Open Shidell opened 3 years ago
M17 R3 with EVGA 2080 TI XC hybrid
OpenCaldera 0.1.0.0
Reading Alienware Graphics Amplifier BIOS Properties:
Is Present: True Is Connected: True Is Card Type Supported: True Is Restart Pending: False Is Undock Request Set: False Is Surprise Removal Set: False MState: M7
PS...This AGA was running with my older M17 R2 system with no problems, but I had a very hard time getting this to run with the new R3....I suspect something is happening with Windows v2004 and higher when installing drivers...The R2 was installed when it was running v1904. I worked through and got the R3 running with v2004 with some really weird work arounds when installing drivers.
Thanks for verifying and posting output, and interesting that you had additional difficulty in getting the AGA working on your R3. Do you recall any of the extra steps (work arounds) you employed to get things working?
Based on your issue feedback or not having a "Graphics Amplifier" directory, I'm assuming you never installed the AGA software?
I believe that Dell included the AGA software in the Command Center install a while ago. The Dell download site states that the Alienware External Graphics Amplifier Software is not compatible with my system. I would imagine it would install and work, but I just never tried.
As for getting it running, I could never get the card to recognize properly with the M17 R3 running Win v2004 until I ran DDU, but then windows itself would somehow find a driver itself, before I could get the nvidia drivers installed. So once I turned off my wifi, ran DDU, and installed the nvidia drivers, it started working. It has been flawless since, except for now I have a driver error on a generic PCI device in my Device Manager, but I don't care because everything seems to be working for the past 3 weeks.
That's very interesting—it leads to me believe that perhaps we should be probing the AWCC software and libraries instead of the AWGA stuff.
Could you do me a favor and take a screenshot of the Device Manager on the generic PCI Device (specifically, it's Hardware ID(s) and Compatible ID(s)), and capture it's error as well? That might be a clue towards to the AGA and how it's recognized in the device tree.
Alienware 15R3 with AGA loaded with an ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti TURBO-RTX2080TI-11G
OpenCaldera 0.1.1.0 Reading Alienware Graphics Amplifier BIOS Properties: Is Present: True Is Connected: True Is Card Type Supported: True Is Restart Pending: False Is Undock Request Set: False Is Surprise Removal Set: False MState: M7
Press Enter to close.
No problem with it so far, running on win10 home x64 v1909
I looked through the AWCC code and it is just using the same AGA dlls for the interfaces and launches the GraphicsAmplifierServiceController.exe itself. I did notice that if you have a newer system ie.
private static readonly IList
It will use an external GraphicsAmplifierSWBiosSupportAPI.dll for the ReturnDockingReport instead of WMIInterfaceService.
I have yet to find GraphicsAmplifierSWBiosSupportAPI.dll
M15 R3 with PNY GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB XLR8 OC
OpenCaldera 0.1.0.0
Reading Alienware Graphics Amplifier BIOS Properties:
Is Present: True Is Connected: True Is Card Type Supported: True Is Restart Pending: False Is Undock Request Set: False Is Surprise Removal Set: False MState: M7
P.S. Had to replace PSU, it rattled when under load, I replaced it with a Corsair Builder CX650M. Works fine now.
@Beergamote Thanks!
@Bitarisu Thanks!
@brycenoland Can you open the 'Details' tab and get me the list of Hardware & Compatible IDs for that device?:
I found the GraphicsAmplifierSWBiosSupportAPI.dll you're looking for in the (older) Alienware Graphics Amplifier Software Installer package (.msi), I added it under "Resources" in the Repo, including the original .msi and an expanded version. You can find that file here directly: https://github.com/Shidell/OpenCaldera/tree/master/OpenCaldera/Resources/GraphicsAmplifierSoftwareInstaller/System64
Thanks...I'm learning....It looks like its the USB type C on my 2080 TI that is not being recognized.
Alienware 17 R4 with AGA Asus dual RTX 3070 O8G
OpenCaldera 0.1.0.0
Reading Alienware Graphics Amplifier BIOS Properties:
Is Present: True Is Connected: True Is Card Type Supported: True Is Restart Pending: False Is Undock Request Set: False Is Surprise Removal Set: False MState: M7
Alienware 17 R4 with AGA Asus dual RTX 3070 O8G
OpenCaldera 0.1.0.0
Reading Alienware Graphics Amplifier BIOS Properties:
Is Present: True Is Connected: True Is Card Type Supported: True Is Restart Pending: False Is Undock Request Set: False Is Surprise Removal Set: False MState: M7
I tried to pass the 3dmark test but got old values with unknown hardware. By the way, the card heats up quite a lot, even though the fans do not spin
Alienware 17 R2 with AGA EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW
OpenCaldera 0.1.1.0
Reading Alienware Graphics Amplifier BIOS Properties:
Is Present: True Is Connected: True Is Card Type Supported: True Is Restart Pending: False Is Undock Request Set: False Is Surprise Removal Set: False MState: M5
Test 1: Alienware 17 R4 w/1080 internal and w/PNY 1070 Ti in AGA. NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready Driver: 460.89 Device Manager: Happy OpenCaldera 0.1.1.0 Reading Alienware Graphics Amplifier BIOS Properties: Is Present: True Is Connected: True Is Card Type Supported: True Is Restart Pending: False Is Undock Request Set: False Is Surprise Removal Set: False MState: M7
From t.txt: 2021-01-05 18:48:24: Initialized=True 2021-01-05 18:48:24: ReturnDockingReport=0x00000120 2021-01-05 18:48:24: MState=M7 Connected=True IsPresent=True IsUndockRequestSet=False IsSurpriseRemovalSet=False IsCardTypeSupported=True
Test 2: Same laptop and driver w/3090 FE in AGA. I initially turned the AGA on after starting the laptop. Device Manager discovered the 3090, but w/error 12. After restart, Device Manager initially listed the 3090 w/error 31, but then updated w/o issues. The setup works, in that Device Manager is happy w/the 3090 (and the internal 1080) using the 460.89 driver, and gaming for a while was successful. It might only "work" when the AGA is powered on after the laptop boots. (Haven't tested multiple times, yet.)
OpenCaldera 0.1.1.0 ! The requested Assembly could not be located: GraphicsAmplifierServiceController.resources ! Error loading requested Assembly: GraphicsAmplifierServiceController.resources ! Error: Empty path name is not legal. Press Enter to close.
From t.txt: 2021-01-15 00:10:37: Initialized=True 2021-01-15 00:10:37: ReturnDockingReport=0x00000220 2021-01-15 00:10:37: MState=M7 Connected=True IsPresent=False IsUndockRequestSet=False IsSurpriseRemovalSet=False IsCardTypeSupported=True
Why doesn't OpenCaldera run successfully for Test 2? I've only guesses: Between Test 1 and Test 2, Windows Update KB4598242 installed. The AGA was initally powered off when the laptop and OS started.
Test 3: w/Gigabyte 1650 Gaming OC GV-N1650GAMING OC-4GD From t.txt: 2021-01-16 21:28:34: Initialized=True 2021-01-16 21:28:34: ReturnDockingReport=0x00000120 2021-01-16 21:28:34: MState=M7 Connected=True IsPresent=True IsUndockRequestSet=False IsSurpriseRemovalSet=False IsCardTypeSupported=True
Test 4: w/Gigabyte 3070 Gaming OC GV-N3070GAMING OC-8GD working via on/off power toggle method From t.txt: 2021-01-18 16:50:01: Initialized=True 2021-01-18 16:50:01: ReturnDockingReport=0x00000120 2021-01-18 16:50:01: MState=M7 Connected=True IsPresent=True IsUndockRequestSet=False IsSurpriseRemovalSet=False IsCardTypeSupported=True
Test 5: w/3090 FE working daily via on/off power toggle method Power on laptop w/AGA connected and powered on. No GPU output to monitor (until power toggle later). 2021-01-21 09:37:07: Initialized=True 2021-01-21 09:37:07: ReturnDockingReport=0x00060410 2021-01-21 09:37:07: MState=M2 Connected=False IsPresent=False IsUndockRequestSet=False IsSurpriseRemovalSet=True IsCardTypeSupported=False
Power off AGA. Wait 10 seconds. Power on AGA, and refresh Device Manager. 2021-01-22 09:56:08: Initialized=True 2021-01-22 09:56:08: ReturnDockingReport=0x00060410 2021-01-22 09:56:09: MState=M2 Connected=False IsPresent=False IsUndockRequestSet=False IsSurpriseRemovalSet=True IsCardTypeSupported=False AGA w/3090 FE is working (w/GPU output to monitor) and Device Manager is happy about it, but this t.txt log entry is different.
Please leave your results, including system information (Make/Model & GPU) here.