Question Alienware Aurora R3 No boot - Issue recognizing GPUs.

[NightHawkRMX]

Hello! I am stumped so I am looking for some help.

I recently picked up an Alienware Aurora R3 for cheap off of Facebook that the seller sold as faulty. Upon pickup the seller told me that it worked fine until one day it was suddenly unable to display anything. He said it gave him 5 beeps and when he called Dell they told him that his CPU had failed.

When I took it home, sure enough, no display and 5 beeps. However after a CMOS clear, it turned on and displayed the Alien logo splash screen. However, it seemed stuck here. It would beep once about every 30 seconds, and after 2 minutes the screen turned black, although the monitor still detected signal. It will not boot to a USB or a SSD I threw into it, and It will not allow me into the bios.

Here are the specs:
Alienware Aurora R3
i7 2600k
Alienware 120mm AIO
Factory Alienware motherboard
Patriot 16gb (2x8gb) DDR3 1600mhz - Upgrade by a previous owner
Nvidia GTX770 2gb FE - Upgrade by a previous owner
Came without storage, but I installed a 240gb SSD
Dell (Chicony?) 875w 80+ Silver PSU

Google says this system should have a locked i7, but the IHS says 2600k, unsure if this was an upgrade. The thermal paste was freshish, definitely not factory)

I first suspected maybe the AIO had failed, so I swapped out for an Intel stock cooler and nothing changed.

A friend suggested the GPU might be the problem, so I tested the GTX770 in another computer. Machine booted, card is recognized by windows, driver installed.
Then in the Alienware I swapped the GPU out for a known good R9 Nano. This produced no display. No beeps, nothing.
However, I tried a GTX970 EVGA which works perfectly in the Alienware. The machine boots to Windows and allows me in bios.

I tried the GTX770 in the bottom PCIe X16 slot and got no further than the splash screen, beeps, then black screen.
Finally with the GTX770 Installed I tried the system with another working 600w PSU and got the same result; A splash screen, beeps, then black screen.

Any clue what is up? Perhaps a motherboard issue?

Additionally, I tried different ram and an i5 2500k. Still same result with the 770

 

[Lutfij]

You could try and take the processor over to a known working motherboard to rule out the BIOS/motherboard on the Alienware being burnt/fried/dead. You might want to also see if the motherboard has another PCIe slot for the GPU to see if the slot is faulty. I would try and remove the CMOS battery for at least 30 minutes(while the system is devoid of any power from the wall, disconnected) and replace the CMOS battery with a fresh cell.

Make and model of your known 600W PSU and it's age?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

motherboard has 2 x16 slots. 770 doesnt boot in the top or bottom.

Its an EVGA W1 600w, only a few months old. Not a particularly fantastic PSU I know, but it was handy for testing and I know it works properly. I can break out a better PSU if you think that will help.

I will try changing the cmos battery and leaving it out for 30 minutes.

Since i posted the thread I tried swapping a known working 2500k and known working ram kit into the Aurora and it will still not work with the 770 or nano.

I also tried to update the bios but in true Dell fashion they didnt bother to release a single update the the board, only one launch bios on their website.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

removed cmos battery for 30 min then replaced with new cr3032. Same result.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I did try the 2600k, patriot ram, and gtx 770 over to an Asus board i have. It worked fine.

I guess the Alienware board is toast? but why would does it work with my 970 but nothing else?

Where could I get a replacement for this one easily? Ebay sellers want way too much. I can't swap it out for the asus either due to nonstandard front panel connectors and more.