XPS 8950/8960, using non-Dell RTX cards?

Always include exact PC model and version of Windows in your posts.

For non-Dell GPUs, you'll probably have to disable Secure Boot in BIOS setup, before installing the new card...

@fuzzysig 

It has been done, and maybe by more than one?

Check here, https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/xps-desktops/xps-8940-constant-crashes/65937cf8e7c00d20f2cedf9d for the latest one, time stamp January 4th, 2024 00:33.

Now not sure why you ask?

Nvidia Cards and Dell BIOS versions don't seem to mix well. Lock-ups/freezes happen. All reports of same do not call out if the card is Dell's OEM or other vendor's Retail cards.

In the above link, that user replaced the Dell OEM version with a PNY version and since it was installed had no problems. Not stated what was removed other than an Nvidia card, no what if anything else was done at the time.

Interesting no less. "Rumors" are that Dell OEM's (made by MSI for a majority of the cards) are 'tailored' to work with a smaller power requirement. However, there is NO special driver build only for Dell OEM's, just drivers that Dell tested and 'know' to work with XPS8940.

Odd part is that the Retail card supposedly works well, whereas the Dell OEM has problems.... Since they both use the same BIOS that seems to be at least the partial cause for Nvidia (and some AMD) problems, having it work with a Retail version from a different vendors seems very odd? Especially IF the BIOS is tailored for Dell OEM cards?

I have the Precision 3630 (which has similar internals to the XPS 8930) and it works great with my PNY RTX 4060, but I'm sure most modern cards would work just fine with most modern Dell PCs as long as they have enough space and could have shipped with at least some discrete graphics in the first place. One thing I would check is if you have a large enough power supply with the correct cables. For my Precision, I found on other threads that it would would fit ATX power supplies. Dell has options for power supply upgrades, but I found other companies like EVGA could do it much cheaper. 

@Dell-Jacquelyn D​ 

I've kept the on-screen (ALT-Z) open and when it did lock-up, the power usage was LOW.... like 20% or so of the max. card power.

@Element115-S4​ 

Yes, the cooling leaves a lot to be desired, but how can you explain many have the lock-up after waking up the PC, that is taking it out of sleep? Minimal operation at that time. Screen is off, disks might spin down (if one has mechanical). Others just come back to the PC with no use for some time, move the mouse and it locks up?

One think to be playing a taxing game that really stresses the card or some other process that produces heat with the card during heavy usage, but that is not the case it seem, very few complain on the 8940 about failures during intensive gaming.

Also, the case is probably basically the same as the 8930, 8950, and 8960 line, but the 8950 had water cooling on some units. Same video cards, but no lock ups.

Yes, some people replaced the fans and maybe some heatsinks on the SSD's, and seemed to solve the problem I recall.

Also, changing the power setting to always on, well that appears to be the solution for many, but that should increase the heat?

Throttling I don't think would cause a lock-up, all it would do is slow down the CPU.

Look, anything is possible. There is a case where a user has 2 identical XPS's bought at the same time with basically RAM differences, one locks up, the other does not.

No one has really caught a true error report from the OS? I've had ONE .DMP file that indicates the driver caused an error, and a Linux user had an error stating the 'card has fallen off the bus' but no other data of the cause.

Explain why all was well with BIOS V2.3.0, but when updated to BIOS V2.4.0 the problem started, and has continued on BIOS releases after that by varying degrees?

There have been a lot of theories to the cause, but no proof. Many solutions put forward, but none that work for everyone.

The Nvidia cards have varying RAM as well. It is not specific to any card or RAM amount either, more RAM, more heat.

AMD cards started to have problems only with the last few BIOS drops as well. Why? Was that heat too?

Dell owns this, but never either worked it or had a machine that did it? They did attempt to 'capture' failing XPS's, but the terms and conditions were not favorable for doing that, nor were a guarantee the replacement would not fail as well (i.e. same configuration, not a new model and other conditions as well).

EDIT: Hmm, I see a message in the thread from a Dell person has been removed? Odd?

Yes, many of my posts were lost due to a userid mixup. :(

I am hesitant to change the 8940 I deal with because it's solid as it is.

I am now running the latest nVidia GR drivers on my 8950 which I posted in another thread.

As I said, I did improve the cooling in that 8940 but not sure if that made any difference.

I bet the bios version is why it's stable.