Summary of the content on the page No. 1
book.book Page 1 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM
Alienware X51
Owner’s Manual
Regulatory model: D05S
Regulatory type: D05S001
www.dell.com | support.dell.com/manuals
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
book.book Page 2 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 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. ____________________ Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2012 Dell Inc.
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
book.book Page 3 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM Contents 1 About Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2 Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Turn Off Your Computer and Connected Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
book.book Page 4 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 5 Flashing the BIOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 6 Contacting Alienware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 4 Contents
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
book.book Page 5 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 1 About Your Computer Front View 1 2 7 6 3 5 4 1 power button 2 optical-drive eject button 3 optical drive 4 rotatable AlienHead 5 microphone connector 6 headphone connector 7 USB 2.0 connectors (2) NOTE: Your Alienware X51 computer supports dual orientation. You can place your computer vertically or horizontally. The rotatable AlienHead allows you to change the direction of the AlienHead depending on the orientation of your computer. Abo
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
book.book Page 6 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM Back View 11 1 2 3 10 4 9 5 6 8 7 1 optical S/PDIF connector 2 HDMI connector 3 USB 2.0 connectors (4) 4 USB 3.0 connectors (2) 5 audio connectors (6) 6 hard-drive activity light 7 AC-adapter connector 8 discrete graphics card 9 security-cable slot 10 network connector and network lights 11 coaxial S/PDIF connector Specifications For more information on specifications of your computer, see support.dell.com/manuals. 6 About Your Computer
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
book.book Page 7 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 2 Before You Begin Turn Off Your Computer and Connected Devices CAUTION: To avoid losing data, save and close all open files and exit all open programs before you turn off your computer. 1 Save and close all open files and exit all open programs. 2 Click Start and click Shut Down. Microsoft Windows shuts down and then the computer turns off. NOTE: If you are using a different operating system, see the documentation of your operating sys
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
book.book Page 8 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM CAUTION: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its pull-tab, not on the cable itself. Some cables have connectors with locking tabs or thumb-screws that you must disengage before disonnecting the cable. When disconnecting cables, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. When connecting cables, ensure that the connectors and ports are correctly oriented and aligned. CAUTION: To disconnect a netwo
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
book.book Page 9 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 3 Working Inside Your Computer CAUTION: Only a certified service technician is authorized to remove the computer cover and access any of the components inside the computer. See the safety instructions for complete information about safety precautions and protecting against electrostatic discharge. For information on removing and replacing the internal component of your computer, contact Alienware. See "Contacting Alienware" on page 21. W
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
book.book Page 10 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 10 Working Inside Your Computer
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
book.book Page 11 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 4 System Setup Overview Use the system setup 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 • change the system configuration information • set or change a user-selectable option, such as the user password, type of hard drive installed, enabling or disabling base devices, and so on NOTE: Before you change system setup, it is recommended that you note t
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
book.book Page 12 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM System Setup Screens The system setup screen displays current or changeable configuration information for your computer. Information on the screen is divided into three areas: the setup item, active help screen, and key functions. Setup Item — This field appears on Help Screen — This field appears on the the left side of the system setup right side of the system setup window and window. The field is a scrollable list contains informatio
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
book.book Page 13 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM Memory Information Total Memory Displays the total memory of the computer. Memory Available Displays the amount of memory available on the computer. Memory Technology Displays the type of memory technology used. Memory Speed Displays the memory speed. CPU Information Processor ID Displays the processor identification code. CPU Speed Displays the processor speed. Cache L2 Displays the processor L2 cache size. Cache L3 Displays the processor
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
book.book Page 14 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM Advanced — CPU Configuration Hyper-threading If disabled only one thread per enabled core is active. Technology XD Bit Capability Enable XD Bit Capability to allow the processor to distinguish between the bits of code that can be executed and the ones that cannot be executed. Intel(R) SpeedStep If enabled, the processor clock speed and core tech voltage are adjusted dynamically based on the processor load. Intel(R) C-State tech Allows
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
book.book Page 15 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM Security Supervisor Password: Allows you to change the supervisor password. User Password: Allows you to change the user password. You cannot use the user password to enter the BIOS setup, during POST. Set Supervisor Allows you to set a supervisor password. Password Set User Password Allows you to set a supervisor password. Boot Set Boot Priority 1st Boot Device Displays the first boot device. Default: USB floppy-drive. 2nd Boot Device D
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
book.book Page 16 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM Exit Provides options to Save Changes and Reset, Discard Changes and Reset, and Restore Defaults. Boot Sequence This feature allows you to change the boot sequence for devices. Boot Options • Diskette Drive — The computer attempts to boot from the floppy disk drive. If no operating system is on the drive, the computer generates an error message. • Hard Drive — The computer attempts to boot from the primary hard drive. If no operating sy
Summary of the content on the page No. 17
book.book Page 17 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM Changing Boot Sequence for the Current Boot You can use this feature to change the current boot sequence, for example, to boot from the optical drive to run Dell Diagnostics from the Drivers and Utilities disc. The previous boot sequence is restored at the next boot. 1 If you are booting from a USB device, connect the USB device to a USB connector. 2 Turn on (or restart) your computer. 3 When F2 Setup, F12 Boot Options appears in the low
Summary of the content on the page No. 18
book.book Page 18 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 18 System Setup
Summary of the content on the page No. 19
book.book Page 19 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 5 Flashing the BIOS The BIOS may require flashing when an update is available or when replacing the system board. To flash the BIOS: 1 Turn on the computer. 2 Go to support.dell.com/support/downloads. 3 Locate the BIOS update file for your computer: NOTE: The Service Tag for your computer is located on a label at the back of your computer. If you have your computer’s Service Tag: a Click Enter a Tag. b Enter your computer’s Service Tag
Summary of the content on the page No. 20
book.book Page 20 Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:32 PM 20 Flashing the BIOS
