Dell Alienware 18, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...Alienware 18 Owner s Manual Computer model Alienware 18 Regulatory model P19E Regulatory type P19E001 ...

Page 2: ...npermission of Dell Inc is strictly forbidden Trademarks used in this text Alienware and the AlienHead logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Alienware Corporation Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc Microsoft Windows and the Windows start button logo are either trademarks or registeredtrademarksofMicrosoftcorporationintheUnitedStatesand orothercountries Bluetooth is a registeredtrademark own...

Page 3: ...dure 14 Replacing the Base Cover 15 Procedure 15 Postrequisites 15 Removing the Battery Pack 16 Procedure 16 Replacing the Battery Pack 17 Procedure 17 Postrequisites 17 Removing the Memory Module s 18 Prerequisites 18 Procedure 19 Replacing the Memory Module s 20 Procedure 20 Postrequisites 21 Removing the Optical Drive 22 Prerequisites 22 Replacing the Optical Drive 24 Procedure 24 Postrequisite...

Page 4: ...trequisites 30 Removing the Video Card Heat Sink Fan s 31 Prerequisites 31 Procedure 31 Replacing the Video Card Heat Sink Fan s 33 Procedure 33 Postrequisites 33 Removing the Processor Heat Sink Fan 34 Prerequisites 34 Procedure 34 Replacing the Processor Heat Sink Fan 35 Procedure 35 Postrequisites 35 Removing the Coin Cell Battery 36 Prerequisites 36 Procedure 37 Replacing the Coin Cell Battery...

Page 5: ...44 Procedure 44 Postrequisites 44 Removing the Power Button Board 45 Prerequisites 45 Procedure 45 Replacing the Power Button Board 46 Procedure 46 Postrequisites 46 Removing the Status Light Board 47 Prerequisites 47 Procedure 48 Replacing the Status Light Board 49 Procedure 49 Postrequisites 49 Removing the Keyboard 50 Prerequisites 50 Procedure 51 Replacing the Keyboard 53 Procedure 53 Postrequ...

Page 6: ...splay Assembly 60 Procedure 60 Postrequisites 60 Removing the Camera Module 61 Prerequisites 61 Procedure 62 Replacing the Camera Module 63 Procedure 63 Postrequisites 63 Removing the Display Bezel 64 Prerequisites 64 Procedure 64 Replacing the Display Bezel 65 Procedure 65 Postrequisites 65 Removing the Display Hinges 66 Prerequisites 66 Procedure 66 Replacing the Display Hinges 67 Procedure 67 P...

Page 7: ...Logo Board 75 Procedure 75 Postrequisites 75 Removing the Display Light Boards 76 Prerequisites 76 Procedure 77 Replacing the Display Light Boards 78 Procedure 78 Postrequisites 78 Removing the Speakers 79 Prerequisites 79 Procedure 80 Replacing the Speakers 81 Procedure 81 Postrequisites 81 Removing the Subwoofer 82 Prerequisites 82 Procedure 83 Replacing the Subwoofer 84 Procedure 84 Postrequisi...

Page 8: ...eat Sink s 90 Procedure 90 Postrequisites 90 Removing the Video Card s 91 Prerequisites 91 Procedure 91 Replacing the Video Card s 93 Procedure 93 Postrequisites 93 Removing the Processor Heat Sink 94 Prerequisites 94 Procedure 94 Replacing the Processor Heat Sink 95 Procedure 95 Postrequisites 95 Removing the Processor Module 96 Prerequisites 96 Procedure 97 Replacing the Processor Module 98 Proc...

Page 9: ...es 103 Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS 104 Removing the Wireless Mini Card 105 Prerequisites 105 Procedure 106 Replacing the Wireless Mini Card 107 Procedure 107 Postrequisites 108 System Setup 109 Overview 109 Entering System Setup 109 System Setup Screens 110 System Setup Options 110 Boot Sequence 117 Flashing the BIOS 119 ...

Page 10: ...10 Contents ...

Page 11: ...right or lower right corner of the screen to open the Charms sidebar and then click Settings Power Shut Down Microsoft Windows shuts down and then the computer turns off Windows 7 Click Start and click Shut down NOTE If you are using a different operating system see the documentation of your operating system for shut down instructions 3 Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their ...

Page 12: ...uter See the safety instructions for complete information about safety precautions working inside your computer and protecting against electrostatic discharge CAUTION Before touching anything inside your computer ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface such as the metal at the back of the computer While you work periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to dissipate static elect...

Page 13: ...tray screws remain inside your computer Connect any external devices cables cards and any other part s you removed before working on your computer Connect your computer and all attached devices to their electrical outlets CAUTION Before turning on your computer replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside the computer Failure to do so may damage your computer ...

Page 14: ...llow the steps in Before You Begin on page 11 For additional safety best practices information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Procedure 1 Remove the screws that secure the base cover to the computer base 2 Slide the base cover towards the rear of the computer and lift it off the computer base 1 screws 3 2 base cover 1 2 ...

Page 15: ...page 11 For additional safety best practices information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Procedure 1 Align the tabs on the base cover with the slots on the computer base and slide the base cover into place 2 Replace the screws that secure the base cover to the computer base Postrequisites Follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer on page...

Page 16: ... safety best practices information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 Procedure 1 Remove the screws that secure the battery to the computer base 2 Disconnect the battery cable from its connector on the system board 3 Lift the battery pack away from the computer base 1 battery cable 2 sc...

Page 17: ...compliance CAUTION To avoid damage to the computer use only the battery designed for this particular Alienware computer Procedure 1 Align the tabs on the battery with the slots on the computer base and place the battery on the computer base 2 Connect the battery cable to its connector on the system board 3 Replace the screws that secure the battery to the computer base Postrequisites 1 Replace the...

Page 18: ... information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance NOTE Your computer supports up to four memory module connectors You can access connectors DIMM3 and DIMM4 by removing the base cover at the bottom of your computer You can access connectors DIMM1 and DIMM2 by removing the keyboard Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 7 2 Remov...

Page 19: ...oving the Palm Rest on page 39 CAUTION To prevent damage to the memory module connector do not use tools to spread the memory module securing clips 3 Using your fingertips spread apart the securing clips on each end of the memory module connector until the memory module pops up 4 Remove the memory module from the memory module connector 1 memory module connector 2 securing clips 2 3 memory module ...

Page 20: ...d DIMM4 by removing the base cover at the bottom of your computer You can access connectors DIMM1 and DIMM2 by removing the palmrest Procedure NOTE If you need to install memory modules in two connectors install a memory module in the lower connector before you install a memory module in the upper connector 1 Align the notch on the memory module with the tab on the memory module connector 2 Slide ...

Page 21: ...replaced memory module s in connectors DIMM1 and DIMM2 Replace the palm rest See Replacing the Palm Rest on page 42 Postrequisites 1 Replace the battery pack See Replacing the Battery Pack on page 17 2 Replace the base cover See Replacing the Base Cover on page 15 3 Follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer on page 13 ...

Page 22: ...ory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 2 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 Procedure 1 Disconnect the optical drive cable from its connector on the system board 2 Remove the screws that secure the optical drive assembly to the computer base 3 Lift the optical drive assembl...

Page 23: ... Remove the screws that secure the optical drive bracket to the optical drive 5 Lift the optical drive bracket off the optical drive 6 Remove the interposer from the optical drive 1 optical drive bracket 2 interposer 3 screws 4 3 2 1 ...

Page 24: ...drive bracket with the screw holes on the optical drive and replace the screws that secure the optical drive bracket to the optical drive 3 Align the slot on the optical drive with the alignment posts on computer base and place the optical drive in the computer base 4 Replace the screws that secure the optical drive to the computer base 5 Connect the optical drive cable to its connector on the sys...

Page 25: ...ety best practices information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance CAUTION To avoid data loss do not remove the hard drive while the computer is in Sleep or On state CAUTION Hard drives are extremely fragile Exercise care when handling the hard drive Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 2 Remove the battery pack See Remov...

Page 26: ...le from its connector on the system board 2 Loosen the captive screws that secure the hard drive assembly to the computer base 3 Using the pull tab lift the hard drive assembly out of the computer base 1 hard drive cable 2 captive screws 4 3 pull tab 4 hard drive 1 3 2 4 ...

Page 27: ...erposer from the hard drives NOTE Your computer supports up to three drives 5 Remove the screws that secure the hard drive s to the hard drive bracket and slide the hard drive s out of the hard drive bracket 1 hard drive 2 interposer 3 screws 4 1 2 3 ...

Page 28: ...et 3 Replace the screws that secure the primary hard drive to the hard drive bracket 4 If applicable replace the screws that secure the secondary hard drive to the hard drive bracket 5 Connect the interposer to the hard drives 6 Place the hard drive assembly in the computer base 7 Tighten the captive screws that secure the hard drive assembly to the computer base 8 Connect the hard drive cable to ...

Page 29: ...s in Before You Begin on page 11 For additional safety best practices information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 2 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 Procedure Slide and lift the fans cover off the computer base 1 fans cover 1 ...

Page 30: ...t practices information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Procedure Align the tabs on the fans cover with the slots on the computer base and slide the fans cover into place Postrequisites 1 Replace the battery pack See Replacing the Battery Pack on page 17 2 Replace the base cover See Replacing the Base Cover on page 15 3 Follow the instructions in After Work...

Page 31: ...com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 2 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 Procedure 1 Disconnect the primary video card heat sink fan cable from its connector on the system board 2 Loosen the captive screws that secure the primary video card...

Page 32: ...ctor on the system board 4 Loosen the captive screws that secure the secondary video card heat sink fan to the computer base 5 Lift the video card heat sink fan s along with the cable away from the computer base 1 captive screws 4 2 secondary video card heat sink fan 3 secondary video card heat sink fan cable 3 1 2 ...

Page 33: ...condary video card heat sink fan to the computer base 3 Tighten the captive screws that secure the primary video card heat sink fan to the computer base 4 Route the primary video card heat sink fan cable through the routing guides on the computer base 5 Connect the primary video card heat sink fan cable to its connector on the system board 6 Connect the secondary video card heat sink fan cable to ...

Page 34: ...y_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 2 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 Procedure 1 Disconnect the processor heat sink fan cable from its connector on the system board 2 Loosen the captive screws that secure the processor heat sink fan to the computer ...

Page 35: ...edure 1 Align the screw holes on the processor heat sink fan with the screw holes on the computer base 2 Tighten the captive screws that secure the processor heat sink fan to the computer base 3 Connect the processor heat sink fan cable to its connector on the system board Postrequisites 1 Replace the fans cover See Replacing the Fans Cover on page 30 2 Replace the battery pack See Replacing the B...

Page 36: ...nect it from the electrical outlet for a few hours then reconnect the computer turn it on and enter system setup If the date and time are not correct in system setup replace the coin cell battery You can operate your computer without a coin cell battery however without a coin cell battery the configuration information is erased if the computer is turned off or disconnected from the electrical outl...

Page 37: ...n cell battery cable from its connector on the system board 2 Remove the coin cell battery cable from the routing guides on the computer base 3 Pry up the coin cell battery from the slot on the system board 1 coin cell battery cable connector 2 coin cell battery 2 1 ...

Page 38: ...e or equivalent type Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer s instructions Procedure 1 Place the coin cell battery into the slot and press gently to adhere it to the computer base 2 Route the coin cell battery cable through the routing guides on the computer base 3 Connect the coin cell battery cable to its connector on the system board Postrequisites 1 Replace the fans cover See Rep...

Page 39: ...ulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove any installed card or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 4 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 ...

Page 40: ...alm rest assembly 2 Lift the connector latches and pull the pull tabs to disconnect the macro keyboard cable and macro keyboard backlight cable from the connectors on the system board 3 Remove the screws that secure the palm rest assembly to the computer base 1 screws 9 2 macro keyboard cable 3 macro keyboard backlight cable 4 keyboard cable 5 media card reader cable 1 2 3 4 5 ...

Page 41: ...alm rest assembly from the computer base CAUTION Carefully separate the palmrest from the computer base to avoid damage to the palmrest 6 Lift the palm rest assembly off the computer base 7 Remove the status light board See Removing the Status Light Board on page 47 8 Remove the power button board See Removing the Power Button Board on page 45 1 palm rest assembly 1 ...

Page 42: ...ssembly to the computer base 5 Slide the media card reader cable and keyboard cable into the respective connectors on the palm rest assembly and press down on the connector latches to secure the cables 6 Slide the macro keyboard cable and macro keyboard backlight cable into the respective connectors on the system board and press down on the connector latches to secure the cables Postrequisites 1 R...

Page 43: ...rmation see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 2 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 Procedure 1 Remove the screw that secures the mSATA to the system board 2 Slide and remove the mSATA card off th...

Page 44: ...om regulatory_compliance Procedure 1 Insert the mSATA card connector at a 45 degree angle into the system board connector 2 Press the other end of the mSATA card down into the slot on the system board and replace the screw that secures the mSATA card to the system board connector Postrequisites 1 Replace the battery pack See Replacing the Battery Pack on page 17 2 Replace the base cover See Replac...

Page 45: ...3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 6 in Removing the Palm Rest Procedure 1 Lift the connector latch and pull the pull tab to ...

Page 46: ...st assembly 3 Slide the power button board cable into its connector on the status light board and press down on the connector latch to secure the cable 4 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest Postrequisites 1 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 2 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 3 Replace the batt...

Page 47: ...at dell com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove any installed card or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See...

Page 48: ...ower button board cable and media card reader cable from the connectors on the status light board 2 Remove the screws that secure the status light board to the palm rest assembly 3 Lift the status light board off the palmrest 1 screws 2 2 power button board cable 3 status light board 4 media card reader cable 2 4 3 1 ...

Page 49: ... assembly 3 Slide the power button board cable and media card reader cable into the respective connectors on the status light board and press down on the connector latches to secure the cables 4 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest Postrequisites 1 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 2 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the H...

Page 50: ...m regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove any installed card or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing ...

Page 51: ... the keyboard CAUTION Be extremely careful when removing and handling the keyboard Failure to do so could result in scratching the display panel Lift the connector latches and pull the pull tabs to disconnect the media card reader cable and the keyboard backlight cable from the respective connectors 2 Lift the keyboard bracket off the keyboard 1 keyboard backlight cable 2 keyboard bracket 3 screws...

Page 52: ...tor latch and pull the pull tab to disconnect the keyboard cable from the respective connector 4 Remove the screws that secure the keyboard to the palm rest assembly 5 Lift the keyboard off the palm rest assembly 1 screws 2 2 keyboard cable 2 1 ...

Page 53: ...board 5 Slide the media card reader cable and keyboard backlight cable into their respective connectors and press down on the connector latches to secure the cables 6 Replace the screws that secure the keyboard bracket to the keyboard Postrequisites 1 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 2 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 3 Re...

Page 54: ...ve the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the keyboard See Removing the Keyboard on page 50 Procedure 1 Remove the screw that secures the macro keyboard to the computer base CAUTION The keycaps on the macro keyboard are fragile easily dislodged and time consuming to replace Be careful when removing and handl...

Page 55: ...l com regulatory_compliance Procedure 1 Slide the tab on the macro keyboard into the slot on the palm rest assembly and lower the macro keyboard into place 2 Replace the screw that secures the macro keyboard to the computer base Postrequisites 1 Replace the keyboard See Replacing the Keyboard on page 53 2 Replace the base cover See Replacing the Base Cover on page 15 3 Replace the battery pack See...

Page 56: ...d or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step...

Page 57: ... connector cable from its connector on the system board 5 Pull the pull tab to disconnect the display cable from its connector on the system board 6 Disconnect the LED logo board cable from its connector on the system board 1 display cable connector 2 LED logo board cable 3 video card connector cable 3 2 1 ...

Page 58: ...reless Mini Card on page 105 8 Note the routing of the antenna cables and then remove the cables from the routing guides on the computer base 9 Remove the screw that secures the routing guides to the computer base 10 Slide and lift the routing guides off the computer base 1 screw 2 routing guides 3 antenna cables 3 1 3 2 ...

Page 59: ...e the screws on the display hinges that secure the display assembly to the computer base 12 Move the display to a perpendicular position to the computer base and then lift the display assembly off the computer 1 display assembly 2 screws 3 1 2 ...

Page 60: ...Mini Card antenna cables to the Mini Card See Replacing the Wireless Mini Card on page 107 5 Connect the display cable video card connector cable and LED logo board cable to the respective connectors on the system board 6 Close the display and turn the computer over 7 Replace the screws that secure the display assembly to the computer base Postrequisites 1 Follow the instructions from step 3 to st...

Page 61: ...r blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1 ...

Page 62: ...e the screw that secures the camera module to the display back cover 2 Disconnect the camera cable from the camera module connector 3 Pry and lift the camera module off the display back cover 1 screw 1 2 camera module 3 camera cable connector 1 2 3 ...

Page 63: ...cover Postrequisites 1 Replace the display bezel See Replacing the Display Bezel on page 65 2 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 3 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 4 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 5 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 6 Replace the ba...

Page 64: ...e base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 6 in Removing the Palm Rest 8 Remove...

Page 65: ...trequisites 1 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 2 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 3 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 4 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 5 Replace the battery pack See Replacing the Battery Pack on page 17 6 Replace the fans cover Se...

Page 66: ...n page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 6 in Removing the Palm Rest 8 Remove the display assembly See Removing the Dis...

Page 67: ...strequisites 1 Replace the display bezel See Replacing the Display Bezel on page 65 2 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 3 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 4 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 5 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 6 Replace the battery pa...

Page 68: ... blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1...

Page 69: ...Removing the Display Panel 69 Procedure 1 Remove the screws that secure the display panel to the display back cover 2 Lift the display panel off the display back cover 1 screws 8 2 display panel 1 2 ...

Page 70: ...ce it on a clean surface 4 Peel the tape that secures the display cable to the display panel connector 5 Lift the connector latch and disconnect the display cable from the display panel connector 6 Lift the display cable off the display panel 1 tape 2 display cable 1 2 ...

Page 71: ...e Display Panel 71 7 Remove the screws that secure the display panel brackets to the display panel 8 Slide the display panel brackets off the display panel 1 screws 6 2 display panel brackets 3 display panel 1 2 3 ...

Page 72: ...panel with the screw holes on the display back cover 6 Replace the screws that secure the display panel to the display back cover Postrequisites 1 Replace the display hinges See Replacing the Display Hinges on page 67 2 Replace the display bezel See Replacing the Display Bezel on page 65 3 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 4 Follow the instructions from ste...

Page 73: ... Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 6 in Removing the Palm Rest 8 Remove the display assembly See Rem...

Page 74: ...he logo board to the display back cover 2 Carefully rotate the logo board over and disconnect the display light board cables from the connectors on the logo board 3 Lift the logo board off the display back cover 1 screws 2 2 logo board 3 display light board cables 4 1 2 3 ...

Page 75: ...e display panel See Replacing the Display Panel on page 72 2 Replace the display hinges See Replacing the Display Hinges on page 67 3 Replace the display bezel See Replacing the Display Bezel on page 65 4 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 5 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 6 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the...

Page 76: ...emove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 6 in Removing the Palm Rest 8 Remove the display assembly See Removing the Display Assembly...

Page 77: ...Display Light Boards 77 Procedure 1 Remove the screws that secure the display light boards to the display back cover 2 Lift the display light boards off the display back cover 1 screws 5 2 display light boards 3 2 1 ...

Page 78: ...isplay panel See Replacing the Display Panel on page 72 3 Replace the display hinges See Replacing the Display Hinges on page 67 4 Replace the display bezel See Replacing the Display Bezel on page 65 5 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 6 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 7 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Op...

Page 79: ...m regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove any installed card or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing ...

Page 80: ... Note the speakers cable routing and remove the cable from the routing guides on the computer base 3 Remove the screws that secure the speakers to the computer base 4 Lift the speakers along with the speaker cable off the computer base 1 speakers 2 2 speakers cable routing 3 screws 4 4 speakers cable 4 3 2 1 ...

Page 81: ...ers cable through the routing guides on the computer base and then connect the speakers cable to its connector on the system board Postrequisites 1 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 2 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 3 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 4 Replace the battery pack See Replacin...

Page 82: ...the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before You Begin on page 11 For additional safety best practices information see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites Remove the speakers See Removing the Speakers on page 79 ...

Page 83: ...subwoofer cable routing and remove the cable from the routing guides on the computer base 3 Loosen the captive screws that secure the subwoofer to the computer base 4 Lift the subwoofer along with the subwoofer cable off the computer base 1 subwoofer cable 2 captive screws 2 3 subwoofer 4 subwoofer cable routing 1 4 3 2 ...

Page 84: ...dell com regulatory_compliance Procedure 1 Align the screw holes on the subwoofer with the screw holes on the computer base 2 Tighten the captive screws that secure the subwoofer to the computer base 3 Route the subwoofer cable through the routing guides on the computer base and then connect the subwoofer cable to its connector on the system board Postrequisites 1 Replace the speaker See Replacing...

Page 85: ... com regulatory_compliance Prerequisites 1 Remove any installed card or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removi...

Page 86: ...onnect the hall effect sensor board cable from its connector on the sound board 2 Remove the screws that secure the sound board to the computer base 3 Gently lift the sound board out of the slots on the computer base 1 sound board 2 screws 3 3 hall effect sensor board 2 1 3 ...

Page 87: ...e hall effect sensor board cable into its connector on the sound board and press down on the connector latch to secure the cable Postrequisites 1 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 2 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 3 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 4 Replace the battery pack See Replacing ...

Page 88: ...ase Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Remove the display assembly See Removing the Display Assembly on page 56 8 Remove the video card s See Removing t...

Page 89: ...oving the Video Card Heat Sink s 89 Primary video card heat sink Secondary video card heat sink 1 primary video card heat sink 2 captive screws 4 1 captive screws 4 2 secondary video card heat sink 1 2 1 2 ...

Page 90: ...ry video card heat sink to the video card 3 Tighten the captive screws that secure the secondary video card heat sink to the video card Postrequisites 1 Replace the video card s See Replacing the Video Card s on page 93 2 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 3 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 4 Replace the hard drive s See R...

Page 91: ...Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Remove the display assembly See Removing the Display Asse...

Page 92: ... video card s to the system board 4 Lift and slide the video card s along with heat sink s out to disconnect it from the connectors on the system board Primary Video Card Secondary Video Card 1 primary video card 2 screws 2 1 secondary video card 2 screws 2 2 1 1 2 ...

Page 93: ...ace the screws that secure the video card s to the system board 3 Connect the video card connector cable to the connectors on the system board Postrequisites 1 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 2 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 3 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 4 Replace the battery pac...

Page 94: ...age 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 7 Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 6 in Removing the Palm Rest 8 Remove the display assembly See Removing the Displa...

Page 95: ...is achieved Procedure Align the captive screws on the processor heat sink with the screw holes on the system board and tighten the screws in sequential order indicated on the processor heat sink Postrequisites 1 Replace the display assembly See Replacing the Display Assembly on page 60 2 Follow the instructions from step 3 to step 6 in Replacing the Palm Rest 3 Replace the optical drive See Replac...

Page 96: ...tal pins Prerequisites 1 Remove any installed card or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remove the battery pack See Removing the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 6 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical D...

Page 97: ...mum cooling for the processor module do not touch the heat transfer areas on the processor thermal cooling assembly The oils in your skin can reduce the heat transfer capability of the thermal pads CAUTION When removing the processor module lift the module straight up Be careful not to bend the pins on the processor module 2 Lift the processor module from the ZIF socket 1 ZIF socket 2 ZIF socket c...

Page 98: ... installation Procedure 1 Align the pin 1 corner of the processor module with the pin 1 corner of the ZIF socket then place the processor module NOTE The pin 1 corner of the processor module has a triangle that aligns with the triangle on the pin 1 corner of the ZIF socket When the processor module is properly seated all four corners are aligned at the same height If one or more corners of the mod...

Page 99: ...4 Replace the optical drive See Replacing the Optical Drive on page 24 5 Replace the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 6 Replace the battery pack See Replacing the Battery Pack on page 17 7 Replace the fans cover See Replacing the Fans Cover on page 30 8 Replace the base cover See Replacing the Base Cover on page 15 9 Replace any card or blank that you removed from the Media C...

Page 100: ...oving the Battery Pack on page 16 5 Remove the memory modules See Removing the Memory Module s on page 18 6 Remove the hard drive s See Removing the Hard Drive s on page 25 7 Remove the optical drive See Removing the Optical Drive on page 22 8 Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 6 in Removing the Palm Rest 9 Remove the display assembly See Removing the Display Assembly on page 56 10 Remove...

Page 101: ... the subwoofer cable from the connectors on the system board 2 Lift the connector latch and disconnect the tron light cables from the connectors on the system board 1 tron lights cable 1 2 tron lights cable 2 3 tron lights cable 3 4 subwoofer cable 5 speakers cable 1 2 3 4 5 ...

Page 102: ...emove the screws that secure the system board to the computer base 4 Carefully ease the connectors on the system board out of the slots in the computer base and lift the system board off the computer base 1 screws 8 2 system board 1 2 ...

Page 103: ...ini Card See Replacing the Wireless Mini Card on page 107 4 Replace the mSATA card See Replacing the mSATA Card on page 44 5 Replace the video card s See Replacing the Video Card s on page 93 6 Replace the video card heat sink s See Replacing the Video Card Heat Sink s on page 90 7 Replace the processor heat sink fan See Replacing the Processor Heat Sink Fan on page 35 8 Replace the video card hea...

Page 104: ...nk that you removed from the Media Card Reader 19 Follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer on page 13 Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS 1 Turn on the computer 2 Press F2 during POST to enter the system setup program 3 Navigate to the main tab and enter the service tag in the Service Tag Setting field ...

Page 105: ...rdered a wireless Mini Card with your computer the card is already installed Your computer has one half Mini Card slot which supports a Wireless Local Area Network WLAN Bluetooth combo card Prerequisites 1 Remove any installed card or blank from the Media Card Reader 2 Remove the base cover See Removing the Base Cover on page 14 3 Remove the fans cover See Removing the Fans Cover on page 29 4 Remo...

Page 106: ...the antenna cables from the connectors on the wireless Mini Card 2 Remove the screw that secures the wireless Mini Card to the system board 3 Lift the wireless Mini Card away from the system board connector 1 antenna cables 2 2 wireless mini card 3 screw 1 3 2 ...

Page 107: ... the connectors on the wireless Mini Card and on the system board and realign the wireless Mini Card CAUTION To avoid damage to the wireless Mini Card never place cables under the wireless Mini Card 2 Insert the wireless Mini Card connector at a 45 degree angle into the system board connector 3 Press the other end of the wireless Mini Card down into the slot on the system board and replace the scr...

Page 108: ...ce the hard drive s See Replacing the Hard Drive s on page 28 4 Replace the battery pack See Replacing the Battery Pack on page 17 5 Replace the fans cover See Replacing the Fans Cover on page 30 6 Replace the base cover See Replacing the Base Cover on page 15 7 Replace any card or blank that you removed from the Media Card Reader 8 Follow the instructions in After Working Inside Your Computer on ...

Page 109: ...E Before you change system setup it is recommended that you write down the system setup screen information for future reference Entering System Setup 1 Turn on or restart your computer 2 During POST when the ALIENWARE logo is displayed watch for the F2 prompt to appear and then press F2 immediately NOTE The F2 prompt indicates that the keyboard has initialized This prompt can appear very quickly s...

Page 110: ... Help Screen This field appears on the right side of the system setup window and contains information about each option listed in the Setup Item In this field you can view information about your computer and make changes to your current settings Press the up and down arrow keys to highlight an option Press Enter to make that selection active and return to the Setup Item NOTE Not all settings liste...

Page 111: ...ays the type of mSATA device installed AC Adapter Type Displays the type of AC adapter connected to your computer Total Memory Displays the total memory available in your computer Memory Bank 0 Displays the memory size installed in DIMM 0 Memory Bank 1 Displays the memory size installed in DIMM 1 Advanced Menu Intel R SpeedStep Allows you to enable or disable the Intel SpeedStep technology Disabli...

Page 112: ...ows you to enable USB devices to wake the computer from standby or to disable the USB wake support feature NOTE If USB PowerShare is enabled a device connected to the USB PowerShare connector may not wake the computer SATA Operation Allows you to configure the operating mode of the integrated SATA hard drive controller AHCI SATA is configured for AHCI mode RAID SATA is configured for RAID mode Ada...

Page 113: ...king options Non Turbo Flex Support Allows you to enable or disable non turbo flex support Flex Ratio Override Allows you to set the flex ratio override value Extreme Edition Allows you to disable or choose BIOS or cTDP Extreme Edition Core Ratio Limits Allows you to set the extreme edition core ratio limit Override Turbo Settings Allows you to enable or disable the override turbo settings Long Du...

Page 114: ... disable the internal Bluetooth device Disabled The internal Bluetooth device is disabled and is not visible to the operating system Enabled The internal Bluetooth device is enabled Wireless Network Allows you to enable or disable the internal wireless device Disabled The internal wireless device is disabled and is not visible to the operating system Enabled The internal wireless device is enabled...

Page 115: ...r disable secure boot Load Legacy Option Rom Allows you to enable or disable the option to load a legacy Rom NOTE This option is disabled when Secure Boot option is enabled Boot List Option Allows you to set the boot sequence order UEFI or Legacy NOTE This option is disabled when Secure Boot option is enabled Secure Boot Mode Allows you to set Custom or Standard secure boot mode NOTE This option i...

Page 116: ...if the disc is not bootable the computer generates an error message Second Hard Drive The computer attempts to boot from the secondary hard drive If no operating system is on the drive the computer generates an error message eSATA The computer attempts to boot from the device connected to your computer eSATA port If no operating system is on the drive the computer generates an error message Networ...

Page 117: ... computer generates an error message Second Hard Drive The computer attempts to boot from the secondary hard drive If no operating system is on the drive the computer generates an error message eSATA The computer attempts to boot from the device connected to your computer eSATA port If no operating system is on the drive the computer generates an error message Network The computer attempts to boot...

Page 118: ...ure Boots 1 Turn on or restart your computer 2 During POST when the DELL logo is displayed watch for the F2 prompt to appear and then press F2 immediately NOTE The F2 prompt indicates that the keyboard has initialized This prompt can appear very quickly so you must watch for it and then press F2 If you press F2 before the F2 prompt this keystroke is lost If you wait too long and the operating syst...

Page 119: ...rvice Code a Select one of the following options Automatically detect my Service Tag for me Choose from My Products and Services List Choose from a list of all Dell products b Click Continue and follow the instructions on the screen 4 A list of results appears on the screen Click BIOS 5 Click Download File next to the latest version to download the latest BIOS file 6 In the Please select your down...