Alienware Area-51 R2 User manual

Alienware Area-51
Service Manual
Computer Model: Alienware Area-51 R2
Regulatory Model: D03X
Regulatory Type: D03X001

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...................... 10
Before You Begin .............................................................................................. 10
Safety Instructions............................................................................................10
Recommended Tools......................................................................................... 12
After Working Inside Your Computer..........................13
Technical Overview..............................................................14
Inside View of Your Computer........................................................................... 14
Right View.................................................................................................... 15
Left View.......................................................................................................16
System-Board Components...............................................................................17
I/O Board Components...................................................................................... 18
Lifting the Computer..........................................................20
Procedure..........................................................................................................20
Removing the Stability Foot...........................................22
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 22
Replacing the Stability Foot........................................... 25
Procedure..........................................................................................................25
Removing the Side Panels...............................................26
Procedure..........................................................................................................26
Replacing the Side Panels............................................... 28
Procedure..........................................................................................................28

Removing the Battery....................................................... 29
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................29
Procedure..........................................................................................................30
Replacing the Battery.........................................................31
Procedure...........................................................................................................31
Post-requisites..................................................................................................32
Removing the Battery Case............................................33
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................33
Procedure..........................................................................................................33
Replacing the Battery Case............................................ 36
Procedure..........................................................................................................36
Post-requisites..................................................................................................36
Removing the Hard Drive................................................. 37
Prerequisites..................................................................................................... 37
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 37
Replacing the Hard Drive................................................. 40
Procedure..........................................................................................................40
Post-requisites................................................................................................. 40
Removing the Optical Drive............................................. 41
Prerequisites......................................................................................................41
Procedure...........................................................................................................41
Replacing the Optical Drive............................................ 44
Procedure..........................................................................................................44
Post-requisites..................................................................................................44

Removing the Right AlienFX Side-Panel
Connector................................................................................ 45
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................45
Procedure..........................................................................................................45
Replacing the Right AlienFX Side-Panel
Connector................................................................................ 48
Procedure..........................................................................................................48
Post-requisites................................................................................................. 48
Removing the Left AlienFX Side-Panel
Connector................................................................................ 49
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................49
Procedure..........................................................................................................49
Replacing the Left AlienFX Side-Panel
Connector................................................................................ 53
Procedure..........................................................................................................53
Post-requisites..................................................................................................53
Removing the I/O Board....................................................54
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................54
Procedure..........................................................................................................54
Replacing the I/O Board.....................................................57
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 57
Post-requisites.................................................................................................. 57
Removing the Drive-Bay Heat-Sensor.......................58
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................58
Procedure..........................................................................................................58

Replacing the Drive-Bay Heat-Sensor........................ 61
Procedure...........................................................................................................61
Post-requisites.................................................................................................. 61
Removing the Memory Module(s)............................... 62
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................62
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 62
Replacing the Memory Module(s)................................64
Procedure..........................................................................................................64
Post-requisites..................................................................................................65
Removing the Graphics Card..........................................66
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................66
Procedure..........................................................................................................66
Replacing the Graphics Card.......................................... 69
Procedure..........................................................................................................69
Post-requisites..................................................................................................69
Removing the Multiple Graphics Cards.....................70
Prerequisites..................................................................................................... 70
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 70
Replacing the Multiple Graphics Cards......................74
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 74
Post-requisites.................................................................................................. 74
Removing the Full-length Graphics Cards................75
Prerequisites..................................................................................................... 75
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 75

Replacing the Full-length Graphics Cards................ 79
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 79
Post-requisites..................................................................................................79
Removing the PCI Fan........................................................80
Prerequisites.................................................................................................... 80
Procedure..........................................................................................................80
Replacing the PCI Fan........................................................ 85
Procedure..........................................................................................................85
Post-requisites................................................................................................. 85
Removing the Front-bezel Heat-sensor...................86
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................86
Procedure..........................................................................................................86
Replacing the Front-bezel Heat-sensor................... 88
Procedure..........................................................................................................88
Post-requisites................................................................................................. 88
Removing the Memory Fan.............................................89
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................89
Procedure..........................................................................................................89
Replacing the Memory Fan.............................................. 91
Procedure...........................................................................................................91
Post-requisites.................................................................................................. 91
Removing the Processor Cooling-Assembly.......... 92
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................92
Procedure..........................................................................................................92

Replacing the Processor Cooling Assembly........... 95
Procedure..........................................................................................................95
Post-requisites..................................................................................................96
Removing the Processor.................................................. 97
Prerequisites..................................................................................................... 97
Procedure.......................................................................................................... 97
Replacing the Processor.................................................. 99
Procedure..........................................................................................................99
Post-requisites................................................................................................100
Removing the Power-Supply Unit...............................101
Prerequisites....................................................................................................101
Procedure......................................................................................................... 101
Replacing the Power-Supply Unit.............................. 104
Procedure........................................................................................................ 105
Post-requisites................................................................................................106
Removing the Coin-Cell Battery.................................. 107
Prerequisites....................................................................................................107
Procedure.........................................................................................................107
Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery.................................. 109
Procedure........................................................................................................ 109
Post-requisites................................................................................................109
Removing the Wireless Card......................................... 110
Prerequisites....................................................................................................110
Procedure......................................................................................................... 110

Replacing the Wireless Card.......................................... 112
Procedure......................................................................................................... 112
Post-requisites................................................................................................. 112
Removing the Logo Board.............................................. 113
Prerequisites.................................................................................................... 113
Procedure......................................................................................................... 113
Replacing the Logo Board...............................................116
Procedure......................................................................................................... 116
Post-requisites.................................................................................................116
Removing the System Board......................................... 117
Prerequisites.....................................................................................................117
Procedure......................................................................................................... 118
Replacing the System Board......................................... 119
Procedure......................................................................................................... 119
Post-requisites.................................................................................................119
System Setup........................................................................121
Overview .......................................................................................................... 121
Entering System Setup ................................................................................... 121
System Setup Options..................................................................................... 121
Clearing Forgotten Passwords........................................................................130
Clearing CMOS Settings................................................................................... 131
Flashing the BIOS............................................................................................ 132

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.
– Windows 7: Click or tap Start → 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.
10

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: Only a certified service technician is authorized to
remove the computer cover and access any of the
components inside the computer. 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 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.
11

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
12

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.
13

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
To view the different components installed in your computer. See “Right View”
and “Left View”.
14

Right View
1 processor liquid-cooling
assembly-fan
2 graphics card
3 system board 4 power-supply
5 AlienFX side-panel connector 6 PCI fan
7 processor liquid-cooling assembly
pump
8 memory modules
9 memory fan (top fan)
15

Left View
1 optical drive (ODD) 2 I/O board (IO BRD)
3 drive-bay heat-sensor 4 2.5 inch drive bracket (HDD4/
HDD5)
5 AlienFX side-panel connector 6 rear I/O accessibility lighting
batteries
7 3.5 inch drive bracket (HDD1) 8 3.5 inch drive bracket (HDD2)
9 3.5 inch drive bracket (HDD3)
16

System-Board Components
1 processor liquid cooling-assembly
fan (LCM_FAN1)
2 audio connector (AUDIO101)
3 PCI-Express x16 slot (SLOT1) 4 low pin count debug header
(LPC1)
5 password reset jumper
(PASSWORD1)
6 PCI-Express x1 slot (SLOT2)
17

7 PCI-Express x16 slot (SLOT3) 8 M.2 connector (wireless card)
9 coin-cell battery socket (BAT1) 10 CMOS reset jumper (CLEAR
CMOS1)
11 PCI-Express x4 slot (SLOT4) 12 Thunderbolt connector (TBT1)
13 PCI-Express x16 slot (SLOT5) 14 Serial Peripheral Interface
connector (SP11)
15 PCI-fan connector (SIDE_FAN1) 16 drive-bay heat-sensor
connector (SENSOR1)
17 chassis heat-sensor connector
(SENSOR2)
18 PCI-Express power connector
(PCIE_PWR1)
19 PCI-Express fan 1 connector
(PCI_FAN1)
20 SATA drive connectors
21 USB connector (USB1) 22 LED Power Switch (PANEL1)
23 USB connector (USB3_MB1) 24 Advanced Technology xTended
(ATX) power connector (ATX
PWR1)
25 processor socket (CPU1) 26 memory-module slot (DIMM3)
27 memory-module slot (DIMM4) 28 processor liquid-cooling
assembly fan connector
(MID_FAN1)
29 memory fan connector
(TOP_FAN1)
30 processor-power connector
(CPU PWR1)
31 processor liquid-cooling assembly
pump-fan connector
(PUMP_FAN1)
32 memory-module slot (DIMM2)
33 memory-module slot (DIMM1)
I/O Board Components
NOTE: The location of the connectors may vary based on the selections
you made at the time of purchase.
18

1 rear I/O accessibility lighting
battery connector (VBAT1)
2 rear I/O accessibility lighting
connector (PORCH_LIGHT1)
3 left theater-lighting connector
(POGO_IN_L1)
4 right theater-lighting connector
(POGO_IN_R1)
5 USB connector (USB1) 6 debug connector (DEBUG1)
7 front I/O control connector
(FIO_PWR1)
8 front I/O connector (USB3_FIO1)
9 main-power connector (PWR1) 10 optical drive power connector
(ODD1)
11 logo board connector (LOGO1) 12 audio connector (AUDIOIO1)
19

Lifting the Computer
Procedure
1 With both hands, hold the handle on top of the computer.
20