Area-51m 766 Question

www.support.alienware.com

Try there for Alienware approved drivers and updates.

Hi. Sorry I haven't been on in a while and I just saw your questions. What kind of problems are you having? Which operating system.

I'll assume you are running XP. Are you using the lastest drivers? I was about to point you at the FTP site, but I see now that they are requiring a login. What is up with that?

I too have a 766, and when I start seeing some flakeyness, I reseat the ram and it goes away. With the power off, a/c adapter disconnected and battery removed, lift the keyboard and set it over the touchpad area, then remove the three screws holding the aluminum memory cover (right side cover). Release the memory, remove it, and then reinstall it. If it doesn't boot up clean, repeat until it does.

Make sure you are using the latest drivers. If you can't gain access to the Alienware site, try using the Uniwill drivers that can be found here:

http://www.uniwill.com/UserDownload/N766S/N766S.php

If you still have problems, let me know and I will do what I can to help.

Oh, and make sure your fans are clear. DO NOT operate a 766 on a surface that can block the fans (for instance, don't use it propped up on your bed). It needs a hard surface to breathe.

When I got my 766 the fans were clogged, and it wasn't readily apparent. You should definitely make sure that the video card fan is clear because if you fry that, it's pretty hard to find a replacement. I would carefully pry up the video card cover and take a peek in there between the fan and the output cooling fins. If you see anything in there, blow it out.

I've had both ATI and Nvidia cards in my 766, and I'd stick with the ATI 9700 if I were you. It performed better in my 766 than the Nvidia did.

Good luck, and again, let me know if you still have problems.

Bird Dog... AW's ftp site is password protected, but the driver download section of Alienware's support site is now open to the public. All the 766 drivers and downloads can be found there.

Hammerhead:

Hey, that's great news and a good move by Alienware! I am glad to see that they are expanding their support.

I know you posted this about a year ago (a bit over actually). Anyway, I just got my hands on a 9600 Pro board for the 7665 and I'm planning on installing it in the next week or so. I've never installed a laptop graphics card before - sure, desktops, yeah. Since you had different cards on your machine, I'd figure trying you out as an expert on installs. 1st - do I need to give it a coat of thermal paste like I would a CPU? Also, one side has this thin, foil-like cover. Is that supposed to go into the machine with the card or is it to be removed? Your suggestions warmly appreciated.

Here's AW's knowledge base article on replacing the video module.

In my old 766, the foil piece was connected to the copper heatsink tube to transfer some additional heat.

In order to apply AS5, you'll need to open the module. I'd install it as is, and see if the temps are okay and then decide whether to open the module if needed.

Sorry for the late reply...

Ok, things you need to know about installing that card...

1. No need to remove the foil. It's basically there to seal up the gaps between the fan shroud and that big chunk of aluminum heatsink. More of an airflow thing than anything else I think. They use that same tape on the heatsink (heatpipe) assembly for the CPU.

2. When removing the old board, you need to keep it level with the motherboard as you remove it. There are 2 connectors under it, one towards the back of the machine, one towards the center, and if you don't remove it level it most likely willl break the solder connections between the connectors and the graphics card. If you mess up and break the connections, you CAN straighten the connectors and resolder the surface mount connections, but it's a real pain. Also, when installing the new one, align the connectors and push it straight down, keeping it level as you seat the board.

3. Don't forget to plug in the fan connector (VERY IMPORTANT).

4. No need to put any thermal paste on the video card. There are thermal pads between the video chip and the heatsink (the thermal pads are black or silver rubber/gummi looking square things). The board mounts upside down with the pads sandwiched between the chips and the heatsink where you can't see them.

5. As I've mentioned before in previous posts, make VERY SURE the fan vents are clear. ANY dust could cause a heat problem, and believe me, you don't want a heat problem. Those boards are getting really hard to find now.

Hope this helps!

Bird Dog