Comp running slow, and has a few problems, need help.

[JetRaiden]

ok, my computer, Alienware Area 51 Extreme, has been running unusuallly slow in some games. these especcially include BFVietnam and UT2k4. I also have a problem when my computer is idle for about 1/2 hour, it shuts off. it only does this when nothing (that takes up the full screen) is being used. this is especially annoying since ive been trying to defrag my harddrive(s). compy specs below

Intel P4 3.4 ghz (2)
ATI Radeon 9800 ALL IN WONDER Pro (256mb)
Soundblaster audigy 2 platinum
2 GB ram (having trouble finding specs on the ram)
1 60 gb HD, 1 40 gb external HD

[TekDragon]

Problem is you have an alienware. I had got one 2 years ago. Worst mistake I ever made. Thing wouldn't run worth a shit.

Salvage the parts you really want and build a new PC. Trust me.

[JetRaiden]

:huh: since its an alienware it makes it slow? isnt it essentially just like any other machine but with a different case?

[FraudulentBob]

Try Ad-Aware, search for it on Yahoo.. Data Miners and certain REGKEYs make it run slower, I'm using the identical rig except I built mine, and using a NVIDIA 5950 Ultra (256 MB) Vid. Card.

Delete all the loggers that Ad-Aware finds, and report back..

Right click on Desktop->Power Management (sp?), and you can set when it goes idle, so no more problems there..

If worse comes to worse, search for house-call anti-virus, its an online scan that checks your PC, but it uses 100% CPU on my PC, probably yours too, and has to run overnight.

[TekDragon]

:huh: since its an alienware it makes it slow? isnt it essentially just like any other machine but with a different case?

Yes. No.

Alienware uses combinations of hardware that they KNOW result in incompatability with large amounts of games. If you call up their tech support and ask them which games their systems don't run, prepare to sit there for a long time.

I remember not being able to play CnC: Generals, Planet Side, SWG, or Neverwinter Nights. Every time I called they said it was a "known issue" and they had no fix for it.

I was a dumbass for asking for an alienware for college. I blame myself. I now view anyone with an alienware as being just as stupid as i once was.

Do yourself a favor. Salvage the video card, processor, and CD/ROM's. Get a new mother board, memory, and hard drive.

[JetRaiden]

:eek: HARDDRIVE!!! NOOOOOO

I have so much stuff on this one itll take weeks to replace it. can I keep this one and just defrag it?

tek why would alienware do that? Ive never heard of such a thing. I think I may do that sometime this september (possibly). get a new motherboard, AMD 64fx, new soundcard, maybe mroe ram, new case, whatever.

btw bob Ive already cleaned my HD up of spyware, although it costed me half of my programs.

since my dad helped me pay for my dream machine, he wont be too happy when he hears this.


I also have like a 3 year warranty. can I get away with anything from that?

[Rbstr]

You could probably fix it by uninstaling any drier they provided and instaling the WHQL's the part provider has (like ATI Catalyst 4.5's for you video card, and Creatives's Soundblaster driver) OR Just totaly start clean again with a reformat, jsut back up things you need, and put all the drivers you need on a CD, reinstal windows and you should be totaly functional. There is soemthing with alien wares that makes them not work right sometimes and sometimes people love them

[TekDragon]

:eek: HARDDRIVE!!! NOOOOOO

I have so much stuff on this one itll take weeks to replace it. can I keep this one and just defrag it?

Perhaps if you swap the motherboard you won't need to get rid of the hard drive.

tek why would alienware do that?

I dunno, but i do know that Alienware is an EXTREMELY greedy corporation, and very customer unfriendly. They will string you along with your tech support until your warranty expires, then they will ban you from their tech support forums if you go on their asking why your machine won't play games despite you paying 3,000 for it to play games.

I think I may do that sometime this september (possibly). get a new motherboard, AMD 64fx, new soundcard, maybe mroe ram, new case, whatever.

The sound card is fine. Usually the cases Alienware uses are nice too.


since my dad helped me pay for my dream machine, he wont be too happy when he hears this.

He'll be happy when he finds out you can easily do it for under $500. Again, all you need to do is get an Asus P4C800-E deluxe and some nice memory. I suggest Kingston or OCZ (Vitter's better w memory than me, ask him).

KEEP the video card.
KEEP the sound card.
KEEP the case.
KEEP the processor.
KEEP the power supply.
KEEP the disk drives.
TOSS the motherboard.
SELL the memory.
MAYBE TOSS the harddrive.

I also have like a 3 year warranty. can I get away with anything from that?

Dunno. I do know that all that warranty is going to do is give them 3 years to jerk you around and place the blame on video game makers.

[JetRaiden]

whats so bad about my memory?

[TekDragon]

Tell me what the memory is. Pull out a stick and give me the serial number.

The memory Alienware gave me, less than 2 years ago, was fuking RDRAM. Now that I actually have done research and I realize what a failing technology RDRAM is, im furious that those morons put it in their gaming machines.

[JetRaiden]

Tell me what the memory is. Pull out a stick and give me the serial number.

The memory Alienware gave me, less than 2 years ago, was fuking RDRAM. Now that I actually have done research and I realize what a failing technology RDRAM is, im furious that those morons put it in their gaming machines.

I had the same problem a little over a year ago with a dell that had RDRam.

ok I have the info sheet I got with my computer. it lists 4 Kingston 512 MB PC3200 RAM sticks.

motherboard is a INTEL D875PBZ Motherboard.

[TekDragon]

Take out a RAM chip and give me the serial number.

[Electrofreak]

yeah, if those ram sticks model number start with "KVR" you got royally fucked over.
If they are KHX3200A/512, its better, but still not so hot.. If its KHX3200/512 (no "A") then, thats actually really good RAM. I'm guessing Alienware put the KVR stuff in though (because they are dirty greedy bastards.)

[JetRaiden]

what makes the KVR ones so much better?

Ill give you a serial number when I open up my PC to put in teh new video cap card.

[TekDragon]

He's saying the KVR sucks ass, not that they are better. It's the KHX you need to be hoping for.

It all comes down to technology and timings. Every major manufacturer (and kingston is a big one) has several different varieties of memory in each speed bracket. The differences involve mainly timings but also dual channeling, voltage, bandwitdth, and heatsink material.

[Electrofreak]

Yeah and KVR stands for "Kingston Value Ram" aka "Cheapo crappy RAM".

Most likely Alienware did not put KHX ("Kingston Hyper-X" [Gaming RAM]) into your system because they usually try to get away with shit like that. :(

Hope for KHX RAM, especially KHX3200/512 (no "A" in the model num.)

[Daleon]

Alienware does have some issues, but if your playing games and they are going slow, its not the hardware. If your still using the OS they put on it or from their restore cd, its prolly whats buggered. Problem is they don't give you a regular copy of XP either. So you need to come by a copy somehow that hasn't been modified by them. Next problem is you normally have to install their MB drivers, etc. This could also make things go south, but gotta do what you gotta do.

A friend of mine just bought one of their AMD64 3400 systems with X800 Pro. Its a total lemon. Their drivers are no where near ready for this system. And their support are useless and annoying.

[TekDragon]

Wrong. I tried using a regular version of XP.

The problem DOES lie in the buggy hardware combinations they use. Of course, i wouldn't say that problems with their POS OS don't exist.

[JetRaiden]

Wrong. I tried using a regular version of XP.

The problem DOES lie in the buggy hardware combinations they use. Of course, i wouldn't say that problems with their POS OS don't exist.

the only problem with upgrading my machine is Im saving up for a car, and since Im also trying to save up for a mega PC upgrade by the end of the year, the 2 funds might conflict eachother.

[Daleon]

Wrong, nice blanket statement. Yea we all have to go off experience, and my experience tells me one persons problems with a brand system are not always another persons problems with the same brand, especially when the systems are different.

I know of a number of alienware systems between 2-3 years old that are still running very strong today. So saying a reinstall of his OS, especially from a clean cd, won't help speed his gaming back up is childish and really unhelpful. Yea throwing money at a problem can fix it, if you got the money to throw. But try and come up with actual help for people instead of always saying buy a new PC.

[TekDragon]

Wrong, nice blanket statement. Yea we all have to go off experience, and my experience tells me one persons problems with a brand system are not always another persons problems with the same brand, especially when the systems are different.

I know of a number of alienware systems between 2-3 years old that are still running very strong today. So saying a reinstall of his OS, especially from a clean cd, won't help speed his gaming back up is childish and really unhelpful. Yea throwing money at a problem can fix it, if you got the money to throw. But try and come up with actual help for people instead of always saying buy a new PC.

:rolleyes:

I did not completely toss out the idea of reinstalling a fresh OS.

What I said is that Alienware components have KNOWN compatability issues that Alienware IS aware of but does NOT like talking about.

They have an entire list of games that simply WON'T run on their machines. They view this as a simple "Well, nothing is perfect". Their customer support is trained to lead people around who question them on this issue. When they are done dicking you around to the point where your warranty expires, they ban you from the forums.

This isn't an isolated incident. Do you go to college? I'm sure you can find a number of people who have/had alienwares. The problems are not sparadic.

The only Alienware system i've EVER heard of that has ZERO problems is their laptops, but even they aren't worth the money.

[Rbstr]

ok ok, now were yelling at each other again.

and in a way your both right, i know peopl that have Alienwares and they have server them well for the past yer or two. But i also have heard many many people have problems. Nearly 50/50 i would say.

I have to say i don't like Alienware either, not because they have spotty compatibility but because of thier unethical marketing, and Greatly inflated prices.

Thogth i woudl have to say its not the hardware, but the drivers/Software they use on thier machines, they acctualy use reasonable quality stuff, its nowere near as bad as dell is. You even have the option of ordeing specific name brand parts like corsair memory and Sahphire ATI cards(thgoth hardly anyone does that i would assume)

[Red October]

You know, all this talk about Memory has even got me a little paranoid. I got two 512's of PC 2700 Corsair Value Select (yes a cheapo...got a mortgage to take care of) and I'm beginning to think I have problems. Yet, I haven't had any problems except I do get an occassional lag here and there (mainly after the last patch, prior to that, no probs).

[Rbstr]

If you have the right speed grade for Your CPU you don't have to worry so much about Latencies. I have 2.5 cas stuff ther isn't that huge of a difference

[Daleon]

I don't think we were yelling. Tek took my comment well, mine was defintely a little harsher. Just trying to remind everyone what this forum is for, mainly. Thats trying to help people and not just talk about how good or bad pc equipment is, which is usually more fun.

For OP'er, thats original poster not ForumOP :G, if your gaming was fast the day you got the system there is no reason why it can't be about that fast again, especially since its not that old. As suggested, reinstall your OS asap. The only hardware part I can think of that would only slow you down and not actually cause serious problems is your Hard Drive. So if it was a low life pos and its running like crap, scandisk and defrag it and if it continues toss it and get a new one. But this is after you reinstall xp.