M15x Problem/Technical Question thread

Wanted to create a thread for posting technical issues / problems with the M15x. Given we have a few Alienware people stalking the forum, a central thread for new/odd issues may help them in responding. In addition, you can always count on our community here to assist as well.

If you own an M15x and encounter an issue, feel free to post here for assistance. Be sure to include your full specs and a detailed description of the issue.


-BB

 

my alienfx lights are flickering and quite slow when changing colour =/
should i update this to a new cc version?
my current bios is A05 and my current cc is 2.5.44.0

 

i would latest drivers always have fixes for problems like that.

 

which cc version are you using now?
do you mind to give me the url link download please?

 

i just downloaded the latest CC from dell.com M15X download page you should always check it for the latest hardware firmware and software. except for video drivers imo

 

how to reinstall cc?
just go to control panel uninstall cc > reboot > and intall the new driver?

 

Try to power drain as well.

 

Please take the AlienFX discussion to this thread as it will help to keep things centralized -

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-m11xr1-r2-m15x-m17xr2-discussion-thread.html

Thanks!

 

I'm currently using the displayport with the HDMI adapter, on both my office viewsonic 1080p monitor and my Sony 52in 1080p LCD when I'm at home...but I've noticed a problem...the image is always slightly cropped all the way around the screen, on both monitors (it's much more noticeable on the work monitor) I've checked and re-checked both monitor aspect ratio settings and it seems to be the signal coming from the DisplayPort or video driver. Using the standard windows resolution settings, along with the CCC as well, I've made sure the output for the connected monitor is at full 1080p. I've tried every possible external/multiple display option, nothing seems to work.

I'm at a loss as to what's causing this 'cropped' image. I've tried other screens as well. The image is perfect when I use the standard VGA output, connected to the Viewsonic display, but this only happens when I use the displayport connection. I have the latest Catalyst drivers, 10.6, but I did notice that the Hydravision tab isn't showing up in the CCC window. The files are installed, per the Catalyst Installer, but I'm not sure that matters?

Any thoughts, similar experiences out there?

 

probably an issue with the screen not being perfectly 1080p as i have a sumsung 40 inch LED tv and i have use the nvidia control panel to have a custom resolution for it. but i wouldn't know first hand how to do that with the CCC haven't had an ati card for awhile

 

There is a scaling slider in the Desktops and Displays submenu....

So go to desktops and displays and click on the little black arrow at the bottom where i have it highlighted.... Attached is 2 images showing you what you need to do....

 

I don't even see those options in my CCC panel. Maybe it's because I've never even been able to get the Hydravision tab to show up in CCC?

I reverted back to the Dell 10.5 drivers and software, but I tried manually installing the 10.6 drivers and software, including Hydravision...but I could never get it to show up.

This is starting to drive me bonkers!!

 

I've had this issue since the beginning where my touch control buttons don't work at all. I've tried updating drivers, I've reinstalled windows (for other reasons) yet the problem still exists.

I have noticed that sometimes right after I boot and login, the buttons will work for a few seconds, but not always the right way, and after a few seconds they will completely stop working.
Does anyone know if this is a software issue I can fix, or is this a hardware problem that will involve getting dell involved?

Thanks.

 

you need to install the OSD which is what controls the touch panel buttons or else you need it replaced.

 

I have OSD installed, and have reinstalled it and updated it several times in an attempt to fix the problem. The OSD works for other things like the fn + function keys.

And by "need it replaced" do you mean the buttons, the motherboard, or something else?

 

no the whole touch panel. just call dell tech support and explain what has happened and tell them you need a new touch panel to be replaced. i replaced my own one last week cause a tech came by when replacing the screen and damaged it so i got it replaced and its better now.

 

I just got my new m15x on Monday and I've loved it so far. I've had great performance from it whenever its plugged in, but for some reason whenever I'm using the battery my fps is horrible in all of my games. It doesnt matter if I have the power settings on high performance, the powerplay settings on maximumperformance or turned off. I have the radeon 5850 and I've tried the dell drivers and manually installing the latest ones from ATI, but nothing seems to help. Dell tells me that this is hardware design and this is normal. The main thing I've noticed and the PCIe link goes from x16 to x1 in battery mode no matter what, even if I use the AMD GPU clock tool to set the clocks to 650/1000 the link is still x1 when on battery. Does anyone know how to get around this?

 

First off laptops on battery cannot play games well unless its 2003 and back so that's normal. trust me the only way to have good fps you need to be plugged in to play games the battery can't supply enough power to play games well as the clocks are set back or throttles if you have powerplay disabled.

 

Well that frustrating, but handy to know. So my only option on battery is to scale back my settings?

 

well yes but playing on battery is not really an option imho as i only use my laptop on battery for school work etc. but nothing graphic demanding

 

well thank you so much, I was worried that it was some sort of driver issue.

 

On battery the system will automatically down clock making gaming no fun. Unless you lock your clocks but battery will drain in 20 mins.

 

Can anyone out there help me with this issue...?

I recently purchased an M15x and I have been having issues right out of the box. After the initial startup, I noticed that the computer lagged when opening random windows, programs and especially surfing on pages like yahoo, cnn or sites that have embedded video. I thought it might have been the search indexer or background programs but after exausting all ideas, I wiped out the original setup and installed Ultimate and no luck. I've called Support and the only thing they could come up with is that the computer is running within range. I just reformatted and installed the original OS setup again and think about returning it...I know this machine is well capable of handling normal use but can't figure out what is making it lag.

Specs:
i7 720QM 1.6
4GB 1333 mhz (task manager shows only 38% being used)
ATI 5850
320 SATAII
Blu-Ray
1080p LCD (set @ 1920 x 1080)

Also, I installed Half-Life 2 to see how it runs and the performance is VERY similiar to my old Sony Vaio with Core 2 Duo 2.1's, 3gb ram and ATI 4X series. Which also performs better in ultimate with higher CPU scores (if that matters).

Has anyone out there had any hardware/driver conflicts with Windows 7?

 

can you make sure Stealth mode is turned off? Its the speedometer button on the touch panel (it needs to be dim instead of bright)

 

Hey Wattos, I actually tried that already and still no luck. Adding to the issues, I just started the computer for the first time today and the screen didn't even turn on. So, I turned the computer off forcefully and booted up again just to freeze at the windows disk check screen since I forced the laptop to turn off during the previous session.

I don't know what to do!!!

 

see if you can boot to safe mode,if everything fine then reboot. try the power drain trick, it should clear out any glitches.

-turn off and and unplug
- take battery out and press power button for 20 sec.
-put back and see if everything is good.

 

Trying it now....I also just tried the i7 core parking tweak in regedit. Fingers crossed.

 

No luck, yet again...internet surfing is extremely laggy and the connection is strong. Program performance is still the same. The screen decided not to turn on again after i restarted so i had to boot twice.

 

your internet is lagging on everything or videos only? the screen not turning on sound serious. if its new i recommend calling dell asap, you can probably get a replacement. or if you wish try a different driver for your gpu.

 

I think I will have to call dell and go ahead with returning it, lets see what they say. Thanks.

 

Hi, can you please go to dell support page and download the latest BIOS and command center 2.5.54.0? Thanks, Adriana (alienware quality)

 

The internet only lags when the site has a lot of menu's probably java related and embedded videos. i tried uninstalling/reinstalling java and flash but regardless it does it on the 7 home that the computer shipped with and 7 ultimate as well. i just spoke with dell and looks like i'll be returning it.

 

if you have the ati card try turning off hardware acceleration for internet videos.

 

Btw is it normal for the lower part of the keyboard to be dimly lit when compared to the top part? My space bar has fairly uneven lighting and is noticeably lighter than the number keys on the keyboard. I remember reading somewhere this was consistent for most people. Just wanna make sure.

 

Yes, completely normal. The keys do not have individual LEDs so some keys may have dimmer areas than others. The space bar is a very good example - the bottom edge of the space bar will be less bright compared to the top edge. Its just the way the LEDs were implemented.

 

good to know. Thanks.

 

hi all , i have this problem , my battery wont charge, it keeps saying "plugged in not charging " i have already tried with the function key which enables and disables battery , it works from time to time but i always have the problem it does not work , its kind of odd , since my lap is brand new.
help with this please!!!

 

Have you tried the power drain trick ? Remove the battery and while unplugged hold the power button for 15 seconds give or take ...

 

I have an issue with audio out through HDMI - http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m15x/496802-audio-output-issues-hdmi-display-port.html

I've tried both with connecting through an amp and straight to the TV and neither seem to let me enable the audio.

Would this be an issue with the Display port to HDMI cable or with the ATI drivers?

 

Just a quick question- Does anybody know what these three devices are? I installed everything properly (even followed the New M15X owners thread) but I have no clue as to what they might be.



*EDIT*

Please ignore this post. I found out what they were, and feel rather sheepish now.

 

One is the freefall sensor but im not sure what the other might be but if i had to guess id say its the Ricoh Memory card reader ?...

 

Yes on both. I could have sworn that I installed the drivers properly. What a difference this laptop makes after purging the system and starting over. I'm very pleased w/ the M15X.

By the way, where at in Michigan are you from? I was born in Toledo, OH and have spent much time throughout Michigan.

 

I am in Auburn Hills MI


Glad you got it working...

 

Awesome! I've been to Pontiac quite a bit back in the day. I still root for the Lions, even though they suck a lot.

 

Here's a weird one for you guys, my radeon 5850 seems to be stuck in link state x16 v1.1

It doesnt matter what power plan I have it set to or if it is plugged in or not. I've tried using driver sweeper and reinstalling drivers, I've checked the chipset drivers and I cant find anything wrong. I've tried the powerdrain trick and no difference. Ive run out of ideas. Should I call dell to get a new card?

 

Anyone else have any problems with tiny marks on the screen...that appear to be between the clear panel and the actual screen pixels? It's sort of hard to describe, but it's as if something, lint, marks, etc are behind the actual "glass"/plastic panel. I've noticed the same thing on my original system, the replacement screen, AND this new system.

It couldn't be marks from my keyboard, as some have mentioned here in the forums, as I've been placing a thin cloth on top of the keyboard/touchpad each time I close the system.

They're fairly hard to see, and I have to look pretty close to notice them, but I really don't want this to be a reoccurring thing...

I've tried gently massaging the areas, similar to the method some use to removed stuck pixels, but nothing works.

 

I havent noticed anything like this on my machine. Maybe these are small dust particles which came onto the screen before the plastic was glued onto the screen?

 

i have had this problem, i just tap the plastic and the dust just falls down, thought it was a dead pixel for awhile but i tap it and it moved,lol. to lazy to call for a replacement, since it really isn't a major problem.

 

I had this SAME exact issue so i requested a replacement screen at which point they shipped out 2 panels and both had stuck and dead pixels all over them...

Now Alienware is building me a new machine and once it arrives im not sure what my next plan of action will be but may be selling it while sealed in the box might be it..

 

what no more M15x for you quad? geez you do change systems fast,lol