie extender ( it came today )

/ this can be used to get the mini pcie connecntion out of your blade. So you dont need to open the case everytime you want to plug in the eGPU



So how does it work?

First:

This is very important. I always got error 43 with this controller. After two weeks of dispair i realizes that the GTX780ti needs 2x 8 pin Power cables. But the EXP GDC just had 1x 8 pin and 1x 6 Pin.

So i modded the Cable to have 2x 8 PIN OUTPUTS.

Like this:





Reboot into the modded Bios. you will find the Graphic options under Chipset/System Agent (SA) Configuration/Graphics Configuration:



THE PRIMARY DISPLAY MUST BE SET TO IGFX ELSE YOU WILL GET BOOTLOOPS

(this option is set to SG from Razer/default)

You can try the other settings. for me it ended with reseting the bios many times.

Power Off the Blade and open the back:




Remove the WIFI Card and Plug in the MINI PCIE Cable of the Beast ( or some other eGPU controller)



A HDMI SOURCE MUST BE PLUGGED IN!!! And of course the Power cables for the GTX780ti
(these are not yet plugged in in my picture)





When you boot into windows now, you will be able to install the latest Nvidia drivers. If it gives you errors and reboots, try to install it over the Device Manager.

if you have done it right all 3 Gpus will be recognized and GPU-Z will give you this:








I DID NOT GET OPTIMUS TO WORK WITH THE INTERNAL LCD. I think it can be done through right bios settings or setup 1.x

I get more than double of the frame rates with the GTX780ti,

with the 3D Benchmark Furmark :

- GTX870m gets around 40 Frames/s
- GTX780ti gets around 130 Frames/s
Yes 130 Frames/s





So thats it with the EGPU MOD.


Lets keep it going.





POWER BUTTON MOD on the right side of the Blade


What you will need:

- Power Button
- some Wires ( i took them from an old USB Cable)
- beginner Soldering skills
- Cooling Paste
- Screwdrivers
- optional a scalpel or some other sharp knife






Open up the Blade and fully disamble it. the following pics will guide you:
( i made the pics after soldering the Power Button)







Just dismantle everything











its easier to diamble the LCD this way





If you want to open the LCD. Just push the black cover panel from right to the left and it will get loose








This is the Motherboard with the Power Button.

I used an USB Cable to get very thin wires. let them be long enough. You can cut them later.
Just solder it to the points i did:








This is the Motherboard. The Problem is that the Razer Blade wont boot up when the lid is closed. A Button on the side wont function like this. I learned it the hard way .

At this stage i hadnt hacked the Bios. i needed to disable the Lid closed Sensor
(i still dont know were to enable it in the bios).

My solution was to find the IC Magneto Sensitive sensor and cut one of its legs. This way i can resolder it if necesary.

Another way is to disamble the lcd and get rid of the magnet in it. ( was too risky)




Lets zoom in....



One of these i assumed must be the Sensor. It was really not easy to cut the right IC . After a long research and some Datasheets i learned which Leg to cut.


Lets zoom in a little bit more....





THIS is the Sensor. I tried to desolder it, but it is sooooo small it was like hell. It just looks like its big...I gave up. Got me a scalpel and cutted one leg. Under that leg i taped it. Now it can get no contact to the Motherboard. Reassembled it and it worked!!!

Now reassable it and make a proper REPASTE

For the Button i used something like this. Its form an old monitor. Find something small else it wont fit.



soldered one of the buttons to the cable and choosen a way/track that would be good for the cable:





ZOOOOM....




I placed it into the security Lock hole. Perfect for a Button, cant push it on accident:




JUST USE SOME HOTGLUE TO FIX IT ON PLACE OR SOME PAPER, OR SOMETHING THAT HOLDS IT IN PLACE

Here is a video of the Power Button Mod in action:





I played for hours with a closed lid and it did not get too hot or rebooted or crashed.




The last one is:



PCIE 3.0 x 16 mod



Razers Pcie works with PCIE2.0 x16. But somehow it can work with 3.0 .

Its very simple. Go into the Bios under Chipset/System Agent (SA) Configuration/NB PCIE Configuration
you just change the values into GEN3





Thats it.

Hope you liked it. It was Hell of a ride. But its finished now.

If it helped you and you liked it. You can donate me. It doesnt matter if it is 1 cent or 1oo dollar.

Paypal: kamueone@hotmail.de


Thank you,


Now for the real fun:

I love to Mod things and now my Razer Blade GTX870m is fully modded. i now need another thing to mod.
I also would mod Razer Blades for other people if they want to.

So i sell my Razer Blade if someone is interested. Its in near mind condition. This is what you can get:

- Fully modded razer Blade GTX870m
- 512 GB Crucial CT512M550SSD4
- 256 GB Original Razer Blade M.2 SSD ( not plugged in because there is no second M.2 Slot)
- EXP GDC Beast V6 eGPU controller modded for newest GPUS (2x 8 PIN Power supply)
- Original AC Power Supply ( normal usage)
- 400W Power Supply for the eGPU
- mini pcie to mini pcie extender ( so you dont need to open the back of the razer blade to plug in the eGPU)
-Xbox One Wireless Controller - Play & Charge Kit

Just PM me or send me an email: kamueone@hotmail.de



I hope you liked my mods.

 

This is very interesting.

 

Hope you guys will like it, like i do

 

Subbed.

 

I'm curious about the eGPU mod with a GTX 780 Ti mod

 

Curious if this enables the RAM to be OC'd at all.

 

it enables it. RAM and CPU i think. But i havent searched for the RAM entries

 

Crazy cool, following this one for sure.

 

Definitely interested in this. There's only one mini-PCI-E slot in the Blade correct? I take it you're removing the wifi/bluetooth card?

 

YES you need to remove the wifi card. but is no big deal because you can use a Wifi dongle for gaming.