17 R1, wont boot, dark screen, no beeps

Alienware M17x

Can you give any extra info on what model it is? Do you remember what CPU and GPU it had or is there a plate on the bottom that tells you? 

There will be a sticker with a service tag on it on the bottom of your laptop. If you enter this service tag on the Dell Support page it will tell you what machine you have. Do not post your service tag here. The Dell mod will remove it anyway but it's best to keep it to yourself. 

Also, it's best to check if an external display works. Check the HDMI output with a monitor or TV. 

That's the 17 R1 or in some countries the M17x R5. 

Does it allow you to get into the BIOS or does the screen go black as soon as you press the power button?

If it shows the Alienware splash screen with BIOS option and then goes black then it could be that Windows is corrupted. If it just goes black straight away then you probably have a hardware issue. 

First thing I would try is removing the GPU and seeing if it will boot. If you have the 60Hz (matte) display then it should boot to Windows if the GPU is causing the problem. If you have the 3D 120Hz (glossy) display then you will get an 8 beep code as the display needs a dedicated GPU to boot. 

Do you know if it has the 3D screen? There is usually an Nvidia 3D sticker on the laptop if it does. If it doesn't then I'd suggest to remove the GPU.

Do this at your own risk. Never do this while standing on carpet or in socks as the chance of a static shock to the board or component is increased. 

Firstly remove the power adapter then there are two screws on the back panel to remove (not the two that hold the name plate on) then the back panel can be pushed up and off. 

- Unplug the battery connector. 

- Loosen the GPU fan screws (x3). Unplug and remove the fan

- Loosen the GPU heatsink screws (x4). They are numbered in the order of removal. Very carefully remove the heatsink. It will feel stuck as the thermal pads have pressed onto it over the last 6 years. 

- Remove the GPU screws (x2). Carefully remove the GPU.

If you are having trouble removing the heatsink from the gpu then you can remove the two GPU screws. This should give you enough play to pry them apart carefully. 

- Plug in the GPU fan and tighten the screws. (some laptops like to know that a fan is connected even if it isn't needed with no card installed)

- Plug in your power adapter and turn on. You can do this without the battery plugged in. 

It goes dark before ever getting to the BIOS, and does not show anything on an external monitor.   

It does have the ability to hit the fn F5 to swap between graphics, but cant seem to make that work when i cannot see anything or boot up fully.