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.

    Dual Display Problems

    Discussion in 'Alienware Area-51/Aurora and Legacy Systems' started by mrgrimms1109, Oct 2, 2010.

  1. mrgrimms1109

    mrgrimms1109 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I have my alienware m15x with the hdmi out. I recently tried to hook up my external monitor to it using a dvi-hdmi cable. It works fine for a while running World of Warcraft on the external monitor and running all my other programs on the lcd display for the laptop. Over time it eventually either locks up the computer or it gives me that the ati display driver failed to load and then locks up.

    I read around about the ati display driver and found that alot of people got rid of that problem by upgrading their display driver. I have the ati hd 3870 in the laptop and just upgraded to I believe it was 8.762 on the driver.

    Just looking for suggestions or fixes, is the gpu running to hot and locking up? is the laptop not able to run dual displays running games and others on both screens? any suggestions or programs to see if its getting to hot would be great, I am looking at getting a cooling pad as I do see from the thermofan that is provided from alienware software shows my cpu running at 78-80c when i have my games and websites all open at once.
     
    mrgrimms1109, Oct 2, 2010
    #1
  2. granyte

    granyte ATI+AMD -> DAAMIT

    Reputations:
    357
    Messages:
    2,346
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    are you on ati 10.8?

    i had the same issue

    i had to force 10.9 to install to fix it
     
    granyte, Oct 2, 2010
    #2
  3. mrgrimms1109

    mrgrimms1109 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    i do have 10.8 and i have it setup as my ext monitor is my main monitor and my lcd is the side one. running world of warcraft under 1440x900 on the ext monitor and say broswer and other stuff on the lcd laptop monitor.

    running it today and the whole system actually turned off where usually it locks up.. i do have the laptop on a cooling pad to help with any excess heat but not sure if that is helping.. i dont have a heat sensor program to see how hot my computer is so if u have any that you would recommend i use to give u more information im game for it.. just looking run this on a bigger screen when at home.
     
    mrgrimms1109, Oct 2, 2010
    #3
  4. granyte

    granyte ATI+AMD -> DAAMIT

    Reputations:
    357
    Messages:
    2,346
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    granyte, Oct 2, 2010
    #4