Aurora R6 Service Manual Computer Model: Alienware Aurora R6 Regulatory Model: D23M Regulatory Type: D23M001
Notes, cautions, and warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product. 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. Copyright © 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Contents Before working inside your computer..................... 12 Before you begin .......................................................................12 Safety instructions......................................................................12 Recommended tools.................................................................. 13 Screw list.................................................................................. 14 After working inside your computer........................
Removing the top-cover assembly.......................... 34 Prerequisites............................................................................. 34 Procedure................................................................................. 34 Replacing the top-cover assembly.......................... 40 Procedure................................................................................. 40 Post-requisites...........................................................................
Removing the hard-drive cage................................. 53 Procedure................................................................................. 53 Prerequisites............................................................................. 54 Replacing the hard-drive cage................................. 55 Procedure................................................................................. 55 Post-requisites...........................................................................
Removing the memory modules.............................. 71 Prerequisites............................................................................. 71 Procedure................................................................................. 71 Replacing the memory modules.............................. 73 Procedure................................................................................. 73 Post-requisites...........................................................................
Replacing the processor fan and heat-sink assembly.................................................................... 86 Procedure................................................................................. 86 Post-requisites...........................................................................86 Removing the processor...........................................87 Prerequisites............................................................................. 87 Procedure...............................
Replacing the front-chassis fan............................. 102 Procedure............................................................................... 102 Post-requisites.........................................................................102 Removing the top-chassis fan................................103 Prerequisites........................................................................... 103 Procedure...............................................................................
Replacing the power-button board........................ 119 Procedure................................................................................119 Post-requisites......................................................................... 119 Removing the rear trim cover.................................120 Prerequisites........................................................................... 120 Procedure...............................................................................
Post-requisites....................................................................138 Flashing the BIOS....................................................139 Technology and components................................. 140 Audio......................................................................................140 Downloading the audio driver............................................... 140 Identifying the audio controller..............................................140 Changing the audio settings....
Identifying the hard drive in BIOS setup program....................152 Chipset................................................................................... 152 Downloading the chipset driver.............................................152 Identifying the chipset..........................................................152 Memory.................................................................................. 153 Checking the system memory in Windows.............................
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. Windows 10: Click or tap Start → Power → Shut down. NOTE: If you are using a different operating system, see the documentation of your operating system for shut-down instructions.
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.
Screw list The following table provides the list of screws that are used for securing different components to Alienware Aurora R5. Table 1. Screw list Component Secured to Screw type Quantit Screw y image 3.5-inch hard-drive cage Chassis #6-32 X 1/4'' 2 2.
Component Secured to Screw type Quantit Screw y image Processor-cooling assembly Chassis bracket #6-32 X 1/4'' BLK 2 Processor-cooling assembly Processorradiator cooling assembly bracket #6-32 X 1/4'' BLK 4 Top-chassis fan assembly Chassis #6-32 X 1/4'' 1 Top-chassis fan bracket Chassis #6-32 X 1/4'' BLK 1 Antenna assembly Chassis #6-32 X 1/4'' 2 Power-button board Top cover M3 X 4 2 Rubber foot Bottom cover M3 X 4 4 M.2 SSD card System board Standoff M2 1 M2 X 2.
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.
Inside view of your computer 1 power-supply unit 2 optical-drive assembly 3 top cover 4 top-chassis fan 5 system board 6 processor fan and heat-sink assembly 7 graphics card 8 right-side cover 18
System-board components 1 top-chassis fan (TOP_FAN) 2 processor-cooling assembly pump-fan connector (PUMP_FAN) 3 processor-fan connector (CPU_FAN) 4 memory-module slot 1 (XMM1) 5 memory-module slot 2 (XMM2) 6 memory-module slot 3 (XMM3) 7 memory-module slot 4 (XMM4) 8 front-chassis fan connector (FRONT_FAN) 19
9 SATA 6 Gbps drive connector (SATA1) 10 SATA 6 Gbps drive connector (SATA2) 11 SATA 6 Gbps drive connector (SATA3) 12 SATA 6 Gbps drive connector (SATA4) 13 solid-state drive slot (M.
Removing the stability foot 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 Place the computer on a clean and flat surface with the bottom cover facing up.
3 4 22 Lift the stability foot off the bottom cover. 1 bottom cover 3 security tab Lay the computer on its side.
Replacing the stability foot 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 Place the computer on a clean and flat surface with the bottom cover facing up.
Removing the left-side 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.
2 Release the left-side cover away from the chassis and then lift it from the computer.
Replacing the left-side 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 26 Align the tabs on the left-side cover with the slots on the chassis.
2 Snap the left-side cover to lock it in place. Figure 1.
Removing the right-side 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 Carefully pry around the edges of the right-side cover from the chassis. Figure 2. Removing the right-side cover 1 2 chassis 2 right-side cover Disconnect the lighting cable from the right-side cover.
3 Lift the right-side cover off the chassis. Figure 3.
Replacing the right-side 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 Connect the lighting cable to the right-side cover. Figure 4.
2 Align the tabs on the right-side cover with the slots on the chassis and snap the right-side cover to lock it in place. Figure 5.
Removing the top-cover assembly 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 left-side cover. 2 Remove the right-side cover.
3 Slide the lighting cable through the slot on the chassis. Figure 6. Removing the top cover 4 1 lighting cable 2 chassis 3 screws (2) 4 top cover Starting from the rear, release the tabs on the top cover from the slots on the chassis.
5 Lift the top cover off the chassis. Figure 7.
6 Turn the top cover over, release the tabs on the top cover from the slots on the top bezel. Figure 8.
7 Lift the top cover from the top bezel. Figure 9.
8 You are left with top bezel and top cover. Figure 10.
Replacing the top-cover assembly 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 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 1 Remove the left-side cover. 2 Remove the two 2.5-inch hard-drive cages.
Procedure 1 Press the securing tabs to release the bottom cover from the slots on the chassis. Figure 11. Releasing the bottom cover from the chassis 1 2 42 securing tabs (8) 2 slots (8) Tilt the computer towards the front until the base is facing up.
3 Lift the bottom cover from the chassis. Figure 12. Removing the bottom cover 4 Tilt the computer back to the upright position.
Replacing the bottom 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 Tilt the computer towards the front until the base is facing up.
Removing the 3.5-inch 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. Prerequisites Remove the left-side cover.
2 Press the release tabs on the hard-drive carrier and slide the hard-drive carrier out of the hard-drive cage. Figure 13. Removing the hard drive 3 46 1 data cable 2 power cable 3 hard-drive cage 4 release tabs 5 hard-drive carrier Pry the hard-drive carrier to release the tabs on the carrier from the slots on the hard drive.
4 Lift the hard drive off the hard-drive carrier. NOTE: Note the orientation of the hard drive so that you can replace it correctly. Figure 14.
Replacing the 3.5-inch 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.
Removing the 2.5-inch hard drives 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 left-side cover.
2 Press the release tabs on the hard-drive carrier and slide the hard-drive carrier out of the hard-drive cage. Figure 15. Removing the hard drive 3 50 1 data cable 2 power cable 3 hard-drive cage 4 release tabs 5 hard-drive carrier Pry the hard-drive carrier to release the tabs on the carrier from the slots on the hard drive.
4 Lift the hard drive off the hard-drive carrier. NOTE: Note the orientation of the hard drive so that you can replace it correctly. Figure 16.
Replacing the 2.5-inch hard drives 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 cage 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 Remove the screws that secure the hard-drive cage to the chassis.
2 Lift the hard-drive cage off the chassis. Figure 17. Removing hard-drive cage 1 chassis 3 hard-drive cage Prerequisites 1 Remove the left-side cover. 2 Remove the 3.5-inch hard drive.
Replacing the hard-drive cage 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 Insert the hard-drive cage into its slot on the chassis.
Removing the power-supply unit 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 left-side cover.
2 Slide the power-supply unit cage release latches towards the unlock position. Figure 18.
3 58 Lift the power-supply unit cage while pressing and holding the graphics-card bracket.
4 Rotate the power-supply unit cage away from the chassis. 1 power-supply unit 5 Press the releasing clip on the power-cable connectors and disconnect the power cables from the graphics card. 6 Disconnect the power cables from the optical drive and hard drives.
7 Disconnect the processor-power cable and system-board power cable from the system board. 1 power-supply unit 2 hard-drive power cable 3 graphics-card power cables (2) 4 releasing clips (2) 5 hard-drive power cable 6 processor-power cable 7 optical-drive power cable 8 system-board power cable 8 Rotate the power-supply unit cage towards the chassis until the unit snaps into place. 9 Remove the screws that secure the power-supply unit bracket to the powersupply unit cage.
10 Lift the power-supply unit bracket off the power-supply unit cage. 1 chassis 2 screws (2) 3 power-supply unit bracket 4 power-supply unit 11 Remove the screws that secure the power-supply unit to the chassis.
12 Lift the power-supply unit, along with the cables, off the chassis.
Replacing the power-supply unit 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 Place the power supply on the chassis.
Removing the processor-cooling assembly 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 left-side cover. 2 Remove the right-side cover.
Procedure 1 Remove the screws that secure the radiator and fan assembly to the radiator and fan cage. Figure 19. Removing the processor-cooling assembly 1 screws (4) 2 radiator and fan cage 2 Follow the procedure from step 1 to step 4 in "Removing the power-supply unit". 3 Disconnect the processor-cooling assembly cables from the system board. 4 In sequential order (as indicated on the processor cooler), loosen the captive screws that secure the processor cooler to the system board.
5 Lift the processor-cooling assembly along with the cables off the computer. Figure 20.
Replacing the processor-cooling assembly 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 radiator and fan assembly into the radiator and fan cage.
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.
2 Lift the coin-cell battery out of its socket. Figure 21.
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.
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 left-side cover.
3 Grasp the memory module near the securing clip, and then gently ease the memory module out of the memory-module slot. NOTE: Repeat step 2 to step 3 to remove any other memory modules installed in your computer. CAUTION: To prevent damage to the memory module, hold the memory module by the edges. Do not touch the components on the memory module. Figure 22.
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 Ensure that the securing clips are extended away from the memory-module slot.
3 Insert the memory module into the memory-module slot and press the memory module down until it snaps into position and the securing clips lock in place. Figure 23. Replacing the memory module 1 memory module 2 securing clips (2) 3 memory-module slot 4 system board NOTE: Use slots XMM1 and XMM2 if you need to use two memory modules. For more information, see System-board components. The following table lists the available memory configuration matrix: Table 2.
Post-requisites 1 Follow the procedure from step 10 to step 11 in "Replacing the power-supply unit". 2 Replace the left-side 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.
3 Slide and lift the solid-state drive off the system board.
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 Press the other end of the solid-state drive down and replace the screw that secure the solid-state drive to the system board. 1 solid-state drive 2 notch 3 tab 4 screw 5 solid-state drive slot 6 system board Post-requisites 1 Replace the graphics card. 2 Follow the procedure from step 10 to step 11 in "Replacing the power-supply unit". 3 Replace the left-side cover.
Removing the graphics 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 left-side cover.
Procedure 1 Lift to release the graphics-card bracket from the chassis. Figure 24. Removing the graphics card 1 2 graphics-card bracket 2 graphics card Press the releasing clip on the power-cable connectors and disconnect the power cables from the graphics card.
3 Push the securing tab on the PCIe slot away from the graphics card, grasp the card by its top corner, and ease it out of the slot. Figure 25.
Replacing the graphics 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 1 Align the graphics card with the slot on the system board.
Removing the processor fan and heat-sink assembly 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. WARNING: The heat sink may become hot during normal operation.
3 Lift the processor fan and heat-sink assembly off the system board. Figure 26.
Replacing the processor fan and heat-sink assembly 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 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 left-side cover.
3 Lift the processor off the processor socket. Figure 27.
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. Figure 28. Replacing the processor 1 processor socket 2 processor 3 alignment post 4 tab 5 processor cover 6 release lever Post-requisites 1 Replace the processor fan and heat-sink assembly or processor-cooling assembly (as applicable). 2 Follow the procedure from step 10 to step 11 in "Replacing the power-supply unit". 3 Replace the left-side cover.
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 left-side cover.
4 Slide and remove the wireless card from the wireless-card slot. Figure 29.
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 damaging the wireless card, do not place any cables under it.
5 Replace the screw that secures the wireless card to the system board. Figure 30. Replacing the wireless card 1 wireless card 2 notch 3 tab 4 antenna cables 5 screw 6 wireless-card bracket Post-requisites 1 Follow the procedure from step 10 to step 11 in "Replacing the power-supply unit". 2 Replace the left-side cover.
Removing the antenna 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 left-side cover. 2 Remove the right-side cover. 3 Remove the top cover.
2 Push down the antenna cables towards the top of the computer through the cable-routing slot on the chassis. Figure 31. Removing the antenna cables 3 96 1 antenna cables 3 chassis 2 routing guides Remove the antenna cables from the routing guides on the chassis.
4 Pry the antenna off the chassis. Figure 32.
Replacing the antenna 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 antenna to the chassis.
Removing the front-chassis 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 left-side cover.
3 Slide and lift the chassis fan off the chassis. Figure 33.
4 Spread apart the tabs on the front-chassis fan bracket and lift the frontchassis fan along with its cable off the bracket. Figure 34.
Replacing the front-chassis 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.
Removing the top-chassis 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 left-side cover.
3 Remove the top-chassis fan from the chassis. Figure 35. Removing the top-chassis fan 1 chassis 2 screw 3 top-chassis fan 4 top-chassis fan cable 4 Remove the top-chassis fan cable from the routing guide on the top-chassis fan bracket. 5 Push the rubber grommets through the holes at each corner of the fan to release top-chassis fan from the bracket.
6 Lift the top-chassis fan off the top-chassis fan bracket. Figure 36.
Replacing the top-chassis 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 the holes on the top-chassis fan with the holes on the top-chassis fan bracket.
Removing the optical 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. Prerequisites 1 Remove the left-side cover.
2 Pull the securing tab to release the optical-drive carrier from the chassis. Figure 37.
3 Push to slide the optical-drive assembly out through the front of the computer. Figure 38.
4 Remove the screw that secures the optical-drive bracket to the optical drive. Figure 39. Removing the optical drive 5 1 screw 3 optical drive 2 optical-drive bracket Gently pull and disconnect the optical-drive bezel from the optical drive. Figure 40.
Replacing the optical 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. Procedure 1 Align and snap the optical-drive bezel to the optical drive.
Removing the front bezel 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 left-side cover. 2 Remove the right-side cover.
2 Grasp and release the front bezel tabs sequentially from the top, by moving them outward from the front panel. Figure 41.
3 Rotate and pull the front bezel away from the front of the chassis to release the tabs on the front bezel from the slots on the front panel. Figure 42.
Replacing the front bezel 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 insert the front bezel tabs into the front panel slots.
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 left-side cover. 2 Remove the right-side cover.
3 Lift the power-button module off the top cover. Figure 43. Removing the power-button module 4 1 top cover 2 power-button module 3 screws (2) 4 routing guide 5 power-button module cable Release the power-button board from under the tabs on the power-button board bracket.
5 Lift the power-button board along with the cable off the power-button board bracket. Figure 44.
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 rear trim 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 1 Remove the left-side cover. 2 Remove the right-side cover. 3 Remove the top cover.
2 Using the tab, slide and remove the rear trim cover from the chassis. Figure 45.
Replacing the rear trim 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 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: Note the routing of all cables as you remove them so that you can reroute them correctly after you replace the system board. For information on system board connectors, see "System-board components".
1 Disconnect all the cables connected to the system-board assembly. Figure 46.
2 Remove the screws that secure the system-board assembly to the chassis. 3 Lift the system-board assembly out of the chassis. Figure 47.
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.
7 Follow the procedure from step 10 to step 11 in "Replacing the power-supply unit". 8 Replace the left-side cover. Entering the Service Tag in the BIOS setup program 1 Turn on or restart your computer. 2 Press F2 when the AlienHead logo is displayed to enter the BIOS setup program. 3 Navigate to the Main tab and enter the Service Tag in the Service Tag Input field.
BIOS setup program BIOS 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.
Table 4. System setup options—Main menu Main System Date Displays the current date in mm/dd/ yyyy format. System Time Displays the current time in hh:mm:ss format. BIOS Information BIOS Version Displays the BIOS version number. Product Information Product Name Displays the product name. Default: Alienware Aurora R5. Service Tag Displays the service tag of your computer. Asset Tag Displays the asset tag of your computer.
Table 5. System setup options—Advanced menu Advanced Advanced BIOS Features Intel SpeedStep Allows you to enable or disable Intel Speedstep Technology. Default: Enabled. NOTE: If enabled, the processor clock speed and core voltage are adjusted dynamically based on the processor load. Virtualization Allows you to enable or disable Intel Virtualization Technology feature for the processor. VT for Direct I/O Allows you to enable or disable Intel Virtualization Technology feature for the Direct I/O.
Advanced Wake Up by Integrated LAN Allow the computer to be powered on by special LAN signals. AC Recovery Sets what action the computer takes when power is restored. Deep Sleep Control Allows you to define the controls when Deep Sleep is enabled. USB Wake Support (S3) Allows you to enable the USB devices to wake the system from Standby. USB PowerShare (S4/S5) Allows you to charge external devices.
Advanced processor flex ratio and voltage in the Customization mode. Computrace Allows you to enable or disable the Computrace service using the Absolute software. Core Ratio Limit Override Allows you to set the core ratio limit. Single Core Allows you to select single core or multiple cores. Core Voltage Mode Allows you to select between adaptive and override voltage modes. Core Voltage Offset Allows you to set the override value of core voltage.
Table 7. System setup options—Boot menu Boot Boot List Option Displays the available boot devices. File Browser Add Boot Option Allows you to set the boot path in the boot option list. File Browser Del Boot Option Allows you to delete the boot path in the boot option list. Secure Boot Control Allows you to enable or disable the secure boot control. Load Legacy OPROM Allows you to enable or disable the Legacy Option ROM. Boot Option Priorities Displays the available boot devices.
Clearing forgotten passwords 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 left-side cover.
9 Replace the jumper plug on pins 215. Figure 48. Clearing forgotten passwords 1 jumper plug 2 P215 Post-requisites 1 Follow the procedure from step 10 to step 11 in "Replacing the power-supply unit". 2 Replace the left-side 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 left-side cover.
6 Connect the system-board power cable to the system board. Figure 49. Clearing CMOS settings 1 jumper plug 2 P217 3 P216 4 system board Post-requisites 1 Follow the procedure from step 10 to step 11 in "Replacing the power-supply unit". 2 Replace the left-side cover.
Flashing 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 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. 4 Click Drivers & downloads → Find it myself. 5 Select the operating system installed on your computer.
Technology and components Audio Alienware Aurora R5is shipped with Realtek ALC3861 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.
3 Expand Sound, video and game controllers to view the audio controller. Table 9. Audio controller status in Device Manager Before installation After installation 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. Graphics Alienware Aurora R6 is shipped with the following graphics options: Table 10.
Downloading the graphics 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. 4 Click Drivers & downloads → Find it myself. 5 Scroll down the page and expand Video. 6 Click Download to download the graphics driver for your computer.
4 Click Apply. Rotating the display 1 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 Aurora R6. Table 11. USB ports and its location Ports Location USB 3.0 Two on the front side USB 3.0 with PowerShare Two on the front side USB 2.0 Six on the back panel USB 3.1 Type-C One on the back panel USB 3.1 One on the back panel USB 3.0 Three on the back panel 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 Click Device Manager. The Device Manager window is displayed. 3 Expand System devices. Enabling or disabling the USB in BIOS setup program 1 Turn on or restart your computer. 2 Press F2 when the AlienHead logo is displayed on the screen to enter the BIOS setup program. The BIOS setup program is displayed. 3 On the Advanced tab, select USB Configuration. 4 Select the Front USB Ports or Rear USB Ports options to enable or disable the ports respectively.
Wi-Fi Alienware Aurora R6 is shipped with Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n or Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Turning on or off Wi-Fi NOTE: There is no physical switch to enable or disable Wi-Fi. It has to be done through computer settings. 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 Wi-Fi to turn Wi-Fi on or off. Downloading the Wi-Fi driver 1 Turn on your computer. 2 Go to www.dell.com/support.
3 Expand System devices. Configuring the Wi-Fi 1 Turn on Wi-Fi. For more information, see Turning Wi-Fi on or off. 2 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. 4 Select your network and click Connect. NOTE: Type the network security key, if prompted. Bluetooth Alienware Aurora R6 is shipped with Bluetooth 4.1/Bluetooth 4.2.
Turning on or off Bluetooth NOTE: There is no physical switch to enable or disable Bluetooth. It has to be done through the computer settings. 1 Click the Action Center icon on the taskbar to access the Action Center. 2 Click Bluetooth to turn Bluetooth on or off. Pairing the Bluetooth-enabled devices 1 Turn on Bluetooth. For more information, see Turning on or off Bluetooth. 2 Click the Action Center icon on the taskbar to access the Action Center. 3 Click Bluetooth, and then click Go to settings.
6 Click Yes to confirm the passcodes on both the devices. Removing the Bluetooth device 1 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 Click the Action Center icon on the taskbar to access the Action Center. 2 Click Bluetooth, and then click Go to settings.
3 Select your Bluetooth device. 4 Click Send or receive files via Bluetooth. 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 Aurora R6. Table 12. Hard drive options Options Dimensions SSD One M.2 drive SATA • • One 3.5-inch drive bay Two 2.5-inch drive bays Identifying the hard drive 1 On the taskbar, click the search box, and then type Device Manager.
3 Expand Disk drives. Identifying the hard drive in BIOS setup program 1 Turn on or restart your computer. 2 Press F2 when the AlienHead logo is displayed on the screen to enter the BIOS setup program. A list of hard drives is displayed on the Main tab. For more information, see System setup options. Chipset Alienware Aurora R6 is shipped with the Intel Z270 chipset. Downloading the chipset driver 1 Turn on your computer. 2 Go to www.dell.com/support.
2 Click Device Manager. The Device Manager window is displayed. 3 Expand System devices. Memory Alienware Aurora R5 has four DIMM (RAM) slots, which are accessible by removing the left-side cover and rotating the power-supply unit.
supports 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB DDR4 memory of up to 2133 MHz and up to 2400 MHz with XMP (optional). Checking the system memory in Windows 1 Click Start 2 Select Settings 3 Click System → About. . . Checking the system memory in BIOS setup program 1 Turn on or restart your computer. 2 Press F2 when the AlienHead logo is displayed on the screen to enter the BIOS setup program. On the Main tab, the memory information is displayed. For more information, see System setup options.
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. The Task Manager window is displayed.
3 Click Performance tab to display the processor performance details. Operating System Alienware Aurora R6 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. The Service Tag label is located at the rear of your computer towards the base.
all driver installation for their devices is similar except that some systems may have more devices than others. 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. Boot menu The Alienware Area-51 R2 includes a one-time boot menu. By using this feature, you can change the sequence of devices that your computer attempts to boot from, for example, CD-ROM, hard drive, or network.
• The F2=Setup prompt appears at the top-right corner of the screen during boot.
System diagnostic lights The computer POST (Power On Self Test) ensures that it meets the basic computer requirements and the hardware is working appropriately before the boot process begins. If the computer passes the POST, the computer continues to start in a normal mode. However, if the computer fails the POST, the computer emits a series of LED codes in amber color during the start-up. The following table shows different light patterns and what they indicate. Table 13.
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: Table 14. Self-help resources Information about Alienware products and services www.alienware.com Troubleshooting information, user manuals, setup instructions, product specifications, technical help blogs, drivers, software updates, and so on www.alienware.
