Alienware M18X manual

A L IENW ARE ® M18x MOBILE MANU AL[...]

e contents herein are subject to change without notice. © 2011 Dell Inc. Al l rights reserved. Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly prohibited. T rademarks used in this manual: Alienware ® , AlienFX ® , and the AlienHead logo are trademarks or registered tradema[...]

3 CONTENTS CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP .................................... 7 Before Setting Up Y our Laptop ....................................... 8 Connect the AC Adapter .............................................. 9 Press the Power Button .............................................. 9 Connect the Network Cable (Optional) ...[...]

4 CONTENTS CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING ......................................... 4 7 Basic Hints and T ips ................................................ 48 Backup and General Maintenance ................................... 48 Sof tware Diagnostic T ools .......................................... 49 Answers to Common Problems .....................[...]

5 Dear V alued Alienware Customer , Welcome to the Alienware family . We are thril led to include you among the growing number of savvy high‑per formance computer users. e Alienware technicians who have craf ted y our computer have made certain that your high‑per formance computer is properly optimized and per forms to its fullest potential.[...]

6[...]

7 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 1: SET TING UP YOUR LAPTOP[...]

8 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP Before Setting Up Y our Laptop Congratulations on the purchase of y our Alienware M18x! Read all safety and setup instructions before connecting your new laptop. Begin b y careful ly opening the box and removing all components that were shipped to y ou. Before setting up your laptop or components, be sure to insp[...]

9 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP Press the Power Button Connect the AC Adapter W ARNING: e AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However , power connectors and power strips var y among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to a power strip or electrical outlet may cause re or equipment dama[...]

10 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP Connect the Network Cable (Optional) Set Up Microsof t Windows Y our computer is precongured with the Microsoft Windows operating system. T o set up Windows for the rst time, fol low the instructions on the screen. ese steps are mandatory and may take some time to complete. e Windows setup screens wi[...]

11 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP Set Up WirelessHD (Optional) e WirelessHD feature al lows you to share high-denition video from your computer display to a TV without the use of cables. T o set up WirelessHD, use a WirelessHD kit. For instructions on setting up W irelessHD, see the document that shipped with y our WirelessHD kit. NOTE: ?[...]

12 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP Connect to the Internet (Optional) Setting Up a Wired Connection If y ou are using a dial‑up connection, connect the telephone line to the • optional external USB modem and to the telephone wall jack before you set up y our Internet connection. If y ou are using a DSL or cable/satel lite modem connection, co[...]

13 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP Setting Up Y our Internet Connection ISPs and ISP oerings var y by country . Contact y our ISP for oerings available in y our countr y . If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the past, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) might have a service outage. Contact y our ISP to c[...]

14 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP[...]

15 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 2: GET TING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 2: GETTING T O KNOW YOUR LAPT OP[...]

16 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP is chapter provides information about y our new laptop to familiarize you with its various features, and get y ou up and running quickly . Lef t View Features 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 Security cable slot — Attaches a commercially available security cable to the computer . NOTE: Before y ou buy a security ca[...]

17 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP 4 USB 2.0 connectors (2) — Connect to USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer , external drive, or MP3 player . 5 eSA T A/USB combo connector with USB PowerShare — Connects to eSA T A compatible storage devices (such as external hard drives or optical drives) or USB devices (such as a mouse, key[...]

18 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP Back V iew Features 1 1 AC adapter connector — Connects to the AC adapter to power the computer and charge the battery .[...]

19 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP Display Features 5 1 3 2 4 1 Lef t digital-array microphone — Combines with the right digital‑array microphone to provide high quality sound for video chatting and v oice recording. 2 Camera activity indicator — Indicates if the camera is on or o. A solid white light indicates camera activity . 3 C[...]

20 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP Computer Base and Keyboard Features 6 7 5 4 1 2 3 1 Status lights (3) — Indicate if the Caps Lock, Number Lock, or Scroll Lock lights are turned on or o. 2 Macro keys — Y ou can assign keystrokes, predened functions, macros, or shortcuts for your games using the T actX Macro Key Controls option av[...]

21 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP Status Lights e three status lights are located at the top-lef t side of the keyboard. For the exact location, see “Computer Base and Keyboard Features” on page 2 0 . Caps Lock Light T urns on when the keyboard is in Caps Lock mode. In this mode, al l characters y ou type are in uppercase. Number Loc[...]

22 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP Power Button Y ou can program this button to per form actions like shutting down the operating system or entering the standb y mode. For details on how to program this button, see Power Options in the control panel of Microsof t Windows operating system. e power button is located in the center of the hin[...]

23 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP Function Keys NOTE: Depending on the conguration of the laptop y ou purchased, some of the function keys may have no associated tasks. e <Fn> key is located at the bottom-lef t corner of the keyboard, and is used together with other keys to activate cer tain functions. Hold down the <Fn> k[...]

24 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP[...]

25 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP[...]

26 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Alienware Command Center e Alienware Command Center gives y ou access to Alienware’ s exclusive sof tware and is a continuously upgradable control panel. As Alienware releases new programs, they download directly into the Command Center al lowing you to build a librar y of system management, optimization, and c[...]

27 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP T urn o y our laptop. 1. T urn o the display and disconnect it from the power supply . 2. Connect one end of the display cable to the VGA, mini-DisplayPort, or HDMI 3. connector on y our Alienware laptop. Connect the other end of the cable to the same connector on y our display . 4. If necessary , connect one [...]

28 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Using the Optical Drive Y our laptop has a slot load optical driv e. Depending on the conguration ordered, y our laptop may have one of the following drive types. ese logos are used to indicate each drive’ s capabilities and media compatibility . DVD±R/W Dual Lay er Writer DVD±R/W drive can read CD‑ROM, [...]

29 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Battery Pack Y our laptop is equipped with a high‑energy rechargeable Lithium‑ion (Li‑ion) battery pack. Battery life varies depending on y our laptop conguration, model, applications instal led, power management settings, and features used. As with al l batteries, the maximum capacity of this battery decre[...]

30 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Customizing Y our Power Settings Click 1. Start → Control Panel. Click 2. All Control Panel Items . Double‑click the 3. Power Options icon. Select a power plan from the options shown. T o customize specic settings, 4. click Change plan settings next to the selected power plan. Reducing Power Consumption Altho[...]

31 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Configuring the BIOS System Setup e System Setup options allow you to: Change the system conguration information af ter y ou add, change, or • remove any hardware in y our laptop. Set or change a user‑selectable option. • View the installed amount of memory or set the type of hard drive installed. • B[...]

32 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP System Setup Options NOTE: Depending on your computer and instal led devices, the items listed in this section may not appear , or may not appear exactly as listed. NOTE: For the updated system setup information, see the Service Manual at support.del l.com/manuals. Main Menu System Time (hh:mm:ss) Displays the syste[...]

33 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Advanced Menu Intel SpeedStep Allows you to enable or disable the Intel SpeedStep technology . Disabling this feature may improve per formance, but will greatly reduce batter y life. Virtualization Allows you to enable or disable the Intel V ir tualization technology . USB Emulation Allows you to enable or disable t[...]

34 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Advanced Menu Performance Options Allows you to congure elds in the Performance Options sub‑menu (for more information, see “Advanced Menu – Per formance Options“ on page 34). SATA Operation Allows you to congure the operating mode of the integrated SA T A hard drive controller . AHCI: SA T A is con[...]

35 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Advanced Menu – Per formance Options DIMM Prole (XMP) Allows you to select dierent XMP options. Override Turbo Settings Allows you to o verride CPU T urbo Mode settings. Long Duration PWR Limit Allows you to specify the T urbo Mode power limit 1 in Watts. e value may vary from 0 to the fused value. A valu[...]

36 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPT OP Security Menu Set Service Tag Displays the service tag of the computer when the service tag is present. Displays a eld to input the service tag manual ly when the service tag is absent. Set Supervisor Password Allows you to set the supervisor password. e supervisor password controls access to the system setup [...]

37 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS[...]

38 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Before Y ou Begin is section provides procedures for removing and installing the components in y our laptop. Unless otherwise noted, each procedure assumes that the fol lowing conditions exist: Y ou have performed the steps in “T urning O Y our Computer” and “Before • Work[...]

39 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS CAUTION: T o avoid damaging the computer , perform the following steps before y ou begin working inside the computer . Ensure that the work sur face is at and clean to prevent the computer co ver 1. from being scratched. T urn o y our computer (see “T urning O Y our Computer?[...]

40 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Replacing the Battery Pack is batter y pack can easily be remov ed and replaced. Ensure that the laptop is properly shut down before changing the battery pack. CAUTION: T o avoid damage to the laptop, use only the battery designed for this par ticular Alienware laptop. Do not use bat[...]

41 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Upgrading or Replacing Memory Y our laptop is equipped with a congurable memor y unit. e industr y standard JEDEC PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600) SODIMM memory module connectors are available for memory upgrade. NOTE: If y ou purchased a dual‑core processor , your computer supports only m[...]

42 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS 1 2 1 screws (4) 2 compartment door Use y our nger tips to carefully spread apar t the memory-module 5. connector’ s spring locks until the memor y module pops up. Remove the memory module. 6. 5 4 2 3 1 1 memory module 4 notch 2 spring locks (2) 5 memor y-module connector 3 tab T o[...]

43 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Upgrading or Replacing the Hard Drive(s) Y our laptop is equipped with two hard drives. Removing the Hard Drive(s) Follow the instructions in “Before Y ou Begin” on page 1. 38. Remove the battery pack (see “Replacing the Battery Pack“ on page 2. 4 0 ). Remove the four screws tha[...]

44 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Release the connector latch and disconnect the hard‑drive cable from the 5. connector on the system board. Loosen the four captive screws that secure the hard‑drive assembly . 6. Using the pull tab, lif t the hard‑drive assembly out of the computer base. 7. 1 2 4 3 1 hard-drive as[...]

45 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Remove the four screws that secure the primary hard drive (HDD0) and lift 9. the hard drive out of the hard‑drive bracket. Remove the four screws that secure the secondary hard drive (HDD1) and 10. slide the hard drive out of the hard‑drive bracket. 1 2 3 1 screws (8) 3 secondary ha[...]

46 CHAPTER 4: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS[...]

47 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING[...]

48 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Backup and General Maintenance Always back up y our impor tant data on a regular basis and keep copies of • y our operating system and sof tware safe. Do not forget to note the serial numbers if y ou are storing them outside of their original cases ‑ for example, in a CD wallet. Run maintenance programs as of ten a[...]

49 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Sof tware Diagnostic T ools Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment e computer runs the Enhanced Pre-boot System Assessment (ePSA), a series of initial tests of your system board, keyboard, display , memory , hard drive, and so on. T o invoke ePSA: T urn on (or restart) your computer . 1. When the Alienware logo appears[...]

50 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Answers to Common Problems Computer Startup Problems The computer fails the POST e Power On Self T est (POST) ensures that the computer meets al l the necessar y system requirements and that al l hardware is working properly before star ting the remainder of the boot process. If the computer passes the POST , the co[...]

51 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Other sof tware problems Back up y our les immediately . Use a virus-scanning program to check the hard drive, or CDs. Save and close any open les or programs and shut down your computer through the Start menu. Scan the computer for sp yware: If you are experiencing slow computer per formance, y ou frequently rec[...]

52 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Hard Drive Problems Allow the computer to cool before turning it on A hot hard drive may prevent the operating system from star ting. T ry allowing the computer to return to room temperature before turning it on. Run Check Disk Click 1. Start → Computer . Right‑click 2. Local Disk C: . Click 3. Properties → T ool[...]

53 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING Memory Problems Memory errors detected on startup Check memory modules for correct seating and orientation. Reseat the • memory modules if applicable (see “Upgrading or Replacing Memor y” on page 41). Computers using a dual-channel memory conguration require that • memory modules be instal led in pairs. If y[...]

54 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING[...]

55 CHAPTER 6: SYSTEM RECOVER Y CHAPTER 6: SYSTEM RECOVER Y CHAPTER 6: SYSTEM RECOVERY[...]

56 CHAPTER 6: SYSTEM RECOVER Y AlienRespawn CAUTION: Using AlienRespawn permanently removes any programs or drivers instal led af ter y ou received your computer . Create backup media of applications y ou need to instal l on y our computer before using AlienRespawn. Use AlienRespawn only if System Restore did not resolve y our operating system prob[...]

57 CHAPTER 6: SYSTEM RECOVER Y Upgrading to AlienRespawn Professional AlienRespawn provides additional features that allow y ou to: Backup and restore y our computer based on le types • Backup les to a local storage device • Schedule automated backups • T o upgrade to AlienRespawn Professional: Double‑click the AlienRespawn icon 1. in[...]

58 CHAPTER 6: SYSTEM RECOVER Y My Del l Downloads NOTE: My Dell Downloads may not be available in al l regions. Some of the sof tware pre‑installed on your new Alienware computer do not include a backup media. is sof tware is available on the My Del l Downloads website. From this website, you can download available sof tware for reinstal latio[...]

59 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS CHAPTER 7: BASIC SPECIFICA TIONS[...]

60 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS Computer Model Alienware M18x Dimensions Height Front 53.0 mm (2.09 inches) Back 54.20 mm (2.13 inches) Width 436.0 mm (17.17 inches) Depth 322.0 mm (12.68 inches) Weight with 12‑cell battery and optical drive (starting at) 5.41 kg (11.93 lb) NOTE : e weight of y our laptop varies depending on the conguration o[...]

61 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS Memory Connectors four internally accessible DDR3 using JEDEC SODIMM sockets Capacities 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB Memory type up to 1600 MHz unbuered non-ECC • dual-channel DDR3 conguration Extreme Memory Proles (XMP) 1600 • and 1866 Memory congurations possible 4 GB, 6 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB Ports and C[...]

62 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS Audio Output power Speaker Subwoofer up to 5 W average per channel; up to 2.5 W average total power up to 10 W average per channel; up to 5 W average total power Internal microphone support dual digital microphone in camera assembly V olume controls program menus and keyboard media function keys Hard-Drive Storage Numb[...]

63 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS Media Card Reader Cards supported Secure Digital (SD) memory card • Secure Digital Input/Output (SDIO) card • Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) • card MultiMedia Card (MMC) • MultiMedia Card plus (MMC+) • Memory Stick • Memory Stick PRO • xD-Picture Card (type - M and type - H) • Hi Density‑SD ([...]

64 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS T ouch Pad X/Y position resolution (graphics table mode) 240 cpi Size Height 56.00 mm (2.20 inches) sensor-activ e area Width 99.5 mm (3.92 inches) rectangle Camera Camera resolution 3.0 megapixel Video resolution 2048 x 1536 Diagonal viewing angle 60° Battery 12-cell “smar t” lithium ion (96 Whr) Height 30.2 mm ([...]

65 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS AC Adapter Output current 240 W 12.30 A (continuous) 330 W 16.92 A Output power 240 W 240 W 330 W 330 W Rated output voltage 19.50 VDC T emperature range Operating 240 W 0 °C to 40 °C (32 °F to 104 °F) 330 W 10 °C to 35 °C (50 °F to 95 °F) Storage –40 °C to 70 °C (–40 °F to 158 °F) Connector types DC co[...]

66 CHAPTER 7: SPECIFICA TIONS[...]

67 APPENDIX APPENDIX APPENDIX A[...]

68 APPENDIX Computer Use Route the power cable and all cables away from where people might walk or • trip over them. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cable. Do not spill anything on or into your computer . • T o avoid electrical shock, always disconnect al l power , modem and any other • cables from the wall outlets before handling [...]

69 APPENDIX General Safety Precautions Mechanical Shock: Y our computer should never be subjected to severe • mechanical shocks. Careless handling of y our computer may cause damage. Mechanical Shock is not covered b y the warranty . Electrical Shock: If y ou do not open up your computer , there is nothing to • worry about. Y our computer prote[...]

70 APPENDIX Websites Y ou can learn about Alienware products and services on the fol lowing websites: dell.com • dell.com/ap • (Asian/Pacic countries only) dell.com/jp • (Japan only) euro.dell.com • (Europe only) dell.com/la • (Latin American and Caribbean countries) dell.ca • (Canada only) Y ou can access Alienware Support through t[...]

71 APPENDIX Information for NOM, or Official Mexican Standard (Only for Mexico) e following information is provided in the device(s) described in this document in accordance with the requirements of the Ofcial Mexican Standard (NOM): Importer: Dell México S.A. de C.V . Paseo de la Reforma 2620 - Flat 11° Col. Lomas Altas 11950 México, D.F [...]

Printed in China. 0 P 3 8 V 4 A 0 0[...]