Alienware Command Center User Guide

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

? NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that can help you better use your product.

⚠️ CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a risk of damage to the hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

❗ WARNING: A WARNING indicates a risk of damage to the hardware, personal injury, or even death.

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Introduction

Alienware Command Center provides a unique interface to personalize and enhance the gaming experience. The dashboard displays games you have recently played or added, and provides game-specific information, themes, profiles, and access to computer settings. You can quickly access settings such as game profiles and themes, lighting, macros, audio, and overclocking, which are essential for the gaming experience. Alienware Command Center also supports AlienFX 2.0. AlienFX allows you to create, assign, and share game-specific lighting maps to enhance the gaming experience. This option also allows you to create your own individual lighting effects and apply them to the computer or connected peripherals. Alienware Command Center integrates overclocking and peripheral controls to ensure a unified experience and the ability to link these settings to your computer or game.

Features

The following table describes various features supported in Alienware Command Center.

Installing Alienware Command Center

Before installing Alienware Command Center, ensure you have uninstalled the previous version of Alienware Command Center.

System Requirements for Installation

Alienware Command Center can be installed on computers running Windows 10 RS3 or later.

Installing Alienware Command Center

Alienware Command Center is installed at the factory. Follow these steps if you are reinstalling Alienware Command Center:

1. Download and install the latest version of Alienware Command Center from one of the following locations:
   
   • Dell Support Website
   • Microsoft Store
2. Enter your computer's serial number.
3. Run Setup.exe from the Alienware Command Center package. The Alienware Command Center installation wizard appears.
4. In the Alienware Command Center installation wizard, click Next.
5. Select one of the following configuration types:
   
   • Complete
   • Custom
6. Navigate to the location where you are installing AWCC, and then click Save.
7. Select the features to install, and then click Next.
8. Click Install.
9. Click Finish to complete the installation.

Working with Alienware Command Center

You can personalize the Alienware Command Center user interface to display it in different colors and with different effects. The Alienware Command Center user interface includes the following components:

• Home
• Library
• FX
• Fusion

Home

Using the Home window, you can perform the following operations:

• Create and apply themes to a game
• Create and apply a system theme
• Add new games to the library
• View games you have recently played or installed
• Modify the power profile for a game or system

Creating a Theme

Follow these steps to create a theme for a game:

1. In the GAMES section on the right side of the HOME window, select the game for which you want to create a theme.
2. On the left side of the HOME window, click [+]. The FX window appears.
3. In the CREATE NEW THEME text box in the upper-left corner of the window, enter the theme name.
4. On the device image, select one or more zones for which you want to adjust the lighting.
   You can select one or more zones in one of the following ways:
   
   • Click the zone itself or the numbered labels on the device.
   • Click the quick select option to select zones.
5. On the left panel, click the LIGHTING tab and assign the lighting color to the theme using one of the following options:
   
   • Effects: select the different types of effects from the EFFECT dropdown list.
   • Color Palette: select the required color from the color palette.
   • RGB Values: enter the RGB values to select the required color.
6. On the left panel, click the MACROS tab to create and assign macros to the theme.
7. On the left panel, click the SETTINGS tab to apply peripheral-specific settings.
8. Click SAVE THEME. The message Theme saved! appears.

Applying a Theme to Games

Follow these steps to apply an existing theme to a game:

1. Click FX to open the FX window.
2. From the THEMES section, select the theme you want to apply to a game.
   You can view the list of available themes in list view or grid view.
   
   • Click [list view icon] to display available themes in list view.
   • Click [grid view icon] to display available themes in grid view.
3. Click [edit icon] and select Modify Theme. The FX modification window appears.
4. Click CHOOSE GAME in the upper part of the left panel.
5. Select the game from the displayed list and click OK.
6. Click SAVE THEME. The message Theme saved! appears.

Applying a System Theme

Follow these steps to apply and activate a system theme to a game:

1. From the SYSTEM section in the HOME window, select ACTIVE SYSTEM THEME from the dropdown list.
   You can click one of the following options:
   
   • TURN OFF: to temporarily turn off all external lighting on your computer.
   • DIM: to temporarily activate all external lighting at 50% brightness on your computer.
   • TURN ON: to reactivate your external lighting for all zones on your computer or peripherals.
     TURN ON is available only if TURN OFF was chosen.
   • BROWSE THEMES: to browse existing themes.
2. Click [edit icon] to modify the existing system theme. The FX window appears.
3. In the FX configuration panel, adjust the required lighting, macro settings, and peripheral settings.
4. Click SAVE THEME. The message Theme saved! appears.

Modifying Your System Theme

Follow these steps to modify your system theme:

1. At the bottom of the HOME window, click [edit icon] to modify your system theme. The FX window appears.
2. Select one or more zones on the device image for which you want to adjust the lighting.
   You can select one or more zones in one of the following ways:
   
   • Click the zone or click the numbered labels.
   • Click the quick select option to select zones.
3. On the left panel, click the LIGHTING tab and assign the lighting color to the theme using one of the following options:
   
   • Effects: select the different types of effects from the EFFECT dropdown list.
   • Color Palette: select the required color from the color palette.
   • RGB Values: enter the RGB values to select the required color.
4. On the left panel, click the MACROS tab to create and assign macros to the theme.
5. On the left panel, click the SETTINGS tab to apply peripheral-specific lighting settings.
6. Click SAVE THEME. The message Theme saved! appears.

Adding New Games to the Library

Follow these steps to add new games to the library:

1. In the GAMES section of the HOME window, click ADD GAMES. The LIBRARY window appears. Alienware Command Center automatically scans for games installed on your computer. The automatic scan takes approximately 20 seconds. Games are automatically added to the library once the scan is complete.
2. Click [manual analysis icon] to use MANUAL game analysis if your game was not found automatically. A list of applications on your computer appears.
   
   • Check the box next to the application name to add it to the library.
   • Click ADD TO LIBRARY in the lower-right corner of the window. The selected application is added to the library and appears in the LIBRARY window.
3. If the desired application was not found, you can manually add an application using the following steps:
   
   • Click BROWSE at the bottom left of the manual game analysis panel. The Open dialog box appears.
   • Browse and select the required game on your computer. The newly added game appears under the ALL tab in the LIBRARY window.

Displaying Games You Have Recently Played and Installed

Open the HOME window. Games you have recently played and installed are displayed in the GAMES section.

Creating a Profile for a Game or Your Computer

Follow these steps to create a profile for a game or your computer:

1. In the HOME window, click a profile area.
2. Click NEW PROFILE at the end of the displayed list. The appropriate FUSION module appears with a new profile created.
3. Modify your profile.
4. Click SAVE.

Modifying a Profile for a Game or Your Computer

Follow these steps to modify a profile for a game or your computer: Click the FUSION window to modify power management settings applicable to power profiles.

1. In the HOME window, click a profile area.
2. Click any profile in the displayed list. The selected profile becomes the default profile for the current game or your system.

Library

The LIBRARY window integrates game mode and default game features. This library allows you to find, consolidate, and manage your games to provide the best gaming experience.

Using the LIBRARY window, you can perform the following operations:

• Add new games to the library
• View game details
• Modify game artwork
• Remove a game
• Add games to favorites

Searching for Existing Games in the Library

Follow these steps to search for an existing game in the library:

1. In the HOME window, click OPEN LIBRARY or click LIBRARY in the upper part of the application. The LIBRARY window appears.
2. Click [search icon], and then enter the game name. The filtered list of games appears in the library.

FX

AlienFX allows you to control the lighting behavior of your computer and other AlienFX-compatible peripherals connected to your computer by creating themes. You can associate themes with events such as receiving new emails, the computer entering sleep mode, or opening a new application. The FX window allows you to quickly modify the lighting behavior of your AlienFX-compatible peripherals.

Using the FX window, you can perform the following operations:

• Create a theme
• Assign a theme to a game
• Create a new macro
• Browse existing themes
• Modify existing theme
• Duplicate theme
• Delete existing theme

Creating a Theme

Follow these steps to create a theme for a game:

1. In the GAMES section on the right side of the HOME window, select the game for which you want to create a theme.
2. On the left side of the HOME window, click [+]. The FX window appears.
3. In the CREATE NEW THEME text box in the upper-left corner of the window, enter the theme name.
4. On the device image, select one or more zones for which you want to adjust the lighting.
   You can select one or more zones in one of the following ways:
   
   • Click the zone itself or the numbered labels on the device.
   • Click the quick select option to select zones.
5. On the left panel, click the LIGHTING tab and assign the lighting color to the theme using one of the following options:
   
   • Effects: select the different types of effects from the EFFECT dropdown list.
   • Color Palette: select the required color from the color palette.
   • RGB Values: enter the RGB values to select the required color.
6. On the left panel, click the MACROS tab to create and assign macros to the theme.
7. On the left panel, click the SETTINGS tab to apply peripheral-specific settings.
8. Click SAVE THEME. The message Theme saved! appears.

Applying a Theme to Games

Follow these steps to apply an existing theme to a game:

1. Click FX to open the FX window.
2. From the THEMES section, select the theme you want to apply to a game.
   You can view the list of available themes in list view or grid view.
   
   • Click [list view icon] to display available themes in list view.
   • Click [grid view icon] to display available themes in grid view.
3. Click [edit icon] and select Modify Theme. The FX modification window appears.
4. Click CHOOSE GAME in the upper part of the left panel.
5. Select the game from the displayed list and click OK.
6. Click SAVE THEME. The message Theme saved! appears.

Creating Macros

Follow these steps to create a macro:

1. In the FX configuration panel, click the MACROS tab.
2. In the ACTIVE SYSTEM THEME section, click MACROS. A context menu appears, prompting you to select the peripheral to which you want to apply the macros.
3. In the MACROS tab, click [+] to create a macro. The CREATE NEW MACRO dialog box appears.
4. In the CREATE NEW MACRO dialog box, enter the macro name, then click the following tabs:
   
   • KEYPRESS: to assign a macro to a specific keypress on the Alienware keyboard.
   • MACRO: to create complex macros, record actions, and assign keypresses to the macro. Click RECORD and STOP to start and stop macro recording, respectively.
   • SHORTCUT: to enter a shortcut to a program, folder, or website. Click RECORD SHORTCUT to record the created shortcut.
   • TEXT BLOCK: to enter repetitive text when a keypress is used.
5. Click SAVE MACRO to save the macro.
6. Click SAVE THEME to apply the macro to the theme.

Browsing Themes

Follow these steps to browse existing themes:

1. In the THEMES section, click [list view icon] or [grid view icon] to display themes in list view or grid view, respectively. You can also enter the theme name to search for a theme. The theme appears in the list.
2. Click the theme to make the necessary modifications.
3. Click [edit icon] to modify the theme.
4. Click [activate icon] to activate the selected theme as the active primary theme. The ACTIVATE PRIMARY THEME dialog box appears.
5. Select the following theme elements to activate the selected theme as the active primary theme:
   
   • LIGHTING
   • MACROS
   • SETTINGS
6. Click ACTIVATE. The theme is activated as the active primary theme.

Modifying Themes

Follow these steps to modify an existing theme:

1. In the THEMES section, select the theme you want to modify, then click [context menu icon]. A context menu appears.
2. Click Modify Theme.
3. Make the necessary modifications to the theme settings and click SAVE THEME.

Duplicating Themes

Follow these steps to duplicate a theme:

1. In the THEMES section, click [list view icon] or [grid view icon] to display themes in list view or grid view, respectively.
2. Select the theme you want to duplicate and click [context menu icon]. A context menu appears.
3. Click Duplicate Theme. The DUPLICATE THEME dialog box appears.
4. Enter the new theme name.

Fusion

Fusion provides access to power management controls on your computer and allows you to modify, create, and personalize power management modes to optimize energy efficiency and performance. Fusion allows access to other computer settings, including power management, audio controls, voice recognition, thermal details, and overclocking controls. These settings can be used to create profiles that can be applied to games or your computer.

Using the FUSION window, you can perform the following operations:

• Create overclock profiles
• Assign an overclock profile to your computer
• Duplicate an overclock profile
• Restore overclock profile settings
• Create a thermal profile
• Create a power profile
• Create an audio profile
• Create a voice recognition profile

Creating Overclock Profiles

Follow these steps to create an overclock profile:

1. Click [overclock icon] to create an overclock profile.
2. In the Overclock Profiles section, click NEW PROFILE.
3. In the left pane, enter the profile name.
4. In the right pane, define the processor and GPU settings.
5. In the right pane, click the ADVANCED VIEW tab, then drag the slider to define the following settings:
   
   • Frequency
   • Voltage
   • Voltage Offset
6. Click TEST AND SAVE. A pop-up window appears and begins testing the profile settings. After testing the overclock profile, the test result is displayed.
7. Click SAVE if the test is successful. The overclock profile is saved, and the saved profile appears in the overclock profiles list.

Creating Thermal Profiles

You can create thermal profiles to define the temperature and fan speed for the following:

• CPU Fan
• Graphics Card Fan
• PCI Fan

Follow these steps to create a thermal profile:

1. In the FUSION window, click [thermal icon]. The Fusion module for thermal details appears.
2. In the THERMAL PROFILES section, click NEW PROFILE to create a new thermal profile.
3. Click ADVANCED VIEW to define the temperature and fan speed.
4. Click OK.
5. Click SAVE. The newly created thermal profile appears in the THERMAL PROFILES list.

Creating Power Profiles

You can create power profiles to define power and battery settings.

Creating Audio Profiles

Follow these steps to create an audio profile:

1. In the FUSION window, click [audio icon]. The Fusion module for audio appears.
2. In the AUDIO PROFILES section, click NEW PROFILE to create a new audio profile.
3. Enter the power profile name.
4. Define the following settings:
   
   • Microphone Volume
   • Audio Effects
   • Custom EQ (Equalizer)
5. Click SAVE. The newly created audio profile appears in the AUDIO PROFILES section.

Creating Voice Recognition Profiles

Follow these steps to create a voice recognition profile:

1. In the FUSION window, click [voice recognition icon]. The Fusion module for voice recognition appears.
2. In the VOICE RECOGNITION PROFILES section, click NEW PROFILE to create a voice recognition profile.
3. Enter the voice recognition profile name.
4. Define the voice recognition settings.
5. Click SAVE. The newly created voice recognition profile appears in the VOICE RECOGNITION PROFILES section.

Customizing User Interface Settings

You can personalize the Alienware Command Center user interface to display it in different colors and with different effects. Follow these steps to customize the Alienware Command Center user interface:

1. Apply one of the following modes:
   
   • Dark: to display the interface in Dark mode.
   • Light: to display the interface in Light mode.
2. Click [settings icon] at the top of Alienware Command Center. A dropdown menu appears.
3. In the Interface Settings section, select the user interface highlight color and effect.
4. In the User Interface Highlight Color section, select one of the following:
   
   • Auto-managed: the interface's color display adjusts based on the active system theme.
   • Fixed: select a fixed color you want displayed in the user interface.
5. In the Particle Effects section, you can select one of the following effects:
   
   • Disabled
   • Wave
   • Smoke
   • Galaxy

Getting Help and Contacting Alienware

Self-Help Resources

You can get information and help on Alienware products and services using these online and self-help resources:

Contacting Alienware

To contact Alienware for business, technical support, or customer service inquiries, visit www.alienware.com.

? NOTE: Availability varies by country; some services may not be available in your country.

? NOTE: If you do not have an internet connection, you can use the contact information on your purchase order, packing slip, invoice, or in the Dell product catalog.