Dell 710, DCDO User Manual

book.book Page 1 Friday, October 27, 2006 4:02 PM

Owner’s Manual

Dell™ XPS™ 710

Model DCDO

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

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Notes, Notices, and Cautions

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the

problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the "Glossary" on page 169.

If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft

Windows

operating systems are not applicable.

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Dell XPS, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex,Latitude, PowerEdge, PowerVault,

PowerApp, and Dell OpenManage are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, and Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

Model DCDO

October 2006 P/N HY898 Rev. A00

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Contents

Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Front and Back View of the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Front View Front I/O Connectors Back View Back I/O Connectors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Attaching the Computer Stand

Connecting Monitors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting a Monitor (Without an Adapter) Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Connecting a Monitor in a Dual Graphics Card Configuration Connecting Two or More Monitors Connecting a TV (S-Video)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors

About Your RAID Configuration

RAID Level 0 Configuration RAID Level 1 Configuration Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID Using the NVIDIA MediaShield ROM Utility Using NVIDIA MediaShield

Playing CDs and DVDs

Playing a CD or DVD Adjusting the Volume Adjusting the Picture

Copying CDs and DVDs

How to Copy a CD or DVD Using Blank CDs and DVDs Helpful Tips

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

. . . . . . . 22

. . . . . 25

Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Contents 3

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Network Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Power Management

Overview Standby Mode Hibernate Mode Power Options Properties

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2 Optimizing Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Understanding PCI Express Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Understanding Dual Graphics Technology

Understanding CPU Over-Clocking

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

3 Solving Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Battery Problems

Drive Problems

CD and DVD drive problems Hard drive problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

4 Contents

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Lockups and Software Problems

The computer does not start up The computer stops responding A program stops responding A program crashes repeatedly

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system A solid blue screen appears Other software problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

. . . . . 51

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Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Mouse Problems

Network Problems

Power Problems

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from speakers No sound from headphones

Video and Monitor Problems

The screen is blank The screen is difficult to read 3-D image quality is poor

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

4 Advanced Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Dell Diagnostics

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Drivers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers

Using Microsoft

Creating a Restore Point Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State Undoing the Last System Restore

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Reinstalling Microsoft

Before You Begin Reinstalling Windows XP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Windows® XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

. . . . . . . . . . . 70

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Windows® XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Contents 5

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5 Removing and Installing Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Recommended Tools Preparing to Work Inside Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Removing the Computer Cover

Inside View of Your Computer System Board Components

Memory

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

DDR2 Memory Overview Addressing Memory Configurations Installing Memory Removing Memory

Cards

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Removing PCI and PCI Express Cards Installing PCI and PCI Express Cards

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Removing a PCI Express Graphics Card from a Dual Configuration Installing a PCI Express Graphics Card in a Dual Configuration Network Adapter and Sound Card Settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Drives

About Serial ATA Drives

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

General Drive Installation Guidelines

Hard Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Removing a Hard Drive Installing a Hard Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

. . . . 91

. . . . . . 93

6 Contents

Drive Panel

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Removing the Drive Panel Replacing the Drive Panel

Floppy Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Removing a Floppy Drive Installing a Floppy Drive

Media Card Reader

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Removing a Media Card Reader Installing a Media Card Reader

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

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CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Removing a CD/DVD Drive Installing a CD/DVD Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Liquid Cooling Assembly

Removing the Liquid Cooling Assembly Installing the Liquid Cooling Assembly

Processor

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Removing the Processor Installing the Processor

Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Replacing the Battery

Removing the Computer Stand

Replacing the Computer Cover

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

6 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

System Setup

Overview Entering System Setup System Setup Options Boot Sequence

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Clearing Forgotten Passwords

Clearing CMOS Settings

Cleaning Your Computer

Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor Mouse

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Floppy Drive CDs and DVDs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Dell Hardware Warranty Support Policy (U.S. Only)

Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

. . . . . . . . . 145

. . . . . . . . . . . 145

Contents 7

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FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Class A

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Class B FCC Identification Information

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Contacting Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Index

8 Contents

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Finding Information

NOTE: Some features or media may be optional and may not ship with your computer. Some features or media may

not be available in certain countries.

NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• A diagnostic program for my computer

• Drivers for my computer

• My device documentation

• Desktop System Software (DSS)

Drivers and Utilities CD (ResourceCD)

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the Drivers and Utilities CD to reinstall drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers" on page 67), access your documentation or run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 64).

Readme files may also be included on your CD to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technical reference material for technicians and experienced users.

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

Dell™ Product Information Guide

Finding Information 9

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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to set up my computer

Setup Diagram

• Service Tag and Express Service Code

•Microsoft

Windows® Product Key Label

Service Tag and Microsoft Windows Product Key

These labels are located on your computer.

• Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you use

support.dell.com

contact support.

• Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when contacting support.

10 Finding Information

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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles from technicians, online courses, and frequently asked questions

• Community — Online discussion with other Dell customers

• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such as the memory, hard drive, and operating system

• Customer Care — Contact information, service call and order status, and warranty and repair information

• Service and Support — Service call status, support history, service contract, and online discussions with support

• Reference — Computer documentation, details on my computer configuration, product specifications, and white papers

• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

• Desktop System Software (DSS)— If you reinstall the operating system on your computer, you should also reinstall the DSS utility. DSS automatically detects your computer and operating system and installs the updates appropriate for your configuration, providing critical updates for your operating system and support for Dell™

3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel processors, optical drives, and USB devices. DSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer.

• How to use Windows XP

• How to work with programs and files

• How to personalize my desktop

Pentium® M

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region or business segment to view the

appropriate support site.

To download Desktop System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

, select your business segment,

and then enter your Service Tag or product model.

Select

Drivers & Downloads

Select your operating system and language, and then search for the keyword

, and then click Go.

Desktop System Software

NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface may vary

depending on your selections.

Windows Help and Support Center

Click

Start→Help and Support

Type a word or phrase that describes your problem, and then click the arrow icon.

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Finding Information 11

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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the Operating System CD (see "Reinstalling Microsoft on page 71).

Windows® XP"

After you reinstall the operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities CD to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.

The operating system product key label is located on your computer.

NOTE: The color of your Operating System CD varies

according to the operating system you ordered.

12 Finding Information

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Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Front and Back View of the Computer

Front View

1 front I/O connectors Plug USB and other devices into the

Connectors" on page 15).

2 3.5-inch drive bays (2) Can hold an optional Media Card Reader or floppy drive.

appropriate connectors (

see "Front I/O

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13

book.book Page 14 Friday, October 27, 2006 4:02 PM

3-6 5.25-inch drive bays (4) Can hold a CD/DVD drive, or a SATA hard drive in a 5.25-inch drive bay

7 front panel LEDs (4) Multi-colored lights provide illumination for the front of the computer.

8 CD/DVD drive tray eject

button (4)

9 front panel LEDs (4) Multi-colored lights provide illumination for the front of the computer.

10 power button Press to turn on the computer.

11 power light The power light illuminates and blinks or remains solid to indicate different

12 computer stand Attach the computer stand to provide stability to the system.

carrier.

NOTE: The hard-drive carrier is only for use in the 5.25-inch drive bays. The

floppy-drive/Media Card Reader and hard-drive carriers are not interchangeable.

NOTE: The color of the front panel LEDs can be adjusted in system setup (see

"System Setup" on page 134).

Use to eject the drive tray of a CD/DVD drive.

NOTE: The CD/DVD drive tray eject button is not a handle. The self-tending doors

open automatically when the eject button is pressed and the drive tray is ejected.

NOTE: The color of the front panel LEDs can be adjusted in system setup (see

"System Setup" on page 134).

NOTICE: To avoid losing data, do not use the power button to turn off the

computer. Instead, perform an operating system shutdown.

NOTE: The power button can also be used to wake the system or to place it into

a power-saving state (see "Power Management" on page 39).

states:

• No light — The computer is turned off.

• Steady green — The computer is in a normal operating state.

• Blinking green — The computer is in a power-saving state.

• Steady amber — There may be a problem with an installed device (see "Solving Problems" on page 45).

• Blinking amber — An internal power problem may exist (see "Power Problems" on page 54).

14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

CAUTION: The computer stand should be installed at all times to ensure

maximum system stability. Failure to install the stand could result in the computer tipping over, potentially resulting in bodily injury or damage to the computer.

book.book Page 15 Friday, October 27, 2006 4:02 PM

Front I/O Connectors

1 microphone connector Use the microphone connector to attach a personal computer microphone for

2 headphone connector Use the headphone connector to attach headphones.

3 diagnostic lights (4) Use the sequence of these diagnostics lights to help troubleshoot a problem with

4 hard-drive activity light The hard drive light is on when the computer reads data from or writes data to the

5 network link light The network link light is on when a good connection exists between a network

6 USB 2.0 connectors (2) Use the front USB connectors for devices that you connect occasionally, such as

7 IEEE 1394a connector Use the IEEE 1394a connector for high-speed data devices such as digital video

4567213

voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.

your computer (see "Diagnostic Lights" on page 61).

hard drive. The light may also be on when a device such as your CD player is operating.

and the computer.

flash memory keys, cameras, or bootable USB devices. For more information on bootable USB devices see "Boot Sequence" on page 140.

It is recommended that you use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.

cameras and external storage devices.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15

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Back View

1 power connector Insert the power cable. The appearance of this connector may differ from what is

pictured.

2 back panel LEDs (2) Multi-colored lights provide illumination for the I/O panel on the back of the

computer.

NOTE: The color of the back panel LEDs can be adjusted in system setup (see

"System Setup" on page 134).

3 back I/O connectors Plug serial, USB, and other devices into the

Connectors" on page 17).

4 card slots Access connectors for any installed PCI or PCI Express cards.

appropriate connectors

(see "Back I/O

NOTE: Some connector slots support full-length cards.

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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Back I/O Connectors

1 link integrity light

2 network adapter

connector

213

• Green — A good connection exists between a 10-Mbps network and the computer.

• Orange — A good connection exists between a 100-Mbps network and the computer.

• Yellow — A good connection exists between a 1000-Mbps (1-Gbps) network and the computer.

• Off — The computer is not detecting a physical connection to the network.

NOTICE: Do not plug a telephone cable into the network adapter connector.

Use the network adapter connector to attach your computer to a network or broadband device. Connect one end of a network cable to either a network jack or your network or broadband device, and then connect the other end of the network cable to the network adapter connector on your computer. A click indicates that the network cable has been securely attached.

On computers with an additional network connector card, use the connectors on the card and on the back of the computer when setting up multiple network connections (such as a separate intra- and extranet).

45 6 7 8

1213

NOTE: It is recommended that you use Category 5 (or greater) wiring and connectors

for your network. If you must use Category 3 wiring, force the network speed to 10 Mbps to ensure reliable operation.

3 network activity light Flashes a yellow light when the computer is transmitting or receiving network

data. A high volume of network traffic may make this light appear to be in a steady "on" state.

4 keyboard connector Plug a standard PS/2 keyboard into the purple keyboard connector. Turn off the

computer and any attached devices before you connect a keyboard to the computer. If you have a USB keyboard, plug it into a USB connector.

5 mouse connector Plug a standard PS/2 mouse into the green mouse connector. Turn off the

computer and any attached devices before you connect a mouse to the computer. If you have a USB mouse, plug it into a USB connector.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17

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6 side surround sound

connector

7 center subwoofer/LFE

connector

8 surround sound

connector

9 line-in connector Use the (blue) line-in connector to attach a record/playback device such as a

10 line-out/headphone

connector

11 microphone connector Use the (pink) microphone connector to attach a personal computer microphone

12 S/PDIF connector Use the S/PDIF connector to transmit digital audio without going through an

13 serial connector Connect a serial device, such as a handheld device, to the serial port. If necessary,

14 USB 2.0 connectors (6) Use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected, such as

Use the (silver) side surround connector to attach additional speakers.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

Use the (orange) subwoofer connector to attach a single subwoofer.

NOTE: The LFE (Low Frequency Effects) Audio channel, found in digital surround

sound audio schemes, carries only low frequency information of 80 Hz and below. The LFE channel drives a subwoofer to provide extremely low bass extension. Systems not using subwoofers can shunt the LFE information to the main speakers in the surround sound setup.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

Use the (black) surround sound connector to attach multichannel-capable speakers.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

cassette player, CD player, or VCR.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

Use the (green) line-out connector to attach headphones and speakers with integrated amplifiers.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

analog audio conversion process.

the address for this port can be modified through system setup (see "System Setup" on page 134).

printers and keyboards.

NOTE: It is recommended that you use the front USB connectors for devices that you

connect occasionally, such as flash memory keys, cameras, or bootable USB devices.

15 IEEE 1394 connector Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices such as digital video

cameras and external storage devices.

Attaching the Computer Stand

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

CAUTION: Your computer is heavy and can be difficult to maneuver. Seek assistance before attempting to lift,

move, or tilt the computer and always lift correctly to avoid injury; avoid bending over while lifting.

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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CAUTION: The computer stand should be installed at all times to ensure maximum system stability. Failure to

install the stand could result in the computer tipping over, potentially resulting in bodily injury or damage to the computer.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 75.

Remove the thumb screw that is installed on the base of the computer.

NOTE: If the thumb screw is not already installed in the stand, it has been packaged separately.

Insert the six alignment tabs into the corresponding slots on the base of the computer, then slide the stand forward until all six tabs catch in the slots.

Ensure that the screw hole on the stand is aligned with the screw hole on the base of the computer.

Insert the captive screw into the screwhole, then tighten the screw to secure the stand to the base of the computer.

1 captive screw 2 stabilizing feet (closed) 3 computer stand

4 slots (6)

With the help of an assistant, carefully set the computer upright.

Carefully, lift the rear of the computer and slide the stabilizing feet outward into the open position.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19

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Connecting Monitors

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

CAUTION: To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury, do not overload an electrical outlet, power strip, or

convenience receptacle. The total ampere rating of all products plugged into an electrical outlet, power strip, or other receptacle should not exceed 80 percent of the branch circuit rating.

NOTE: Depending on the options selected when you purchased your computer, your video card may have two DVI

ports, or one DVI and one VGA port.

1 DVI (white) connector 2 TV-OUT connector 3 VGA (blue) connector

Connecting a Monitor (Without an Adapter)

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NOTE: If your monitor has a VGA connector and your computer does not have a VGA port, follow the instructions in

"Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)" on page 21.

Turn off the computer and all attached devices:

Click

Start

, then click

In the

Turn off computer

The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.

NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the

computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Turn Off Computer

window, click

Turn of f

book.book Page 21 Friday, October 27, 2006 4:02 PM

Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.

Connect the DVI or VGA connector of your monitor to the appropriate connector on the back of the computer:

To connect a monitor with a DVI connector, use the (white) DVI port on your computer.

To connect a monitor with a VGA connector, use the (blue) VGA port on your computer.

NOTE: When connecting a single monitor to a graphics card with two DVI ports, use the left DVI port.

1 primary monitor

Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NOTE: In order to connect a monitor with a VGA connector to the DVI port on the back of your computer, a DVI-to-

VGA adapter is required.

Turn off the computer and all attached devices:

Click

Start

, then click

In the

Turn off computer

The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.

NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the

computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.

Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.

Turn Off Computer

window, click

Turn of f

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21

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Connect the DVI-to-VGA adapter to the VGA connector on your monitor, and then connect the other end of the adapter to the (white) DVI port on the back of the computer.

NOTE: When connecting a single monitor to a graphics card with two DVI ports, use the left DVI port.

1 DVI (white) connector 2 DVI-to-VGA adapter

(optional)

3 TV-OUT connector

Connecting a Monitor in a Dual Graphics Card Configuration

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

Dual graphics card configurations with multi-GPU technology enabled support only a single monitor. The monitor must be connected to the primary graphics card in order to function.

NOTE:

If your primary graphics card is equipped with two DVI ports and you are using a monitor with a VGA connector, a DVI-to-VGA adapter is required to connect the monitor (see "Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)" on page 21).

Turn off the computer and all attached devices:

Click

Start

, then click

In the

Turn off computer

The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.

NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the

computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.

Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.

Turn Off Computer

window, click

Turn of f

22 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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Connect the DVI or VGA connector of your monitor to the appropriate connector on the computer’s primary graphics card:

To connect a monitor with a DVI connector, use the (white) DVI port on the primary graphics card.

To connect a monitor with a VGA connector, use the (blue) VGA port on the primary graphics card.

NOTE: When connecting a single monitor to a graphics card with two DVI ports, use the left DVI port.

1 primary monitor

Connecting Two or More Monitors

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NOTE: In order to connect and use two or more monitors in a dual graphics card configuration, multi-GPU

technology must be disabled. To disable multi-GPU, see "Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors" on page 25.

NOTE: Depending on the options selected when you purchased your computer, your video card may have two DVI

ports, or one DVI and one VGA port.

Turn off the computer and all attached devices:

Click

Start

, then click

In the

Turn off computer

The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.

NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the

computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.

Turn Off Computer

window, click

Turn of f

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 23

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Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.

Connect two or more monitors to the appropriate DVI or VGA ports on the back of the computer.

NOTE: In order to connect a monitor with a VGA connector to the DVI port on the back of your computer, a

DVI-to-VGA adapter is required.

To connect two or more monitors directly to the DVI or VGA ports on your computer, see "Connecting a Monitor (Without an Adapter)" on page 20.

To connect the VGA connectors of one or more monitors to the DVI port(s) on your computer, see "Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)" on page 21.

Change the display settings to support multiple monitors (see "Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors" on page 25).

Connecting a TV (S-Video)

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NOTE: If you are connecting a TV to your computer, you may connect only one monitor (VGA or DVI) in addition to

the TV.

NOTE: If your TV has a DVI or VGA connector, follow the instructions in "Connecting Monitors" on page 20.

NOTE: See the documentation that came with your TV to ensure that you properly configure and connect the TV.

To connect a TV to your computer, an S-video cable is required. If you do not have an S-video cable, you may purchase one at most consumer electronics stores. An S-video cable is not included with your computer.

Turn off the computer and all attached devices:

Click

Start

In the

Turn off computer

, then click

Turn Off Computer

window, click

Turn of f

The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.

NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the

computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.

Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.

Connect one end of the S-video cable to the TV-OUT connector on the back of the computer.

Connect the other end of the S-video cable to the S-video input connector on your TV.

Connect one monitor, as needed, with a DVI or VGA connector as described in "Connecting Monitors" on page 20.

24 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors

NOTE: Dual graphics card configurations with multi-GPU technology enabled support only a single monitor. In

order to connect and use two or more monitors in a dual graphics card configuration with multi-GPU technology, multi-GPU must be disabled.

With your monitors connected and turned on, turn on the computer.

The Microsoft

Disable multi-GPU technology in the display settings (applies only to dual graphics card configurations with multi-GPU technology enabled):

For information on disabling multi-GPU technology, see the documentation that came with your graphics card.

Enable clone mode or extended desktop mode in the display settings.

• In clone mode, all monitors display the same image.

• In extended desktop mode, you can drag objects from one screen to the other, increasing the

amount of viewable work space.

For more information on changing the display settings for your graphics card, see the device user’s guide in the Help and Support Center (click Start, click Help and Support, click User and system guides, click Device guides, and then click the guide for your graphics card).

Windows® desktop displays on the primary monitor.

About Your RAID Configuration

NOTICE: In order to use the migrating option to convert a RAID configuration without losing data, your hard drive

must initially be set up as a single drive RAID 0 array before the operating system is loaded onto the drive (see "Using the NVIDIA MediaShield ROM Utility" on page 28 for instructions).

This section provides an overview of the RAID configuration you may have selected when you purchased your computer. There are several RAID configurations available in the computer industry for different types of uses. Your Dell XPS™ computer supports RAID level 0 and RAID level 1. A RAID level 0 configuration is recommended for high-performance programs while RAID level 1 is recommended for users that desire a high level of data integrity.

RAID levels do not represent a hierarchy. A RAID level 1 configuration is not inherently better or worse than

NOTE:

a RAID level 0 configuration.

The drives in a RAID configuration should be the same size in order to ensure that the larger drive does not contain unallocated (and therefore unusable) space.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 25

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RAID Level 0 Configuration

NOTICE: Because a RAID level 0 configuration provides no data redundancy, a failure of one drive results in the

loss of all data. To protect your data when using a RAID level 0 configuration, perform regular backups.

RAID level 0 uses a storage technique known as data striping to provide a high data access rate. Data striping is a method of writing consecutive segments, or stripes, of data sequentially across the physical drive(s) to create a large virtual drive. Data striping allows one of the drives to read data while the other drive is searching for and reading the next block.

serial ATA RAID configured for RAID level 0

segment 1

segment 3

segment 5

hard drive 1

segment 2

segment 4

segment 6

hard drive 2

Another advantage of a RAID level 0 configuration is that it utilizes the full storage capacities of the drives. For example, two 120-GB hard drives combine to provide 240 GB of hard drive space on which to store data.

NOTE:

In a RAID level 0 configuration, the size of the configuration is equal to the size of the smallest drive multiplied by the number of drives in the configuration.

RAID Level 1 Configuration

RAID level 1 uses a data-redundancy storage technique known as mirroring to enhance data integrity. When data is written to the primary drive, the data is also duplicated, or mirrored, on the second drive in the configuration. A RAID level 1 configuration sacrifices high data-access rates for its data redundancy advantages.

26 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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serial ATA RAID configured for RAID level 1

segment 1

segment 2

segment 3

segment 4

segment 5

segment 6

hard drive 1

segment 1 duplicated

segment 2 duplicated

segment 3 duplicated

segment 4 duplicated

segment 5 duplicated

segment 6 duplicated

hard drive 2

If a drive failure occurs, subsequent read and write operations are directed to the surviving drive. A replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the data from the surviving drive.

NOTE:

In a RAID level 1 configuration, the size of the configuration is equal to the size of the smallest drive in the configuration.

Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID

Your computer can be configured for RAID, even if you did not select a RAID configuration when the computer was purchased. For an explanation of RAID levels and their requirements, see "About Your RAID Configuration" on page 25. For information on how to install a hard drive, see "Installing a Hard Drive" on page 101.

You can use one of two methods to configure RAID hard drive volumes. The first method uses the NVIDIA MediaShield ROM utility and is performed before you install the operating system onto the hard drive. The second method uses NVIDIA MediaShield and is performed after you have installed the operating system and NVIDIA RAID drivers.

Both methods require that you set your computer to RAID-enabled mode before you begin.

Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode

Enter system setup (see "Entering System Setup" on page 134).

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight the applicable SATA drive, then press <Enter>.

Drives

, then press <Enter>.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 27

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Press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight process, as needed, for each SATA hard drive.

NOTE: For more information about RAID options, see "System Setup Options" on page 135.

Press <Esc>, press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight exit system setup and resume the boot process.

Using the NVIDIA MediaShield ROM Utility

NOTICE: The following procedure will result in the loss of all data on your hard drive(s). Back up any data you want

to keep before continuing.

NOTE: Do not use the following procedure to migrate an existing RAID configuration (see "Converting From One

RAID Configuration to Another RAID Configuration" on page 30.

Hard drives of any size may be used to create a RAID configuration. Ideally, however, the drives should be of equal size to avoid unallocated or unused space. For an explanation of RAID levels and their requirements, see "About Your RAID Configuration" on page 25. For information on how to install a hard drive, see "Installing a Hard Drive" on page 101.

Enable RAID for each applicable hard drive on your computer (see "Setting Your Computer to RAIDEnabled Mode" on page 27).

Restart the computer.

Press <Ctrl><N> when prompted to enter the RAID BIOS.

RAID On

, and then press <Enter>. Repeat the

Save/Exit

, and then press <Enter> to

NOTE: If the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop,

then shut down your computer and try again.

The

Define a New Array

Press <Tab> to navigate to the

window appears.

To create a RAID 0 configuration, use the arrow keys to select

To create a RAID 1 configuration, use the arrow keys to select

Press <Tab> to navigate to the

Use the up- and down-arrow keys to select a hard drive to include in the RAID array and then use the right-arrow key to move the selected drive from the each disk you want to include in the RAID array.

NOTE: Your computer supports a maximum of two drives per RAID 1 array and four drives per RAID 0 array.

After assigning the hard drives to an array, press <F9>.

The

Clear disk data

prompt appears.

NOTICE: You will lose all data on the selected drives in the next step.

Press <Y> to clear all data from the selected drives.

The

Array List

window appears.

28 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

RAID Mode

Free Disks

field.

Free Disks

Striping

Mirroring

field to the

Array Disks

field. Repeat for

book.book Page 29 Friday, October 27, 2006 4:02 PM

To review the details of the array that you set up, use the arrow keys to highlight the array in the

window and press <Enter>.

Detail

The

Array Detail

window appears.

NOTE: To delete an array, use the arrow keys to select the array and press <D>.

Press <Enter> to return to the previous screen.

Press <Ctrl><X> to exit the RAID BIOS.

Using NVIDIA MediaShield

NVIDIA MediaShield allows you to create, view, and manage RAID configurations.

NOTE:

Use NVIDIA MediaShield to create a RAID configuration only when you are adding one or more new hard drives to an existing (non-RAID) single-drive computer, and you want to configure the new drive(s) into a RAID array.

Hard drives of any size may be used to create a RAID configuration using NVIDIA MediaShield. Ideally, however, the drives should be of equal size to avoid unallocated or unused space. For an explanation of RAID levels and their requirements, see "About Your RAID Configuration" on page 25.

Array

Creating a RAID Array

NOTICE: The following procedure will result in the loss of all data on your hard drive(s). Back up any data you want

to keep before continuing.

NOTE: Do not use the following procedure to migrate an existing RAID configuration (see "Converting From One

RAID Configuration to Another RAID Configuration" on page 30.

Enable RAID on your hard drives (see "Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 27).

After rebooting your computer, launch NVIDIA MediaShield.

Click

Create

The

NVIDIA Create Array Wizard

Click

Custom

Use the drop-down box to select

Click

Free Disk Selection

The

under

, then click

System Tasks

window appears.

appears and lists the disks that are available for configuration.

Striping

(RAID 0) or

Mirroring

(RAID 1).

NOTE: Only RAID-enabled hard drives are listed as free disks.

Click to select the drives that will make up the RAID configuration, click

, and then click

again.

NOTE: Your computer supports a maximum of two drives per RAID 1 array and four per RAID 0 array.

The

Clearing System Data

window appears.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 29

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NOTICE: The Clear System Data option deletes all data on the selected drive.

Click

Finish

to create the RAID configuration.

The MediaShield RAID management utility window appears and lists the array along with any other installed hard drives.

Deleting a RAID Array

NOTE: While this procedure deletes the RAID 1 volume, it also splits the RAID 1 volume into two non-RAID hard

drives with a partition, and leaves any existing data files intact. Deleting a RAID 0 volume, however, destroys all data on the volume.

NOTE: If your computer currently boots to RAID and you delete the RAID volume, your computer will become

unbootable.

Launch NVIDIA MediaShield.

Click to select the array you want to delete.

Click

Delete Array

The

NVIDIA Delete Array Wizard

in the

System Tasks

appears.

pane.

Click

A confirmation screen appears with the name and size of the array that you have marked for deletion.

Click

Finish

to delete the RAID configuration.

The MediaShield RAID management utility window appears and lists any remaining arrays along with any other installed hard drives.

Converting From One RAID Configuration to Another RAID Configuration

NOTICE: In order to use the migrating option to convert a RAID configuration without losing data, your hard drive

must initially be set up as a single drive RAID 0 array before the operating system is loaded onto the drive (see "Using the NVIDIA MediaShield ROM Utility" on page 28 for instructions).

NVIDIA MediaShield utilizes a one-step process known as migrating to change the current state of a disk or array without losing any data. If needed, additional hard drives can be added to an existing array, including a single-drive RAID 0 configuration for conversion to a two-drive RAID 0 configuration; however, the capacity of the resulting array must be equal to or greater than the size of the original configuration.

RAID 1 to RAID 1

NOTICE:

current configuration.

conversions cannot be performed using the migrating process:

Additional hard drives to be used in the (migrated) array must be no smaller than any of the drives in the

30 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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