Alienware Area 51 not powering up

....have no idea how to test any single component.

Well, I guess you can learn or have a friend take a look. An experienced tech or shop is even better.

I would.  But I know no one who knows anything close to what I do about computers. I phrased that statement wrong. I know how to test it.  Simply try the power supply on a different computer, same with motherboard. However. I lack the  spare hardware.I have a 1.5kw power supply. I'm basically asking, can I test to see what the problem is, using only what the tower has in it.

Update for you: i can confirm it is not the power supply. Do any of you know how i can bypass the on off button on the I/O board? That is what im leaning towards at the moment.

I'm going to edit my last post. I removed the power supply and thesupport frame for it. Plugged the power cord into it. And pressed the test button on the back of the unit. Power supply hummd to life.

Now. As far as the motherboard or either/both I/O boards. I am unsure. I hooked up the Power supply again. Placed one of the gpu cards in (have 2 usually - raddeon 5970) Hit the test button again....nothing...took the card out and put the other in. Hit the test button and it powered up.So. bad card. Hit the actual power button. Still nothing. So I removed the connector on the motherboard and attempted to "jump" it to power it on. Nothing. So. Here is a question or two.

Does the computer HAVE to have the i/o boards functional to power up?

I will be replacing the mother board with a new, more "up to date" one if it is in fact the mother boarf.is there anyway any ofyou can think of? COULD it still be the power supply?  

[View:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuPZlliGqBw:550:0]

true, you can back the Front Panel connector off & jumpstart it with a screwdriver tip by shorting the PW_Sw poles like in the video, but, why not just back the connector off & press the red power on button? Next, try to leave the connector on & press the red power on button 

If the PC refuses to start after pressing the red power on button, might be the power supply; if you have x2 i/o boards & 5970s you do not have a 1500w power supply; remove power supply, unbolt from caddy, check your part#, or get the wattage rating, then run it through eBAY:

• search eBAY for Alienware 1100 (G821T is a typical part#)
• search eBAY for Alienware 1200 (J297R & VHM5V typical part#s)
• when buying, opt for the VHM5V 1200w (confirm vendor has that part# before purchase)

If you'd like to test your power supply on a different system without having to remove your case harness, buy a spare case harness, part# U647R

The external Top I/O (power on button assembly) can go bad, buy part# U637R / eBAY

The motherboard can work independent of the other two i/o boards, however the CPU liquid cooling pump & top radiator fan relies on both of those I/o boards for power; to temporarily disconnect them, on a cold computer, unplug the case floor daughterboard's 10pin power cable, attempt to power up --> pc can stay on for ~1 or 2minutes before CPU thermal shutdown / overheating occurs. An 'emergency' way to get power to the liwquid cooling pump is described in a post below (force it onto the correct fan header at mid-board), pump will operate / fan will not --> again, ~2minutes before shutdown occurs, where a circulating pump may extend on time +1minute

• killing power to the case floor i/o board automatically kills power to the top left powerboard where your liquid cooling pump & radiator fan plug in at

Your PC resumed from sleep & failed to start, it very may well be the power supply, I can't know for sure; if you replace yours & it turns out to be something else, sell the new one or box it as a spare, chalk it up to the cost of PC ownership / maintenance

Testing the coincell battery in the motherboard for 2.8volts - 3volts / replacing it may be in order.

• Alienware Area 51 (2011) model. Shuts off Instantly!
• Alienware A51 ALX Randomly turns off
• Dead Area-51, help!
• I hope one of these posts helps, but they might be dead ends *shrug*

eBAY: J560M & XDJ4C are the original motherboard part #s

[View:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udGOe7LQJEI:550:0]

I can't help beyond what I posted here, keep the forum aware of your progress so others might troubleshoot further

Links to new motherboard / hardware swapping: 51 R1 Motherboard Swap

Ok. Thank you Cass-Ole. I learned a great deal from that. I also have remembered an issue I had before that I've ignored because it wasn't worth worryig about. I know the master i/o board is going on it. Have no control over fans/lights and can not read any temps from tower, command center FX doesn't work on , or even see, the tower. Wether this is related or not. I'm not sure. Do you know off hand the part number for the master i/o board by chance?

So here is what I've discovered. I put everything back together and started from square one with that info. Tried starting it by pressing the red power button on the motherboard. Nothing. Disconnected the external top io board and tried again. Still nothing. Then i pressed the self test button on the power supply. Nothing there. Removed all power cables from the hardware and repeat. Green light. Plugged items in one at a time and tested in between. One of the gpu cards apparently is bad. Light off when it's plugged in. Light on when out. So. I have a spare one of those if I need it. Insured everything was together tight and hit the power button on the case. Nothing. Pressed the power button on the motherboard. Nothing. Does this mean it IS the power supply? Or could it possibly be the motherboard since the self test passed on the power supply.

My vacation starts tomorrow, through to January, I'm not sure if I can see you through to the end of this, hopefully another forum member can

There are 6 part #s for MIOs, check your part tag & search Area 51 master or Area 51 i/o (eBAY)

• Make sure the 66pin black bulk connector is pushed in tight to the PSU chassis
• Perhaps try a new wall socket

We can purchase power supply testers -or- jumpstart PSU on:

[View:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr-eCb5gQss:550:0]

• disconnect 24pin ATX / CPU 8pin / Main SATA-dvd / MIO / Eject all hard disk drives
• 'paperclip' pin 15 ground & pin 16 green (short 15 & 16)
• PSU should turn on / PSU fan on
• if so, probe pins 1-24 with a voltmeter against the schematic below
• if ok, PSU , might be ok
• best PSU test is to remove it + case harness, use it to turn on a different system if you have one
• if PSU ok, suspect motherboard is bad if it fails the 'red power on button' test & fails 'jumpstarting'  by shorting the PW_Sw poles as shown in prior post

Hardware troubleshooting:

• remove all memory, remove all Grfx cards, eject all hard drives
• disconnect MIO board
• try to turn on or 'jump' system on as stated prior
• it PSU is ok, system comes on, motherboard beeps (protests the no memory situation)
• if PSU ok, system not on, suspect mthrbrd failure
• ?

If you have your system fully connected - as a last resort - I've tried this here once:

• do at your own risk
• with all cables connected to motherboard - with 24pin ATX seated into its slot - place your paperclip into pin 15 & 16
• force the power supply to turn the motherboard on 
• as long as the paperclip is shorted to 15 / 16, power WILL be applied to the motherboard, as in, power supply will be forced on
• see if system turns on / you get video
• if so, yank paperclip out, and suspect motherboard is bad (power on circuit won't work for whatever reason)

I wish I knew what was wrong with it, but those are the basics, given my time crunch to pitch in. A spazzed out MIO board with the symptoms you listed sounds like more than I can help with

MIO Board died (see 32bit diagnostics / CD testing)

Area 51 alx command center issues

2. Alienware Desktop - General Hardware Troubleshooting

Alienware Computer Does Not Turn On or Go Into Windows

recent swaps

Greatly appreciate the quick replies. I will work on this right now and update as I know things.  I am hoping against hope it's not the most expensive of the possible problems. However, I've had this computer since Jan. Of 2009 and this is the only issue, aside from a bad fan, that has happened.

benchtesting J560M / XDJ4C outside of case + traditional power supply: is motherboard good?

alternate: test motherboard inside of case > remove your PSU chassis, install traditional PSU, test motherboard (will it come on, if so, motherboard good, psu bad etc)

Ok. Completed all steps, and added a few. Problem MAY be solved....I just would like verification before I order parts.

Disconnected all power connectors and removed mentioned hardware. Jumped PSU and checked with voltmeter. Only thing off enough that I thought it worth mentioning, are the +3.3VDC pins show +3.03...probably not anything really.  I'll replace it if needed later.  

Now. Everythings ready for the above posts hardware troubleshooting step. Plugged 24 pin back in motherboard and tried the red button. Nothing. I figured what the ***. I placed the jumper I used earlier into the 24 pin. Board powered up....then shut of on its own after about 2-3 seconds.

This is when I remembered one of the threads you shared in a post above, the command center issue, along with my issue mention above that at the time I didn't think would matter.Now I realized that they could in fact be connected. So. I removed all the connectors that tie into any of the i/o boards to the motherboard. Audio, 1394, usb-1 2 & 3, and the power switch.

Hit the red button. Powered up fine and beeped like he'll cause it had no memory. I was thrilled. So, Put all hardware and connectors back, except master i/o power and the above cables to i/o (usb1, 2, 3, etc) hit thw button. And once it started post i pulled rhe plug. So. This means either the master i/o board, or the secondary (power button) i/o board....or both....are bad. Correct?

Cause if it will save me time. Ill just buy both because they are cheap on eBay. Two of them together is cheaper than the power supply

And once it started post i pulled rhe plug. So. This means either the master i/o board, or the secondary (power button) i/o board....or both....are bad. Correct?

Correct? I mean kind of, I guess

#1, I recommend all owners buy U637R in order to have a spare, since the external power-on pcb board diode/resistor/chip capacitor can fail. Therefore, whether you needed it or not, you might need one someday, best to have a good spare on hand to test with

#2, even though my camera takes poor qwality close-ups, I tried to show a way to by-pass the MIO board, tried to show a way to get temporary power to the cooling pump by having it plug into the (top) constant 12volt fan header that's mid-board (the lower fan header is 5volts, es no bueno)

unplug MIO 10pin power, get power to the pump, this buys enough time for some tests

• if you can get power to the radiator fan (example, use a 4pin pwm fan extension), the motherboard can survive without the MIO indefinitely 

#3 each owner is advised to buy & have a spare MIO on hand, known-good spare for troubleshooting on-the-spot as opposed to waiting days later for delivery

I advise you buy an MIO + U637R (if your top external power on pcb is shot, replace it now, if it fixes this then buy ANOTHER U637R to have a spare, right? Toss the old non-working pcb, buy a new one & buy a spare)

If you disconnected the MIO (temporary 1-2minute testing), & disconnected motherboard front panel connector, that should have taken the MIO JFL1 wiring out of the loop as well, which when you press the motherboard red power-on mini-button the motherboard should start up (since you by-passed both the MIO & the top U637R pcb). It occurs to me that if you disconnected the front panel connector, pressed red on button & motherboard failed to start, that is where my troubleshooting skills break down:

• if you left the front panel connector connected & pressed red button & pc did not start, it could be that the U637R pcb is the reason why (it's still in the power-on wiring loop)
• we want to by-pass the MIO, by-pass the U637R pcb, turn the motherboard into a traditional system as you saw in my benchtest photo, isolate these parts & see when/where failure occurs

It's all a puzzle that's difficult to express in words

How should I say this with the time I have left ... hmmmm ...

• put your system 100% back together
• now disconnect the motherboard front panel header
• disconnect MIO JFL1 connector
• press red power-on mini-button
• this by-passes the top power-on button pcb (ie U637R pcb)
• system should turn on
• if it does, replace the power-on pcb by buying a new U637R assembly

if system fails to turn on, but you go back & start unplugging the MIO & related wiring, then system turns on, try to deduce if that has anything to do with front panel connector & JFL1 when they're connected or disconnected. I can't explain it, lol, but yes, there sounds like an issue with MIO/U637R so replace one or replace both

I talked a bit about it here (I think): Area 51 Power supply.

Any parts you buy are a good investment though, even a $110 power supply, since working spare parts help troubleshoot (a stick or two or three of spare memory is a good idea also)

FYI: USB_3 is the MIO cable, 1 & 2 cables are the top external USB ports in the U637R assembly

I hope this helps, my time ran out, I'm glad it at least tried to start up

Happy Holidays

Ok. I will get the parts ordered today and guess, while I wait for them, see if I can find the exact issue. Will keep updating as I learn.

it would be known as a partially working power supply, only 'works' with zero load; I can foresee a situation where an internal micro-component failed when it resumed from sleep, like a lightbulb filament that finally burns out (due to the electrical pressure that occurred when the lightswitch was flipped). It might read normal on a voltmeter (if you jumpstart it), but be useless when asked to be under load, like in a startup situation inside a computer, make sense?

If you got it to work earlier as you said, after unplugging many things related to MIO/U637R PCB, it doesn't all seem to add up as a PSU issue either

Naturally, if you introduced a new PSU (that left MIO/U637R disconnected in certain ways), & the system turned on as normal, it still seems to point towards MIO/U637R related, so, do whatever you did earlier, this time use the original power supply but do not give MIO 10pin power (in the same way that the new 850watt can not give it 10pin power)

Ok. So. I was able to find another powersupply. 850 watt. Hooked it up to the motherboard,  and graphics card. have the radiator fan plugged in as you said. Need to get the pump hooked up yet.  Pressed the red button. Fired up no problem. Removed. Connected original back up. Nothing. Will play around with it more. Only real question I have at this point, is, would all the pins on the 24 pin connector show normal measurements with a voltmeter while detached and jumped, and still be bad?