UNSOLVED

ppj001

updated

11 years ago

P

ppj001

31 Posts

0

75132

May 8th, 2015 16:00

Alienware Area 51 R2 Thunderbolt port?

I there a way to put a Thunderbolt cable connector to a Alienware Area 51 R2?

I know there is a connector in the MB but nothing is attached to it. is Dell as a such a connector so I put it in and use it.

Thanks

  • Alienware - Rodrigo

    9 Technologist

    4398 Posts

    2318

    0

    Posted May 11th, 2015 12:00

    This feature is not supported by the Alienware Area 51 R2. Unfortunately, there is no way to connect a Thunderbolt cable to this system.

  • Alienware - Rodrigo

    9 Technologist

    4398 Posts

    2318

    0

    Posted May 11th, 2015 15:00

    Yes, the option is not included in the Bios. Therefore, this feature is not going to work. 

  • ppj001

    31 Posts

    2318

    0

    Posted May 11th, 2015 15:00

    but the service manual says their is a port?

    thu 1.PNG

    thu 2.PNG

    is this bios disabled?

    Thank

  • e.Blue

    2 Posts

    2318

    0

    Posted July 18th, 2015 00:00

    With the latest firmware release, the Thunderbolt option now appears in the BIOS. So where can we purchase the Thunderbolt port add-on module?

  • DELL-Chris M

    Community Manager

    56891 Posts

    232143 Points

    2318

    0

    Posted July 18th, 2015 06:00

    e.Blue,

    Take and post a picture of your Bios showing that screen option. I will then take the picture and email the team.


    DELL-Chris M (old account)

    #IWork4Dell

  • -Donovan-

    1 Rookie

    62 Posts

    2318

    0

    Posted July 18th, 2015 19:00

    Here's the proof of the Thunderbolt that is available with the BIOS A02. This is a printScreen from my original post on June 10, 2015: http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19608440?pi21932=9 .

    8551.TB.PNG

  • DELL-Chris M

    Community Manager

    56891 Posts

    232143 Points

    2323

    0

    Posted July 19th, 2015 16:00

    Emails sent.


    DELL-Chris M (old account)

    #IWork4Dell

  • 2323

    0

    Posted October 2nd, 2015 12:00

    Hi, so what is the final answer? Would a card like the Asus thunderbolt ones work?

  • DELL-Chris M

    Community Manager

    56891 Posts

    232143 Points

    2323

    0

    Posted October 3rd, 2015 22:00

    We do not know. Even though the Thunderbolt port is on the motherboard and the option to enable it is in the A02 bios, there is not a Thunderbolt card being sold with the system nor is one listed on the internal parts page.


    DELL-Chris M (old account)

    #IWork4Dell

  • pl212

    13 Posts

    1779

    0

    Posted August 11th, 2016 07:00

    It's interesting that this is the only X99-based MSI board with a Thunderbolt header.  MSI did use TB on previous designs, but these pre-Skylake boards had an actual Mini-DisplayPort on the motherboard itself.  

    The use of a header (and subsequent requirement for a PCI card with DisplayPort pass-through) seems to be par for the course for any X99 boards that do support Thunderbolt -- for example, ASUS, the Lenovo Px00 Thinkstations or workstations from HP.  But what's unclear is whether these boards are simple electrical devices or whether they contain more advanced circuitry that requires BIOS support. (And even if they merely enable latent abilities in the motherboard, there could well be device whitelisting to contend with.)