Dell Alienware M17x R3 User manual
Alienware M17x-R3 Service
Manual
Regulatory model: P11E Regulatory type: P11E001
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if
instructions are not followed.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal
injury, or death.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2011 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.
is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell™ and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Alienware
a registered trademark of Alienware Corporation; Bluetooth
Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; Microsoft
button logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and/or other countries.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming
the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and
trade names other than its own.
®
is a registered trademark owned by
®
, Windows®, and the Win dows st art
®
is
Regulatory model: P11E Regulatory type: P11E001
January 2011 Rev. A00
Contents
1 Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Recommended Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Turning Off Your Computer
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . 10
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2 Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Removing the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Replacing the Battery Pack
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3 Compartment Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Removing the Compartment Door . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Replacing the Compartment Door . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4 Coin-Cell Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Removing the Coin-Cell Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5 Hard Drive(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Removing the Hard Drive(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Contents 3
Replacing the Hard Drive(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6 Memory Module(s). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Removing the Memory Module(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Replacing the Memory Module(s)
. . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7 Graphics-Card Heat Sink Fan . . . . . . . . 31
Removing the Graphics-Card Heat Sink Fan . . . . . . 31
Replacing the Graphics-Card Heat Sink Fan
. . . . . . 32
8 Graphics-Card Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Removing the Graphics-Card Assembly . . . . . . . . . 35
Replacing the Graphics-Card Assembly. . . . . . . . . 36
9 Processor Heat-Sink Fan. . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Removing the Processor Heat-Sink Fan. . . . . . . . . 37
Replacing the Processor Heat-Sink Fan
. . . . . . . . . 38
10 Processor Heat-Sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4 Contents
Removing the Processor Heat-Sink . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Replacing the Processor Heat-Sink
. . . . . . . . . . . 42
11 Processor Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Removing the Processor Module . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Replacing the Processor Module
. . . . . . . . . . . . 46
12 Center Control Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Removing the Center Control Cover . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Replacing the Center Control Cover
. . . . . . . . . . . 52
13 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Removing the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Replacing the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
14 Wireless Mini-Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Removing the Mini-Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Replacing the Mini-Card
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
15 WirelessHD Card (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . 63
Removing the WirelessHD Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Replacing the WirelessHD Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
16 Power Button Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Removing the Power Button Board . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Contents 5
Replacing the Power Button Board . . . . . . . . . . . 68
17 Display Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Removing the Display Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Replacing the Display Assembly
. . . . . . . . . . . . 73
18 Status Light Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Removing the Status Light Board . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Replacing the Status Light Board
. . . . . . . . . . . . 76
19 Palm Rest Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Removing the Palm Rest Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Replacing the Palm Rest Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . 81
20 Internal Card With Bluetooth Wireless Technology
83
Removing the Bluetooth Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Replacing the Bluetooth Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
21 Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
6 Contents
Removing the Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Replacing the Speakers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
22 Optical Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Removing the Optical Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Replacing the Optical Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
23 System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Removing the System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Replacing the System Board
Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
. . . . . . . . . . 99
24 System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Configuring the System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Entering System Setup
System Setup Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
System Setup Options
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
25 Flashing the BIOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Contents 7
8 Contents
1
Before You Begin
This manual provides procedures for removing and installing the components
in your computer. Unless otherwise noted, each procedure assumes that the
following conditions exist:
• You have performed the steps in "Turning Off Your Computer" on page 9
and "Before Working Inside Your Computer" on page 10.
• You have read the safety information that shipped with your computer
• A component can be replaced or—if purchased separately—installed by
performing the removal procedure in reverse order.
Recommended Tools
The procedures in this document may require the following tools:
• Small flat-blade screwdriver
•Phillips screwdriver
•Plastic scribe
• BIOS executable update program at
support.dell.com
.
Turning Off Your Computer
CAUTION: To avoid losing data, save and close all open files and exit all open
programs before you turn off your computer.
1
Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.
2
Click
Start
, and then click
The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process
finishes.
3
Ensure that the computer and any attached devices are turned off. If your
computer and attached devices did not automatically turn off when you
shut down your operating system, press and hold the power button for at
least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off.
Shut Down
.
Before You Begin 9
Before Working Inside Your Computer
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from
potential damage and to help to ensure your own personal safety.
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information
that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information,
see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist
grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a
connector on your computer).
CAUTION: Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components
or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket.
Hold a component such as a processor by its edges, not by its pins.
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your
computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell™ is not covered
by your warranty.
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; if you are
disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before you
disconnect the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to
avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that
both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
CAUTION: To avoid damaging the computer, perform the following steps before
you begin working inside the computer.
1
Ensure that the work surface is flat and clean to prevent the computer cover from being scratched.
2
Turn off your computer (see "Turning Off Your Computer" on page 9).
CAUTION: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your
computer and then unplug the cable from the network device.
3
Disconnect all telephone or network cables from the computer.
4
Press and eject any installed cards from the 9-in-1 Media Card Reader.
5
Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
6
Disconnect all attached devices from your computer.
10 Before You Begin
CAUTION: To help prevent damage to the system board, remove the main battery
(see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13) before working inside the computer.
7
Remove the battery pack (see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13).
8
Turn the computer top-side up, open the display, and press the power button to ground the system board.
Before You Begin 11
12 Before You Begin
Battery Pack
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information
that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information,
see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist
grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a
connector on your computer).
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your
computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by
your warranty.
CAUTION: To avoid damage to the computer, use only the battery designed for
this particular Alienware computer. Do not use batteries designed for other
Alienware computers.
Removing the Battery Pack
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Shut down the computer and turn it over.
3
Slide the battery latch to the unlock position as shown. The battery pack pops up.
4
Remove the battery pack.
2
Battery Pack 13
1 battery pack 2 battery latch
1
2
Replacing the Battery Pack
CAUTION: To avoid damage to the computer, use only the battery designed for
this particular Alienware computer.
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Align the tabs on the battery with the slots on the battery bay and snap the battery into place.
14 Battery Pack
Compartment Door
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information
that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information,
see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist
grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a
connector on your computer).
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your
computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by
your warranty.
CAUTION: To help prevent damage to the system board, remove the main battery
(see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13) before working inside the computer.
Removing the Compartment Door
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Remove the battery pack (see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13).
3
Remove the two screws that secure the compartment door to the computer base.
4
Slide and lift the compartment door away from the computer.
3
Compartment Door 15
1 compartment door 2 screws (2)
2
1
Replacing the Compartment Door
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Align the tabs on the compartment door with the slots on the computer base and slide the compartment door into place.
3
Replace the two screws that secure the compartment door to the computer base.
4
Replace the battery pack (see "Replacing the Battery Pack" on page 14).
CAUTION: Before turning on the computer, replace all screws and ensure that no
stray screws remain inside the computer. Failure to do so may result in damage to
the computer.
16 Compartment Door
Coin-Cell Battery
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information
that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information,
see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist
grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a
connector on your computer).
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your
computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by
your warranty.
CAUTION: To help prevent damage to the system board, remove the main battery
(see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13) before working inside the computer.
Removing the Coin-Cell Battery
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Remove the battery pack (see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13).
3
Remove the compartment door (see "Removing the Compartment Door" on page 15).
4
Use a plastic scribe to pry up the coin-cell battery from the slot on the system board.
4
Coin-Cell Battery 17
1 plastic scribe 2 coin-cell battery
1
2
Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Hold the coin-cell battery with the positive side up.
3
Slide the coin-cell battery into the slot and gently press until it snaps into place.
4
Replace the compartment door (see "Replacing the Compartment Door" on page 16).
5
Replace the battery pack (see "Replacing the Battery Pack" on page 14).
CAUTION: Before turning on the computer, replace all screws and ensure that no
stray screws remain inside the computer. Failure to do so may result in damage to
the computer.
18 Coin-Cell Battery
Hard Drive(s)
WARNING: If you remove the hard drive from the computer when the drive is hot,
do not touch
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information
that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information,
see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist
grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a
connector on your computer).
CAUTION: To help prevent damage to the system board, remove the main battery
(see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13) before working inside the computer.
CAUTION: To prevent data loss, turn off your computer (see "Turning Off Your
Computer" on page 9) before removing the hard-drive assembly. Do not remove the
hard drive while the computer is On or in Sleep state.
CAUTION: Hard drives are extremely fragile. Exercise care when handling the
hard drive.
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your
computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by
your warranty.
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; if you are
disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before you
disconnect the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to
avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that
both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
NOTE: Dell or Alienware does not guarantee compatibility or provide support for
hard drives from sources other than Dell.
NOTE: If you are installing a hard drive from a source other than Dell or Alienware,
you need to install an operating system, drivers, and utilities on the new hard drive.
the metal housing of the hard drive.
5
Hard Drive(s) 19
Removing the Hard Drive(s)
1
2
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Remove the battery pack (see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13).
3
Remove the compartment door (see "Removing the Compartment Door" on page 15).
4
Loosen the three captive screws that secure the hard-drive assembly to the computer base.
5
Using the pull-tab, lift the hard-drive assembly to disconnect it from the connector on the system board.
6
Lift the hard-drive assembly out of the computer base.
Primary hard-drive assembly
1 captive screws (3) 2 primary hard-drive assembly
Secondary hard-drive assembly
20 Hard Drive(s)
1 captive screws (3) 2 secondary hard-drive assembly
1
2
7
Remove the four screws that secure the hard drive to the hard-drive bracket.
8
Lift the hard-drive off the hard-drive bracket.
9
Remove the interposer from the hard drive.
Hard Drive(s) 21
1 interposer 2 screws (4)
1
2
3
4
3 hard-drive bracket 4 hard drive
CAUTION: When the hard drive is not in the computer, store it in protective
antistatic packaging (see "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge" in the
safety instructions that shipped with your computer).
Replacing the Hard Drive(s)
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Remove the new drive from its packaging.
Save the original packaging for storing or shipping the hard drive.
3
Connect the interposer to the hard drive.
4
Place the hard drive in the hard-drive bracket.
5
Replace the four screws that secure the hard drive to the hard-drive bracket.
6
Align the connector on the hard drive with the connector on the system board and press the hard drive until it is fully seated.
22 Hard Drive(s)
7
Tighten the three captive screws that secure the hard-drive assembly to the computer base.
8
Replace the compartment door (see "Replacing the Compartment Door" on page 16).
9
Replace the battery pack (see "Replacing the Battery Pack" on page 14).
CAUTION: Before turning on the computer, replace all screws and ensure that no
stray screws remain inside the computer. Failure to do so may result in damage to
the computer.
10
Install the operating system for your computer, as needed.
11
Install the drivers and utilities for your computer, as needed.
Hard Drive(s) 23
24 Hard Drive(s)
6
Memory Module(s)
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information
that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information,
see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist
grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a
connector on your computer).
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your
computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by
your warranty.
CAUTION: To help prevent damage to the system board, remove the main battery
(see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13) before working inside the computer.
You can increase your computer memory by installing memory modules on
the system board. See the "Specifications" section in your Mobile Manual for
information on the type of memory supported by your computer.
NOTE: Memory modules purchased from Dell or Alienware are covered under your
computer warranty.
NOTE: If you purchased a dual-core processor, your computer supports only
memory module connectors DIMM 1 and DIMM 2.
NOTE: Your computer supports up to four memory module connectors. You can
access connectors DIMM 1 and DIMM 2 by removing the compartment door at the
bottom of your computer. You can access connectors DIMM 3 and DIMM 4 by
removing the memory-module cover on top of the palm rest assembly.
Removing the Memory Module(s)
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
2
Remove the battery pack (see "Removing the Battery Pack" on page 13).
3
Remove the compartment door (see "Removing the Compartment Door" on page 15).
Memory Module(s) 25
4
2
1
To remove memory module(s) from connectors DIMM 1 and DIMM 2, go to step 6.
5
To remove memory-module(s) from connectors DIMM 3 and DIMM 4:
a
Remove the center control cover (see "Removing the Center Control
Cover" on page 49).
b
Remove the keyboard (see "Removing the Keyboard" on page 55).
c
Remove the three screws that secure the memory-module cover to the
palm rest assembly.
1 memory-module cover 2 screws (3)
CAUTION: To prevent damage to the memory-module connector, do not use tools
to spread the memory module securing clips.
6
Use your fingertips to carefully spread apart the securing clips on each end of the memory-module connector until the memory module pops up.
26 Memory Module(s)
1 memory-module connector 2 securing clips (2)
3
2
1
3 memory module
7
Remove the memory module from the memory-module connector.
Replacing the Memory Module(s)
1
Follow the instructions in "Before You Begin" on page 9.
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.
2
Align the notch in the memory module with the tab in the memory-module connector.
3
Slide the memory module firmly into the connector at a 45-degree angle, and press the memory module down until it clicks into place. If you do not hear the click, remove the memory module and reinstall it.
NOTE: If the memory module is not installed properly, the computer may not boot.
Memory Module(s) 27
1 memory-module connector 2 tab
1
2
3
3 notch
4
If you have replaced memory mobule(s) in connectors DIMM 1 and DIMM 2, go to step 6.
5
If you have replaced memory mobule(s) in connectors DIMM 3 and DIMM 4:
a
Align the screw holes on the memory-module cover with the screw
holes on the palm rest assembly.
b
Replace the three screws that secure the memory-module cover to the
palm rest assembly.
c
Replace the keyboard (see "Replacing the Keyboard" on page 57).
d
Replace the center control cover (see "Replacing the Center Control
Cover" on page 52).
6
Replace the compartment door (see "Replacing the Compartment Door" on page 16).
7
Replace the battery pack (see "Replacing the Battery Pack" on page 14).
28 Memory Module(s)
CAUTION: Before turning on the computer, replace all screws and ensure that no
stray screws remain inside the computer. Failure to do so may result in damage to
the computer.
8
Turn on the computer.
As the computer boots, it detects the additional memory and automatically
updates the system configuration information.
To confirm the amount of memory installed in the computer:
Click Start
→
Control Panel→ System and Security→ System.
Memory Module(s) 29
30 Memory Module(s)
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