Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly
forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell Precision, and Dell OpenManage
are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows V ista 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.
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.
1
Finding Information13
What Are You Looking For?Find It Here
• A diagnostic program for my computer
• Drivers for my computer
• Desktop System Software (DSS)
Drivers and Utilities Disc
Documentation and drivers are already
installed on your computer. You can use
the Drivers and Utilities disc to reinstall
drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and
Utilities" on page 130), or to run the Dell
Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on
page 123).
Documentation and drivers are already
installed on your computer. You can use
the Drivers and Utilities disc to reinstall
drivers or to access your documentation.
Readme files may be included on your
Drivers and Utilities disc to provide lastminute updates about technical changes
to your computer or advanced technicalreference material for technicians or
experienced users.
14Finding Information
NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates
can be found at support.dell.com.
What Are You Looking For?Find It Here
• How to set up my computer
• How to care for my computer
• Basic troubleshooting information
• How to run the Dell Diagnostics
• How to set up a printer
• How to open my computer
Quick Reference Guide
NOTE: This document may be optional and
may not ship with your computer.
NOTE: This document is available as a PDF
at support.dell.com.
• Warranty information
•Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)
•Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Dell™ Product Information Guide
Finding Information15
What Are You Looking For?Find It Here
• Service Tag and Express Service Code
• Microsoft Windows License Label
Service Tag and Microsoft® Windows®
License
These labels are located on your
computer.
• Use the Service Tag to identify your
computer when you use
support.dell.com
• Enter the Express Service Code to direct
your call when contacting support.
NOTE: As an increased security measure,
the newly designed Microsoft Windows
license label incorporates a missing portion
or "hole" to discourage removal of the label.
or contact support.
16Finding Information
What Are You Looking For?Find It Here
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and
tips, articles from technicians, and
online courses, 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 memory, the hard
drive, and the operating system
• Customer Care — Contact information,
service call and order status, warranty,
and repair information
• Service and support — Service call
status and support history, service
contract, online discussions with
technical support
• Dell Technical Update Service —
Proactive e-mail notification of software
and hardware updates for your computer
• 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 for
your computer, you should also reinstall
the DSS utility. DSS provides critical
updates for your operating system and
support for processors, optical drives,
USB devices, and so on. DSS is
necessary for correct operation of your
Dell computer. The software
automatically detects your computer
and operating system and installs the
updates appropriate for your
To download Desktop System Software:
1
Go to
support.dell.com
region or business segment, and enter
your Service Tag.
2
Select
Go
.
3
Click your operating system and search
for the keyword
Software
NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface
may vary depending on your selections.
configuration.
, select your
Drivers & Downloads
Desktop System
.
and click
Finding Information17
What Are You Looking For?Find It Here
• How to use Microsoft Windows Vista™
• How to work with programs and files
• How to personalize my desktop
Windows Help and Support
1
Click the Windows Vista Start button
, and then click
2
In
Search Help
that describes your problem, and then
press <Enter> or click the magnifying
glass.
3
Click the topic that describes your
problem.
4
Follow the instructions on the screen.
• How to reinstall my operating system
Operating System Disc
NOTE: The Operating System disc may be
optional and may not ship with your
computer.
The operating system is already installed
on your computer. To reinstall your
operating system, use the Operating System disc (see "Reinstalling Windows
XP or Windows Vista" on page 137).
Help and Support
, type a word or phrase
.
18Finding Information
After you reinstall your operating system,
use the Drivers and Utilities disc to
reinstall drivers for the devices that came
with your computer.
Your operating system product key label is
located on your computer.
NOTE: The color of your disc varies based
on the operating system you ordered.
What Are You Looking For?Find It Here
• How to use Linux
• E-mail discussions with users of Dell
Precision™ products and the Linux
operating system
• Additional information regarding Linux
and my Dell Precision computer
9network link lightThe network link light is on when a good connection exists
10diagnostic lights
(4)
Can hold an optical drive, Media Card Reader, floppy drive,
or SATA hard drive in a 5.25-inch drive bay carrier.
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.
Can hold an optical drive, Media Card Reader, floppy drive,
or SATA hard drive in a 5.25-inch drive bay carrier. The drivepanel plate shown here is only for use with a floppy drive or
Media Card Reader; it can be installed in front of any of the
four 5.25-inch drive bays. For more information, see "Drive
Panels" on page 246.
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.
The hard drive light is on when the computer reads data from
or writes data to the hard drive. The light might also be on
when a device, such as your optical drive, is operating.
Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices
such as digital video cameras and external storage devices.
Use the front USB connectors for devices that you connect
occasionally, such as flash memory keys, cameras, or
bootable USB devices.
It is recommended that you use the back USB connectors for
devices that typically remain connected, such as printers
and keyboards.
Press the power button to turn on the computer. The light in
the center of this button indicates power state. See "Controls
and Lights" on page 32 for more information.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, do not use the power
button to turn off the computer. Instead, perform an
operating system shutdown.
between a 10-Mbps, 100-Mbps, or 1000-Mbps (or 1-Gbps)
network and the computer.
Use these lights to help you troubleshoot a computer
problem based on the diagnostic code. For more information,
see "Diagnostic Lights" on page 105.
22About Your Computer
11microphone
connector
12headphone
connector
Use the microphone connector to attach a personal
computer microphone for voice or musical input into a sound
or telephony program.
Use the headphone connector to attach headphones.
Back View of the Computer
1
2
3
1 power connectorInsert the power cable.
2 card slotsSlots 2-6 support full-length cards. This includes one PCI, two
PCI Express 2.0 x16, and two PCI-X slots.
Slots 1 and 7 support half-length cards. This includes one PCI
Express x8 (wired as x4) and one PCI-X slot.
3 back panel
connectors
CAUTION: Ensure that none of the system air vents are blocked. Blocking them
would cause serious thermal problems.
Plug USB, audio, and other devices into the appropriate
connector (see "Back Panel Connectors" on page 24 for more
information.
About Your Computer23
Back Panel Connectors
12345678
91011
1parallel connector Connect a parallel device, such as a printer, to the parallel
connector. If you have a USB printer, plug it into a USB
connector.
NOTE: The integrated parallel connector is automatically
disabled if the computer detects an installed card containing a
parallel connector configured to the same address. For more
information, see "System Setup Options" on page 75.
2mouse connectorPlug 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.
3IEEE 1394
connector
4line-in connectorUse the blue line-in connector to attach a playback device
5line-out connector Use the green line-out connector to attach most speakers with
Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices such
as digital video cameras and external storage devices.
such as an MP3 player, CD drive, or VCR. On computers with a
sound card, use the connector on the card.
integrated amplifiers.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the
card.
24About Your Computer
6link integrity lightGreen — 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 (or
1-Gbps) network and the computer
Off — The computer is not detecting a physical connection to
the network
7network adapter
connector
8network activity
light
9serial connectors
(2)
10keyboard
connector
11USB 2.0
connectors (5)
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. 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.
Do not plug a telephone cable into the network connector.
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).
It is recommended 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.
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.
Connect a serial device, such as a handheld device, to the
serial port. If necessary, the address for this port can be
modified through system setup (see "System Setup" on
page 75).
If you have a standard PS/2 keyboard, plug it into the purple
keyboard connector. If you have a USB keyboard, plug it into a
USB connector.
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.
Use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain
connected, such as printers and keyboards.
About Your Computer25
Inside View
4
5
1
2
3
6
7
1power supply
2hard drive bay
3memory shroud
45.25-inch drive bay
55.25-inch drive bay with 3.5-inch drive panel
plate
26About Your Computer
NOTICE: The memory shroud holds
the (optional) memory riser cards in
place; its thumbscrews must be
sufficiently tight in order to secure the
risers and to avoid damage.
6card fan
7front fan
System Board Components
1
30
367 9810
2
29
54
11
}
12
13
14
15
}
16
17
18
19
20
22232425262728
21
About Your Computer27
1primary processor connector
(CPU_0)
2secondary processor connector
(CPU_1)
3front fan connector (FAN_FRONT)18floppy drive (DSKT)
4card cage fan (FAN_CCAG)19front panel connector (FRONTPANEL)