Reverse Engineering an Alienware. Then engineering the reverse engineering.

[AlienALX]

OK so just know this could have been better. Thing is it doesn't need to be. The biggest issue was the LED holes. I did not have them to measure. I wanted to lay them on their side, hence the square holes, but it did not go to plan.

 

 

The power button went perfectly. It is counter sunk. I had to trim the plastic button part, though.

 

 

But it works perfectly. LEDs in.

 

 

Then seal up the back with super glue and activator.

 

 

So pretty? no. Functional? 100%

[AlienALX]

OK so I realised last night I would not be able to fit the top as it was. Mostly because it has a nose piece that goes into the front panel. Problem is my RGB strips and some wires live there. So, I lopped it off.

 

 

And now the top is mounted.

 

 

And so is the front panel.

 

 

As are the RGB logo strips.

 

 

I am going to print some labels for the header wires in a minute. And then laminate them on. I did treat myself though. I've not had speakers here for about 10 years. As soon as headsets and headphones got good I ditched them. So I got these for £18. Mostly because after my shower at 9pm I wanted to watch a YT video but had wet ears.

 

[AlienALX]

OK so many hours ago I fitted the GPU and connected the power button etc.

 

 

All went well, apart from me connecting both the LEDs the wrong way around. That is now fixed.

 

 

All booted OK. I had one final mod to do but wanted all of the OS etc set up first. That is when the fun began. Everything went on lovely. The RAM XMP to 4000 no problems at all, but I noticed during boot that the fans were revving. Not for long, but yeah. LOUD.

 

I then copied Borderlands 4 across and that was where the problems started. Immediately the fans would ramp to 100% and as it was compiling shaders it would crash. Many hours were spent trying everything, but still it persisted. I was beginning to think maybe the AIO pump was dead but nope, the entire chassis was red hot so the heat was deffo being pumped around. I've never seen a CPU hit 92c and throttle just loading a game before. I did get it to compile shaders once by disabling XMP but it still ran into the 90s and made the most ungodly noise. Even for me this was not acceptable and I don't mind some fan noise.

 

Took the AIO off, re pasted no difference at all. Updated the BIOS no difference. I was beginning to think I had made a serious mistake. Thought about undervolting but it just confuses the crap out of me as I don't know how to do it. Guides made little sense either.

 

And then the idea hit me. Going back to my old days on Sandybridge I wondered if I could limit the clock speeds. The issue is the bloody thing wants to clock balls to 5.3ghz all of the time. Eventually I set the voltage offset to - in the BIOS, and indeed found where you can limit the clocks. So I tried 42 (so 4200mhz). It worked ! not only did it work but it now consumes 0.96v on the CPU instead of 1.4+ and makes no noise at all.

 

So now I was getting excited but what will happen when I play Borderlands 4? ironically it loaded and compiled the shaders faster than the AMD 5700X3d and I have lost 0 performance. 4080 Super, not sure of the settings but same as before and I am getting 150 FPS+ with frame gen enabled. Which I could swear is more than I used to get.

 

I may try higher clocks tomorrow (maybe 4500?) but I am now convinced the CPU is running in the parameters it should have left the factory. Not clocking absolute balls and cooking itself to try and out epeen AMD.

 

So here is the last unfinished pic of the rig you will see.

 

 

Here is the final mod.

 

 

And the final pics will be coming over the next few days, as I now have to put everything left over into the loft, sort this room out properly and install the last of the new stuff (mouse, mat, speakers etc).

 

CATCH UP POST.

 

OK so a quick update before I carry on with the cleaning tidying and etc. CPU is now extremely happy. I loaded up PUBG and it hit like 48c so there's deffo still room for higher clocks. I just need time, something I lack atm.

 

 

GPU temps are also very good indeed.

 

 

Mouse is working beautifully after the repair.

 

 

I now own the only R12 that has a bum as pretty as this.

 

 

And a face like this.

 

 

Side shots.

 

 

 

And the money shots.

 

 

 

 

OK so I thought this would take hours, turns out it took about 2 minutes.

 

 

So I ordered this.