Area 51 Command Center Pump Failure

[zephyrcjw]

Hello,

I bought my Alienware Area 51 in 2009 when Dell took over and am not finding the support I need.

I've never had any issues with my computer until recently while playing The Sims 3. The game action began to deteriorate within 30 minutes of play. Multiple character interactions caused people to disappear, cars freeze, etc. This is a buggy game at best so I tried addressing the issue with various tweaks.

Today I checked the Command Center and saw the graphics pump had failed. It showed the graphics fan at 0rpm.

It also shows the CPU and System fan at 0rpm, however. Only the PCI and Hard DriveFan1 are operating acording to this readout.

Dell advises to delete the Command Center after downloading a new version first, and then reinstall after unplugging the power and waiting a bit. This did not work.

I have read in other threads that the Command Center itself can be buggy and the readouts incorrect. However, there seems to be no general answer or best direction to take after the Dell "solution."

If anyone has any other further info, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Saga Lout]

Hello and welcome to Tom's Hardware Forums.

When you start the computer, tap Function 2 to go into BIOS- also known as Settings - and look for the page of that shows the actual fan speeds and temperatures. Third party utilities to monitor those data draw their information from the same sensors but yours has clearly gone wrong.

If you have any doubts, take a side off the case and llook to ensure that all the fans are spinning before using the comoputer for any length of time.

 

[Ubrales]

The computer will shut down within seconds if the CPU fan is not working. Obviously from your post, this is not the case.

Download and run "RealTemp 3.60" and check the temps. - idle temps should not exceed 40 degs C, and load temps should be below 70 degs. C.

In addition to this, clean the inside of the computer using a can of compressed air. Block the fans from spinning when you direct the compressed air jet on the fan blades. Otherwise, the fan blades may reach excessive speeds and damage the bearings.

 

[zephyrcjw]

Thanks very much to both of you! I had my doubts about the screwy readings but I had no idea how to verify them. Thanks to you both, I now know my fans are working correctly and took the time to give a good cleaning to the computer. Again, much thanks!

CJ

 

[Saga Lout]

You're welcome - glad you got it sorted.