M18x-R3, power up issues

There are no directly known issues, but with any laptop issues like this can occur, kinda like saying any car can get a flat tire. 

I would encourage to avoid holding the power button for that length of time, as it may cause further hassle. I think you have enough hassle as it is right now :)

It is possible that you are getting a heat issue. Systems will often shut off due to heat and then refuse to power on until temps have cooled. 

Can you help clarify a few things for me, please?

What kind of temps does your system run at (you can use HWiNFO64, GPU-Z, CPU-Z, or a host of other applications to check)?

Will the system experience the refusal to power on even after sitting idle for a while (more than half an hour)?

Do you hear any beeping or other noises when trying to power on?

How often does this happen?

Any other issues before or after this started occurring?

Have you updated to the most recent BIOS version?

Are all your drivers up to date? (if not, the Dell Downloads link is in my sig)

Thanks for answering these questions so that we can determine the root of your issue. 

A heat issue?  After it sits there powered down?  I don't think so.  It's been sitting there over night. It does not power up.  I guess I wasn't clear about that in the original post.  No noise, nothing. There is no bios update, in fact there is nothing to download. Why would I need to update drivers when the laptop doesn't even power up?

You have a fully loaded "desktop replacement". I would be looking at AC Adapter, Power Switch, battery, and stuff like that.

I'm guessing no warranty contract time left?

Try with Battery removed.

Like PB, just trying to help. Even if there was issues, Dell rarely releases that info publically. Try forum or Google search.

With HD's removed, etc.  It's still a shot-in-the-dark as to if it will power up or not.  BTW, the battery is not the older-style where you can simply pull it out like the m17x R3.  You need to remove the bottom cover to get at it.  The battery is plugged into the motherboard via a multi-conductor cable.  My issue with pulling the battery in this case is that it can cause more damage.  Normal removeable devices (USB/batteries, etc.) have ground connectors that make contact prior to power rails.  The simple header that they use can cause the power rail(s) to connect before the ground, causing higher voltage potentials that can cause havoc on the hardware.  I won't attempt the pull without Dell/Alienware telling me that there's enough protection there to avoid any damage.

I'm going to call in and see what they say.  It's brand new, my complete care warranty runs out in 2017.  I'd figure I'd try to bring this more public in the forum as it hopefully gets noticed better than when calling in and having everything swapped out for no reason.

I'm pointing towards a BIOS issue.  I'm going play around with the settings.  My suspicion is the SLI configuration.  I've tried on battery and with AC plugged in an there is no pattern.

The only thing that I can do is turn off SLI and reboot to see if the problem goes away.  However, I can see Dell/AW swapping out the video cards/MOBO before looking at possible power up sequence and fixing the BIOS.  I'd hate to go through swapping pain that may never solve the  problem.

I require SLI due to the specialized coding that I'm doing (not gaming).  Hence going this route.

BTW, the battery is not the older-style where you can simply pull it out like the m17x R3.  You need to remove the bottom cover to get at it.  The battery is plugged into the motherboard via a multi-conductor cable.

Oh, then don't. Just mentioned it because it's power related.

If this was a desktop, I would ohm-out the power-switch or try a temp one.

Also, try new power supply (or at least test with Digital PC Tester). But, as you know ... can't do that on laptop (can't easily get to output side of DC-DC Converter. Could try a new AC Adapter though. SMPS do some strange things when weak or failing.

Good you have warranty coverage. Sounds like you might have to use it. Yes, when hardware is suspected ... they just start swapping whole assemblies.

Thank you for clarifying. That is why I asked how long it say before you could power it back on. 

Heat can prevent laptops from powering back on after they shut off from overheating. Your original post did not seem to indicate how long it was shut down for, and thus why I asked the question. 

There can be a number of things causing the issue, and it is a matter of guess and check to be rudimentary about it. 

 Also, updating drivers can be helpful. Some bad drivers can cause BSOD crashed and other failures that also prevent the system from booting back up. I know this even first hand, as I am waiting on a replacement laptop caused by similar issues. 

If you are getting no post error beeps, no other issues, and still having the trouble after the laptop being shut down for a while, it is likely a motherboard issue. Removing that battery can be done, but carefully, and not usually recommended, but you can disable the battery charging in the BIOS in order to rule out some battery issues. The ac adapter can also be checked, but this is easy enough by testing on battery power only, and also watching the LED light on the adapter. The light often will shut off while plugged in if there is a PSU issue.

I would assume right now, however, that your system will need replacement of one or many components. So, calling in will be a good option to follow.