Alienware Area 51M 5500/766:
- Windows XP Pro (SP1)
- P4 3.2ghz CPU
- 1024mb DDR PC3200 (400mhz)
- Geforce FX GO5700 128mb DDR
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Area51m1.jpg
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Area51m2.jpg
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Area51m3.jpg
Problem:
- Random Crash/Reboot
Description:
- Laptop will reboot to a black screen. There is not a display of any kind, nor is there an error message. Power LED's remain powered and the laptop will not boot into bios or windows. Laptop must be manually turned off and back on for a successful boot.
Evidence:
- Over time the crashes occurred more often. WoW could run for days without crashing, then hours, then minutes.
- World of Warcraft is the only CPU intensive task my laptop has to deal with and is the only game that it runs (until I started troubleshooting); besides diagnostic/utility programs. When the laptop could only run WoW for minutes at a time before crashing other programs would crash the laptop such as well Norton Antivirus, and SiSoft Sandra.
Intensive programs ran during system crashes are as follows:
- Norton Antivirus 2005.
- Sysoft Sandra (Full Diagnostic Benchmark/Test).
- World of Warcraft.
- Battlefield Vietnam.
- UT 2004.
- Neverwinter Nights.
- Gunbound.
Fixes that I’ve tried with NO SUCCESS:
- Reinstalling WoW.
- Reinstalling DirectX 9.0c.
- Reinstalling Windows XP Pro.
- Format & Reinstalling Windows.
- Windows SP1.
- Windows SP2.
- Updating/Downgrading Video Drivers .
- Updating/Downgrading Sound Drivers.
- Updating/Downgrading Network Card.
- Updating/Downgrading Cable Modem Firmware.
- Updating/Downgrading Bios.
- Deleting WoW Temp/Cache Folders (WTB, WTF).
- Removing Cosmos (WoW Gui Mod).
- Removing running background applications.
- Running –opengl.
- Running -direct3D.
- Running –nosound.
- Running Compatability Mode Under: Win 98/Me and Win2000
- Running Memtest86 twice (no errors).
- Scanning for Viruses/Worms/Trojans.
- Scanning for Spyware.
- Turning down all video/texture settings.
- Turning down Hardware Acceleration by 1 and 2 notches.
- Turning off Firewall.
- Testing IRQ settings for conflicts.
- Testing one out of two memory sticks at a time in memory slots 1 and 2.
- Powering the laptop directly into the wall instead of a surge protector/powerstrip.
- Powering the laptop directly from the battery.
Successful Fix:
After thoroughly troubleshooting and speaking to many others who are encountering the problem I concluded that it was the CPU overheating due to extended periods of high CPU usage. This isn’t normal of course and shouldn’t be happening. After removing the under panel of my laptop (CPU and Video Panel) I removed the heatsink from the CPU and I didn’t have to look twice to know what was wrong!
Alienware used a rather cheap substitute for the thermal compound in my laptop between the heatsink and CPU. You can easily tell where the CPU comes in contact with the heatsink.
Top View:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs1.jpg
Side View:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs2.jpg
Back View:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs3.jpg
Side by Side:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs4.jpg
I’ve ordered and applied the following to my CPU to fix the problem. DO NOT attempt anything I have done without speaking to a Alienware Rep first; applying the Artic Silver thermal compound or any other compound to the CPU will void your warranty:
Artic Silver Ceramique (Thermal Compound):
http://www.frozencpu.com/thr-16.html
Bytecc Aluminum laptop cooler:
http://www.frozencpu.com/lap-02.html
My laptop is running better than the day I got it. While playing graphic intensive games the vents and the bottom of the laptop where the CPU is located stay slightly warm and is never hot to the touch anymore! I've been running for 2 days straight without one crash
.
If you have any questions or comments please let me know by Aim, Msn, or Yahoo at TritonB7 and ICQ 85198090.
- Windows XP Pro (SP1)
- P4 3.2ghz CPU
- 1024mb DDR PC3200 (400mhz)
- Geforce FX GO5700 128mb DDR
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Area51m1.jpg
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Area51m2.jpg
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Area51m3.jpg
Problem:
- Random Crash/Reboot
Description:
- Laptop will reboot to a black screen. There is not a display of any kind, nor is there an error message. Power LED's remain powered and the laptop will not boot into bios or windows. Laptop must be manually turned off and back on for a successful boot.
Evidence:
- Over time the crashes occurred more often. WoW could run for days without crashing, then hours, then minutes.
- World of Warcraft is the only CPU intensive task my laptop has to deal with and is the only game that it runs (until I started troubleshooting); besides diagnostic/utility programs. When the laptop could only run WoW for minutes at a time before crashing other programs would crash the laptop such as well Norton Antivirus, and SiSoft Sandra.
Intensive programs ran during system crashes are as follows:
- Norton Antivirus 2005.
- Sysoft Sandra (Full Diagnostic Benchmark/Test).
- World of Warcraft.
- Battlefield Vietnam.
- UT 2004.
- Neverwinter Nights.
- Gunbound.
Fixes that I’ve tried with NO SUCCESS:
- Reinstalling WoW.
- Reinstalling DirectX 9.0c.
- Reinstalling Windows XP Pro.
- Format & Reinstalling Windows.
- Windows SP1.
- Windows SP2.
- Updating/Downgrading Video Drivers .
- Updating/Downgrading Sound Drivers.
- Updating/Downgrading Network Card.
- Updating/Downgrading Cable Modem Firmware.
- Updating/Downgrading Bios.
- Deleting WoW Temp/Cache Folders (WTB, WTF).
- Removing Cosmos (WoW Gui Mod).
- Removing running background applications.
- Running –opengl.
- Running -direct3D.
- Running –nosound.
- Running Compatability Mode Under: Win 98/Me and Win2000
- Running Memtest86 twice (no errors).
- Scanning for Viruses/Worms/Trojans.
- Scanning for Spyware.
- Turning down all video/texture settings.
- Turning down Hardware Acceleration by 1 and 2 notches.
- Turning off Firewall.
- Testing IRQ settings for conflicts.
- Testing one out of two memory sticks at a time in memory slots 1 and 2.
- Powering the laptop directly into the wall instead of a surge protector/powerstrip.
- Powering the laptop directly from the battery.
Successful Fix:
After thoroughly troubleshooting and speaking to many others who are encountering the problem I concluded that it was the CPU overheating due to extended periods of high CPU usage. This isn’t normal of course and shouldn’t be happening. After removing the under panel of my laptop (CPU and Video Panel) I removed the heatsink from the CPU and I didn’t have to look twice to know what was wrong!
Alienware used a rather cheap substitute for the thermal compound in my laptop between the heatsink and CPU. You can easily tell where the CPU comes in contact with the heatsink.
Top View:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs1.jpgSide View:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs2.jpgBack View:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs3.jpgSide by Side:
http://www.octobereffect.com/scraps/Hs4.jpgI’ve ordered and applied the following to my CPU to fix the problem. DO NOT attempt anything I have done without speaking to a Alienware Rep first; applying the Artic Silver thermal compound or any other compound to the CPU will void your warranty:
Artic Silver Ceramique (Thermal Compound):
http://www.frozencpu.com/thr-16.htmlBytecc Aluminum laptop cooler:
http://www.frozencpu.com/lap-02.htmlMy laptop is running better than the day I got it. While playing graphic intensive games the vents and the bottom of the laptop where the CPU is located stay slightly warm and is never hot to the touch anymore! I've been running for 2 days straight without one crash
.If you have any questions or comments please let me know by Aim, Msn, or Yahoo at TritonB7 and ICQ 85198090.
