Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
78
Performance Problems
The computer becomes hot
• In a 35
o
C environment, certain areas of the computer’s back case are
expected to reach 50 degrees.
• Make sure the air vents are not blocked.
• If the fan does not seem to be working at high temperature (50 degrees
Celsius and up), contact the service center.
• Certain programs that are processor-intensive may increase the computer
temperature to a degree where the computer automatically slows down its
CPU clock to protect itself from thermal damage.
The program appears to have stopped or runs very slowly -
• Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to see if an application is still responding.
• Restart the computer.
• This may be normal for Windows when it is processing other CPU-intensive
programs in the background or when the system is accessing slow-speed
devices such as the floppy disk drive.
• You may be running too many applications. Try to close some applications or
increase system memory for higher performance.
• The processor may have been overheated due to the system’s inability to
regulate its internal heat. Make sure the computer’s ventilation grills are not
blocked.
m5550-04-2007-techref.indd 78 4/6/2007 12:29:53 PM