Laptop freezes/crashes whenever I play games

So this is extremely frustrating. I purchased this Alienware M17x because I'm in the military and I'm on the move quite often but during my down time or spare time I wanted to game. So building a desktop was out of the question, so I went with this laptop. Thinking mobility and still being able to game. Well the laptop works great. I love it. It never gives me any issues when I'm doing absolutely anything other than gaming. I don't know what it is but whenever I play a videogame, whether it is World of Warcraft, KoToR, Dawn of War II, F.E.A.R. 2, Team Fortress 2, Grand Theft Auto 4, it doesn't matter, you name it, my computer freezes up or crashes after a few hours of gaming (sometimes less than an hour). And after enough system reboots and crashes, I get a blue screen. And just so I clarify, it happens randomly and unexpectedly. When any game I am playing is running however it runs perfect. Smoothest PC gaming experience I've ever had. But just randomly after an hour or 2 or 6 it will just crap out on me.

My first thought was I'd update my video drivers. So I do that. Still crashes. I figure, ok maybe it is overheating. So I let my computer sit off more often, lower the temperature of my room, and I even bought a very nice laptop cooling pad (you know those pads for your lap that have fans in them) since I feel my current one doesn't cool it enough. However still my computer crashes. I can not explain it. Can someone please help me with why my laptop freezes when I am playing games and how to fix it? Here is a rundown of my system specs.

Just so you know, I had Windows Vista when I received this laptop and upgraded to Windows 7 64-bit at the time (I bought this laptop around October of 2009) with the free CD upgrade the laptop came with.

Here are two versions of what Star Wars: The Old Republic (first one) and WoW (second one) tell me for when they look at my system specs (it is for beta opt-ins but hey it lets me copy/paste).

CPU - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Extreme CPU Q9300 @ 2.53GHz
CPU Speed - 2.53 GHz
System RAM - 7.7 GB
Video Card - GeForce GTX 280M
Sound Card - Bluetooth Stereo Audio
Operating System - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (build 7600), 64-bit


Operating System: Windows 2.6.1.7600 ()
CPU Type: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Extreme CPU Q9300 @ 2.53GHz
CPU Speed (GHz): 2.554
System Memory (GB): 7.748
Video Card Model: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M
Video Card Driver: nvd3dum.dll
Desktop Resolution: 1920x1200
Hard Disk Size (GB): 223.162
Hard Disk Free Space (GB): 48.929


I'm not sure what all else you guys would need but that's what I have. I believe I have two of those GeForce GTX 280M and one GeForce 9400 and I can switch between the two though I am always on GeForce GTX 280M since that can only be accessed when the computer is plugged into a wall. Otherwise, I can't play games without it. The graphics mode is "Boost Performance" stating NVIDIA Hybrid SLI.

Also, for my video drivers (to make sure I got the right one). My driver provider was NVIDIA. The driver date is 6/7/2010. The driver version is 8.17.12.5721. I downloaded it from the NVIDIA site via option 2 where it automatically scans my drivers and it gave me this.

NVIDIA Driver Downloads - Automatically Detect NVIDIA Products

NVIDIA GeForce 9400
Download Now
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M -- Verde Notebook Release 256
Version: 257.21 WHQL
Release Date: June 15, 2010

So yes, sorry if this is a lot but I do not know what to do or what I am doing. I really need help. =( Please, can someone make my computer not freeze every time I play a videogame? I am really looking forward to playing Star Wars: The Old Republic in the Spring but I don't have the money now to purchase a new computer if this one keeps giving me issues.

 

Also I forgot to add this in. I don't know if it makes a difference but every time I start up my laptop I get this error message. It is titled as "Thermal Controller X" and the only option for me is to hit "OK." I believe it has something to do with the "Command Center" or the "Alienware AlienFX: Alienware.ath" but I'm not sure. Can anyone make sense of this or how to get rid of it?

System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at AlienLabs.ThermalControls.Domain.Profiles.Classes.ProfileProcessorClass.ExecuteVenting(Profile profile)
at AlienLabs.ThermalControls.Controller.Classes.ProfileManagerClass.Init()
at AlienLabs.ThermalControls.Controller.Main.initProfileManager()
at AlienLabs.ThermalControls.Controller.Main.processWindowsLoaded()
at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised)
at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args)
at MS.Internal.FrameworkObject.OnLoaded(RoutedEventArgs args)
at System.Windows.BroadcastEventHelper.BroadcastEvent(DependencyObject root, RoutedEvent routedEvent)
at System.Windows.BroadcastEventHelper.BroadcastLoadedEvent(Object root)
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.FireLoadedPendingCallbacks()
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.FireInvokeOnRenderCallbacks()
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandlerCore(Object resizedCompositionTarget)
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandler(Object resizedCompositionTarget)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)

Though I doubt it is related to my main problem in my original post I figured I'd share as who knows it might help.

 

One thing you may want to check is I noticed in your first post you said "The graphics mode is "Boost Performance" stating NVIDIA Hybrid SLI." Unless I'm wrong Nvidia Hybrid SLI is the BIOS setting that allows you to run both the 280's and the 9400 as always on and just switch back and forth, if that's the case and hybrid is turned on in the bios it may be causing problems. Windows Vista had the ability to use that option, Windows 7 does not. Go into your bios to advanced, scroll down to graphics settings and push enter to go into that menu. At the very top if it shows hybrid as enabled you need to disable that. I hope this might help ya, I know I had a lot of strange issues like that until I figured out the hybrid in Windows 7 thing.

If that fixes it what you'll need to do is leave that on disabled, and I recommend that you enable or disable the integrated graphics manually depending on what you need to do(disabled for gaming, enabled for web surfing, etc). You can change that with the option right below the hybrid setting in your bios. Also keep in mind that if you disable the hybrid feature if you are not plugged into a wall you have to go in and disable the integrated graphics every time to run your 280's on battery.

If that doesn't work you may want to call tech support, if your laptop is still under warranty they have to fix it or replace it. If it's a huge problem that can't be fixed after a few repairs PM me and I'll let ya know what to do from there! Let us know if it works or changes anything or not.

 

I disabled the hybrid and the integrated graphics through BIOS and my computer just crashed again while I was playing a game. And just right when you did make that post (before I messed with the settings in the BIOS and the 2nd to last crash that just happened) instead of crashing right away like it always does it froze, the screen went to black (but I could talk on vent still), then went back to WoW. It allowed me to play for a few more seconds, froze, went to black, and then went back to WoW. It did this about 2 or 3 more times and then the screen stayed black where it finally just froze. So I had to manually restart which brought me upon your post which I was extremely happy to see and hoping it would of been the solution to my problem. Sadly it wasn't. =( Thank you though. Got anymore ideas?

 

How long have you been running windows 7 with the hybrid on?(when did you install windows 7 on your system?) It sounds like you may have some faulty hardware, possibly the graphics cards. Another thing that may be happening and/or causing the problem is your system configuration. There has been a ridiculous amount of people with the qx9300 and sli 280 gpu's that have had major problems in gaming or other high demand applications. With that setup when both cards and the cpu are stressed they try to draw so much power that the power supply can't give them enough at times resulting in stuttering, dpc latency issues, and sometimes even crashes. What I would recommend honestly is call alienware tech support as soon as you can. It really sounds like failing hardware to me. Another thing you can do is run DPC Latency Checker(google it its a free download) if you see very many red/yellow bars there its probably the configuration problem if its mainly or all green bars it most likely isn't and is probably failing hardware. Either way call tech support as soon as you can. The last thing I would recommend is to do a clean install, if you don't know how to do that pm me and I will send you instructions. Let me know what happens.

 

You need to call Dell on this one I think.

 

It may be overheating, Any chance you could post your system temperatures at idle and when stressing for a few minutes using this -

CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

 

i'd use hwinfo32, it can tell you temps for all sensors of your rig.. post a screenshot while gaming..