In case someone in the future has a similar problem, I figured out the solution in figuring out the solution to a related issue. Basically the cable that connects the RGB lights from the case to the motherboard was improperly seated. Here is the thread with the full description of the solution: Solved: Re: Alienware Command Center shows my Aurora R11 in "Lunar Light" (4 AlienFX Zones) as "Dark Side of... - Dell Community
I just had a new motherboard and GPU installed under warranty. That fixed a crashing problem I've been having but I have a new niggling issue. Now when sleeping instead of my R11's alien head fading fully from bright to dim and then back to bright it goes from bright to slightly dimmer then back to bright. It annoys me because I know this isn't the normal behavior. Could something be plugged in incorrectly on the motherboard or is there a setting for this somewhere?
Aurora R11, head doesn't fully dim while pulsing in sleep mode