Alienware Alpha R2 Service Manual Computer Model: Alienware Alpha R2 Regulatory Model: D07U Regulatory Type: D07U002/D07U003
Notes, cautions, and warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2016 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws.
Contents Before working inside your computer.......................................... 10 Before You Begin ..............................................................................................10 Safety instructions.............................................................................................. 10 Recommended tools........................................................................................... 11 After working inside your computer............................................
Replacing the top cover..................................................................24 Procedure.......................................................................................................... 24 Post-requisites....................................................................................................24 Removing the bottom USB-port....................................................25 Prerequisites......................................................................................
Replacing the processor heat-sink................................................ 42 Procedure.......................................................................................................... 42 Post-requisites....................................................................................................43 Removing the video-card fan.........................................................44 Prerequisites.........................................................................................
Replacing the processor................................................................. 58 Procedure.......................................................................................................... 58 Post-requisites....................................................................................................59 Removing the front-panel light board.......................................... 60 Prerequisites.......................................................................................
Replacing the system board...........................................................75 Procedure.......................................................................................................... 75 Post-requisites....................................................................................................75 Removing the coin-cell battery......................................................77 Prerequisites......................................................................................
Changing the audio settings........................................................................... 94 HDMI............................................................................................................... 94 Graphics............................................................................................................ 94 Downloading the graphics driver....................................................................94 Identifying the display adapter..................................
Checking the processor usage in the task manager......................................... 106 Operating System............................................................................................. 107 Service Tag location......................................................................................... 107 Device driver................................................................................................... 107 Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility..............................
Before working inside your computer NOTE: The images in this document may differ from your computer depending on the configuration you ordered. Before You Begin 1 Save and close all open files and exit all open applications. 2 Shut down your computer. The shut-down instruction varies depending on the operating system installed on your computer. – Windows 10: Click Start → Power → Shut down. – Console Mode: On the Home screen, click Power → Shut down.
WARNING: Disconnect all power sources before opening the computer cover or panels. After you finish working inside the computer, replace all covers, panels, and screws before connecting to the electrical outlet. CAUTION: To avoid damaging the computer, ensure that the work surface is flat and clean. CAUTION: To avoid damaging the components and cards, handle them by their edges, and avoid touching pins and contacts.
After working inside your computer CAUTION: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your computer may severely damage your computer. 1 Replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside your computer. 2 Connect any external devices, peripherals, or cables you removed before working on your computer. 3 Replace any media cards, discs, or any other parts that you removed before working on your computer. 4 Connect your computer and all attached devices to their electrical outlets.
Technical overview WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance.
System-board components 1 processor socket (PROCESSOR) 3 M.
Removing the base cover WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure 1 Turn the computer over. 2 Remove the screws that secure the base cover to the top cover.
3 Lift the base cover off the top cover.
Replacing the base cover WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance.
Removing the hard drive WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: Hard drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the hard drive.
3 Lift the hard-drive assembly off the chassis. 1 4 hard-drive assembly 2 screw Remove the screws that secure the hard-drive bracket to the hard drive.
5 20 Lift the hard drive off the hard-drive bracket.
Replacing the hard drive WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: Hard drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the hard drive.
Removing the top cover WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the base cover. Procedure CAUTION: The chassis is not secured to the top cover.
2 Lift the top cover off the chassis.
Replacing the top cover WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance.
Removing the bottom USB-port WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover.
2 Push down the USB-port cable through the cable-routing hole on the chassis. 1 USB-port cable 2 cable-routing hole 3 Turn the computer over. 4 Remove the USB-port cable from the routing guides on the chassis. 5 Remove the screw that secures the USB-port bracket to the chassis. 6 Lift the USB-port bracket at an angle to release the tabs on the USB-port bracket from the slots on the chassis.
7 8 Lift the USB-port bracket off the chassis. 1 USB-port cable 2 USB-port bracket 3 screw 4 routing guides 5 chassis Remove the screw that secures the USB port to the chassis.
9 28 Slide and remove the USB port, along with the cable, from under the tab on the chassis.
Replacing the bottom USB-port WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure 1 Slide the USB port under the tab on the chassis.
Removing the power-button board WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover.
2 Press the tabs on the power-button module to release the module from the front panel.
3 Turn the chassis over and remove the antenna cable from the routing guides on the power-button module. 1 4 32 power-button board cable 2 routing guides Use a plastic scribe to release the tabs at the bottom of the power-button module from the slots on the chassis.
5 Remove the power-button module along with its cable through the slot on the front panel.
6 7 34 Push the tab that secures the power-button board to the power-button board bracket. 1 tab 2 power-button board 3 power-button board cable 4 power-button board bracket Lift and slide the power-button board to release it from the power-button board bracket.
8 Remove the power-button board along with its cable off the power-button board bracket.
Replacing the power-button board WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance.
Removing the processor fan WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover.
2 38 Disconnect the processor-fan cable from the system board (CPUFAN).
Replacing the processor fan WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure 1 Connect the processor-fan cable to the system board (CPUFAN).
Removing the processor heat-sink WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: For maximum cooling of the processor, do not touch the heat transfer areas on the heat sink.
2 Lift the processor heat sink off system board.
Replacing the processor heat-sink WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance.
2 3 Align the captive screws on the processor heat sink with the screw holes on the system board. 1 processor heat sink 2 captive screws 3 system board 4 back panel Tighten the captive screws that secure the processor heat sink to the system board. Post-requisites 1 Replace the processor fan. 2 Replace the top cover. 3 Replace the base cover.
Removing the video-card fan WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover.
Procedure 1 Disconnect the video-card fan cable from the system board (GPUFAN).
2 Press the tabs and lift the video-card fan off the system board.
Replacing the video-card fan WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure 1 Align and snap the video-card fan over the video-card heat sink.
Removing the memory modules WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover. 3 Remove the processor fan.
2 Slide and remove the memory module from the memory-module slot.
Replacing the memory modules WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure 1 50 Align the notch on the memory module with the tab on the memory-module slot.
2 Slide the memory module into the memory-module slot and press the memory module down until it clicks into place. NOTE: If you do not hear the click, remove the memory module and reinstall it. 1 memory-module slot 2 memory module 3 notch 4 tab Post-requisites 1 Replace the processor fan. 2 Replace the top cover. 3 Replace the base cover.
Removing the solid-state drive WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: Solid-state drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the solid-state drive.
2 Slide and remove the M.2 SSD card from the M.2 SSD card slot. 1 M.2 SSD card slot 2 M.
Replacing the solid-state drive WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: Solid-state drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the solid-state drive.
3 Replace the screw that secures the M.2 SSD card to the system board. 1 M.2 SSD card slot 2 tab 3 notch 4 M.2 SSD card 5 screw 6 system board Post-requisites 1 Replace the processor fan. 2 Replace the top cover. 3 Replace the base cover.
Removing the processor WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover. 3 Remove the processor fan.
3 Lift the processor off the processor socket.
Replacing the processor WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance.
4 Pivot the release lever down and place it under the tab on the processor cover. 1 processor socket 2 processor 3 tab 4 processor cover 5 release lever Post-requisites 1 Replace the processor heat sink. 2 Replace the processor fan. 3 Replace the top cover. 4 Replace the base cover.
Removing the front-panel light board WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover. 3 Remove the video-card fan.
2 Slide the front-panel light board cable through the routing-hole on the chassis.
3 4 62 Press the front-panel light module tabs to release the module from the front panel. 1 front-panel light module 3 front panel 2 tabs Lift the front-panel light module, along with its cable, off the front panel.
Replacing the front-panel light board WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance.
Removing the wireless card WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover. 3 Remove the video-card fan.
4 Slide and remove the wireless card out of the wireless-card slot.
Replacing the wireless card WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure CAUTION: To avoid damage to the wireless card, do not place any cables under it.
Removing the antenna modules WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover. 2 Remove the top cover. 3 Remove the video-card fan.
Procedure 1 Slide the antenna cables through the cable-routing hole on the chassis. 1 routing hole 2 antenna cables (2) 2 Turn the computer over. 3 Remove the antenna cable from the routing guides on the power-button module and chassis. 4 Remove the screws that secure the antenna modules to the chassis.
5 6 Using a plastic scribe, pry and slide the antenna modules, and release the tabs on the antenna modules from the slots on the chassis. 1 antenna cable 2 routing guides 3 antenna modules (2) 4 screws (2) 5 plastic scribe Lift the antenna modules, along with the cable, off the chassis.
Replacing the antenna modules WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure 1 Align and slide the tabs on the antenna modules in the slots on the chassis.
Removing the system board WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. NOTE: Your computer’s Service Tag is stored in the system board.
Procedure NOTE: The system board shipped in your computer may differ from the system board shown in the images below. 1 Disconnect the USB-port cable, front-panel light board cable, and power-button board cable from the system board. For information on the location of connectors, see “System- board components”. 2 3 72 Remove the screws that secure the back panel to the chassis.
4 5 Push the tab at the bottom of the back panel and use a plastic scribe to remove the back panel from the chassis. 1 plastic scribe 3 tab 2 back panel Remove the screws that secure the system board to the chassis.
6 Lift the system board at an angle and remove it from the chassis.
Replacing the system board WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. NOTE: Your computer’s Service Tag is stored in the system board.
6 Replace the processor fan. 7 Replace the hard drive. 8 Replace the top cover. 9 Replace the base cover.
Removing the coin-cell battery WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: Removing the coin-cell battery resets the BIOS setup program’s settings to default.
3 78 Peel off the coin-cell battery from the system board.
Replacing the coin-cell battery WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure 1 Adhere the coin-cell battery to the system board.
BIOS setup program Overview CAUTION: Unless you are an expert computer user, do not change the settings in the BIOS setup program. Certain changes can make your computer work incorrectly. NOTE: Before you change BIOS setup program, it is recommended that you write down the BIOS setup program screen information for future reference. Use BIOS setup program to: • Get information about the hardware installed in your computer, such as the amount of RAM, the size of the hard drive, and so on.
Main BIOS Revision Displays the BIOS version number. BIOS Build Date Displays the BIOS release date. System Name Displays the system name. System Time Displays the current time in hh:mm:ss format. System Date Displays the current date in mm/dd/yyy format. Service Tag Displays the service tag of your computer. Service Tag Input Allows you to enter the service tag of your computer. Asset Tag Displays the asset tag of your computer.
Main Device Type Displays the type of the connected device. Device ID Displays the identification code of the device. Device Size Displays the size of the device. Advanced Processor Configuration Intel Hyper-Threading Technology Allows you to enable or disable the HyperThreading in the processor. Intel(R) SpeedStep Technology Allows you to enable or disable Intel (R) SpeedStep Technology.
Advanced Onboard Audio Controller Allows you to enable or disable the onboard audio controller. SATA Mode Displays the SATA mode on your computer. Onboard LAN Controller Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN controller. Onboard LAN Boot ROM Allows you to boot your computer from a network. Numlock Key Allows you to set the status of the Num Lock key during boot to On or Off. Secure Boot Allows you to enable or disable the secure boot control.
Boot Hard Disk Drivers Displays the boot sequence of the hard drive. Power Wake Up by Integrated LAN Allow the computer to be powered on by special LAN signals. Deep Sleep Control Allows you to define the controls when Deep Sleep is enabled. AC Recovery Sets what action the computer takes when power is restored. Auto Power On Allows you to enable or disable the computer from turning on automatically.
Security NOTE: Deleting the supervisor password deletes the user password. Set the supervisor password before setting the user password. User Access Level Allows you to restrict or provide access to the system setup utility.
Boot sequence This feature allows you to change the sequence of devices that your computer attempts to boot from. If the computer cannot boot from the device you select, it attempts to boot from the next bootable device. You can use this feature to change the: • Current Boot Sequence — change the boot sequence for the current boot, for example, to boot from the optical drive to run Dell Diagnostics from the Drivers and Utilities disc or to reinstall your operating system using an external media.
Changing boot sequence for future boots 1 Enter system setup. See "Entering System Setup". 2 Use the arrow keys to highlight the Boot menu option and press Enter to access the menu. NOTE: Note your current boot sequence in case you want to restore it. 3 Navigate to Set Boot Priority to configure the boot priority. 4 Use the arrow keys to highlight the boot priority and press Enter to display the different devices. 5 Select the device and press Enter to set the boot priority.
2 Remove the jumper plug. 1 jumper plug 3 Replace the processor fan. 4 Replace the top cover. 2 password jumper (Pin number three and four) 5 Replace the base cover. 6 Turn on your computer and wait till the operating system is completely loaded. 7 Shut down your computer. 8 Remove the base cover. 9 Remove the top cover. 10 Remove the processor fan. 11 Replace the jumper plug on the password jumper (pin number three and four). Post-requisites 1 88 Replace the processor fan.
2 Replace the top cover. 3 Replace the base cover. Clearing CMOS Settings WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites 1 Remove the base cover.
2 Remove the jumper plug from the password jumper (pin number three and four) and place it on the CMOS jumper (pin number five and six). 1 jumper plug 3 password jumper (pin number three and four) 3 Replace the video-card fan. 4 Replace the processor fan. 5 Replace the top cover. 6 Replace the base cover. 7 Turn on your computer. 2 CMOS jumper (pin number five and six) A message is displayed to confirm that the CMOS settings are reset and default BIOS setup has been loaded.
10 Remove the base cover. 11 Remove the top cover. 12 Remove the processor fan. 13 Remove the video-card fan. 14 Remove the jumper plug from the CMOS jumper and replace it on the password jumper (pin number three and four). Post-requisites 1 Replace the video-card fan. 2 Replace the processor fan. 3 Replace the top cover. 4 Replace the base cover.
Flashing the BIOS NOTE: It is recommended that you connect a keyboard and mouse to flash the BIOS. You may need to flash (update) the BIOS when an update is available or when you replace the system board. To flash the BIOS: 1 Turn on the computer. 2 Go to dell.com/support. 3 If you have your computer's Service Tag, type your computer's Service Tag and click Submit. If you do not have your computer's Service Tag, click Detect My Product to allow automatic detection of the Service Tag.
Technology and components Audio Alienware Alpha R2 is shipped with Realtek ALC3234 for optical S/PDIF output. NOTE: The audio drivers are already installed when you receive your computer. Downloading the audio driver 1 Turn on your computer. 2 Go to www.dell.com/support. 3 Click Product support, enter the Service Tag of your computer and then click Submit. NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag, use the auto-detect feature or manually browse for your computer model.
Changing the audio settings 1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Dell Audio. 2 Click Dell Audio and change the audio settings as required. HDMI Alienware Alpha R2 supports HDMI-in port to connect a gaming console, Blu‑ray player, or other HDMI‑out enabled devices. Alienware Alpha R2 supports HDMI-out port to connect a monitor, TV, or other HDMI‑in enabled devices. It provides video and audio output.
Identifying the display adapter 1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Device Manager. 2 Click Device Manager. 3 Expand Display adapters. The Device Manager window is displayed. For computers shipped with the AMD video card: Changing the screen resolution 1 Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings. 2 Click Advanced display settings. 3 Select the appropriate resolution from the drop-down list. 4 Click Apply.
Rotating the display 1 96 Right-click on your desktop.
2 Select Graphics Options → Rotation and select from the listed options. The display can be also rotated by selecting Rotate Display under the Display menu in the NVIDIA Control Panel. For computers shipped with the AMD video card, the display can be rotated by selecting the required rotation on Rotate Desktop tab in the AMD Catalyst Control Center.
USB The following table shows the USB ports available in Alienware Alpha R2. Ports Location USB 3.0 port Two on the front side and two on the back side USB 2.0 port Beneath USB port cover NOTE: USB 3.0 needs the driver to be installed before it can detect any USB devices. Downloading the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 driver 1 Turn on your computer. 2 Go to www.dell.com/support. 3 Click Product support enter the Service Tag of your computer, and then click Submit.
Fixing a no-boot issue caused by USB emulation Sometimes the computer does not boot to the operating system when USB devices are connected to the computer during startup. This behavior occurs because the computer is looking for bootable files in the USB devices. Follow these steps to fix the no-boot issue: 1 Turn on or restart your computer. 2 Press F2 when the Dell logo is displayed on the screen to enter the BIOS setup program. The BIOS setup program is displayed.
7 After the download is complete, navigate to the folder where you saved the Wi-Fi driver file. 8 Double-click the driver file icon and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver. Configuring the Wi-Fi 1 Turn on Wi-Fi. For more information, see Turning Wi-Fi on or off. 2 Swipe-in from the right edge of the display, or click the Action Center icon on the taskbar to access the Action Center. 3 Click Wi-Fi, and then click Go to settings. A list of available networks is displayed.
Pairing the Bluetooth-enabled devices 1 Turn on Bluetooth. For more information, see Turning on or off Bluetooth. 2 Swipe-in from the right edge of the display, or click the Action Center icon on the taskbar to access the Action Center. 3 Click Bluetooth, and then click Go to settings. 4 Select the required Bluetooth device for pairing. 5 Click Pair to pair the bluetooth devices. 6 Click Yes to confirm the passcodes on both the devices.
Removing the Bluetooth device 1 Swipe-in from the right edge of the display, or click the Action Center icon on the taskbar to access the Action Center. 2 Click Bluetooth, and then click Go to settings. 3 Click the device you want to remove, and then click Remove device. Transferring files between devices using Bluetooth 1 Swipe-in from the right edge of the display, or click the Action Center icon on the taskbar to access the Action Center. 2 Click Bluetooth, and then click Go to settings.
5 In the Bluetooth File Transfer window, click Send files, and then select the file you want to transfer. Hard drive The following table shows the hard-drive options available in Alienware Alpha R2. Options Dimensions SSD One M.2 slot HDD One 2.5–inch drive Identifying the hard drive 1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Device Manager. 2 Click Device Manager. 3 Expand Disk drives. The Device Manager window is displayed.
2 Press F2 when the Dell logo is displayed on the screen to enter the BIOS setup program. A list of hard drives is displayed on the Main tab. Power adapter Alienware Alpha R2 is shipped with 130 W or 180 W power adapters. WARNING: When you disconnect the power adapter cable from the computer, pull on its connector, not the cable itself. When disconnecting cable, keep it evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins.
Identifying the chipset 1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Device Manager. 2 Click Device Manager. The Device Manager window is displayed. 3 Expand System devices. Memory Alienware Alpha R2 has one SODIMM (RAM) slot, which is accessible by removing the base cover and top cover. Your computer supports 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB DDR4 memory of up to 2133 MHz. Checking the system memory in Windows 1 Click Start . 2 Select Settings 3 Click System → About. .
Processors Alienware Alpha R2 is shipped with the following processor options: • 6th Generation Intel Dual Core i3 • 6th Generation Intel Dual Core i5 • 6th Generation Intel Dual Core i7 Identifying the processors in Windows 1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Device Manager. 2 Click Device Manager. The Device Manager window is displayed. 3 Expand Processors . Checking the processor usage in the task manager 1 Right-click on the taskbar. 2 Click Task Manager.
3 Click Performance tab to display the processor performance details. Operating System Alienware Alpha R2 is shipped with the Windows 10 factory installation. Service Tag location The service tag is a unique alphanumeric identifier that allows Dell service technicians to identify the hardware components in your computer and access warranty information. Device driver A device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device.
Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility In the Device Manager, check if the chipset driver is installed. Install the Intel chipset updates from www.dell.com/support. Video drivers In the Device Manager, check if the video driver is installed. Install the video driver update from www.dell.com/support.
Intel Serial IO driver In the Device Manager, check if the Intel Serial IO driver is installed. Install the driver updates from www.dell.com/support.
Intel Trusted Execution Engine Interface In the Device Manager, check if the Intel Trusted Execution Engine Interface driver is installed. Install the driver update from www.dell.com/support.
Intel Wireless-AC 8260 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers In the Device Manager, check if the network card driver is installed. Install the driver updates from www.dell.com/support. In the Device Manager, check if the Bluetooth driver is installed. Install the driver updates from www.dell.com/support.
BIOS overview The BIOS manages data flow between the computer's operating system and attached devices such as hard disk, video adapter, keyboard, mouse, and printer. Getting help and contacting Alienware Self-help resources You can get information and help on Alienware products and services using these online self-help resources: Information about Alienware products and www.alienware.
