Dell Area-51 ALX manual

01 01 / A L IENW ARE ® DESKTOP MANU AL[...]

02 02 / e contents herein are subject to change without notice. © 2009 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 , AlienRespawn , AlienFX , and the AlienHead logo are trademarks or r[...]

03 03 / CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................ 5 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP ................................ 6 Before Setting Up Y our Desktop ................................... 7 Connect the Display ............................................... 8 Connect the Keyboard and Mouse ....................[...]

04 04 / CHAPTER 7: SYSTEM RECOVERY ....................................... 58 AlienRespawn v2.0 ............................................... 59 Recovery Options ................................................ 60 Password Protection ............................................. 61 AlienRespawn v2.0 Disc ..........................................[...]

INTRODUCTION 05 05 / Dear V alued Alienware Customer , Welcome to the Alienware family . We are thrilled 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-performance computer is properly optimized and per forms to its fulle[...]

CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP 06 06 / CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP CHAPTER 1: SET TING UP YOUR DESKTOP[...]

07 07 / CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP Product Documentation and Media e documentation that ships with your Alienware ® desktop is designed to provide answers to many of the questions that may arise as y ou explore y our new desktop’ s capabilities. See the documentation for technical information or general use as required to answer quest[...]

08 08 / CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP Connection T ype Computer Cable Display DVI-to-DVI (DVI cable) DVI-to-VGA (DVI-to-VGA adapter + VGA cable) HDMI-to-HDMI (HDMI cable) HDMI-to-DVI (HDMI-to-DVI adapter + DVI cable) DisplayPort- to-DisplayPort (DisplayPort cable) Connect the Display Connect the display using the connector available on the gra[...]

09 09 / CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP Connect the Network Cable (Optional) Connect the Keyboard and Mouse[...]

010 010 / CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP Press the Power Button Press the power button on the top of the computer . Connect the Power Cable W ARNING: e 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[...]

01 1 011 / CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP Setting Up a Wireless Connection NOTE: T o set up y our wireless router , see the documentation that shipped with y our router . Before you can use your wireless Internet connection, y ou need to connect to your wireless router . T o set up your connection to a wireless router: Windows V ista ® Ensure [...]

012 012 / CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP Windows ® 7 Click 1. Start → Control Panel . Click 2. Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center → Set up a connection or Network → Connect to the Internet . e Connect to the Internet window appears. NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, click Help me choose or c[...]

013 013 / CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP is chapter pro vides information about y our new desktop to familiarize y ou with its various features, and to get y ou up and running quickly. CHAPTER 2: GET TING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP CHAPTER 2: GETTING T O KNOW YOUR DESKT OP[...]

014 014 / CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP 1 Power button — T urns the computer on or o when pressed. is button illuminates indicating that the computer is turned on. e color of the button rim indicates the power status. O • — the computer is either turned o, in hibernate mode, or is not receiving power . Solid white •[...]

015 015 / CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP 1 Security lock slot — Attaches a commercially available security cable to the computer . NOTE: Before y ou buy a security cable, ensure that it works with the security lock slot on y our computer . 2 Back panel connectors — Connects USB, audio, and other devices into the appropriate connectors.[...]

016 016 / CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP 1 PS/2 Keyboard connector — Connects to a standard PS/2 keyboard. 2 Optical S/PDIF connector — Connects to ampliers, speakers, or TVs for digital audio output through optical digital cables. is format carries an audio signal without going through an analog audio conversion process. 3 USB 2[...]

017 017 / CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP T op View Features Accessing the T op Panel Connectors Press the top panel downwards to access the top panel connectors. 1 1 T op panel Back Light Button Press the back light button to turn on the light to view the back panel connectors. is light automatically turns o af ter a few seconds.[...]

018 018 / CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP T op Panel Connectors 1 2 3 4 5 1 USB 2.0 connectors (3) — Connects to USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer , external drive, or MP3 player . 2 eSA T A connector — Connects to eSA T A compatible storage devices such as external hard drives or optical drives. 3 IEEE 1394 — Connects t[...]

019 019 / CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING DEVICES is chapter provides information about connecting optional devices to y our desktop to enhance y our audio, video, and digital experience. CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING DEVICES CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING DEVICES[...]

020 020 / CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING DEVICES Connecting External Speakers Y our Alienware desktop has ve integrated audio out connectors and one audio in connector . e audio out connectors deliver quality sound and support 7.1 surround audio. Y ou can connect the audio input connector from a home stereo or speaker system for a heightened gaming an[...]

021 021 / CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING DEVICES Connecting Printers Connecting a Plug and Play Printer If your printer suppor ts plug and play , y our operating system wil l detect it and attempt to instal l the printer automatically . In some cases, W indows may require a driver for the printer . is driver is located on the sof tware CD that is include[...]

022 022 / CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING DEVICES Connecting a Non Plug and Play Printer Windows V ista ® Click 1. Start → Control Panel. Click 2. Hardware and Sound → Add a printer . Follow the instructions on the screen. 3. Windows ® 7 Click 1. Start → Control Panel. Click 2. Hardware and Sound → Devices and Printers → Add a printer . Follow th[...]

023 023 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKTOP CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP[...]

024 024 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP ermal Controls ermal Controls lets you control the thermal and venting capabilities of your computer by changing the fan speed and behavior of the vents present on the top of y our computer . W orking With RAID A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is a disk storage conguration that increase[...]

025 025 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP RAID Level 0 CAUTION: RAID level 0 provides no redundancy . erefore, a failure of one drive results in the loss of all data. Per form regular backups to protect y our data. RAID level 0 uses data striping to provide a high data access rate. Data striping writes consecutive segments, or stripes, of data se[...]

026 026 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP RAID Level 10 RAID 10, a combination of RAID 1 and RAID 0, uses disk striping across mirrored disks. It provides high data throughput and complete data redundancy . RAID 10 can support up to eight spans, and up to 32 physical disks per span. RAID Level 5 RAID level 5 uses data parity . RAID level 5 stripes b[...]

027 027 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP For computers with the Intel ® Core™i7 Extreme Edition processor , the BIOS has preset overclocking levels that allow you to easily ov erclock y our computer . e following options are available in the Frequency/Voltage Control page of the System Setup: Level 1 OC Setting • Level 2 OC Setting • Leve[...]

028 028 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP Conguring 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 desktop. Set or change a user-selectable option. • View the installed amount of memory or set the type of hard drive installed[...]

029 029 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP System Setup Options NOTE: e items listed in this section may or may not appear exactly as listed depending on y our computer model and instal led devices. NOTE: For the updated system setup information, see the Service Manual at support.del l.com/manuals . System Information Product Name Displays the pro[...]

030 030 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP Standard CMOS Features System Time (hh:mm:ss) Displays the current time. System Date (mm:dd:yy) Displays the current date. SATA 1 Displays the SA T A 1 drive integrated in your computer . SATA 2 Displays the SA T A 2 drive integrated in your computer . SATA 3 Displays the SA T A 3 drive integrated in your co[...]

031 031 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP CPU Conguration XD Bit Capability Enable XD Bit Capability to allow the processor to distinguish between the bits of code that can be executed and the ones that cannot be executed. Intel ® Speedstep ™ tech If enabled, the processor clock speed and core voltage are adjusted dynamically based on the proc[...]

032 032 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP Power Management Setup Suspend Mode Sets the energy-saving mode of the ACPI function. AC Recovery Sets what action the computer takes when power is restored. Remote Wakeup Sets the system to wake up from an onboard LAN, PCIE-X1 LAN card, or a PCI LAN card. Auto Power On Allows the computer to star t up at a [...]

033 033 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP Advance DRAM Conguration Submenu Memory-Z Opens submenu to display the SPD conguration for each memory module. Advanced Memory Settings Allows you to toggle to Manual mode and set all of the timing parameters. tCL Displays the Column Address Strobe Latency (editable in Manual Mode). tRCD Displays timin[...]

034 034 / CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKT OP Overvoltage Conguration Submenu CPU Temperature Sensor Displays the processor temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit. VCore Displays processor Core voltage. Dynamic CPU VCore Offset Processor Core V oltage Oset. DDR3 Memory Voltage Adjust the DDR3 Memory Voltage. IOH Voltage Adjust the IOH V oltage. QPI[...]

035 035 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS is chapter provides guidelines and instructions for increasing the processing power and storage space by upgrading equipment. Y ou can purchase components for y our desktop at www.dell.com or www .alienware.com . NOTE: See the Service Manual at suppor t.dell.com/manuals for in[...]

036 036 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Before Y ou Begin is section provides procedures for removing and instal ling the components in y our desktop. Unless otherwise noted, each procedure assumes that the following conditions exist: Y ou have performed the steps in “T urning O Y our Desktop” and “Before ?[...]

037 037 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS T o avoid damaging the desktop, perform the fol lowing steps before you begin working inside the desktop. Ensure that the work sur face is at and clean to prevent the desktop co ver 1. from being scratched. T urn o your desktop (for more information, see “T urning O Y [...]

038 038 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Opening and Closing the Side Panel CAUTION: Before opening the side panel, disconnect the power cable from y our desktop. Follow the instructions in “Before Y ou Begin” on page 1. 36 . NOTE: Ensure that any attached security cable is remov ed before attempting to lif t the re[...]

039 039 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Inside V iew of Y our Computer 1 2 1 memory module connectors (3) 2 expansion card slots (6)[...]

040 040 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS T o replace memor y module(s): Align the notch on the bottom of the memory module with the tab on the 1. memory module connector . 1 2 3 5 4 1 memory module connector 4 securing clips (2) 2 tab 5 memory module 3 notch Removing and Replacing Memory Module(s) Follow the instruction[...]

041 041 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS As the computer boots, it detects the additional memor y and automatically updates the system conguration information. T o conrm the amount of memor y installed in the computer: Windows V ista ® Click Start → Control Pane l → System and Maintenance . Windows ® 7 Click[...]

042 042 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Press the two release tabs together and slide the hard drive towards the top 3. and out of the computer . 1 2 1 release tabs (2) 2 hard drive Removing and Replacing Hard Drive(s) Follow the instructions in “Before Y ou Begin” on page 1. 36 . Lif t the release panel to open th[...]

043 043 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS T o replace a hard drive: See the documentation that shipped with y our new hard drive to verify that 1. it is congured for y our computer . Slide the new hard drive into the hard drive bay and press it down until the 2. hard drive snaps into place. Close the side panel on the[...]

044 044 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS Removing and Replacing Expansion Card(s) Follow the instructions in “Before Y ou Begin” on page 1. 36 . Open the side panel (see “Opening and Closing the Side Panel“ on page 2. 38 ). Press the shroud button to release the shroud and then rotate the shroud 3. away from the[...]

045 045 / CHAPTER 5: INST ALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS 2 3 1 1 PCI Express x16 card 3 PCI Express x16 connector 2 retention mechanism NOTE: If y ou are not replacing a card, instal l a ller bracket in the empty card-slot opening. T o replace a card: Remove the ller bracket to create a card-slot opening (if applicable). 1. For i[...]

046 046 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING[...]

047 047 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING When troubleshooting your computer, remember the following safety guidelines: Before touching any of the computer’ s internal components, touch an • unpainted portion of the chassis. Doing so wil l safely discharge any static electricity , which could damage y our computer . T urn o your computer and any [...]

048 048 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING If the Pre-boot System Assessment completes successfully , the fol lowing message will appear on your screen . “Do you want to run the remaining memory tests? This will take about 30 minutes or more. Do you want to continue? (Recommended).” Press <y> to continue if y ou are experiencing memor y issue, [...]

049 049 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING NOTE: e next steps change the boot sequence for one time only . On the next star t-up, the computer boots according to the devices specied in the system setup program. When the boot device list appears, highlight 3. CD/DVD/CD-RW and press <Enter>. Select 4. Boot from CD-ROM from the menu that appears[...]

050 050 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING Answers to Common Problems CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-R/W, DVD±R/W, or Blu-ray Disc™ Drive e computer does not recognize the disc or drive Check to see if the disc is properly inserted into the drive with the label • facing up. T ry another disc. • Shut down and restart the computer . • Clean the disc. • [...]

051 051 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING e computer stops responding or a solid blue screen appears W ARNING: Y ou might lose data if y ou are unable to perform an operating system shutdown. If you are unable to get a response b y pressing a key on y our keyboard or moving y our mouse, press and hold the power button for at least 6 seconds until the[...]

052 052 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING 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, you frequently receive pop-up advertisements, or y ou are having problems connecting to the Internet, y our computer might be infected[...]

053 053 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING Internet Cannot browse the Internet or the Unable to locate host error message appears Check if y ou are connected to the Internet. • Check if the web address typed into the address bar is correct. T ry a dierent • web address, or URL. If the error message still appears, disconnect from the Internet Ser v[...]

054 054 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING Memory Memory errors detected on start up Check memory modules for correct seating and orientation. Reseat the • memory modules if applicable. For more information, see “Removing and Replacing Memory” on page 4 0. Computers using a dual-channel memory conguration require that • memory modules be insta[...]

055 055 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING Display If the display is blank e computer may be in a power saving mode: Press a key on the keyboard or press the power button to resume normal operation. T est the electrical outlet: Ensure that the electrical outlet is working b y testing it with another device, such as a lamp. If the display is difcult[...]

056 056 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING Power When you press the power button, the computer does not turn on If the computer is connected to a surge protector or UPS, make sure that • the surge protector or UPS is securely connected to an electrical outlet, is switched on and is working correctly . Ensure that the electrical outlet is working proper[...]

057 057 / CHAPTER 6: TROUBLESHOOTING Speakers ere is no sound from the speakers Ensure that subwoofer and the speakers are turned on: See the documentation that shipped with y our speakers. If your speakers have volume controls, adjust the volume, bass, or treble to eliminate distortion. Adjust the Windows v olume control: Click or double-click [...]

058 058 / CHAPTER 7: SYSTEM RECOVER Y Y our computer ships with the following media: Recovery CD or DVD • — Contains operating system installation media. Support CD or DVD • — Contains drivers for y our computer . Y ou can also download the latest drivers and software for your computer from support. dell.com . Optional • AlienRespawn v2.0[...]

059 059 / CHAPTER 7: SYSTEM RECOVER Y AlienRespawn v2.0 NOTE: Back up al l data before initiating a system recovery . Backup functionality is included in AlienRespawn™ v2.0, but as a precaution it is recommended to backup critical les onto an external media before initiating recovery . AlienRespawn™ v2.0 is a recovery solution which is capab[...]

060 060 / CHAPTER 7: SYSTEM RECOVER Y Advanced Recovery is method completely reformats y our hard drive and return y our computer to its original factor y conguration resolving al l sof tware or conguration issues. is option is best for most sof tware related issues. A backup of your entire current hard drive will be created in C:BACKU[...]

061 061 / CHAPTER 7: SYSTEM RECOVER Y Password Protection Since AlienRespawn v2.0 has the ability to reformat your hard drive and can be accessed without entering Windows, the password-protection functionality has been included for y our security . is feature is disabled b y default, but can be enabled through the Respawn Settings application, d[...]

062 062 / CHAPTER 7: SYSTEM RECOVER Y Del l DataSafe Local Backup Dell DataSafe Local Backup is a backup and recovery application that can restore y our computer if you lose data due to a virus attack, accidental ly delete critical les or folders, or if the hard drive crashes. is application allows you to: Restore les and folders • Resto[...]

063 063 / CHAPTER 7: SYSTEM RECOVER Y T o restore data: T urn o your computer . 1. Disconnect all the devices connected to the computer (such as USB drive, 2. printer , etc.) and remove any recently added internal hardware. NOTE: Do not disconnect the monitor , keyboard, mouse, and the power cable. T urn on your computer . 3. When the Alienware [...]

064 064 / CHAPTER 8: BASIC SPECIFICA TIONS is chapter provides the basic specications of y our desktop. For more detailed specications, see the Comprehensive Specications at support.del l.com/manuals. CHAPTER 8: BASIC SPECIFICA TIONS CHAPTER 8: BASIC SPECIFICA TIONS[...]

065 065 / CHAPTER 8: BASIC SPECIFICA TIONS Computer Model Alienware Area-51 Dimensions Width 249 mm (9.8 inches) Depth 635 mm (25 inches) Height 557.6 mm (22 inches) (with top vents closed) 595.5 mm (23.4 inches) (with top vents open) 15.4 mm (0.6 inches) (added height with the rear foot deplo yed) Weight (starting at) 31.7 kg (70 lb) NOTE : e w[...]

066 066 / CHAPTER 8: BASIC SPECIFICA TIONS T op Panel Connectors IEEE 1394 one 6-pin serial connector USB three 4-pin USB 2.0-compliant connectors Audio stereo headphone and microphone connectors eSA T A one 4-pin eSA T A connector Communications Network adapter 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet LAN on system board Wireless (optional) W iFi/Bluetooth wirel[...]

067 067 / CHAPTER 8: BASIC SPECIFICA TIONS Computer Environment Maximum shock (measured with hard drive in head-parked position and a 2-ms half-sine pulse): Operating 40G for 2 ms with a change in velocity of 20 in/s (51 cm/s) Non- Operating 50G for 26 ms with a change in velocity of 320 in/s (813 cm/s) Altitude (maximum): Operating –15.2 to 3048[...]

068 068 / APPENDIX A: GENERAL AND ELECTRICAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 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 oth[...]

069 069 / APPENDIX A: GENERAL AND ELECTRICAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS When Should Y ou Contact Alienware? e, power cable or connector is damaged. • Y our computer has had liquid spilled into it. • Y our computer was dropped or the case was damaged. • Normal operation of the computer does not occur when the operating • instructions are followed[...]

070 070 / APPENDIX B: CONT ACTING ALIENW ARE Websites Y ou can learn about Alienware products and services on the fol lowing websites: www .dell.com • www .dell.com/ap • (Asian/Pacic countries only) www .dell.com/jp • (Japan only) www .euro.dell.com • (Europe only) www .dell.com/la • (Latin American and Caribbean countries) www .dell.c[...]

071 071 / APPENDIX C: IMPORT ANT INFORMA TION APPENDIX C: IMPORT ANT INFORMA TION NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 Graphics Cards When y ou utilize dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 graphics cards in a Quad SLI • conguration, HDMI output is not supported. NOTE: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 graphics card’ s HDMI output is limited to single-card congurations onl[...]

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