Alienware Alpha User manual

Alienware Alpha
Service Manual
Computer Model: Alienware Alpha
Regulatory Model: D07U
Regulatory Type: D07U001

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use
of your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to
hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage,
personal injury, or death.
Copyright © 2014 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and
international copyright and intellectual property laws. Dell™ and the Dell logo are trademarks of
Dell Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned
herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
2014 - 10
Rev. A00

Contents
Before Working Inside Your Computer........................8
Before You Begin ................................................................................................ 8
Safety Instructions..............................................................................................8
Recommended Tools.........................................................................................10
After Working Inside Your Computer...........................11
Technical Overview..............................................................12
Inside View Of Your Computer...........................................................................12
System-Board Components.............................................................................. 13
Removing the Base Cover.................................................14
Procedure...........................................................................................................14
Replacing the Base Cover................................................. 16
Procedure...........................................................................................................16
Removing the Top Cover................................................... 17
Prerequisites...................................................................................................... 17
Procedure........................................................................................................... 17
Replacing the Top Cover................................................... 19
Procedure...........................................................................................................19
Post-requisites.................................................................................................. 19
Removing the Hard Drive.................................................20
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................20
Procedure..........................................................................................................20

Replacing the Hard Drive................................................. 23
Procedure..........................................................................................................23
Post-requisites..................................................................................................23
Removing the Bottom USB Port................................... 24
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................24
Procedure..........................................................................................................24
Replacing the Bottom USB Port....................................28
Procedure..........................................................................................................28
Post-requisites..................................................................................................28
Removing the Power-Button Board............................29
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................29
Procedure..........................................................................................................29
Replacing the Power-Button Board............................ 33
Procedure..........................................................................................................33
Post-requisites..................................................................................................33
Removing the Processor Fan.........................................34
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................34
Procedure..........................................................................................................34
Replacing the Processor Fan......................................... 36
Procedure..........................................................................................................36
Post-requisites..................................................................................................36
Removing the Processor Heat-Sink............................37
Prerequisites..................................................................................................... 37
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 37

Replacing the Processor Heat-Sink............................39
Procedure..........................................................................................................39
Post-requisites..................................................................................................39
Removing the Video-Card Fan.......................................40
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................40
Procedure..........................................................................................................40
Replacing the Video-Card Fan........................................42
Procedure..........................................................................................................42
Post-requisites..................................................................................................42
Removing the Video-Card Heat Sink..........................43
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................43
Procedure..........................................................................................................44
Replacing the Video-Card Heat Sink...........................45
Procedure..........................................................................................................45
Post-requisites..................................................................................................45
Removing the Memory Module(s)............................... 46
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................46
Procedure..........................................................................................................46
Replacing the Memory Module(s)................................48
Procedure..........................................................................................................48
Post-requisites..................................................................................................49
Removing the Processor..................................................50
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................50
Procedure..........................................................................................................50

Replacing the Processor.................................................. 52
Procedure..........................................................................................................52
Post-requisites..................................................................................................53
Removing the Front-Panel Light Board.................... 54
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................54
Procedure..........................................................................................................54
Replacing the Front-Panel Light Board..................... 57
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 57
Post-requisites.................................................................................................. 57
Removing the Wireless Card.......................................... 58
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................58
Procedure..........................................................................................................58
Replacing the Wireless Card...........................................60
Procedure..........................................................................................................60
Post-requisites................................................................................................. 60
Removing the Antenna Modules.................................. 61
Prerequisites......................................................................................................61
Procedure..........................................................................................................62
Replacing the Antenna Modules..................................64
Procedure..........................................................................................................64
Post-requisites..................................................................................................64
Removing the System Board......................................... 65
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................65
Procedure..........................................................................................................66

Replacing the System Board..........................................69
Procedure..........................................................................................................69
Post-requisites..................................................................................................69
Removing the Coin-Cell Battery.....................................71
Prerequisites...................................................................................................... 71
Procedure........................................................................................................... 71
Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery.................................... 73
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 73
Post-requisites.................................................................................................. 73
System Setup.........................................................................74
Overview ........................................................................................................... 74
Entering System Setup .................................................................................... 74
System Setup Options...................................................................................... 74
Boot Sequence..................................................................................................80
Changing Boot Sequence for the Current Boot..........................................80
Changing Boot Sequence for Future Boots.................................................81
Clearing Forgotten Passwords.......................................................................... 81
Prerequisites...............................................................................................82
Procedure.................................................................................................... 82
Post-requisites............................................................................................84
Clearing CMOS Settings....................................................................................84
Prerequisites...............................................................................................84
Procedure....................................................................................................84
Post-requisites............................................................................................86
Flashing the BIOS................................................................. 87

Before Working Inside Your
Computer
CAUTION: To avoid damaging the components and cards,
handle them by their edges and avoid touching pins and
contacts.
NOTE: The images in this document may differ from your computer
depending on the configuration you ordered.
Before You Begin
1 Save and close all open files and exit all open applications.
2 Shut down your computer.
– Windows 8.1: On the Start screen, click or tap the power icon →
Shut down.
– Console Mode: On the Home screen, click Power → 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 electrical
outlets.
4 Disconnect all cables such as telephone cables, network cables and so on,
from your computer.
5 Disconnect all attached devices and peripherals, such as keyboard, mouse,
monitor, and so on, from your computer.
6 Remove any media card and optical disc from your computer, if applicable.
7 After the computer is unplugged, press and hold the power button for 5
seconds to ground the system board.
Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to protect your computer from potential
damage and ensure your personal safety.
8

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the
safety information that shipped with your computer. For
more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance
home page at dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
WARNING: Disconnect all power sources before opening the
computer cover or panels. After you finish working inside
the computer, replace all covers, panels, and screws before
connecting to the power source.
CAUTION: To avoid damaging the computer, make sure that
the work surface is flat and clean.
CAUTION: To avoid damaging the components and cards,
handle them by their edges and avoid touching pins and
contacts.
CAUTION: You should only perform troubleshooting and
repairs as authorized or directed by the Dell technical
assistance team. Damage due to servicing that is not
authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. See the
safety instructions that shipped with the product or at
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
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 electricity, which could harm internal
components.
CAUTION: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector
or on its pull-tab, not on the cable itself. Some cables have
connectors with locking tabs or thumb-screws that you
must disengage before disconnecting the cable. When
disconnecting cables, keep them evenly aligned to avoid
bending any connector pins. When connecting cables, make
sure that the ports and connectors are correctly oriented
and aligned.
CAUTION: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the
cable from your computer and then unplug the cable from
the network device.
9

CAUTION: Press and eject any installed card from the media-
card reader.
Recommended Tools
The procedures in this document may require the following tools:
• Philips screwdriver
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Plastic scribe
10

After Working Inside Your
Computer
CAUTION: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your
computer may severely damage your computer.
1 Replace all screws and make sure that no stray screws remain inside your
computer.
2 Connect any external devices, peripherals, and cables you removed before
working on your computer.
3 Replace any media cards, discs, and any other part(s) that you removed
before working on your computer.
4 Connect your computer and all attached devices to their electrical outlets.
5 Turn on your computer.
11

Technical Overview
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the
safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After Working Inside Your Computer. For more safety best
practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Inside View Of Your Computer
1 video-card fan 2 back panel
3 processor fan 4 power-button module
5 front-panel light module
12

System-Board Components
1 processor socket 2 processor-fan cable connector
(CPU_FAN)
3 clear password jumper
(CLEAR_PASSWORD)
4 power-button connector
(ALIEN_HEAD)
5 memory-module slot (DIMM2) 6 memory-module slot (DIMM1)
7 video-card fan cable connector
(GPU_FAN)
8 front-panel light board cable
connector (LOGO)
9 USB-port cable connector
(INT_USB2)
10 wireless-card slot
11 clear CMOS jumper (RTCRST) 12 video card
13

Removing the Base Cover
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the
safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After Working Inside Your Computer. For more safety best
practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Turn the computer over.
2 Remove the screws that secure the base cover to the top cover.
1 screws (4) 2 base cover
14

3 Using a plastic scribe, pry the base cover off the top cover.
1 plastic scribe 2 base cover
15

Replacing the Base Cover
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the
safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After Working Inside Your Computer. For more safety best
practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the screw holes on the base cover with the screw holes on the top
cover and snap the base cover over the top cover.
2 Replace the screws that secure the base cover to the top cover.
16

Removing the Top Cover
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the
safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After Working Inside Your Computer. For more safety best
practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Hold the chassis along with the top cover and then turn the computer
over.
17

2 Lift the top cover off the chassis.
1 top cover
18

Replacing the Top Cover
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the
safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After Working Inside Your Computer. For more safety best
practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Procedure
1 Align the slots on the top cover with the ports on the chassis and place the
top cover on the chassis.
2 Hold the chassis along with the top cover and then turn the computer
over.
Post-requisites
Replace the base cover.
19

Removing the Hard Drive
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the
safety information that shipped with your computer and
follow the steps in Before Working Inside Your Computer.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions
in After Working Inside Your Computer. For more safety best
practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at
dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: Hard drives are fragile. Exercise care when
handling the hard drive.
CAUTION: To avoid data loss, do not remove the hard drive
while the computer is in sleep or on state.
Prerequisites
Remove the base cover.
Procedure
1 Remove the screw that secures the hard-drive assembly to the chassis.
2 Slide the hard-drive assembly towards the back of the computer to
disconnect the hard drive from the system board.
20