Alienware Area 51 - Card Reader

PGPhantom

A better section to post this in, would be the Gaming > Alienware forum HERE.

Bev.

The USB header location is on the MIO board in bottom front of the case, in front of the PSU. I bought one seperately for my XPS 730x, which was swapped out for an Area 51. I figured it would go somewhere on the MIO board, since the XPS did the same.

It will be a black square header on the blue NIO board. It might be a bit hard to reach.

Hope this helps.

The USB header location is on the MIO board in bottom front of the case, in front of the PSU. I bought one seperately for my XPS 730x, which was swapped out for an Area 51. I figured it would go somewhere on the MIO board, since the XPS did the same.   It will be a black square header on the blue NIO board. It might be a bit hard to reach.   Hope this helps.

Were you successfull installing a media card reader in you Area51?

I have been looking for a internal media card reader but can not find one for my Area51. I cant find one with a compatible cable for my system. I dont have any free ports on my MB or my PCI slots to add a USB PCI card.

My media reader is hooked up perfectly and working great.

Yes, you can use the one from an XPS 630/730/730x. It will fit just fine up top. The cable will not hook up to the motherboard, but to the Master I/O board in the bottom of the case, which also controls your lights, fans, vents, etc. You do not need to buy additional USB cards or anything of the matter. There should be 2 additional USB headers on the Master I/O board for 2 USB devices. When you open the case door, open up the Video Card bay, and look down into the front. You wil see a blue board with an orange glowing light. That is the MIO board, and the cable hooks up to it. Like I said, there are 2 free USB headers on there, you just gotta look through the mess of wires.

I had bought the 19-1 media card reader from Dell for my XPS 730x, but since I had to send it in to them with only the original parts, i took my card reader out and installed it on the Area 51. The one I have is the CA-200 reader from Dell. There is also a CAB-200, which has Bluetooth built into it, if you want that one. They use the same media card reader for the Alienware that they used for the XPS computers listed above.

This one should fit the Area 51 without any problems:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-XPS-730X-Media-Reader-Blue-Tooth-Intergrated-XR947_W0QQitemZ250539911919QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item3a5557aaef

You can also just call up Dell and ask them if you can buy one from them for your PC. But in my experience, the ones from the XPS PC's mentioned above will work without a problem. The one I listed above has Bluetooth. You can find one without Bluetooth for a cheaper price. If you buy it from Dell, the actual cable itself is more expensive than the card reader. It cost me around $40 bucks for it from Dell for the Card reader + the cable. You need to buy both, as they dont come as a set. I think it was $15 bucks for the reader and $25 bucks for the cable.

My media reader is hooked up perfectly and working great.   Yes, you can use the one from an XPS 630/730/730x. It will fit just fine up top. The cable will not hook up to the motherboard, but to the Master I/O board in the bottom of the case, which also controls your lights, fans, vents, etc. You do not need to buy additional USB cards or anything of the matter. There should be 2 additional USB headers on the Master I/O board for 2 USB devices. When you open the case door, open up the Video Card bay, and look down into the front. You wil see a blue board with an orange glowing light. That is the MIO board, and the cable hooks up to it. Like I said, there are 2 free USB headers on there, you just gotta look through the mess of wires.   I had bought the 19-1 media card reader from Dell for my XPS 730x, but since I had to send it in to them with only the original parts, i took my card reader out and installed it on the Area 51. The one I have is the CA-200 reader from Dell. There is also a CAB-200, which has Bluetooth built into it, if you want that one. They use the same media card reader for the Alienware that they used for the XPS computers listed above.   This one should fit the Area 51 without any problems:   http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-XPS-730X-Media-Reader-Blue-Tooth-Intergrated-XR947_W0QQitemZ250539911919QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item3a5557aaef   You can also just call up Dell and ask them if you can buy one from them for your PC. But in my experience, the ones from the XPS PC's mentioned above will work without a problem. The one I listed above has Bluetooth. You can find one without Bluetooth for a cheaper price. If you buy it from Dell, the actual cable itself is more expensive than the card reader. It cost me around $40 bucks for it from Dell for the Card reader + the cable. You need to buy both, as they dont come as a set. I think it was $15 bucks for the reader and $25 bucks for the cable.

My area 51 is a system replacment. I had the XPS-730x. When I got my Area 51 it didn't have the card reader so I took mine out of the XPS before I returned it. The old cable is only about 6in long since the MCR is right next to the MCB.  I have the CAB-200 with BT. I called tech support and told them I took out my card reader but needed the cable and they sent it to me free of cost. When I got the cable it was for the non-BT model so it had a pin that didn't match my cab-200. So i stripped the wire and made one from it and the old cable.

When I connected it to the MCB the BT would work but not the card reader. When I connected it to the MB both the BT and MCR worked. So what I did was unhook one of the top USB from the MoBo and connected it to the MCB. I then plugged my MCR into the MoBo and it's been working like a champ every since.

My Area 51 came with BT so since I got it and the MCR BT I leave the one in the top of the case turned off.

My media reader is hooked up perfectly and working great.   Yes, you can use the one from an XPS 630/730/730x. It will fit just fine up top. The cable will not hook up to the motherboard, but to the Master I/O board in the bottom of the case, which also controls your lights, fans, vents, etc. You do not need to buy additional USB cards or anything of the matter. There should be 2 additional USB headers on the Master I/O board for 2 USB devices. When you open the case door, open up the Video Card bay, and look down into the front. You wil see a blue board with an orange glowing light. That is the MIO board, and the cable hooks up to it. Like I said, there are 2 free USB headers on there, you just gotta look through the mess of wires.   I had bought the 19-1 media card reader from Dell for my XPS 730x, but since I had to send it in to them with only the original parts, i took my card reader out and installed it on the Area 51. The one I have is the CA-200 reader from Dell. There is also a CAB-200, which has Bluetooth built into it, if you want that one. They use the same media card reader for the Alienware that they used for the XPS computers listed above.   This one should fit the Area 51 without any problems:   http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-XPS-730X-Media-Reader-Blue-Tooth-Intergrated-XR947_W0QQitemZ250539911919QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item3a5557aaef   You can also just call up Dell and ask them if you can buy one from them for your PC. But in my experience, the ones from the XPS PC's mentioned above will work without a problem. The one I listed above has Bluetooth. You can find one without Bluetooth for a cheaper price. If you buy it from Dell, the actual cable itself is more expensive than the card reader. It cost me around $40 bucks for it from Dell for the Card reader + the cable. You need to buy both, as they dont come as a set. I think it was $15 bucks for the reader and $25 bucks for the cable.

I wish I would had done that as well. I had a 730x with reader and I did a system swap and left the media reader in my XPS 730x when I sent it back. I really miss it lol. I appreciate your responce and will check into this ASAP.

Like yours, my Area51 already has BT so I will search for a CA200. I think i might of found a good deal on this one http://cgi.ebay.com/Teac-Flash-Card-Media-Reader-Dell-GT399_W0QQitemZ220445132381QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item33538dc65d

How long of a cable will I need?

The cable only comes in one size from what I know, and it should be enough. Its a real tight fit though, I mean it just barely makes it from the bottom to the top. When plugging in the cable for the card reader, I recommend that you plug it into the bottom MIO board first, and then the card reader. You also wont be able to route it through that black "spine-like" cable holder in the Area 51 case. I will try and get some pictures up for you later today to show you exactly how I set it up.

That CA 200 should be fine. You will just need to remove the screws from the side, as the Area 51 doesnt use screws for the drive bays. And the Cables for the CA200 and CAB 200 are completely different. As long as they get you the cable with it, you are good to go.

The cable only comes in one size from what I know, and it should be enough. Its a real tight fit though, I mean it just barely makes it from the bottom to the top. When plugging in the cable for the card reader, I recommend that you plug it into the bottom MIO board first, and then the card reader. You also wont be able to route it through that black "spine-like" cable holder in the Area 51 case. I will try and get some pictures up for you later today to show you exactly how I set it up.   That CA 200 should be fine. You will just need to remove the screws from the side, as the Area 51 doesnt use screws for the drive bays. And the Cables for the CA200 and CAB 200 are completely different. As long as they get you the cable with it, you are good to go.

Cool deal man. I will look forward to your pics. thanks again for you help.

m3th0d1c4l, Thanks, great Pics.  It REALLY helps! You are a real "team player" to provide the pics for the forum.  Now I understand the connection, esp the MIO Board plug in. Nice work with the pics, it is much clearer than text that says "somewhere (implied) on the MIO board".  Also I liked your configuration graphic at the bottom of your message, very classy!  (How did you create that??)

(My configuration provided for questions/comments)

Alienware Area-51 (not ALX)
CPU-Intel Core i7 975 @ 4.00GHz
6GB Multi-Channel Corsair Dominator DDR3 at 1866MHZ (3x2GB DIMM) running at 1866MHZ 9-9-9-24-C1, (no OC)
Alienware high performance Liquid Cooling
(3)  nVidia GeForce GTX 285 1024MB-triple SLI, (no OC), 3D Mark P33815
Power supply-1000 watt
(additional front mounted Visiontek 450W power supply for the third GTX 285)
(2) - Velociraptor 300MGB Raid 0,
        Crystal Disk-Read-204.0, Write-235.9 (not sure why the write is faster than the read, comments?)
Dual DVD Drives: 6x Blu-Ray Burner(BD/DVD/CD) + 16x Samsung DVD-R
SoundBlaster X-FI Titanium sound card (Removed for the third GTX 285 card)
Tactx Keyboard
Kensington Trackball-K64325
MS-XBox controller for PC, Logitech Rumplepad
Creative Turtle Beach gaming headset
Logitech Z 5500 5.1 speaker setup
Dell E248WFP monitor
Dell SP2309W monitor
Samsung Syncmaster 2233RZ 120hz 3D ready 22' LCD monitor 1680X1050
Nvidia Stereoscopic 3D kit

Thanks, and no problem at all buddy.

Actually, I do have a couple questions for you if you dont mind, now that I see your setup. I noticed you are running the Corsair Dominators, and the i7 975 @ 4.0GHz. Now did you OC using the BCLK to get to that speed, or just the multiplier/turbo mode? The reason I ask is that I tried OC'ing my system, but with the BCLK and I cant get it to 3.8GHz! I am a pretty good overclocker, but the board doesnt have many tweaking options like my ASUS P6T V2 did. This one is not such a big deal to me, but I was just curious.

And for the RAM, are you using XMP mode enabled? The reason I ask this is because I have a set of Corsair Dominator GT's (2000MHz), and I am having a problem with sleep mode when XMP is enabled in BIOS. I can run them fine @ 1600MHZ, but it wont resume from sleep. It kinda goes into a "comatose" state, and I have to hard reset the system. Does your system do the same?

And the sig was made by a good friend of mine on another forum using photoshop. I just gave him a layout of how I wanted it to look. LOL (its actually supposed to be a bit longer, and has another Alien head on the other side, but it wouldnt fit..)

Thanks.

No individual driver packages are needed. Once you have the Media Card Reader installed, Windows will automatically install the drivers for you upon logging in. And that is pretty much it, and you are set to go.

m3th0d1c4l,

Thanks a bunch! Those PICs are real helpful.

I ordered a CA200 with cable and cant wait to get started on this.

I do have another question, What drivers did you use for this media card reader? I am using Windows 7 x64.

Here ya' go.  (all from earlier posts). 4.0 with Chris' blessing!

From earlier posts, 4.0 covered by warranty cool!

XMP enabled, I don't use "sleep" mode

Thanks for the sig info.  I guess that means I have to find a friend that knows Photoshop too, (I don't have a clue)

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Subject: Re: Windows 7 oem/retail?
From: "DELL COMMUNITY - Automated Email" <noreply@dell.com>
Date: 22 Feb 2010 04:01:11 -0600

Re: Windows 7 oem/retail?
By morblore in Alienware

DELL-Chris M:

morblore,

These are the bios numbers for OC i7-975. Can you fill in the blanks for 4GHz?

QPI Frequency should be on Auto

BIN+1 3.60GHz 133, Enabled, Auto, 100, Enabled, 27,27,27,27,160,180
BIN+2 3.73GHz 133, Enabled, Auto, 100, Enabled, 28,28,28,28,180,200
BIN+3 3.86GHz 133, Enabled, Auto, 100, Enabled, 30,29,29,29,180,200
Bin+4 4.00GHz 31,30,30,30

BIN+3 3.86GHz +160mv, Auto, 1.10v, Default

Bin+4 4.00GHZ 133, Enabled, Auto, 100, Enabled, 31,29,29,29, 180, 200 ... First set the BIN+3 value and it will set the volts or you can do them yourself. The Bin+3 volts are just fine for the 4ghz. If you set the Power Plan(control panel-power options) to High Performance it will stay at the 4ghz. Use Balanced Power Plan if you want it to clock back when not being used. 
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Date: 27 Feb 2010 21:38:07 -0600

Re: Area-51 Overclocking Issue
By DELL-Chris M in Alienware

what if I want to push the PC higher than the 4.0GHz listed on those instructions?
* We will not provide those instructions.

Is that the highest Dell-approved CPU speed available or something?
* Yes. That is the highest your warranty will cover.
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Re: Overclocking questions
By DELL-Chris M in Alienware

Void the warranty, no. But I would not leave it at those settings all the time. I would just use them for gaming and then back them down for normal windows usage.

Possible causes of PC failures due to Overclocking
* Memory ratios set higher than 8 for 1333MHz or 10 for 1600MHz memory
* Adjusting the CPU BClk to values higher than 160MHz will overclock both the memory and the CPU beyond 3.20 GHz
* If the Intel Turbo Mode tech value is set to Enable, it will overclock the CPU beyond 3.20GHz when the CPU BClk value is set to 160MHz.
NOTE: Users will have the option of modifying the above mentioned values at their own discretion but CPU frequencies higher than 3.20 GHz are not recommended since it will dramatically shorten the processor life and could cause system instability, NoPOST, black screen issues, BSOD etc

In case of PC failures due to Overclocking
The Bios will try to recover itself by setting the system to factory defaults, after a third post failure. In case the Bios cannot be recovered, then the CMOS has to be manually reset by moving the CMOS jumper and removing the Coin Cell battery. Once the system is able to complete the post, access the Bios and reset Load Level 1 Settings to load the factory 3.20GHz configuration. When resetting the System Setup (BIOS) to its default settings on the Alienware Aurora and Area 51, whether using the jumper or in BIOS keyboard commands, the factory shipped overclocked settings are reverted to a non-overclocked state. After defaults are loaded, the factory overclocked settings must be manually input. Once the system has been overclocked, this does not mean that it will always run at the overclocked speed. The system will automatically throttle the speed when required, such as during performance taxing video games or applications. The only reliable place to determine the maximum speed once the system has been overclocked is in the system BIOS as many software applications may not reliably determine the maximum speed.

Overclock Bin+3 3.8GHz

Manual Overclocking i7-975
* Restart the PC
* Press F2
* Press F9
* Press F10 to Save and Exit
* As it restarts, press F2
* Select Frequency/Voltage Control and press Enter
* QPI Frequency should be on Auto
* Select Memory Ratio and press Enter
* Select 8 for 1333MHz memory modules or 10 for 1600MHz memory modules
* Go back by pressing ESC and select Overclock Configuration and press Enter
* Use these settings:
BIN+1 3.60GHz 133, Enabled, Auto, 100, Enabled, 27,27,27,27,160,180
BIN+2 3.73GHz 133, Enabled, Auto, 100, Enabled, 28,28,28,28,180,200
BIN+3 3.86GHz 133, Enabled, Auto, 100, Enabled, 30,29,29,29,180,200
* Go back by pressing ESC and select Overvoltage Configuration and press Enter
* Use these settings:
BIN+1 3.60GHz +80mv, Auto, 1.10v, Default
BIN+2 3.73GHz +120mv, Auto, 1.10v, Default
BIN+3 3.86GHz +160mv, Auto, 1.10v, Default
* Press F10 to Save and Exit

Thanks again man. I appreciate your assistance with this. I cant wait to get my media card reader in.