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Area51-ALX and game crashes - help?
Hi,
I have an Alienware Area51-ALX and I have a big problem and perhaps a smaller one.
Starting with the smaller one, when I start the computer it runs for about 10-15 seconds before it shuts down and restarts itself like nothing has happened, is this normal?
Now the BIG one, when I play Just Cause 2, Mass Effect 2, Crysis, and Darksiders, the computer shuts itself down without any warning and it just die as if there was an power shortage and then it restarts itself just like that. I wonder what could be the problem with this happening with just these games (for now). And for Darksiders, I can only play it in 800x600 screen resolution/display mode. If I use 1024x768, it dies after a couple of minutes. Could this be a problem with the graphic cards?
I have changed or rather Dell has changed the motherboard, all 3 memory cards, power supply and they have also changed the processor with no effect what so ever. The graphic cards have NOT been changed.
Running win7 64x
12gb memory 1333mhz
Dual ati hd5970 with crossfirex
I7 980x processor
Would appreciate any help what so ever so I can use the computer the way it was supposed to work when I bought it for around 10,000$.
morblore
2.4K Posts
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October 2nd, 2010 03:00
The BIG one is a power issue. Whenever a system just up and shuts off like that its almost always something with the PSU. Ether you are pulling to much power or the PSU is bad. Now don't worry because even though the Dell techs didn't know about this we here on the forums do and its a simple fix. Kinda funny they changed all your parts yet they don't have a clue....
There is a know issue with Dell sending these sytems with the video cards hooked up wrong. They know it and yet they still send them this way. Click this link http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&cs=19&dl=false&l=en&s=dhs&docid=84D6A6EDA59E9719E040AC0A64E97CC4&doclang=en
Then open your system and make sure the power connections on the GPUs are just like they are in the list. Each one has a number so just connect them according to the list in the link I posted.
Basically you can only have one rail ( connector )running the 8-pins. If the 8-pin plus the 6-pin from one cable is in use it will draw to much from the rail and make it shut down. When you run a game in a low resolution the card does not need as much power so it can work but as you increase it the power needs increase too. Same with the games. You could play Farmville just fine but pop in Crysis and the system will tell you no.
Once you do this the shut down should go away. This may also make the smaller issue go away.
Centclip
16 Posts
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October 2nd, 2010 06:00
I have absolutely no idea how to do that...
morblore
2.4K Posts
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October 2nd, 2010 07:00
The cables going to the video cards have numbers on them. Look at the chart and plug the number it says to into each socket.
Read the page I linked it will explain how to do it.
Centclip
16 Posts
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October 5th, 2010 03:00
yeah the cables where connected wrong but it did'nt fix my startup issue. the crossfirex also stopped working so the dell support have decided to "confiscate" the computer to find my "gremlin" will post again when i know what happens.
Centclip
16 Posts
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November 19th, 2010 06:00
the "gremlin" is still on the run.
Anonymous
5 Practitioner
5 Practitioner
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274.2K Posts
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November 19th, 2010 07:00
are you still having issues with your system?
I'm also having issues playing dragon age with dual 5970. waiting to hear from the tech about his research findings.