Aurora ALX - - - Motherboard prob ?

Are you using a UPS Battery?

Try No overclocks and load BIOS defaults.

Try turning off RAID

Try only one 5870 and fresh install CCC 10.7

What are you running when it crashes?

Getting crash-dump or Event Viewer logs?

How are your temps (try CPUID HW-Monitor and/or CoreTemp)

Dell Diags should check all the hardware pretty good, but I don't think it pushes the processor or video cards very hard (where temp. or power shortage problems might appear).

3. Run each GPU in a different PCI slot using different rails.   4. Removed the GPU's and installed a cheap  ATI Fire GL V3100.

Hmm. I was going to say it sounded like a lack of power to the 5870's

Are you 100% sure the rails are distributed properly among the 5870's

Also how long did you test the system with the ATI Fire GL and what happened?

What are you usually doing when the system locks up or shuts down?

Yeah I was thinking maybe HD but I put WIN 7 on a SSD and it still acts up. I have run the benchmarks  and diag programs sometimes it will make it other times it wont. And the Cheapo Fire GL only uses the MB for power so I'm perplexed as to why it's been doing this since I got it.  Whats crazy is that I can load up say Crysis @ full settings and play for hours without a problem, and next day it might freeze.

well if it locks up in windows itself or when stressing.. this will help determine if power might be an issue cause if its doing it when surfing internet then power is  prolly not the issue .

i had this happen before with a windows vista system and ended up being hard drive failing but also had an instant were it was ram in windows 7  yet everything passed testing and stressing  go figure lol anyway if you got another hard drive laying around.. worth a shot? if not  hmm.....

Are you using a UPS Battery?   No UPS

Try No overclocks and load BIOS defaults.  No overclock, Speed step off, HT off Turbo boost off. Hd is set not to go off in CC, POWER SETTING HIGH

Try turning off RAID,  will do on next test

Try only one 5870 and fresh install CCC 10.7  will do on next test

What are you running when it crashes?  Can be idle or any program

Getting crash-dump or Event Viewer logs?  None

How are your temps (try CPUID HW-Monitor and/or CoreTemp) Temps on Idle for CPU are around 39c to 45c GPU temps at idle around 43c to 46c.

Are you 100% sure the rails are distributed properly among the 5870's  I'm following the diagram from dell and recent posts about proper hookup to GPU's  When I got it the top GPU had 14 and 16 to the top GPU and 15 and 17 to bottom GPU  . I have 14/15 TOP 16/17 to bottom. Either way it still freezes.

Also how long did you test the system with the ATI Fire GL and what happened? Ran the Fire this morning, walked away with nothing open came back a few mins and froze to desktop with all lights off except alien head and bottom air dam glowing orange. Keyboard and mouse unresponsive.

What are you usually doing when the system locks up or shuts down?  It can be any program, or simply @ desktop can be hours after it's on or few mins after boot. And I'm used to seeing blue screens, whats weird is there are none or error reports. System will just lock up showing what ever was on the screen with keyboard, mouse frozen. The lights on the rig go dark except the alien head and air intake @ bottom.

Thanx for all your help, I,m gonna find out what this is ..hopefully. It's still under warranty so I'm not too worried, but I would rather nail it down than have everything replaced over a long period.

I wonder if Foxconn makes our MB's since the Sata cables all have FC's label.

 We know the cooler is made by Asetek because it's written on it. The Area 51 mobo has Foxconn written on it. That's the only way to find out who makes stuff when it comes to Dell.

The best way to find out who makes the Aurora board is to take out the motherboard and look at the plate on the back of the CPU socket. It will have a stamp from the manufacturer.

i just took apart an inspiron system due to a failed PSU and it was a slim system so custom psu.. screw ordering one i trasfered it all to another tower/psu and guess what motherboard was stamped... ASUS M2N** its a couple years old AMD system but hell  tis was a decent board for its time

Tesla , should I disable XMP ? and try it ? Original Mem sticks inside -6GB 1600 Mhz. The household PWR I thought about, I just moved to a new house and the only thing I got on this circuit is the A/W ,monitor, printer and a desk lamp.

Cant find my multimeter after the move...........

Do you have the auto recovery turned off? If not you won't get crash dumps.

Are you using a UPS Battery?   No UPS

Until you do, flakey power will always be possibility ... I have seen it too many times. Plus, with a RAID-0 ... yikes! APC has a nice 1500, or a 1300 for $150. Even if that's not the problem, it will protect your $3000 investment.

Try No overclocks and load BIOS defaults.  No overclock, Speed step off, HT off Turbo boost off. Hd is set not to go off in CC, POWER SETTING HIGH

Load BIOS defaults. All 4 of those BIOS options (on that menu) should be on, not off. Nothing will slow down.

Try turning off RAID,  will do on next test

Cool. Ya, run with only one drive connected.

Try only one 5870 and fresh install CCC 10.7  will do on next test

OK. That will eliminate CrossFireX and power shortage as possiblities. Use 2 separate power cables to power.

What are you running when it crashes?  Can be idle or any program

Getting crash-dump or Event Viewer logs?  None

Strange. Are you sure? If so, that points to a serious hardware problem.

How are your temps (try CPUID HW-Monitor and/or CoreTemp) Temps on Idle for CPU are around 39c to 45c GPU temps at idle around 43c to 46c.

Sounds fine (similar to my i7-930 and 5870) 

Also, if that is XMP memory on BIOS A11, see this:

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19366263/19828019.aspx#19828019

That is Area-51 and different speed (so be careful). However, both machines are X-58 chipset and BIOS features are released in a parallel fashion for both machines. Might just be a bug that worked itself into Area-51 BIOS (but I doubt it).

That is the original Dell memory ... correct?

Getting crash-dump or Event Viewer logs?  None

Strange. Are you sure? If so, that points to a serious hardware problem

Yeah no event logs, no action center msg or crash dumps. The rig has never  " blue screened"on me either.  It will just freeze up

Man I  wish I had the cash to toss in an Asus Matx board and a Antec PSU in this right now

I wonder if Foxconn makes our MB's since the Sata cables all have FC's label.

It's widely know that Foxconn has been making Dell motherboard for several years now. The MB in my XPS even says Foxconn on it.

I don't think Dell has said (or will ever say) officially one way or the other. Like the processor cooler ... they have never said who makes it but we all know anyway.