M17x-R2 Randomly Shutting Down

Hi, I have an Alienware M17x-R2 that I've had for about a month and a half.
This afternoon, it has just started to randomly shut down and I have been required to remove the battery and put it back in before the power button will turn it back on.
It has already done it 3 times this afternoon alone.

Does anyone know what maybe causing that and how I can resolve it? It is really annoying

Thanks

 

Does it do display the same behavior when the power is plugged in and the battery is left out? Have you monitored your temps?

 

I would try what's mentioned above first, and then it would be a good idea to scan your computer for any viruses, just to rule it out.

 

Hey, thanks for your quick replies.

Here are my current temps according to HWMonitor.

Are they acceptable?
Thanks

 

Hmm. They look ok, for now anyhow. Are they hitting almost 60*C at idle? If you run a stress test like Intel Burn Test, or OCCT, then that would tell you your max temps under 100% load. If it shuts down then your problem is going to be the heat.

 

No, they aren't reaching 60c at idle, Core #2 is the hottest at around 50-53c (idle). The others are in the mid to high 40s.

I'll try those tests now.

 

Another thing, when it auto shuts down, all of my automatic log in cookies(like clicking remember user name and pass on facebook, myspace etc) just disappear.
Is that supposed to happen? That is even more annoying because I have to manually type everything in again

 

power drain ? (turn off, remove battery and charger, press power button for 20 seconds, put back the battery and charger and turn on)

 

I ran those stress tests and the core temps were all between 70-80c. Is that normal?
Ok, I will try the power drain next.

Thanks

 

P.S.
Does anyone have an email address for Dell New Zealand Technical Support? I'd just like to send them an email, but I cannot because to send one they need my Service Tag and the website does not recognise my ST >.>

 

Try HWinfo32 and check your GPU temps.

Also, as mentioned before, did you scan for viruses?

 

Hey
Yes I ran a full scan and it found no viruses or spyware etc.
1 4870 is running at 40c idle and the other at 32c idle.
Are they acceptable temps?

 

They are super low

 

Heh that's pretty good then lol but then thats must be not what is causing the shutdown..

Is there a chance that it is a software issue?

 

Might be. I'd do a clean OS install but if you really want to get to the bottom of the problem, you can dig deep into the Event Viewer and Technet for possible solutions.

 

Hmm, yes I might do a clean OS install anyway.

No Catalyst display drivers ever installed correctly - it said there were errors and when I opened the error log it was blank and the drivers hadn't installed at all.

 

I done the power drain and it just shut down automatically 5 minutes ago.

I am now running the machine without the battery in incase it is a problem with the battery.

This is super annoying.

 

What does the bleuscreen error code say? Maybe reseat the memory. Are there any lights blinking when it doesnt want to start up?

 

The computer doesn't blue screen at all, it just instantly powers off. No, there are no lights that blink, the computer just won't startup until the battery is removed and then replaced.

 

so it's still running w/o problems with the battery out ?

 

No, it just shut down twice in the last 5 minutes with the battery out, so it cannot be a faulty batt.

Hmm...

 

and it happens with the battery w/o charger in => contact dell as it's a hardware issue. you're probably looking at a mobo replacement.

 

Sounds alot like what is happening with my R1. After a mobo replacement mine has gotten worse. I tried to respawn it & the thing shut off about 6 times while in the middle...now it will not boot at all. I can have it plugged in on AC without the battery & an error pops up that says overclock failed/ or AC not detected....return to setup or continue. I have never oc'd YET, go into bios and everything is default/auto. I'm waiting on a call/email from Dellienware right now.

 

his situation sounds a little different, it's happening on battery w/o ac plugged in AND with ac plugged in w/o battery.
So its neither the battery's fault nor the power supply's. that leaves me with the one logical deduction, it must be the mobo.
In your case though (which i am not familiar with) it sounds like you've got a bad power supply.

 

Hmm, I was hoping this wasn't the case and that it was something simple.
I'll get in contact with Dell.

Thanks all for your help.

 

Good luck mate. Hope that resolves ur issue

 

Thanks


Just a quick question, as the machine seems to be faulty, if I wanted to get something else, even build my own desktop, would they refund the full amount I paid without any restocking fees or any other charges?
I've studied a bit of law in the past and I'm sure the Consumer Guarantees Act applies here in New Zealand in this situation.

 

As far as I know they would only give you the money back within the first 21 days. Then they are only obligated to fix the issue, if they try to fix thrice and fail you can demand your money back. That's what I know about Dell US, don't know about NZ, sorry. You could always try though

 

Ahh, thanks. All I know is that the consumer laws are pretty tight here which is good for the consumer

Say, what could I get in a desktop for around $2,700-3,000 USD?

 

some super duper two 5870's i CF with SSDs and extreme i7 processor.. much much more powerful desktop.

 

Hmm, I may consider that option,

 

Would a single desktop Radeon HD 5870 be faster than the Radeon HD 4870M Crossfire in my M17x?
How about the 5850? Is that faster?
A better question would be what desktop video card would two 4870Ms be equivalent to?
Ty.

 

can't say i am an expert buy according to some reviews i just saw the HD 5870 smokes two 4870 in crossfire in most games and those are desktop 4870's that are stronger than the m's we have.

As for what's equivalent to the 4870s in cf, i'd say one 5830 is equivalent..

 

Ok thanks
That's not bad considering a 5830 is only around $350-400 NZD here which is pretty nice

 

If i were building a desktop, i'd go with a higher card though

 

Oh yeah, I'd want a 5870 or something lol

I'm not a fan of the new GTX 480 (or 470), it's pretty hot and power hungry and it's literally double the price of the 5870 ($1,300 vs $650) here in NZ. That's insane for like ~10%(?) extra performance on some games.

 

oh yeah, i've seen the benchmarks too.. no reason at all.

 

Soo,
Do you think I could get a replacement M17x with the 5870M when it arrives in New Zealand?

 

Guys, a single 5870 is not faster than dual 4870s in CrossFire. It's not even close. At stock clocks, a 920XM/5870m setup will score about 8,850 3dMarks in Vantage, while 920XM/4870CF computers average around 12,000, about 35% higher. For 3d performance, there is just no substitute for dual cards in CF or SLI. I love my 5870, but also recognize its place in the hot rod video system pecking order.

 

@Redbalrog -- I had a computer that acted much like yours, with first seemingly random shutdowns, then increasingly frequent to the point that it would only run a few minutes, then shutdown completely. It turned out that the power lead to the CPU fan was loose, still connected, but not seated properly, so the fan wasn't working. That led to rapid heat buildup in the CPU, triggering an automatic shutdown. Simply reseating the power lead solved the problem permanently.

Your problem may be entirely different, but see whether your CPU fan is functioning properly.

 

Oh, I meant get a replacement with 2 5870Ms instead of 2 4870Ms =)

Ok, thanks I'll check that now
Thanks

 

we were actually discussing a desktop 5870 vs two mobile 4870s in cf. And in that scenario I am pretty sure the 4870m cf will eat the desktop 5870's dust

 

Oh yes, I'm sure a 5850 would match 2x 4870Ms.

 

I've finally been in touch with Technical Support and they recommended a few troubleshooting steps that didn't work.

The tech guy is stumped about what could be causing this.

Should I just request a replacement system?

Thanks

 

Hmmm
I really do hope they can replace it though.