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ALIENWARE DESKTOP MANUAL
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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 The contents herein are subject to change without notice. loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. © 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without
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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP ................................... 7 CHAPTER 5: INSTALLING ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS .... 35 Before Setting Up Your Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Connect the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Dear Valued Alienware Customer, Welcome to the Alienware family. We are thrilled to include you among the growing number of savvy high-performance computer users. The Alienware technicians who have crafted your computer have made certain that your high-performance computer is properly optimized and performs to its fullest potential. We build computers with a single unwavering purpose: Build It As If It Were Your Own. The technicians will not rest until your new computer meets or exceeds our
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CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP 7
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Product Documentation and Media Before Setting Up Your Desktop ® ® The documentation that ships with your Alienware desktop is designed to Congratulations on the purchase of your Alienware Aurora! provide answers to many of the questions that may arise as you explore your Read all safety and setup instructions before connecting your new desktop. Begin new desktop’s capabilities. See the documentation for technical information or by carefully opening the box and removing all components that w
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Connection Connect the Display Type Computer Cable Display Connect the display using the connector available on the graphics card on your computer. DVI-to-DVI (DVI cable) NOTE: A DVI or HDMI connector may be available on the graphics card you purchased. HDMI-to-HDMI You can purchase the DVI-to-VGA adapter, HDMI-to-DVI adapter, and additional (HDMI cable) HDMI or DVI cables at www.dell.com. Use the appropriate cable based on the connectors available on your computer HDMI-to-DVI and dis
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Connect the Keyboard and Mouse Connect the Network Cable (Optional) 10 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP
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Connect the Power Cable Press the Power Button WARNING: The power connectors and power strips vary among countries. Press the power button on the top of the computer. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to a power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage. CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP 11
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Setting Up a Wireless Connection Set Up Microsoft Windows NOTE: To set up your wireless router, see the documentation that shipped CAUTION: Do not interrupt the operating system’s setup process. Doing with your router. so may render your desktop unusable. Before you can use your wireless Internet connection, you need to connect to your Your computer is preconfigured with the operating system settings that you wireless router. selected while ordering your computer. To configure the remaini
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Setting Up Your Internet Connection ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country. Contact your ISP for offerings available in your country. If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the past, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) might have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try connecting again later. Have your ISP information ready. If you do not have an ISP, the Connect to the Internet wizard can help you get one. To set up your Inter
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14 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR DESKTOP
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This chapter provides information about your new desktop to familiarize you with CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP its various features, and to get you up and running quickly. CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP 15
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Front View Features 1 1 Hard drive activity light — Blinks to indicate hard drive activity when the 2 computer reads or writes data. CAUTION: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while 3 the hard drive activity light is blinking. 6 2 Alienhead — Lowers the drive panel when pressed. The drive panel can also be lowered when the computer is turned off. 4 3 Optical drive — Plays or records CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs. 4 Optical drive bays (2) — Can support additional optical drive
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Back View Features 1 Security cable slot — Attaches a commercially available security cable to 1 the computer. 2 NOTE: Before you buy a security cable, ensure that it fits into the security cable slot on your computer. 2 Latch — Closes or opens the security cable slot and locks or unlocks the release panel. Slide the latch to the right to open the security lock slot and 3 to unlock the release panel. 3 Back panel connectors — Connect USB, audio, and other devices into the appropriate connec
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Back Light Button Press the back light button to turn on the light to view the back panel connectors. This light automatically turns off after a few seconds. NOTE: In Alienware Aurora Standard, the back light will function only when the computer is turned on. In Alienware Aurora ALX, the back light will function even when the computer is turned off, as the light is powered by internal batteries. 18 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DESKTOP
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NOTE: Some back panel connectors may not be available on your computer. Back Panel Connectors For details, see “Specifications” on page 59. 1 Optical S/PDIF connector — Connects to amplifiers, speakers, or TVs 7 1 for digital audio output through optical digital cables. This format carries an audio signal without going through an analog audio conversion process (available on Aurora and Aurora ALX only). 6 2 eSATA connector — Connects to eSATA compatible storage devices such as external ha
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Connecting External Speakers 1 Side L/R surround connector — Connects to side L/R surround speakers. Your Alienware desktop has five integrated audio out connectors and one audio in connector. The audio out connectors deliver quality sound and support 2 Rear L/R surround connector — Connects to rear L/R surround 7.1 surround audio. You can connect the audio input connector from a home stereo speakers. or speaker system for a heightened gaming and media experience. NOTE: On computers with
