The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    M17x freezes after attempting to play a game twice.

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by zyrobyte, Jun 19, 2011.

  1. zyrobyte

    zyrobyte Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Ok, here's the deal, and it's a weird one. Whenever I play a game after a fresh system restart, everything works perfectly. But once I exit that game and then come back and try to play it again, without restarting the computer, my laptop freezes.

    A little more details that I don't know if will help out or not. I am using the M17x as a desktop. I have a monitor, speakers, mouse, and keyboard plugged into it. I'm not sure what other information is needed as I'm new here and don't know the procedure for asking for help.

    I've tried googling a solution but there are thousands of complaints about specific games freezing up, but none of them relate to my case. It's not a specific game, nor does it freeze the computer when I play it for the first time. I did just format the hard drive and installed Windows 7 hoping that would be a solution. Unfortunately the problem still persisted. Which is why I am thinking it's something to do with the actual hardware itself.

    Can anyone help?
     
  2. Simplified

    Simplified The Most Awesome

    Reputations:
    428
    Messages:
    766
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    We need to know what gpu(s) you have and if your computer is a R1, R2 or R3.

    I would follow these steps and see if it helps.
    1. Download and install the latest Vbios from Dell ? The Official Site | Dell
    2. Update your gpu software (The software you need depends what brand your gpu(s) are/is (ATI/Nvidia))
    3. Reflash your system bios with the latest for your model on Dell ? The Official Site | Dell
     
  3. zyrobyte

    zyrobyte Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I'm sorry! I just realized I am using a M17 not M17x. I believe I got it about the same time the M17x was released so that's probably why I associated it as an M17x.

    Anyway, here are the specs I could find:
    Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX™ Enabled!
    Processor: Intel® Core™2 P8400 2.26GHz (3MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
    Design & Display: Black Ripley Design
    Chassis: 17-Inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology
    Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard – Alienware Exclusive Design - Astral Blue
    Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
    Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
    Memory: 4GB« Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1066MHz – 2 x 2048MB