Dell T7500 User Manual

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

Working on Your Computer
Adding and Replacing Parts
Specifications
Diagnostics
About Memory
About Your System Board
System Setup

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

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

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if instructions are not

followed.

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

If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft® Windows® operating systems
are not applicable.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2009-2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of this material in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and Dell Precision are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of

Intel Corporation; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; Blu- ray Disc is a
trademark of the Blu - ray Disc Association; Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server , MS- DOS, Aero, Windows Vista. and the Windows Vista start
button are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

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
February 2010 Rev. A01

Working on Your Computer

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

Before Working Inside Your Computer
Recommended Tools
Turning Off Your Computer
After Working Inside Your Computer

Before Working Inside Your Computer

Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from potential damage and to help to ensure your
personal safety. Unless otherwise noted, each procedure included in this document assumes that the following conditions
exist:

You have performed the steps in Working on Your Computer.
You have read the safety information that shipped with your computer.
A component can be replaced or—if purchased separately—installed by performing the removal procedure in
reverse order.

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your

computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage
at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your computer. Damage due to

servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty.

CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by

periodically touching an unpainted metal surface, such as a connector on the back of the computer.

CAUTION: Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card.

Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a processor by its
edges, not by its pins.

CAUTION: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its pull-tab, not on the cable itself.

Some cables have connectors with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on
the locking tabs before you disconnect the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly
aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that both
connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.

NOTE: The color of your computer and certain components may appear differently than shown in this document.

To avoid damaging your computer, perform the following steps before you begin working inside the computer.

1. Ensure that your work surface is flat and clean to prevent the computer cover from being scratched.

2. Turn off your computer (see Turning Off Your Computer

CAUTION: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then unplug

the cable from the network device.

3. Disconnect all network cables from the computer.

5. Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.

6. Press and hold the power button while the system is unplugged to ground the system board.

7. Remove the computer cover (see Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover

).

).

CAUTION: Before touching anything inside your computer, ground yourself by touching an unpainted

metal surface, such as the metal at the back of the computer. While you work, periodically touch an
unpainted metal surface to dissipate static electricity, which could harm internal components.

Recommended Tools

The procedures in this document may require the following tools:

Small flat-blade screwdriver

Phillips screwdriver

Small plastic scribe
Flash BIOS update program CD (see the Dell Support website at support.dell.com)

Turning Off Your Computer

CAUTION: To avoid losing data, save and close all open files and exit all open programs before you turn

off your computer.

1. Shut down the operating system:

In Windows Vista:

Click Start
click Shut Down.

In Windows XP:

Click Start® Turn Off Computer® Turn Off.
The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process is complete.

2. Ensure that the computer and all attached devices are turned off. If your computer and attached devices did not
automatically turn off when you shut down your operating system, press and hold the power button for about 6
seconds to turn them off.

, then click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Start menu as shown below, and then

After Working Inside Your Computer

After you complete any replacement procedure, ensure you connect any external devices, cards, and cables before turning
on your computer.

1. Replace the computer cover (see Removing and Replacing the Cover

2. Connect any telephone or network cables to your computer.

CAUTION: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network device and then plug it into

the computer.

).

3. Connect your computer and all attached devices to their electrical outlets.

4. Turn on your computer.

5. Verify that the computer works correctly by running the Dell Diagnostics. See Dell Diagnostics

.

Adding and Replacing Parts

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

Cover
Battery
Hard Drive
Hard-drive Cage
Front Fan Assembly
Memory Shroud
Expansion Cards
Processor Fan
Dual Processor Riser Guide
Power Supply

Chassis Intrusion Switch
Drives Bezel
Hard-drive Fan
Optical Drive
Rear Fan
Memory
Heat Sink and Processor
Dual Processor Riser (Optional)
I/O Panel
System Board

Specifications

Dell Precision™ T7500/T7500n Service Manual

Processors

System Information

Memory

Video

Audio

Expansion Bus

NOTE: Offerings may vary by region. For more information regarding the configuration of
your Tablet-PC, click Start (or Start in Windows XP)® Help and Support, and then

select the option to view information about your Tablet-PC.

Processor

Processor types Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® Processor 5500

series
Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® Processor
5500 series

Drives

Connectors

Controls and Lights

Power

Physical

Environmental

System Information

System chipset Intel 5500/5520
Data bus width 64 bits

Memory

Memory module connectors Six

Twelve with optional riser
Memory module capacities 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB and 16 GB
Memory type DDR3 1066 MHz SDRAM

DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM

(DDR3 800 MHz capable)
Minimum memory 1 GB
Maximum memory 96 GB

192 GB with optional riser

Video

Video type:
Discrete PCI Express 2.0 x16 (2 slots)

NOTE: Support for two full height, full

length graphics cards using the PCIe x16

graphics card slot.

Audio

Audio type Analog Devices ADI1984A

Expansion Bus

Bus type PCI Express 2.0

Bus speed 133 MB/s (PCI)

PCI 2.3

PCI-X 2.0A

SATA 1.0 and 2.0

eSATA 2.0

SAS

USB 2.0

x1-slot bidirectional speed - 500 MB/s

(PCI Express)

x16-slot bidirectional speed - 8 GB/s

(PCI Express)

1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps (SATA)

480-Mbps high speed, 12-Mbps full

speed, 1.2 Mbps

low speed (USB)
Two PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (video)

Connector pins 164 pins
Connector data width (maximum) 16 PCI Express lanes (each direction)
Two PCI Express 2.0 x8 slots (physical

x16 connector)
Connector pins 164 pins
Connector data width (maximum) 8 PCI Express lanes (each direction)
One PCI Express 2.0 x4 slot (physical

x16)
Connector pins 164 pins

Connector data width (maximum) 4 PCI Express lanes (each direction)
One PCI Slot
Connector pins 120 pins
Connector data width (maximum) 32 bits
One PCI-X Slot
Connector pins 188 pins
Connector data width (maximum) 64 bits

Drives

Externally accessible Four 5.25 inch drive bays (can support

3.5 inch flex bay)
Internally accessible Four 3.5 inch drive bays
Available devices Up to three of the following 5.25 inch

devices: SATA DVD ROM, SATA DVD+/­RW super multi drive/Blu-ray™ drive
One 3.5-inch USB media card reader or
one 3.5 inch Floppy Disk Drive
Up to five 3.5-inch SATA or four SAS
hard drives

Connectors

External connectors:
Video (Depending on video card)

DVI connector
Display port

Network adapter RJ-45 connector

USB USB 2.0 compliant

Serial One 9-pin connector; 16550C-

Parallel One 25-pin connector
eSATA One 7-pin eSATA connector
Audio Stereo support integrated (5.1 channel

PS/2 Two 6-pin mini-DIN connectors

Two internal connectors
Two in the front
Six in the back

compatible

support)
NOTE: 5.1 channel support comes from
an add-in card only

System board connectors:

Serial ATA

SAS Four 7-pin SAS connectors
Internal USB device Two 10-pin connector (supports two

Fans:
Hard Disk Drive fan One 5-pin connector

Front fan
Rear fan

Card cage fan One 7-pin connector
PCI One 120-pins connector

PCI-X One 188-pins connector
PCI Express x16 Two 164-pin connectors

PCI Express x8

PCI Express x4 One 164-pin connector

Three 7-pin SATA connectors

USB ports)

One 7-pin connector
One 5-pin connector

Two 164-pin connectors (physical x16
connector)

Front panel control One 10-pin connector
Front panel USB One 10-pin connector
Front panel audio HDA header One 10-pin connector
Processor One connector

Second connector on optional riser

Memory Six 240-pin connectors

Six 240-pin connectors on optional riser

Processor Power One 4-pin connector

Second 4-pin connector on optional riser

Power One 24-pin connector

Controls and Lights

Front of the computer
Power button Push button

Power light Amber light — Solid amber indicates a

problem with an installed device;
blinking amber indicates an internal
power problem
Green light — Blinking green in sleep

state; solid green for power-on state

Drive activity light Green light — A blinking green light

indicates the computer is reading data
from or writing data to the hard drive or
CD/DVD

Network link light Green light — Solid green indicates

connection to an active network
Off (no light) — System is not connected
to a network

Back of the computer
Link integrity light (on integrated

network adapter)

Network activity light (on integrated
network adapter)

Off — The computer is not detecting a
physical connection to the network
Green — A good connection at 10Mbs
exists between the network and the
computer
Orange — A good connection at 100Mbs
exists between the network and the
computer
Yellow — A good connection at 1000Mbs
exists between the network and the
computer

Yellow blinking light

Power

DC power supply:
Wattage 1100 W

Voltage 100–240 VAC, 50–60 Hz, 12.0 A
Coin-cell battery 3V CR2032 lithium coin cell

Physical

Height 56.50 cm (22.25 inches)
Width 21.60 cm (8.50 inches)
Depth 55.30 cm (21.80 inches)
Weight at least 24.90 kg (55 lbs)

Environmental

Temperature range:
Operating 10° to 35°C (50° to 95°F)

Storage -40° to 65°C (-40° to 149°F)
Relative humidity (maximum): 20% to 80% (noncondensing)
Maximum vibration

Operating 5 to 350 Hz at 0.0002 G²/Hz
Storage 5 to 350 Hz at 0.0002 G²/Hz
Maximum shock

Operating 40 G +/- 5% with pulse duration of 2

msec +/- 10% (equivalent to 51 cm/sec
[20 in/sec])

Storage 105 G +/- 5% with pulse duration of 2

msec +/- 10% (equivalent to 127
cm/sec [50 in/sec])

Altitude (maximum):

Operating -15.2 to 3048 m (-50 to 10,000 ft)
Storage -15.2 to 10,668 m (-50 to 35,000 ft)
Airborne contaminant level G2 or lower as defined by ISA-S71.04-

1985

Diagnostics

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

Dell Diagnostics
Power Button Light Codes
Diagnostic Light Codes
Pre-POST Diagnostic Light Patterns
POST Diagnostic Light Patterns
Beep Codes

Dell Diagnostics

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

It is recommended that you print these procedures before you begin.

NOTE: The Dell Diagnostics software works only on Dell computers.
NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities disc is optional and may not ship with your computer.

Enter system setup (see Entering System Setup
device you want to test displays in System Setup and is active.

Start the Dell Diagnostics from either your hard drive or from the Drivers and Utilities disc.

), review your computer's configuration information, and ensure that the

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive

1. Turn on (or restart) your computer.

2. When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.

NOTE: If you see a message stating that no diagnostics utility partition has been found, run the Dell Diagnostics

from your Drivers and Utilities disc.

If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft®
Windows® desktop. Then shut down your computer (see Turning Off Your Computer

3. When the boot device list appears, highlight Boot to Utility Partition and press <Enter>.

4. When the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu appears, select the test that you want to run.

), and try again.

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities Disc

1. Insert the Drivers and Utilities disc.

2. Shut down and restart the computer.
When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
If you wait too long and the Windows logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Windows desktop. Then shut

down your computer and try again.

NOTE: The next steps change the boot sequence for one time only. On the next startup, the computer boots

according to the devices specified in the system setup program.

3. When the boot device list appears, highlight Onboard or USB CD-ROM Drive and press <Enter>.

4. Select the Boot from CD-ROM option from the menu that appears and press <Enter>.

5. Type 1 to start the menu and press <Enter> to proceed.

6. Select Run the 32 Bit Dell Diagnostics from the numbered list. If multiple versions are listed, select the version

appropriate for your computer.

7. When the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu appears, select the test you want to run.

Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

1. After the Dell Diagnostics loads and the Main Menu screen appears, click the button for the option you want.

Option Function

Express
Test

Extended
Test

Custom
Test

Symptom
Tree

2. If a problem is encountered during a test, a message appears with an error code and a description of the problem.

3. If you run a test from the Custom Test or Symptom Tree option, click the applicable tab described in the

Tab Function

Results Displays the results of the test and any error conditions encountered.
Errors Displays error conditions encountered, error codes, and the problem description.
Help Describes the test and may indicate requirements for running the test.
Configuration Displays your hardware configuration for the selected device.

Performs a quick test of devices. This test typically takes 10 to 20 minutes and requires no interaction on
your part. Run Express Test first to increase the possibility of tracing the problem quickly.

Performs a thorough check of devices. This test typically takes 1 hour or more and requires you to answer
questions periodically.

Tests a specific device. You can customize the tests you want to run.

Lists the most common symptoms encountered and allows you to select a test based on the symptom of the
problem you are having.

Write down the error code and problem description and follow the instructions on the screen.

following table for more information.

The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all devices from system setup, memory, and
various internal tests, and it displays the information in the device list in the left pane of the screen. The
device list may not display the names of all the components installed on your computer or all devices
attached to your computer.

Parameters Allows you to customize the test by changing the test settings.

4. When the tests are completed, if you are running the Dell Diagnostics from the Drivers and Utilities disc, remove

the disc.

5. Close the test screen to return to the Main Menu screen. To exit the Dell Diagnostics and restart the computer,

close the Main Menu screen.

Power Button Light Codes

The diagnostic lights give much more information about the system state, but legacy power light states are also
supported in your computer. The power light states are shown in following table.

Power

Light

State

Off

Blinking

Amber

Solid

Amber

Power is off, light is blank.

Initial state of light at power up.
Indicates system has power, but the POWER_GOOD signal is not yet active.
If the Hard Drive light is off, it is probable that the power supply needs to be replaced.
If the Hard Drive light on, it is probable that an onboard regulator or VRM has failed. Look at the
diagnostic lights for further information.

Second state of the light at power up. Indicates the POWER_GOOD signal is active and it is probable that

Description

the power supply is fine. Look at the diagnostic lights for further information.

Blinking

Green

Solid

Green

System is in a low power state, either S1 or S3. Look at the diagnostic lights to determine which state the
system is in.

System is in S0 state, the normal power state of a functioning machine.
The BIOS will turn the light to this state to indicate it has started fetching opcodes.

Diagnostic Light Codes

Four (4) single color lights are incorporated on the front control panel to serve as a diagnostic aid for troubleshooting
systems exhibiting No Post/No Video symptoms. The lights do NOT report runtime errors.

Each light has two possible states of OFF or ON. The most significant bit is labeled with the number 1, and the other three
are labeled 2, 3, and 4, as you go down or across the LED stack. The normal operating condition after POST is for all four
lights to be ON and then turn off as the BIOS hands over control to the operating system.

Pre-POST Diagnostic Light Patterns

State

Pb0a

Pb0b

Pb0c

Pb1

Pb2

Pb3

Pb4

Pb5

Light Pattern

( 1 2 3 4 )

Light

Description

1- Off
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Solid
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Solid
4- Solid

1- Off
2- Green
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Green
3- Off
4- Green

Power

Light

- Reserved Reserved

- Reserved Reserved

- Reserved Reserved

State

Assignment

System
Unplugged

ACPI S0;
Normal
Operation

ACPI S1 Windows Standby State.

ACPI S4 orS5Hibernate or Soft off. System plugged in, but either

ACPI S3 Suspend to RAM Windows Standby State.

System is not plugged into AC, PSU is not plugged into
system board, or control panel not connected to
system board.

System is on with no failures detected. This is actually
a BIOS controlled state and is also S0e.

turned off or in Windows Hibernation State.

State Description

Pb6

1- Off

Pb7

Pb8

Pb9

Pb10

Pb11

Pb12

Pb13

Pb14

Pb15

2- Green
3- Green
4- Off

1- Off
2- Blink
3- Blink
4- Blink

1- Green
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Blink
2- Off
3- Off
4- Blink

1- Blink
2- Off
3- Blink
4- Off

1- Blink
2- Off
3- Blink
4- Blink

1- Blink
2- Blink
3- Off
4- Off

1- Blink
2- Blink
3- Off
4- Blink

1- Green
2- Green
3- Green
4- Off

1- Green
2- Green
3- Green
4- Green

- Reserved Reserved

ACPI S0,
hand off to
BIOS control

- Reserved Reserved

Non-System
board
Regulator
Failure

PSU Failure

PSU Cable
Failure

System
board
Regulator
Failure

Mismatch

- Reserved Reserved

- Reserved Reserved

System on. BIOS not execution. This is the transition
state to POST states.

A power failure has been detected on a plug-in
component such as VRM, Video Riser, or Memory
Riser.

PSU may be bad or PSU cable may be crimped
creating a short on a main power rail. (PS_ON
asserted, PS_PWRGOOD not asserted)

All PSU cables may not be properly connected to
system board. (PS_ON asserted, missing a main power
rail)

A power failure has been detected in one of the
onboard system board regulators. This could be caused
by a failed system board component or by a plug-in
device creating a short on a regulated power rail.
(PS_ON asserted, PS_PWRGOOD asserted,
SYS_PWRGOOD de-asserted)

Hardware detected a population incompatibility with a
critical system component such as CPU, VRM, PSU, or
MEMORY RISER.

POST Diagnostic Light Patterns

All POST codes except S0 are accompanied by a Solid Green Power light state. If the power light is not green, see Pre-

POST Diagnostic Light Patterns.

State

S0a

S0e

S1

Light Pattern

( 1 2 3 4 )

Light

Description

1- Off
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Off
4- Solid

1- Off
2- Off CPU configuration activity is in progress or a CPU

State

Name

OFF OFF Power light Off. No power is supplied to the system.

ON

RCM

State

Assignment

Normal
Operation,
ACPI S0

System is in
Recovery
Mode

State Description

Power light Solid Green. System has successfully

booted and is operating normally.

BIOS checksum failure was detected and the system is
now in recovery mode.

S2

S3

S4

S5

S6

S7

S8

S9

S10

S11

S12

S13

S14

S15

3- Solid
4- Off

1- Off
2- Off
3- Solid
4- Solid

1- Off
2- Solid
3- Off
4- Off

1- Off
2- Solid
3- Off
4- Solid

1- Off
2- Solid
3- Solid
4- Off

1- Off
2- Solid
3- Solid
4- Solid

1- Solid
2- Off
3- Off
4- Off

1- Solid
2- Off
3- Off
4- Solid

1- Solid
2- Off
3- Solid
4- Off

1- Solid
2- Off
3- Solid
4- Solid

1- Solid
2- Solid
3- Off
4- Off

1- Solid
2- Solid
3- Off
4- Solid

1- Solid
2- Solid
3- Solid
4- Off

1- Solid
2- Solid
3- Solid
4- Solid

CPU CPU

MEM Memory

PCI PCI device

VID Video Card

STO Storage

USB USB

MEM Memory

MBF

MEM Memory

PRV

CFG

Reserved

POV

STD

System
board

Other pre­video
activity

Resource
configuration

Other post­video
activity

Boot hand
off

failure was detected.

Memory subsystem configuration activity is in progress.
Appropriate memory modules were detected but a
memory failure has occurred.

PCI device configuration activity is in progress or PCI
device failure was detected.

Video subsystem configuration activity in progress or
video subsystem failure.

Storage device configuration in progress or storage
subsystem failure.

USB subsystem configuration activity in progress or
USB subsystem failure.

Memory subsystem configuration activity is in progress.
No memory modules were detected.

Fatal system board failure detected.

Memory subsystem configuration activity is in progress.
Memory modules have been detected but appear to be
incompatible or in an invalid configuration.

Indicates routine system activity preceding video
initialization.

System resource configuration in progress.

Reserved for future use. This pattern is being
considered to indicate the Visual Off state on the
Dimension systems.

Indicates routine system activity subsequent to video
initialization.

Indicates End of POST process. Lights are normally in
this state briefly as POST completes. Once the hand-off
to the OS is done, the lights turn off and transition to
S0e state.

Beep Codes

When errors occur during a boot routine that cannot be reported on the monitor, the computer may emit a beep code that
identifies the problem. The beep code is a pattern of sounds: for example, one beep followed by a second beep, then
followed by a burst of three beeps (code 1-1-3) means that the computer was unable to read the data in nonvolatile
random-access memory (NVRAM). If the system loses power and beeps constantly when you turn it back on, the BIOS is
probably corrupted.

System Beep Codes

Beep
Code

1-1-2 CPU register test in progress 2-4-3 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit E
1-1-3 CMOS read/write test in progress or failure 2-4-4 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit F
1-1-4 BIOS ROM checksum in progress or failure 3-1-1 Slave DMA register test in progress or failure
1-2-1 Timer Test in progress or failure 3-1-2 Master DMA register test in progress or failure
1-2-2 DMA initialization in progress or failure 3-1-3 Master IMR test in progress or failure

Description

Beep
Code

Description

1-2-3

1-3-1 RAM refresh verification in progress or failure 3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading in progress
1-3-2 1st 64 K RAM test in progress or failure 3-2-4 Keyboard controller test in progress or failure

1-3-3

1-3-4 1st 64 K RAM odd/even logic failure 3-3-2 CMOS Config info validation in progress
1-4-1 1st 64 K RAM address line failure 3-3-3 RTC/Keyboard controller not found
1-4-2 1st 64 K RAM parity test in progress or failure 3-3-4 Screen memory test in progress or failure
1-4-3 Fail-safe timer test in progress 3-4-1 Screen initialization test in progress or failure
1-4-4 Software NMI port test in progress 3-4-2 Screen retrace tests test in progress or failure
2-1-1 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 0 3-4-3 Search for video ROM in progress
2-1-2 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 1 4-2-1 Timer tick interrupt test in progress or failure
2-1-3 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 2 4-2-2 Shutdown test in progress or failure
2-1-4 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 3 4-2-3 Gate A20 failure
2-2-1 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 4 4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in Protected Mode

DMA page register read/write test in progress
or failure

1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure (multi
bit)

3-1-4 Slave IMR test in progress or failure

3-3-1 CMOS power fail and checksum test in progress

2-2-2 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 5 4-3-1

2-2-3 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 6 4-3-2 No memory in Bank 0

2-2-4 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 7 4-3-3

2-3-1 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 8 4-3-4 Time-Of-Day Clock test in progress or failure
2-3-2 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 9 4-4-1 Super I/O chip failure
2-3-3 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit A 4-4-4 Cache test failure
2-3-4 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit B
2-4-1 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit C
2-4-2 1st 64 K RAM chip or data line failure - bit D

RAM test in progress or failure above address
0FFFFh

Interval Timer Channel 2 test in progress or
failure

About Memory

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

Memory Modules
Supported Memory Configurations
Memory Subsystem
Memory Slots
Memory Population Rules

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer.

For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

Your computer uses 1066 MHz and 1333Mhz DDR3 unbuffered or registered ECC SDRAM memory. DDR3 SDRAM, or double-data­rate three synchronous dynamic random access memory, is a random access memory technology. It is a part of the SDRAM family
of technologies, which is one of many DRAM (dynamic random access memory) implementations, and is an evolutionary
improvement over its predecessor, DDR2 SDRAM.

The primary benefit of DDR3 SDRAM is its ability to run its I/O bus at four times the speed of the memory cells it contains, thus
enabling faster bus speeds and higher peak throughputs than earlier technologies. This is achieved at the cost of higher latency.
Also, the DDR3 standard allows for chip capacities of 512 megabit to 8 gigabit, effectively enabling memory modules of maximum
16 gigabyte in size.

DDR3 memory comes with a promise of a power consumption reduction of 30% compared to current commercial DDR2 modules due
to DDR3’s 1.5 V supply voltage. This supply voltage works well with the 90 nm fabrication technology used for most DDR3 chips.
Some manufacturers further propose to use "dual-gate" transistors to reduce leakage of current.

The main benefit of DDR3 comes from the higher bandwidth made possible by DDR3’s 8 bit deep prefetch buffer, whereas DDR2’s is
4 bits, and DDR’s is 2 bits deep.

Memory Modules

Standard

name

DDR3-1066 133 MHz 7.5 ns 533 MHz 1066 Million PC3-8500 8533 MB/s
DDR3-1333 166 MHz 6 ns 667 MHz 1333 Million PC3-10600 10667 MB/s

Memory

clock

Cycle

time

I/O Bus

clock

Data transfers per

second

Module

name

Peak transfer

rate

Supported Memory Configurations

Single Processor Memory Configurations

Size

(GB)

3 SR 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
4 SR 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
4 MR 2 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
6 SR 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB

DIMM

Ranks

DIMM1 DIMM2 DIMM3 DIMM4 DIMM5 DIMM6

8 MR 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 1 GB 1 GB
12 SR 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB
12 DR 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
24 DR 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
24 DR 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB
32 MR 8 GB 8 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
48 DR 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB
96 QR 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB

Dual Processor Memory Configurations

Size

(GB)

3 SR 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
4 SR 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
6 SR 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
8 MR 2 GB 1 GB 1 GB 2 GB 1 GB 1 GB
12 SR 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB
24 DR 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
24 SR 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB
48 DR 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB
48 DR 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
96 DR 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB
128 MR 16 GB 16 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 16 GB 16 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB

DIMM

RanksMBDIMM1MBDIMM2MBDIMM3MBDIMM4MBDIMM5MBDIMM6

Riser

DIMM1

Riser

DIMM2

Riser

DIMM3

Riser

DIMM4

Riser

DIMM5

Riser

DIMM6

192QR(RHEL

ONLY)

NOTE: If more than one Quad rank DIMM is installed within a channel (DIMM1 & DIMM4, DIMM2 & DIMM5, DIMM3 & DIMM6)

then the maximum DDR3 speed is reduced to 800 MHz. Spreading Quad Rank memory modules accross multiple channels is
recommended.

NOTE: DDR3 DIMMs have 240 pins, the same number as DDR2, and are the same size, but are electrically incompatible and

have a different key notch location.

16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB 16 GB

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem consists of three DDR3 memory channels attached to each processor. All single-processor configurations
have six DIMM slots (two per channel) attached to the primary processor located on the system board. Dual-processor
configurations require an optional riser card that contains the secondary processor and the DIMMs associated with the secondary
processor. There are six DIMM slots on the riser, for a total of twelve DIMMs in the system.

DIMM slot configuration for a single processor or a second processor on the riser.

Memory Slots

There are six memory slots on the system board. The slots are numbered DIMM1 through DIMM6. DIMM1 is furthest from the
processor.

In addition, the dual-processor riser features six additional memory slots. The slots are numbered DIMM1 through DIMM6. DIMM1 is
furthest from the processor.

Memory Population Rules

Your computer requires DIMMs within a channel to be populated starting with the DIMMs farthest from the processor first. This
means the DIMM slots 1, 2 and 3 must be populated before DIMM slots 4, 5 and 6. In addition, when populating a Quad-rank DIMM
with a Single- or Dual-rank DIMM in the same channel, the Quad-rank DIMM must be populated farthest from the CPU.

To maximize available memory bandwidth, DIMMs within a configuration should generally be spread across as many channels as
possible before populating multiple DIMMs per channel. The population guidelines below help to achieve this.

Single CPU configurations (6 DIMM slots on MB)

If configuration contains DIMMs of all the same size, populate in the following order: DIMM1, DIMM2, DIMM3, DIMM4, DIMM5,
DIMM6
If configuration contains DIMMs of mixed sizes, populate the larger DIMMs first. For example, for a 4GB configuration
consisting of one 2GB DIMM and two 1GB DIMMs, the population would be DIMM1=2GB, DIMM2=1GB, DIMM3=1GB,
DIMM4=empty, DIMM5=empty, DIMM6=empty.

Dual CPU configurations (6 DIMM slots on MB plus 6 DIMM slots on Riser)

If configuration contains DIMMs of all the same size, populate in the following order: MB_DIMM1, Riser_DIMM1, MB_DIMM2,
Riser_DIMM2, MB_DIMM3, Riser_DIMM3, MB_DIMM4, Riser_DIMM4, MB_DIMM5, Riser_DIMM5, MB_DIMM6, Riser_DIMM6.
If configuration contains DIMMs of mixed sizes, populate the larger DIMMs in the dual-processor riser.

NOTE: If any DIMMs are >30mm tall (possible early 16GB DIMMs), they must be installed on the system board only.

About Your System Board

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

System Board Schematic
Clearing Forgotten Passwords
Clearing CMOS Settings

System Board Schematic

1 SATA Connectors (SATA0-3) 18

2 Main Power Connector (POWER1) 19 Type A USB Port (INT_USB2)
3 SAS Connectors (HDD0-3) 20 Rear Fan Connector (FAN_REAR)

Hard Drive Fan Connector

4

(FAN_HDD)

Front Panel Audio Connector
(FP_AUDIO)

21 CPU Riser 2 (CPU2_RSR2)

5 Password Jumper (PSWD) 22 CPU Riser 1 (CPU_RSR1)

Hard Drive Fan Connector

6

(FAN_HDD2)

7 Floppy Drive (DSKT) 24 Power Connector (POWER_CPU1)
8 Front Panel Connector (FRONTPANEL) 25 Front Fan Connector (FAN_FRONT)

Front Panel 1394 Connector

9

(FP_1394)
Chassis Intrusion Header

10

(INTRUDER)

23 Primary Processor Connector (CPU1)

26 Card Cage Fan (FAN_CCAG)

27 Memory Module Connectors (DIMM1-6)

11 PCI-X Card Slot (SLOT7) 28

PCI Express 2.0 x16 Card Slot, wired

12

as x4 (SLOT6)

13 PCI Card Slot (SLOT5) 30 Battery Socket (BATTERY)

PCI Express 2.0 x16 Card Slot

14

(SLOT4)
PCI Express 2.0 x16 Card Slot, wired

15

as x8 (SLOT3)
PCI Express 2.0 x16 Card Slot

16

(SLOT2)
PCI Express 2.0 x16 Card Slot, wired

17

as x8 (SLOT1)

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your

computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage
at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

Optional Serial/PS2 Connector
(SERIAL2)

Auxiliary Hard-drive LED Connector

29

(AUX_LED)

31 Internal Speaker Connector (INT_SPKR)

32 Flexbay USB (INT_USB)

33 RTC Reset Jumper (RTCRST)

Clearing Forgotten Passwords

1. Remove the computer cover.

2. Locate the 4-pin password connector (PSWD) on the system board.

3. Remove the 2-pin jumper plug from pins 3 and 4 and set the jumper plug aside.

4. Replace the computer cover.

5. Connect your keyboard and mouse, then connect your computer and monitor to electrical outlets and turn them on.

6. After the operating system loads, turn the computer off.

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.

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 6 seconds.

7. Disconnect the keyboard and mouse, then disconnect the computer and monitor from their electrical outlets.

8. Press the power button on the computer to ground the system board.

9. Remove the computer cover.

10. Replace the 2-pin jumper plug onto pins 3 and 4 of the password connector (RTCRST_PSWD) on the system board.

NOTE: The password jumper plug must be reinstalled on the password jumper pins in order to enable the password

feature.

11. Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and then turn them on.

NOTE: In System Setup, both system and administrator password options appear as Not Set. The password feature

is enabled, but a password is not assigned.

Clearing CMOS Settings

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your

computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage
at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

NOTE: The computer must be disconnected from the electrical outlet to clear the CMOS setting.

1. Remove the computer cover.

2. Locate the 4-pin password connector (PSWD) on the system board.

3. Remove the 2-pin jumper plug from pins 3 and 4.

4. Locate the 4-pin CMOS jumper (RTCRST) on the system board.

5. Move the 2-pin jumper plug from the password jumper to pins 1 and 2 of the CMOS jumper.

6. Plug in AC power to the system and wait ten seconds for the CMOS to clear.

7. Move the 2-pin jumper plug back to pins 3 and 4 of the password jumper.

8. Replace the computer cover.

9. Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and turn them on.

NOTE: You can use the RTCRST jumper procedure above to attempt recovery from a No POST, No Video situation.

System Setup

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

POST Keystrokes
Boot Menu
Entering System Setup
System Setup Navigation Keystrokes

POST Keystrokes

Your computer has several keystroke options available during the POST process at the Dell™ Logo screen.

Keystroke Function Description

< F2>

< F12> or
<Ctrl><Alt><F8>

< F3> Network Boot Bypass the BIOS boot sequence and boot directly to the network

Enter System
Setup

Enter Boot Menu One-time boot and diagnostics utility menu

Use System Setup to make changes to the user-definable
settings.

Boot Menu

As with previous Dell Precision™ workstation platforms, your computer includes a one-time boot menu. This feature offers
a quick and convenient method with which to bypass the System Setup-defined boot device order and boot directly to a
specific device (e.g., floppy, CD-ROM, or hard drive).

The boot menu enhancements introduced on previous platforms are as follows:

Easier access—Although the <Ctrl><Alt><F8> keystroke still exists and can be used to call up the menu, you can
also simply press <F12> during system boot to access the menu.
Diagnostics options—The boot menu includes two diagnostic options, IDE Drive Diagnostics (90/90 Hard Drive
Diagnostics) and Boot to the Utility Partition.

Entering System Setup

Press <F2> to enter System Setup and change the user-definable settings. If you have trouble entering System Setup
using this key, press <F2> when the keyboard LEDs first flash.

Follow the on-screen instructions to view and/or change any settings. On each screen, the system setup options are listed
at the left. To the right of each option is the setting or value for that option. You can change settings that appear as white
type on the screen. Options or values that you cannot change (because they are determined by your Tablet-PC) appear
less bright.

The upper-right corner of the screen displays help information for the currently highlighted option. The lower-right corner
displays information about the computer. System setup key functions are listed across the bottom of the screen.

The system setup screens display the current setup information and settings for your computer, such as:

System configuration
Boot order
Boot (start-up) configuration
Basic device configuration settings
System security and hard drive password settings

System Setup Navigation Keystrokes

Use the following keystrokes to navigate the BIOS screens.

Navigation Keystrokes

Action Keystroke

Expand and collapse field <Enter>, left- and right-arrow keys, or +/–
Expand or collapse all fields < >
Exit BIOS <Esc>—Remain in Setup, Save/Exit, Discard/Exit
Change a setting Left- and right-arrow keys
Select field to change <Enter>
Cancel a modification <Esc>
Reset defaults <Alt><F> or Load Defaults menu option

NOTE: Depending on your computer and any installed devices, the items listed in this section may or may not

appear.

Cover

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your

computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage
at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

Removing the Cover

1. Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer

2. Slide the cover release latch toward the back of the computer.

.

3. Pull the cover away from the computer.

4. Remove the cover from the computer.

Battery

Dell Precision™ T7500 Service Manual

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your

computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage
at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

Removing the Battery

1. Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer.

2. Remove the computer cover

3. Remove the memory shroud

.

.

4. Use a small screw driver or a scribe to press the coin-cell release tab.

5. Remove the coin-cell battery from the computer.