If you were among the group of people experiencing GPU downclocking issues with the Alienware Area-51 m15x, then good news has arrived. A new BIOS update, version X29b P3A30 is available. The update allegedly allows your GPU fans to increase up to 5400 rpm to better cool the processor. Unfortunately, we were sent the wrong update link. But if you e-mailed the m15x support line (Area51_m15x@alienware.com), then you should have received an update that will provide you a link to a .zip file. Once you download the small file, you simply need to open Nero Ultra Edition, click Backup, and then click “Burn Image to Disc.” Next, select the file “m15x_x29b.iso from the unzipped folder. Once you’ve burned your disk, Alienware suggests you take the following precautions:
- Plug your AC adapter in
- Disconnect all third-party peripherals
- Don’t turn off the computer or restart it during the update
- Don’t eject your DVD/Blu-ray drive during the update.
Steps:
- Open BIOS by tapping F12 during boot
- Set BIOS to boot from your CD-ROM drive first
- Save and exit
- Upon reboot, the BIOS flash update will proceed
- Click “Yes” through the prompts
- Restart
According to the owners and users at the Notebook Review forums, the update works, and it’s clear that the fans are kicking in when the GPU gets hot. The GPU temperatures shouldn’t reach 90 degrees Celsius so the GPU should stop downclocking. We’ll keep you updated as we get a corrected .zip file that includes an .iso file so we can burn an image of the fix and try it ourselves.
