Dell's PSU has the security ROM...can it be disabled?

Dell's PSU has the security ROM...can it be disabled? Someone sad on AP that it can be disabled in the BIOS. I really would like to buy one off Amazon and not from dell for half the price. The one from amazon didn't work so i returned it but if it can be disabled awesome.

Thanks,
HF

 

I don't think so. People have been looking for a way to get rid of that for years and I do not think there is a reliable way to do it. HP implemented the same thing on some of their business class laptops a few years ago.

Have you checked on Amazon? I purchased two brand new 330W genuine Alienware AC adapters for my dual PSU mod for the M18xR2 earlier this year for only $30 each.

 

I bought a 240w like the one that came wife it but it piped up a message and asked if u wanted to use it or not and if u do it forces u to lowest CPU speed and lowest gpu speed so I sent it back.

 

Yup, can't be done. Sorry about the inconveniences.

 

Oddly enough, their prices have skyrocketed in the last month. Hopefully Dell has finally plugged that embarrassing hole.

Cheapest I found that was official at 330w was $55, cheapest 240w was $66.

See here for the 240w.

Amazon.com: Dell PA-9E Family Power Adapter For Precision Mobile WorkStations M6400 M6500, E-port Dock PR02X, Alienware: M17x: Computers & Accessories

 

When I bought mine it was at $28, that was early August. Since then prices has gone up a lot, to almost twice of what I paid. Maybe Dell is selling a lot of Alienwares and there's higher demand for it, so prices went up.

 

yea but i bought one of those and it didn't work. it poped up an error message

would a PA-7E work?


http://www.amazon.com/PA-7E-Adapter...&ie=UTF8&qid=1382729052&sr=1-3&keywords=PA-9E

it is one amazon and prime too. I don't have an XM chip so i wont even touch the 210 watt limit

 

You can get real one (240w) used (does it really matter ?) from ebay for ~40-50,

I really don't think off brand is any cheaper.

Throttlestop will fix the cpu throttle, gpu though, not sure.

 

i got a real sell 240w and it didn't work :/ it was 100% identical...would be one damn good forgery if it was one.

 

Is that haswell or Ivy machine? Interesting how they can do that.

 

it is IB....i think it was real personally...it was a perfect PSU in every way but it didn't work :/ Granted did crack it open but still. There stupid security ROM is garbage.

It is a kin to price fixing in my eyes

EDIT: so would the PA-7E work?

http://www.amazon.com/PA-7E-Adapter...?ie=UTF8&qid=1382729453&sr=8-1&keywords=pa-7e

i can did 60 bucks plus it being prime i can return it without having to pay shipping like last time

 

But how? Dell cant possibly pair machine and PSU together ?

 

huh?

10 char

 

How do a laptop suppose to differentiate a used real psu vs a new real psu from dell?

 

i dont know it must have had some faulty security ROM in it. The rom flash maybe got corrupted? hence laptop thought it was fake? I dont understand how it works so you are asking the wrong person. I just know it had it and causes those problrms

 

It's really easy to short the live inner barrel to the centre pin which would kill the chip and make it useless. Though that typically means you get about 2-3V no load.

If the chips broken then the PSU is then useless.

 

can you elaborate on that? i am not sure if i understand.

 

If what you bought was a genuine Dell/Alienware AC adapter and it did not work, then it was defective. I purchased two on Amazon for $30 that were genuine and they work flawlessly. Northstar* purchased two on Amazon for $30 and so did they. kh90123 did and his works fine. They are not that inexpensive any more, unfortunately. That leads me to believe the one you tried was no good for some reason.

I don't like the idea of having the chip inside of it because it limits what you can use, but I really have nothing to show as an example as why it matters. Having an approved adapter ensures your machine does not have malfunction problems or sustain damage from a crappy aftermarket adapter or one with incorrect specs.

I would not recommend it, but I have seen an example where one user with an M17xR2 soldered one of the chips to the motherboard to make it believe an approved AC adapter was attached at all times (even when none was attached).

 

nice ^^ i didn't know that was possible. I have seen people solder the chip to different PSUs like the 240w chip to a 330w PSU some one on TI did that

anyways does anyone know if the PA-7E would work?

 

I think it's safe to say that we're kind of unsure if the PA-7 will work. I would seriously consider simply purchasing the PA-9 and trying it out. If it's a genuine part, it should work, and if not, they should be paying the return shipping, or I'd be filing a credit card/PayPal reversal.

If another genuine part doesn't work, then we might need to explore some kind of motherboard issue.

Edit: I shouldn't say 'we're all'. I don't speak for anyone but myself.

 

You spoke for me and that's OK. I have no idea if it will work and that's why I did not answer.

 

but a i dont know is better than nothing ^^

 

whats this pa-7 or pa-9 you speak of ?

 

PA-7E
Amazon.com: PA-7E 210W AC Adapter for Dell Precision M6400, Precision M6500 and Alienware M17x: Computers & Accessories

PA-9E
Amazon.com: Dell PA-9E J211H 240-Watt Family AC Power Adapter PA Charger For Alienware M17x, Precision Mobile Workstations: M6400,M6500, E-port Dock: PR02X Model Numbers: GA240PE1-00, ADP-240AB B Compatible Part Numbers: 330-4128, 330-3514, J938H, Y0

 

Why even bother with a 210W AC adapter if the 240W is available?

 

Depends on the weight and size but 210W is enough for a stock system and if it's smaller then it would be more portable.

 

cheaper...i rather save 16 dollars.....Since it is prime i'll give it a shot and post back Wednesday ish with a yay or nay

 

Just so long as you wont be doing overclocking.

 

again i only have a 3720qm and 7970m....even overclocked i can't touch 210 watts or 168w assume 80%....for fun i'll try F@H with a killawatt meter and i am sure i wont touch the limit.

 

Well this supply may get hotter then so just be careful where the brick is.

 

yea i'll see how it works....if at all :/ I only will use this for class or when i go somewhere with my backpack. I keep forgetting my PSU and it is a pain to take it everywhere...so much time wased unplugging it pluging it back in.

 

I have the 240W PA-9E (bought it last time to use with the Lenovo Y500 with an adapter), and it works with the AW 18, you can even game on it, as long as you only use single GPU for it.

 

the one i got before was a busted unit or something. The ROM was botched i guess

 

So i am pulling 200-220 watts from the wall on max brightness, F@H on CPU and GPU, CPU at 44w TDP, GPU at whatever it is...mild OC with mild OV, and battery charging at 41wh so with the battery not charging i pull ~ 160-180w, which is plenty of room. So either this 240w PSU is really efficient or it is rated for much more than 240w.

 

well this 210 watt PSU seems to work and i am pulling 240 from the wall with F@H running on GPU/CPU, full brightness, and charging the battery at 50-60wh I think 240w is the max i can pull with this laptop worse case

Unless i can fix the CPU cooling and get the CPU to run at 55w TDP instead of 40-45W TDP :/

So this PSU will work just fine and saved me 16 bucks ...BTW this 210w PSU is HUGE!!!!!!!! I mean holy crap! It is like 3 times bigger lol. I think i'll use it as my main PSU

 

Ha! I'm glad it works.

I bet it's pinning 210w on the adapter, which might be unfortunate if you want to OC more.

 

i can't overclock any more as is...as you know crap 7970m and CPU heat sink is way under powered so i am at the best i can do for now and since i do have a 240w i am not concerned i can switch them out later. I am glade i just have two PSUs now. I am pulling 170 right now. The battery is topping off so it is only drawing 8ish watts

 

well the 210w PSU was used and just went all wacky. It is storming in chicago land area so i thought maybe the power went out but my UPS was acting all funny. It was saying it was overloaded....i was like waaaaaa? Overloaded i only have a monitor and R4 plugged in. That is like 25%. for whatever reason the 210w PSU just overloaded the 15amp breaker and my UPS....-_- I switched to my other PSU and i am just going to return the 210w PSU to amazon. I am not going to bother trying to figure out if it is busted or not. It it was overloading a 800w UPS and bricked the breaker i dont want to touch the thing.....

Well buying the 240w off prime i guess :/

EDIT: well looked at amazon and there are no more prime 240w PSUs :/ So i was like i'll try to see what happened to this 210w PSU and nope....it is dead...won't turn on now. :/

I don't want to buy a non prime 240w PSU

 

Some UPSs, especially low quality ones, have very lax control over individual draw. I'm guessing a surge went right through it.

Be glad your monitor/laptop aren't dead too.

 

nah i got a real good UPS...i think the PSU just blew and jacked the stuff up. Because when the breaker was already blown it (the UPS) was on battery mode when i plugged the PSU in it instantly bricked the UPS over and over as in it was overloading the UPS. (the overload light poped on the LCD every time i tried the plug the PSU in after resetting the UPS.

 

Yeah looks like the input is shorted together, ouch

 

sorry what does that mean...i have no idea what you are trying to convey in so few words -_- barney style please

 

Basically the input side of your PSU has blown and fused creating a short, so when you are connecting it to the UPS it's basically like hooking it up to a low value resistor which will overload it.

 

like plugging it into the ground ^^

 

Yeah I suppose, or sticking your fingers in the socket

 

Something like this?

 

I looked cute as a kid.... I mean yes like that ^-^

 

honestly, I used to do that for thrills at my elementary schools, got kicked out of a few for being a bad boy and all... but just always loved things with electricity haha

 

Lol, lucky that evolution did not kick in to remove you