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34380
November 14th, 2013 05:00
Alienware M17X R4 fps drop (randomly)
Hey guys I'm having trouble.
I've been using this computer for around 1 or 2 years and then few months ago when i was playing games, my fps would drop randomly for a short period of time (around 10 seconds each time) and its random. It's really annoying, please help!
Also, I'm a newb and I don't know anything about cards and stuff so below is the stuff... (not sure if some of these are needed or not)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.130828-1532)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Alienware
System Model: M17xR4
BIOS: InsydeH2O Version 03.72.24A09
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3720QM CPU @ 2.60GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.6GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8074MB RAM
Page File: 5074MB used, 11072MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: UnKnown
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode
dmpotter1361
90 Posts
0
November 14th, 2013 08:00
I suspect you may want to check for heat issues. Personally, I like GPU-Z, but look for temps above 70c
May have a bad case of the dust bunnies after 2 years.
There is a little gap between the fans and the fins for the cooling tubes, if those get clogged up, the system will start to overheat. Video cards will sense the temperature and auto scale down when starting to over heat to save themselves.
All you need to do is just get the back cover off though, you don't need to remove any of the frame screws, just the fans. So basically, remove the battery, unscrew two screws to release the back plate then remove/clean fans and fins.
After removing the two screws, just slide the plate back.
Red Arrows point to the fan screws, the green blocks are were the bunnies live. You could remove the video card to get good access to the fins, but if you're a novice, I strongly suggest you don't. I used a light and a toothpick to clean the dust between each fin then vacuumed out the dust.
Nice video imo for tear down of Mx17
[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP4myeDK-3U:236:154]
PS: Even if you didn't know this when you bought an alienware, what makes them nice is they are a highly serviceable DIY laptop with exchangeable parts. Don't be scared to look under the hood!
Portalfield
2 Posts
0
November 14th, 2013 09:00
Thank you very much! I'll try this out asap :)
Love this forum, again thank you soo much!
dmpotter1361
90 Posts
0
November 14th, 2013 09:00
Hope it helps! Remember you shouldn't need to pry anything. If it doesn't come off easy, something is wrong. FYI though, the fan screws have the little stoppers to prevent them from coming away from the fan assembly. So, just basically loosen the fan screws, but don't try to take them out, the fan will just come out when the screws are loose.
Take a before and after picture for posterity sake
After cleaning mine, I was able to use highest settings in most modern games.