Dell XPS 720 H2C User Manual

Dell™ XPS™ 720

Owner’s Manual

Model DCDO

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

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.

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, XPS, H2C, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, P owerEdge, P owerV ault,

PowerApp, TravelLite, Strike Zone, and Dell OpenManage are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, Celeron, and Intel Core 2 Extreme are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Windows, 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. Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license.

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

April 2007 P/N KP688 Rev. A00

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

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

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

Front View

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

Front I/O Connectors Back View

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

Back I/O Connectors

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

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

Attaching the Computer Stand

Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure

Connecting Monitors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

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

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

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Connecting a Monitor in a Dual Graphics Card Configuration Connecting Two or More Monitors Connecting a TV

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

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

Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors

About Your RAID Configuration

RAID Level 0 Configuration RAID Level 1 Configuration RAID Level 0+1 Configuration RAID Level 5 Configuration Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode Using the NVIDIA MediaShield ROM Utility Using NVIDIA MediaShield

Using Multimedia

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Copying CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) Media Helpful Tips

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

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Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)

Network Setup Wizard

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Contents 3

Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Power Management Options in Windows XP

Standby Mode Hibernate Mode Power Options Properties

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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

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

Power Management Options in Windows Vista

Sleep Mode Hibernate Mode

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

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

Configuring Power Management Settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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

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2 Optimizing for Greater Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Understanding Dual-Graphics Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Understanding CPU Overclocking

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

3 Dell™ QuickSet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

4 Troubleshooting

Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Battery Problems Drive Problems E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems Error Messages IEEE 1394 Device Problems Keyboard Problems Lockups and Software Problems Memory Problems Mouse Problems Network Problems Power Problems Printer Problems Scanner Problems Sound and Speaker Problems Video and Monitor Problems

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

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4 Contents

Power Lights

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Beep Codes

System Messages

Dell Diagnostics

Drivers

Restoring Your Operating System

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

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

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

When to Use Dell Diagnostics Starting Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive Starting Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities Media Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

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

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers

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

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

Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities Using Windows Device Driver Rollback Using the Drivers and Utilities Media

Using Microsoft

Windows System Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Using Dell PC Restore and Dell Factory Image Restore Using the Operating System Media Troubleshooting Software and Hardware Problems

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

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5 Removing and Installing Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Recommended Tools Preparing to Work Inside Your Computer

Removing the Computer Cover

Inside View of Your Computer System Board Components

Memory

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

DDR2 Memory Overview Addressing Memory Configurations Installing Memory Removing Memory

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Contents 5

Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

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

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

Drives

About Serial ATA Drives

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

General Drive Installation Guidelines

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Hard Drive

Drive Panel

Floppy Drive

Media Card Reader

Optical Drive

Liquid Cooling Assembly

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

Removing a Hard Drive Installing a Hard Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Removing the Drive Panel Replacing the Drive Panel

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Removing a Floppy Drive Installing a Floppy Drive

Removing a Media Card Reader Installing a Media Card Reader

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

Removing an Optical Drive Installing an Optical Drive

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Safety Instructions for Liquid Cooling Assembly Removing the Liquid Cooling Assembly Installing the Liquid Cooling Assembly

Processor

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Removing the Processor Installing the Processor

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

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6 Contents

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

Fans

Removing the Card Fan Installing the Card Fan

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Removing the Optional Hard Drive Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Installing the Optional Hard Drive Fan

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

System Board

Removing the System Board Installing the System Board

Power Supply

Power Supply (PSU) DC Connector Pin Assignments Removing the Power Supply Installing the Power Supply

Front I/O Panel

Front I/O-Panel Components Removing the Front I/O Panel Installing the I/O Panel

Battery

Replacing the Battery

Removing the Computer Stand

Replacing the Computer Cover

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

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

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

6 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

System Setup

Overview Entering System Setup System Setup Options Boot Sequence

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Clearing Forgotten Passwords

Clearing CMOS Settings

Cleaning Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Mouse Floppy Drive CDs and DVDs

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Contents 7

FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Class A Class B

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

FCC Identification Information

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Contacting Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Index

8 Contents

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)

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

Drivers and Utilities Media

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the Drivers and Utilities media to reinstall drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 76), access your documentation or run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 72).

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

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

Dell™ Product Information Guide

Finding Information 9

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

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

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

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region or business segment to view the

appropriate support site.

• 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

Pentium® M processors, optical drives, and USB devices. DSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer.

• How to use your Windows™ operating system

• How to work with programs and files

• How to personalize my desktop

To download Desktop System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

and then enter your Service Tag or product model.

Select

Drivers & Downloads

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

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

depending on your selections.

Windows Help and Support

To access Windows Help and Support:

• In Windows XP, click

• In Windows Vista™, click the Windows Vista Start button

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.

and click

, select your business segment,

, and then click Go.

Desktop System Software

Start and click

Help and Support

Finding Information 11

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System Media

The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the Operating System media.

NOTE: The color of your Operating System media varies

according to the operating system you ordered.

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

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

12 Finding Information

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Front and Back View of the Computer

Front View

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13

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.

3-6 5.25-inch drive bays (4) Can hold an optical or SATA hard drive in a 5.25-inch drive bay carrier.

appropriate connectors (

see "Front I/O

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.

7 front panel LEDs (4) Use the sequence of these diagnostics lights to help troubleshoot a problem with

your computer (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 72).

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

"System Setup" on page 168).

8 optical drive tray eject

button (4)

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

Use to eject the drive tray of an optical drive.

NOTE: The optical 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 168).

10 power button Press to turn on the computer.

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 Options in Windows XP" on page 44).

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

• Blinking amber — An internal power problem may exist.

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

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.

14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Front I/O Connectors

4567213

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

voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.

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

your computer (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 72).

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

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

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

the computer.

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

flash memory keys, cameras, or bootable USB devices. For more information on bootable USB devices see "Boot Sequence" on page 175.

Dell recommends that you use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.

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

cameras and external storage devices.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15

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 168).

3 back I/O connectors Plug 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

Back I/O Connectors

213

1 link integrity light

2 network adapter

connector

• 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: Dell recommends that you use Category 5 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

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 Optical S/PDIF

connector

13 RCA S/PDIF connector Use the RCA S/PDIF connector to transmit digital audio without going through

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.

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.

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

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.

Use the optical S/PDIF connector to transmit digital audio without going through an analog audio conversion process.

an analog audio conversion process.

printers and keyboards.

NOTE: Dell recommends 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

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 85.

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 screw hole, 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

Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure

Installing your computer in an enclosure can restrict the airflow and impact your computer’s performance, possibly causing it to overheat. Follow the guidelines below when installing your computer in an enclosure:

NOTICE: The operating temperature specifications indicated in your Owner’s Manual reflect the maximum

ambient operating temperature. The room’s ambient temperature needs to be a consideration when installing your computer in an enclosure. For example, if the ambient room temperature is at 25° C (77° F), depending on your computer’s specifications, you only have 5° to 10° C (9° to 18° F) temperature margin before you reach your computer’s maximum operating temperature. For details about your computer’s specifications, see "Specifications" on page 163.

• Leave a 10.2 centimeter (4 inch) minimum clearance on all vented sides of the computer to permit the airflow required for proper ventilation.

• If your enclosure has doors, they need to be of a type that allows at least 30% airflow through the enclosure (front and back).

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

• If your computer is installed in a corner on a desk or under a desk, leave at least 5.1 centimeters (2 inch) of clearance from the back of the computer to the wall to permit the airflow required for proper ventilation.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21

• Do not install your computer in an enclosure that does not allow airflow.

impacts your computer’s performance, possibly causing it to overheat.

Restricting the airflow

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.

22 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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 24.

Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.

Shut down the operating system:

• In Windows XP, click

• In Windows Vista™, click the Windows Vista Start button

corner of the Start menu as shown below, and then click

The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process is complete.

Start→

Turn Off Computer→

Tur n o f f

Shut Down

click the arrow in the lower-right

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 4 seconds to turn them off.Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 23

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.

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.

Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.

Shut down the operating system:

• In Windows XP, click

• In Windows Vista,

shown below, and then click

The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process is complete.

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.

lick

Start→

Turn Off Computer→

Start

, click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Start menu as

Shut Down

Tur n o f f

24 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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 you have modified your primary graphics card settings in the BIOS, then the left DVI connector at the rear

of your computer is the default primary connector.

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 24.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 25

primary video card

Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.

Shut down the operating system:

• In Windows XP, click

Start→

• In Windows Vista, click

shown below, and then click

Turn Off Computer→

Start ,

click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Start menu as

Shut Down

Tur n o f f

The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process is complete.

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.

26 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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 28.

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.

Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.

Shut down the operating system:

• In Windows XP, click

• In Windows Vista, click

shown below, and then click

The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process is complete.

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

Start→

Start

Turn Off Computer→

click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Start menu as

Shut Down

Tur n o f f

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 23.

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 24.

Change the display settings to support multiple monitors (see "Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors" on page 28).

Connecting a TV

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

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 27

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.

Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.

Shut down the operating system:

• In Windows XP, click

• In Windows Vista, click

shown below, and then click

Start→

Start

Turn Off Computer→

click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Start menu as

Shut Down

Tur n o f f

The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process is complete.

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 22.

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):

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’s User’s Guide in the Help and Support Center. (From the Help and Support Center, click User and system

guides

→ Device guides, and then select the guide for your graphics card.)

28 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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 33 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 computer supports RAID level 0, RAID level 1, RAID level 5 (customer-installed), or RAID level 0+1 (customer-installed). A RAID level 0 configuration is recommended for highperformance programs, while RAID level 1 is recommended for users that desire a high level of data integrity.

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

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.

RAID level 0 and RAID level 1 require a minimum of two drives. RAID level 5 requires a minimum of three drives. RAID level 0+1 requires a minimum of four drives.

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.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 29

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.

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.

RAID Level 0+1 Configuration

A RAID 0+1 array combines the high data access rate of a RAID level 0 array and the data protection (redundancy) of a RAID level 1 mirror by striping data across two drives and mirroring that striped data on a second set of two drives.

30 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

+ 190 hidden pages

Dell XPS 720 H2C User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Finding Information

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Front and Back View of the Computer

Front View

Front I/O Connectors

Back View

Back I/O Connectors

Attaching the Computer Stand

Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure

Connecting Monitors

Connecting a Monitor (Without an Adapter)

Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)

Connecting a Monitor in a Dual Graphics Card Configuration

Connecting Two or More Monitors

Connecting a TV

Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors

About Your RAID Configuration

RAID Level 0 Configuration

RAID Level 1 Configuration

RAID Level 0+1 Configuration