Setting up my Ram in a Area 51 machine.

the x58 board officially only supports 12Gb max (3x4Gb) @ 1600MHz & 6Gb max (3x2Gb) @ 1866 Mhz. This is a standard memory oc tip we use here:

BIOS A09: PC3-12800 and PC3-15000 XMP memory:

• go into the Bios, turn on XMP. Go into the Overvoltage Config and set QPI and Uncore voltage to +200mv. Leave everything else on Auto

BIOS A10 / A11: PC3-12800 and PC3-15000 XMP memory:

• go into the Bios, turn off XMP. Then set the memory multiplier / ratio to 14, set Uncore to +200

note that a multiplier of 14 x 133.3 = 1866MHz >< 15 x 133.3 = 2000Mhz >< 12 x 133.3 = 1600

6Gb (3x2Gb) @ 2000MHz has been known to work, but, 1866 is what the x58 was 'designed for'. I think someone said that 24Gb @ 1600 worked. 

If your system won't boot with Xmp profile on, then turn it off & play with your bios settings, using your multiplier & uncore until your system boots up. try 1600 Mhz (133.3 x 12), try to boot up, if good, restart & shoot for x14, if good, restart & try x15 next.

My Corsair 3x2Gb runs at 1866 with an uncore value of +160mv. If yours boots with +200mv, restart & bump it down to +180, see if it boots & remains stable, if so, leave it, if not, go back to +200.

From an old post here, the multiplier is the ratio:

• Old Alienware Area-51 needs upgrade from 2gb DDR3 to 4gb DDR3, PNY brand causing blue screen
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19594676/20663478#20663478

Went and figured it out. But yea I did everything ya said.  I got it to 1600 MHZ, it wont go beyond that, tried it, the bios would crash out, system wouldnt even come back on for me to go bk into the bios to change I had to remove the ram completely, turn on the system so it defaults itself, put the ram in and make changes again.  I manage to set the timings, voltage, and frequencies, but what exactly does the mv do?

mv means milli-volts. uncore volts, so I read once, are those volts that haven't a thing to do with the cpu core or its voltage supply, like non-cpu-core-volts. In cpu over-clocking you may want to bump up the voltage, in memory oc'ing you can crank up the voltage also. with our x58 alienboard, when you crank uncore up by +200 milli-volts, you're giving the memory more juice, a mini-bump. when some memory is rated at 1.5v or 1.65v, the 200mv they recommend is like 2/10th's of a volt, perhaps the same as raising 1.5v to 1.7v. but I could be wrong. in the end, you're supplying an extra 200mv to the memory, in the hopes the reason it wouldn't boot up is it starved for more juice while trying to run at a faster speed.

Heres the problem I got.  I went ahead and put in the Timing, the 1600 mhz frequency, wont go beyond that spite its a 2000, when I tried and then went bk into the bios, the bios would freeze, or go nuts, PC wouldnt boot up at all after that until I removed the ram, turned it on, and left it on for a minute, shut it down, put the ram back in, and everything reverted to defaults.  So I did the timing, I put in the 1.65V, I put it to 1600mhz.  All seems to work fine.  My question is, if it for ANY REASON, isnt getting enough power to do something in a highly graphically intense game like Witcher 3, will it be enough to cause the system to just power off?  Thats the main issue here and why I been looking thru all my components, during moments that seems like it would take a immense BURST of graphical power, PC Shuts off, then turns back on 3-4 seconds later.  Always happens during specific cutscenes, or in a specific area or spot, usually to do with immense fog effects.  Its done this in previous games before that required a burst of performance.  Only way to get around it was to lower a setting or two.  

Witcher 3 however, even lowering all the settings to low wasnt enough, game is graphically demanding so the only thing to do was to lower the FPS Cap from 60 to 30 and that stopped the problem in that one instance, afterwhich, I turned everything back up to high settings and continued on.  

I can overclock my CPU and GPU and never see problems, overheating isnt the issue either.  CPU and GPU never goes beyond 74C the only time it ever reaches that is during some heavy moments in the game, but every, single, time, something that requires what seems to be a burst of power graphics power comes up. Power off.  

I hope the PSU I ordered will fix this.  Im just fed up, I tried EVERYTHING, changing the position of the GPU, stress tests on all components, changing the nvidia drivers, no OCing, changing the RAM, everything just seems to point out to the PSU.  And if THAT doesnt work?  Only culprits left is the Motherboard.

what vid-card do you have. post a photo of it, so I can see how you have it plugged in. which exact power supply do u have now, & which are you buying/trying, & look into one of these:

• evga powerboost
• fixes a 12volt bottleneck between the mthrbrd 24pin & the pci-e lanes (to the card)
• http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=100-MB-PB01-BR
• may need a peripheral/molex 4pin extension to power it
• helps keep system on during intense power reqwirements
• try one b4 u install your new psu ...

using this chart, find a card of similar power & try the plugs listed:

• <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

your power supply is cut up into a bunch of 12volt rails:

• "Some Alienware Area 51, Area 51 ALX, Aurora and Aurora ALX computers may experience intermittent lockups, shut downs, or Blue Screen errors due to incorrectly distributed power connectors (rails) on the graphics card. To resolve the issue, open the computer and correctly distribute the power connectors (Table 1) on the graphics cards".

if you have the 1200watt part# J297R, you'll have 7 rails, each vid-cable (you should have four individuals) on its own rail. Sometimes, due to the fact each cable has a pair of connector ends (the primary 6pin & the 6+2 jumper), it is common to install the 6p & 6+2, but in the end it means a card is powered off only one cable hence one rail. If that is so, the card can starve for juice. You're advised to power a card with two cables; use one connector from one cable, one from another. I tried a decent discussion of it here:

• Area-51 ALX, upgraded to AMD HD7990, random power offs?
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19563242?pi21932=1#20579688

Incorrectly plugging a gpu in, well, it's more like 'balancing' the 12volt rails, or load-sharing. Incorrect for us means powering a card off of only one cable (the use of both the primary 6p & 6+2 jumper).

the chart for your 580 says to use connectors P16 & P17, 580's are 250watt cards, so try those:

honestly, since the white & yellow p20/p23 types are soldered to the internal board I'd use those superior cables b4 using the more resistive blu/ylw pair coming from the harness itself.

Whenever you change to an aftermarket power supply, you need a hand-made master i/o board cable. Your system can't exactly be used without one, since to not power the mio means your cpu cooler has no power on startup (qwickly overheats then system shuts off). Aftermarket psu's will never come with a cable like that, they are unique to the Area-51 & Dell XPS 730. Send me a friend request if you'd like me to make you one, before I retire from making them which is the end of July ...

• The ALX-Files: On a Theoretical Approach to the Area 51 Aurora Power Supply Swap Corsair ax1200i ax1500i Seasonic x-1250 Hale90 New R2 1500w Psu
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19540327

your 1st line of defense right now is to use the white/yellow chassis cables & an evga powerboost. 

this arrived in my inbox from you, but your post is gone, maybe you deleted it:

• Also noticed inside the system itself, the little board thats located infront of the PSU, at the front of the chassis down on the very bottom, has a blinking blue light.  What does this indicate?

read this:

• Alien 51 ATX - MIO flashing Blue LED ??
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19384097/20746396#20746396

I dont understand, why did the Alienware techs suggest to me that I can use Corsair or EVGA PSUs with this system? So I need a new hand-made master i/o board cable to get that new PSU to work with this system?  Cant the one thats in the system right now just be used?  How would you install a new I/O Board cable into the Power supply I ordered? Would it have to be hand created specifically for that Power supply?

Sighs, this is the last time im getting anything from Dell, overcomplicates things too *** much, spend so much money for just constant ongoing problems.  Sick of it all. 

The recommended PSU wattage Nvidia gave for this Windforce is 500 Watts. Lowest thing is the GTX 680.  Your telling me I gotta go thru ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL this B.S now, the PSU I ordered I may as well friggen return it, that I need this evga Powerboost thing, just to get my *** Card to not starve itself during those high graphic moments?  

This is too much. Last time I get anything from Dell.  Sick of this.  Wish I was never given this thing.  Ugh. Just...too *** much. Im tired of jumping thru hoops over this. Wasting money and ***. sighs.... *Goes to join the "Dont get an Alienware" bandwagon*

Alright, testing now, I used the P17 and P18 connectors, however two things worry me, probably didnt notice it before but when I booted up the system, I heard a strange sorta whining noise, was very low, wouldnt notice it if I had my headset on, till I got into the desktop, then its gone.  Also noticed inside the system itself, the little board thats located infront of the PSU, at the front of the chassis down on the very bottom, has a blinking blue light.  What does this indicate?

I don't know what u need there partner, for today we're trying to get your 1200watter to play its role in your system, since as you said you've one-by-one been replacing parts. For all we know the psu is ok but the card needs connected according to our charts, which is as simple as using the right pair of cables, preferably the white/yellow pair that emanate from the chassis.

As for Alienware techs, the system has not been in production since the end of 2011, the proprietary case harness may have been over-looked or perhaps they mistook your R1 for the new R2 which can house any power supply out there, unlike ours can.

Your Alien was a gift from 2 years ago, so in the end you're improving it with new parts, but I'm not here to debate if Dell is worthy of a new purchase or not these days. The NVidia chart I researched says the 970 is only a 145watt card, which is nothing, since the 1200watters can handle 600watts of cards, 2x300watters like HD6990 & GTX 590:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nvidia_graphics_processing_units#GeForce_900_Series

if you were running your card off of one cable (the primary 6p & 6+2 jumper), using our trix today you should have corrected any power problems for such a low tdp card as the 970, so it is for you to say if your system is now stable, if so, you won't need the evga powerboost, but your system will benefit from its use as would all of our systems.

The real qwestion is, is your system stable now that you've tried an optimal connecting scheme for your card.

I see you made an edit, re: mio 10pins.

So I need a new hand-made master i/o board cable to get that new PSU to work with this system?  

• all new psu's need a hand-made 10pin, without one, your AlienFx & liquid cooling cease to work

Cant the one that's in the system right now just be used?  

• I'm not sure I follow you, perhaps explain what u mean

How would you install a new I/O Board cable into the Power supply I ordered? Would it have to be hand created specifically for that Power supply?

• how would I install it? I'd make it specifically for that power supply, & tap the front panel wherever I had to

I've hand-made power supply cables for all of my Aliens. A person has a choice to either keep using the original 1000/1100/1200 waters, or do a swap-out using a hand-made mio cable, either by making it yourself (using my how-to guide for instance), or hiring a wiring expert to do it for you.

For your qwestion, which cable-ends to use, on the 1200watt psu you have the white P20/P21 & the yellow P23/P24. The cables coming from out of the chassis are preferential, since they are soldered directly to the internal board. So try those.

For the 1000w/1100w models, you would browse the chart, but in the end, what matters is that you're using one cable per card-port, as explained in my HD7990 post link I gave you.

Alright. let me ask this then, which P power connectors do I need to use with this GTX 970 card.  Returning the new PSU is gonna end up costing me 40 bucks now so...yea.... let me try this out, see if it still powers off.  Ill order the evga powerboost as well.  You suggested the soldiered cables?  Ill give those a shot. 

It is indeed the 1200 watt. So yea ill go with the white and yellows. How much would it be for the custom made cable for that particular powersupply I showed you?  May as well get it in the event I need to swap to the new PSU for any reason.  Ill get to work soon as I can understand just, how im supposed to plug two seperate cables into one card. And which P's to use.  Thing is I looked at your tutorials and it just doesnt make any sense, you seem to say one thing, then go with another.  Im trying real hard to make sense of it but you keep coming off indirect.  Your pictures also shows examples of 2 cards being used, if I could see one of one card being used id be able to understand what you mean by "Borrowing" jumpers and all this.  Basically what im not understanding is, your explanations says to use two cables, to not use the 2 pin jumpers, but to basically use both the P20/P21 and P23/P24 on the same card?

Alright so THATS what it is. Your using the two superior cables, using the 23 6 pin and the 22 6 pin, then using the 2p jumper from the 21pin to help fortify the 23 6 pin that needs the 2 pin jumper.  Ok makes sense. Gonna try this now.  Sent you a friend request.  Now I gotta decide if I wanna use the new PSU or not assuming this works anyway.  So much money wasted if this indeed was the problem all along....