Alienware X51 R2 help identifying issue ?graphics/motherboard issue?

[algy]

The PC (Alienware X51 R2) started to shut down and when powered back up it was beeping (1 beep and following advice I could find on here I unplugged everything and held the power button to discharge any static in the system).

After looking around I found the below:

1 Possible motherboard failure or the monitor is connected to wrong HDMI port on the X51 R2 << this seems to be my issue
2 No RAM detected
3 Motherboard chipset failure
4 RAM read/write failure
5 Real Time Clock failure (If the monitor is connected to the onboard HDMI port when a discrete video card is installed, the X51 R2 will produce the 5 beeps)
6 Video card failure
7 Processor Failure

So I’ve tried using a micro HDMI to test if this was the issue. But this has resulted in the PC not being recognised on any HDMI connection, and it started the beeping (only once out of the 4 attempts at connecting) again.

So I’m not sure if the micro HDMI has made it worse or if the situation has just progressed further.

How can I check if its the graphics card that is broken or the motherboard?
I can power it up and get it to light up; so I know something is working. Just need to know what isn’t and if it’s fixable.

Can anyone advise a solution?

[veeg]

Hello

Please give us your complete pc spec’s,including psu…

[algy]

It should be the below.
But i cant say for 100% as i cant get onto the PC to double check

System information
Model	Alienware X51
Processor	• Intel Core i7 Quad-Core
L2 cache	256 KB per core
L3 cache	• Intel Core i7 — 8 MB
System chipset	Intel H61 Express chipset
DMI speed	20 Gbps
Processor data width	64 bits

Memory
Connectors	two internally-accessible DDR3 DIMM sockets
Capacities	2 GB and 4 GB
Memory type	DDR3 SDRAM (Non-ECC)
Memory speed	1333 MHz
Memory configurations supported	8 GB

[veeg]

OK this is what i found on the Dell site.

1 beep = Possible motherboard failure - BIOS ROM checksum failure.

Ok to clarify you have no image? Correct?

Also i found that it may help to pull the cmos battery out and wait 5 mins put the battery back in..suppose to clear the settings in cmos.. Also if you are going to do this might as well put a new cmos battery back in..

[algy]

I’ve just turned it back on and it started working perfectly fine.
It was beeping with a single beep & I couldn’t get an image up.

I had a look at the CMOS battery and it looks like a plastic sealed unit.
So I’d need a compatible part or try and work out how to crack it and rebuild it.

Could it be the motherboard/battery is on its way out and being turned off has allowed it to build a charge up?

[algy]

It’s only been on a few minutes and the blue error screen appeared with stop code: KERNAL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE

[veeg]

@Bruce

[Bruce]

seems to be no onboard graphic ports so that avenue of removing the graphics card and plugging the screen into the mobo ports is not available.

there is no way to test the graphics card or motherboard.
your option is to get your hands on another graphics card and install that - if it works, then it’s the card not the mobo.

you may (just may) get lucky if you open up the case (and be real careful doing that as the lid has the lighting cable attached to it) and remove the graphics card and memory chip, wipe their contacts, circuitry and mobo slot with a brush and reseat the components.

the hope there is either dust buildup or a bad contact, but it’s a long shot.

another option would be to reinstall a fresh copy of Windows on the assumption you have file corruption.

you could try starting the PC, and as you see the Windows splash screen (if you get that far), hold in the power button for 5 seconds to force a shutdown.
repeat that a few times and eventually it’ll start the repair process and bring up the Advanced Startup Options menu from where you could try using Restore Points to go back in time, or restart the PC into Safe Mode and see if that helps.

in short, I’d be doing a physical clean up to remove dust and possible oxidised contacts and a reload of Windows to start from a clean slate.

is the unit under warranty still?

[algy]

I can try and do a Clean Install and use the Clean PC option (going via settings and wiping that way) to see if that works (I’d rather wipe and start again than mess about trying different restore points).

I’m not 100% on removing the parts and cleaning and would need to google someone taking the PC apart to make sure I did it right.
PC is out of warranty

[Bruce]

googling “Alienware X51 R2” and you’ll find YouTube vids with people pulling these apart.

[algy]

opened and any connecting wires have been pushed down, the graphics card has been popped out and any dust removed, HDD seems ok.
But I’m not sure what the memory chip is (is this the i7 chip? would I need to pop it off and push back in?)
It also looks like the thermal paste might need replacing?

https://ibb.co/HPk7Sw4

[veeg]

Yeah probably a good idea to change out that thermal paste..

[Bruce]

the i7 chip is the processor.
memory sticks look like these -
[ATTACH type=“full” width=“141px”]7018[/ATTACH][ATTACH type=“full” width=“141px”]7019[/ATTACH]

[algy]

ok, thank you for this.
I’ve pushed everything I can see/think of and did a “Reset” for a fresh install on Win 10.
It seems to be working (did the reinstall and allowed me to install Office/Teams/Anti Viral.

I’ll work on sorting the paste out next.
thank you massive help.

[Bruce]

the urgency with the paste will depend on your temperatures.
so keep an eye on the CPU temp.