Dell Alienware Aurora R3 Users Guide

							19CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW  YOUR DESKTOP 
Back Panel Connectors
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1 Optical S/PDIF connector    — Connects to amplifiers, speakers, or TVs for digital audio output through optical digital cables. This format carries an audio signal without going through an analog audio conversion process.
2 eSATA connector — Connects to eSATA compatible storage devices such as external hard drives or optical drives.
3 USB 2.0 connectors (6) — Connect to USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, external drive, or MP3 player.
4 USB 3.0 connector — Provides faster data transmission between your computer and USB devices.
5Audio connectors — Connect to speakers, microphones, and headphones. NOTE: For information on audio connectors, see “Connecting External Speakers” on page 20 .
6 Network connector — Connects your computer to a network or 
broadband device.
7 IEEE 1394 connector — Connects to high-speed serial multimedia devices such as digital video cameras.
8 Coaxial S/PDIF connector — Connects to amplifiers, speakers, or TVs for digital audio output through coaxial digital cables. This format carries an audio signal without going through an analog audio conversion process. 
						

							20CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW  YOUR DESKTOP 
Connecting External Speakers
Your  Alienware  desktop  has  five  integrated  audio  out  connectors  and  one audio in connector.  The  audio  out  connectors  deliver  quality  sound  and  support 7.1  surround audio. You can connect the audio input connector from a home stereo or speaker system for a heightened gaming and media experience. 
NOTE: On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.
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1 Side L/R surround connector — Connects to side L/R surround speakers.
2 Rear L/R surround connector — Connects to rear L/R surround 
speakers. 
3 Center/subwoofer connector  — Connects to a center speaker or subwoofer.
4 Line-in connector — Connects to recording or playback devices such as a microphone, cassette player, CD player, or VCR. 
5 Front L/R line-out connector — Connects to front L/R speakers. 
6 Microphone connector — Connects to a microphone or inputs signal for use with audio programs. 
						

							21CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW  YOUR DESKTOP 
Top View Features
Accessing the Top Panel Connectors
Press the top panel downwards to access the top panel connectors.
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1Top panel 
						

							22CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW  YOUR DESKTOP 
Top Panel Connectors
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1 Headphone connector — Connects to headphones.
NOTE: To connect to a powered speaker or sound system, use the audio out connector or one of the S/PDIF connectors at the back of your computer. 
2 Microphone connector — Connects to a microphone or inputs signal for use with audio programs.
3 USB 3.0 connector — Provides faster data transmission between your computer and USB devices.
4 Power button — Turns the computer on or off when pressed. The color of the button rim indicates the power status. 
Off — the computer is either turned off, in hibernate mode, or is not • receiving power.
Solid white — the computer is on.• 
Blinking white — the computer is in sleep or standby mode.• 
The color indicating the power status can be changed using the AlienFX software. For information on AlienFX, see “AlienFX” on page 24.
5 USB 2.0 connectors (2) — Connect to USB devices, such as a mouse, 
keyboard, printer, external drive, or MP3 player. 
						

							23CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR DESKTOP 
CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR DESKTOP
CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR DESKTOP 
						

							24CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR DESKTOP 
Alienware Command Center 
The  Alienware  Command  Center  gives  you  access  to  Alienware’s  exclusive software  and  is  a  continuously  upgradable  control  panel.  As  Alienware  releases new programs, they download directly into the Command Center allowing you to build a library of system management, optimization, and customization tools. 
To  access  the  Command  Center,  click Start → All  Programs→ Alienware→ Command Center→ Command Center.
AlienFX
AlienFX allows you to customize the lighting behavior on your computer. You can assign  lighting  behaviors  to  events  like  receiving  new  e-mail,  computer  going into the sleep mode, and opening a new application.
AlienFusion 
AlienFusion provides access to your Alienware computer’s power management controls to help increase energy efficiency.
Thermal Controls
If you have vents present on top of your computer, use thermal controls to control the thermal and venting capabilities of your computer by changing the fan speed and behavior of the vents.
Working With RAID
A  Redundant  Array  of  Independent  Disks  (RAID)  is  a  disk  storage  configuration that increases performance or data redundancy. There are two basic RAID levels discussed in this section.
RAID level 0 is recommended for higher performance (faster throughput). • 
RAID level 1 is recommended for users who need a high level of data • integrity.
NOTE: RAID  requires  multiple  hard  drives.  The  number  of  hard  drives required varies depending on the RAID configuration.
NOTE: For  maximum  performance  of  hard  drive(s),  connect  the  SATA  3.0 (6Gb/s)  compatible  hard  drive(s)  to  the  SATA  3.0  (6Gb/s)  port(s)  on  the system board. 
						

							25CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR DESKTOP 
RAID Level 0
CAUTION:  RAID  level  0  provides  no  redundancy.  Therefore,  a  failure of  one  drive  results  in  the  loss  of  all  data.  Perform  regular  backups  to protect your data.
RAID  level  0  uses  data  striping  to  provide  a  high  data  access  rate.  Data  striping writes consecutive segments, or stripes, of data sequentially across the physical drive(s)  to  create  a  large  virtual  drive.  This  allows  one  of  the  drives  to  read  data while the other drive is searching for and reading the next block.
RAID 0 uses the full storage capacities of both drives. For example, two 2 GB hard drives combine to provide 4 GB of hard drive space on which to store data.
NOTE: In  a  RAID  0  configuration,  the  size  of  the  configuration  is  equal  to the  size  of  the  smallest  drive  multiplied  by  the  number  of  drives  in  the configuration.
RAID Level 1
RAID level 1 uses data mirroring to enhance data integrity. When data is written to  the  primary  drive,  the  data  is  also  duplicated,  or  mirrored,  on  the  secondary drive  in  the  configuration.  RAID  1  sacrifices  high  data-access  rates  for  data redundancy.
If  a  drive  failure  occurs,  read  and  write  operations  are  directed  to  the  remaining drive. A replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the data from the remaining drive.
NOTE: In  a  RAID  1  configuration,  the  size  of  the  configuration  is  equal  to the size of the smallest drive in the configuration. 
						

							26CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR DESKTOP 
Optimizing Performance
Your  computer  has  been  configured  to  operate  optimally  across  a  wide  range of  applications.  Depending  on  the  configuration  you  purchased,  the  computer may  have  been  overclocked  at  the  factory  to  achieve  maximum  performance  in resource intensive applications including gaming and multimedia development.
CAUTION:  Technical  support  verifies  the  full  functionality  of  the computer  at  the  factory  configured  settings.  Alienware  does  not provide technical support for any hardware or software issues arising from operating the computer beyond the factory configured settings.
Performance Tuning 
Using System Setup 
CAUTION:  It  is  not  recommended  to  operate  the  processor  or  other system  components  beyond  the  preset  settings  in  the  BIOS.  Doing  so may  cause  system  instability,  reduced  component  operating  life,  or permanent component damage.
For  computers  with  the  Intel  Core  i7  Extreme  Edition  processor,  the  BIOS  has preset overclocking levels that allow you to easily overclock your computer.
For more information, see “Configuring the BIOS” on page 26.
Configuring the BIOS
System Setup
The System Setup options allow you to:
Change the system configuration information after you add, change, or • remove any hardware in your desktop.
Set or change a user-selectable option.• 
View the amount of memory installed.• 
Set the type of hard drive installed.• 
Before you use System Setup, it is recommended that you write down the current System Setup information for future reference.
CAUTION:  Do  not  change  the  settings  in  System  Setup  unless  you  are an  expert  computer  user.  Certain  changes  can  cause  your  computer  to work incorrectly. 
						

							27CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR DESKTOP 
Entering System Setup
Turn on (or restart) your desktop.1. 
NOTE: Keyboard failure may result when a key on the keyboard is held down for extended periods of time. To avoid possible keyboard failure, press and release  in even intervals until the System Setup screen appears.
While the desktop is booting, press  immediately before the operatin\
g 2. system logo appears to access the BIOS Setup Utility. If an error occurs during Power On Self Test (POST), you may also enter the BIOS Setup Utility by pressing  when prompted.
NOTE: If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop, then shut down your desktop and try again.
System Setup Screens
The BIOS  Setup  Utility  window  displays  current  or  changeable  configuration information for your desktop. 
Key  functions  appear  at  the  bottom  of  the BIOS  Setup  Utility  window  and  lists keys and their functions within the active field.
System Setup Options
NOTE: Depending on your computer and installed devices, the items listed in this section may not appear, or may not appear exactly as listed.
NOTE: For the updated system setup information, see the Service Manual at support.dell.com/manuals.
Main
BIOS Information
Product Information
Build DateDisplays the BIOS release date.
Product NameDisplays the product name.
BIOS VersionDisplays the BIOS version number.
Service TagDisplays the service tag of the computer.
Asset TagDisplays the asset tag of the computer.
Memory Information
Total MemoryDisplays the total memory of the computer.
Memory AvailableDisplays the amount of memory available on the computer.
Memory TechnologyDisplays the type of memory technology used.
Memory SpeedDisplays the memory speed. 
						

							28CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR DESKTOP 
Main
CPU Information
CPU TypeDisplays the processor type.
CPU IDDisplays the processor identification code.
CPU Speed Displays the processor speed.
Cache L2Displays the processor L2 cache size.
Cache L3Displays the processor L3 cache size.
Advanced — Standard CMOS Features 
System Date (mm:dd:yy) Displays current date.
System Time (hh:mm:ss) Displays the current time.
Device Information
SATA Port0Displays the SATA 0 drive integrated in the computer.
SATA Port1Displays the SATA 1 drive integrated in the computer.
SATA Port2Displays the SATA 2 drive integrated in the computer.
Advanced — Standard CMOS Features 
SATA Port3Displays the SATA 3 drive integrated in the computer.
SATA Port4Displays the SATA 4 drive integrated in the computer.
SATA Port5Displays the SATA 5 drive integrated in the computer.
SATA Port6Displays the SATA 6 drive integrated in the computer.
SATA Port7Displays the SATA 7 drive integrated in the computer.
Wait for ‘F1’ If ErrorsIf enabled, the system will HALT during boot to display system errors.
Advanced — Advanced BIOS Features
Bootup Num-LockSelect power-on state for num-lock.
OptionROM Display ScreenAllows you to enable or disable the RAID Option ROM screen during POST.