Dell Precision 7920 Rack User manual

Dell Precision 7920 Rack
Owner's Manual
Regulatory Model: E38S
Regulatory Type: E38S001
January 2023
Rev. A08

Notes, cautions, and warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid
the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
© 2018-2023 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Chapter 1: Working on your computer........................................................................................... 6
Safety instructions.............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Before working inside your computer.............................................................................................................................6
After working inside your computer................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Chassis View................................................................................................................8
Front chassis view...............................................................................................................................................................8
Back chassis view................................................................................................................................................................9
Inside the system.................................................................................................................................................................9
LCD panel.............................................................................................................................................................................10
Viewing Home screen.................................................................................................................................................. 11
Setup menu.................................................................................................................................................................... 11
View menu......................................................................................................................................................................12
Chapter 3: Product Overview....................................................................................................... 13
Technical specifications....................................................................................................................................................13
System dimensions...................................................................................................................................................... 13
Chassis weight.............................................................................................................................................................. 14
Processor specifications.............................................................................................................................................14
PSU specifications....................................................................................................................................................... 14
System battery specifications...................................................................................................................................15
Expansion bus specifications.....................................................................................................................................15
Memory specifications................................................................................................................................................15
Ports and connectors specifications....................................................................................................................... 16
Video specifications..................................................................................................................................................... 17
Environmental specifications.....................................................................................................................................17
Operating system......................................................................................................................................................... 19
System information label..................................................................................................................................................19
Chapter 4: Disassembly and reassembly....................................................................................... 21
Product Positioning........................................................................................................................................................... 21
Recommended tools......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Need to know..................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Common error messages...........................................................................................................................................22
Startup-Shutdown sequence....................................................................................................................................24
Chassis LEDs...................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Status LED indicators.................................................................................................................................................24
Hard drive indicator codes........................................................................................................................................ 26
NIC indicator codes.....................................................................................................................................................27
Power supply unit indicator codes...........................................................................................................................27
iDRAC Direct LED indicator codes.......................................................................................................................... 28
iDRAC Quick Sync 2 indicator codes......................................................................................................................29
Enhanced Preboot System Assessment................................................................................................................ 30
Jumpers and connectors ................................................................................................................................................32
Contents
Contents 3

System board jumpers and connectors..................................................................................................................32
System board jumper settings..................................................................................................................................34
Disabling forgotten password...................................................................................................................................34
Disassembly and reassembly.......................................................................................................................................... 35
Front Bezel....................................................................................................................................................................35
System cover................................................................................................................................................................36
Optical drive..................................................................................................................................................................37
Air shroud...................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Cooling fan assembly..................................................................................................................................................39
Cooling fans.................................................................................................................................................................. 39
Intrusion switch............................................................................................................................................................40
Hard drive.......................................................................................................................................................................41
Memory modules......................................................................................................................................................... 49
Processors and heat sinks......................................................................................................................................... 51
Expansion card.............................................................................................................................................................55
vFlash card – optional................................................................................................................................................63
Network daughter card..............................................................................................................................................64
Hard drive backplane..................................................................................................................................................65
Front USB module.......................................................................................................................................................66
Internal USB memory key (optional).......................................................................................................................67
Power supply unit........................................................................................................................................................ 67
System board............................................................................................................................................................... 69
Trusted Platform Module........................................................................................................................................... 71
Control panel ............................................................................................................................................................... 72
GPU Host Card Installation............................................................................................................................................. 74
Alternate Riser Installation........................................................................................................................................ 74
Teradici Tera2220 Host Cards Installation............................................................................................................ 76
NVIDIA Quadro K4200 Graphics Cards Installation ............................................................................................ 81
Cabling Teradici Host Cards to GPUs.................................................................................................................... 86
Updating BIOS .................................................................................................................................................................. 88
Restoring the Service Tag using Easy Restore .........................................................................................................88
Manually update the Service Tag ...........................................................................................................................89
Installation...........................................................................................................................................................................89
Rack Rails...................................................................................................................................................................... 89
Initialization................................................................................................................................................................... 97
Basic configuration..................................................................................................................................................... 98
Accessing system information by using QRL............................................................................................................. 98
Quick Resource Locator for 7920R........................................................................................................................ 99
Chapter 5: Technology and components.................................................................................... 100
iDRAC9...............................................................................................................................................................................100
iDRAC 9 - New features.......................................................................................................................................... 100
Dell Lifecycle Controller..................................................................................................................................................101
Processors.........................................................................................................................................................................102
Supported processors...............................................................................................................................................102
Chipset............................................................................................................................................................................... 108
System memory............................................................................................................................................................... 109
General memory module installation guidelines...................................................................................................110
Memory......................................................................................................................................................................... 110
LCD panel............................................................................................................................................................................111
4Contents

Viewing Home screen................................................................................................................................................ 112
Setup menu.................................................................................................................................................................. 112
View menu.................................................................................................................................................................... 112
Expansion cards and expansion card risers................................................................................................................113
Expansion card installation guidelines....................................................................................................................113
Storage................................................................................................................................................................................114
Power supply units...........................................................................................................................................................115
Hot spare feature....................................................................................................................................................... 115
Trusted platform module ...............................................................................................................................................116
Chapter 6: BIOS and UEFI...........................................................................................................117
Options to manage the pre-operating system applications................................................................................... 117
System Setup.................................................................................................................................................................... 117
Viewing System Setup...............................................................................................................................................117
System Setup Main Menu........................................................................................................................................ 118
System BIOS screen.................................................................................................................................................. 118
System information screen details......................................................................................................................... 119
Memory settings screen details.............................................................................................................................. 119
Processor settings screen details..........................................................................................................................120
SATA settings screen details................................................................................................................................... 121
Boot settings screen details....................................................................................................................................123
Network settings screen details.............................................................................................................................124
Integrated devices screen details.......................................................................................................................... 125
Serial Communication screen details.....................................................................................................................127
System profile settings screen details.................................................................................................................. 127
System security settings screen details...............................................................................................................128
Miscellaneous settings screen details...................................................................................................................130
Updating the BIOS.......................................................................................................................................................... 130
Updating the BIOS in Windows.............................................................................................................................. 130
Updating the BIOS in Linux and Ubuntu............................................................................................................... 131
Updating the BIOS using the USB drive in Windows.........................................................................................131
Updating the BIOS from the F12 One-Time boot menu....................................................................................131
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting your system.................................................................................... 133
System diagnostics..........................................................................................................................................................133
Dell Embedded System Diagnostics...................................................................................................................... 133
Updating the BIOS using the USB drive in Windows..............................................................................................134
Updating the BIOS in Windows.................................................................................................................................... 134
Backup media and recovery options........................................................................................................................... 135
WiFi power cycle..............................................................................................................................................................135
Chapter 8: Getting help and contacting Dell...............................................................................136
Contents 5

Working on your computer
Topics:
•Safety instructions
•Before working inside your computer
•After working inside your computer
Safety instructions
Prerequisites
Use the following safety guidelines to protect your computer from potential damage and to ensure your personal safety. Unless
otherwise noted, each procedure included in this document assumes that the following conditions exist:
●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.
About this task
NOTE: Disconnect all power sources before opening the computer cover or panels. After you finish working inside the
computer, replace all covers, panels, and screws before connecting to the power source.
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
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You should only perform
troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your product documentation, or as directed by the online or
telephone service and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by
your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the product.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically
touching an unpainted metal surface at the same time as touching 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.
Before working inside your computer
About this task
To avoid damaging your computer, perform the following steps before you begin working inside the computer.
1
6 Working on your computer

Steps
1. Ensure that you follow the Safety instructions.
2. Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals.
3. Disconnect the system from the electrical outlet and disconnect the peripherals.
4. If applicable, remove the system from the rack.
5. Remove the system cover.
After working inside your computer
About this task
After you complete any replacement procedure, ensure that you connect any external devices, cards, and cables before turning
on your computer.
Steps
1. Replace the cover.
2. If applicable, install the system into the rack.
3. Reconnect the peripherals and connect the system to the electrical outlet.
4. Turn on the system, including any attached peripherals.
Working on your computer 7

Chassis View
Topics:
•Front chassis view
•Back chassis view
•Inside the system
•LCD panel
Front chassis view
1. System Status Indicator 2. System health and system ID
3. iDRAC Quick Sync 2 wireless indicator 4. Hard drive (x8)
5. USB 3.0 connector 6. Optical-drive (optional)
7. USB 2.0 connector 8. Power button/Power light
9. VGA connector 10. USB management port/iDRAC Direct
11. USB 2.0 connector
2
8 Chassis View

Back chassis view
1. PCIe expansion card slots 2. PCIe expansion card slots
3. PCIe expansion card slots 4. PCIe expansion card slots
5. Power supply (x2) 6. Network connectors (x4)
7. USB 3.0 connectors (x2) 8. VGA connector
9. Serial connector 10. iDRAC9 Enterprise Network connector
11. System identification connector 12. System identification button
Inside the system
NOTE: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You should only perform troubleshooting and
simple repairs as authorized in your product documentation, or as directed by the online or telephone service and support
team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety
instructions that are shipped with your product.
Chassis View 9

Figure 1. Inside chassis view
1. hard drive backplane
2. cooling fan (6) in the cooling fan assembly
3. DIMM sockets
4. CPU DIMM blank
5. CPU 2
6. expansion card riser 3A
7. expansion card riser 2A
8. VFlash connector
9. system board
10. expansion card riser 1C
11. CPU 1
LCD panel
The LCD panel provides system information, status, and error messages to indicate if the system is functioning correctly or
requires attention. The LCD panel can also be used to configure or view the system’s iDRAC IP address. For information about
the event and error messages generated by the system firmware and agents that monitor system components, see the Error
Code Lookup page at qrl.dell.com.
The LCD panel is available only on the optional front bezel. The optional front bezel is hot pluggable.
The statuses and conditions of the LCD panel are outlined here:
●The LCD backlight is white during normal operating conditions.
10 Chassis View

●When the system needs attention, the LCD backlight turns amber, and displays an error code followed by descriptive text.
NOTE: If the system is connected to a power source and an error is detected, the LCD turns amber regardless of
whether the system is turned on or off.
●When the system turns off and there are no errors, LCD enters the standby mode after five minutes of inactivity. Press any
button on the LCD to turn it on.
●If the LCD panel stops responding, remove the bezel and reinstall it.
If the problem persists, see Getting help section.
●The LCD backlight remains off if LCD messaging is turned off using the iDRAC utility, the LCD panel, or other tools.
Figure 2. LCD panel features
Table 1. LCD panel features
Item Button or
display
Description
1 Left Moves the cursor back in one-step increments.
2 Select Selects the menu item highlighted by the cursor.
3 Right Moves the cursor forward in one-step increments.
During message scrolling:
●Press and hold the right button to increase scrolling speed.
●Release the button to stop.
NOTE: The display stops scrolling when the button is released. After 45 seconds of inactivity,
the display starts scrolling.
4 LCD display Displays system information, status, and error messages or iDRAC IP address.
Viewing Home screen
The Home screen displays user-configurable information about the system. This screen is displayed during normal system
operation when there are no status messages or errors. When the system turns off and there are no errors, LCD enters the
standby mode after five minutes of inactivity. Press any button on the LCD to turn it on.
Steps
1. To view the Home screen, press one of the three navigation buttons (Select, Left, or Right).
2. To navigate to the Home screen from another menu, complete the following steps:
a. Press and hold the navigation button until the up arrow is displayed.
b. Navigate to the Home icon using the up arrow .
c. Select the Home icon.
d. On the Home screen, press the Select button to enter the main menu.
Setup menu
NOTE: When you select an option in the Setup menu, you must confirm the option before proceeding to the next action.
Chassis View 11

Option Description
iDRAC Select DHCP or Static IP to configure the network mode. If Static IP is selected, the available fields
are IP, Subnet (Sub), and Gateway (Gtw). Select Setup DNS to enable DNS and to view domain
addresses. Two separate DNS entries are available.
Set error Select SEL to view LCD error messages in a format that matches the IPMI description in the SEL. This
enables you to match an LCD message with an SEL entry.
Select Simple to view LCD error messages in a simplified user-friendly description.
Set home Select the default information to be displayed on the Home screen. See View menu section for the
options and option items that can be set as the default on the Home screen.
View menu
NOTE: When you select an option in the View menu, you must confirm the option before proceeding to the next action.
Option Description
iDRAC IP Displays the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses for iDRAC9. Addresses include DNS (Primary and Secondary),
Gateway, IP, and Subnet (IPv6 does not have Subnet).
MAC Displays the MAC addresses for iDRAC, iSCSI, or Network devices.
Name Displays the name of the Host, Model, or User String for the system.
Number Displays the Asset tag or the Service tag for the system.
Power Displays the power output of the system in BTU/hr or Watts. The display format can be configured in the
Set home submenu of the Setup menu.
Temperature Displays the temperature of the system in Celsius or Fahrenheit. The display format can be configured in
the Set home submenu of the Setup menu.
12 Chassis View

Product Overview
The following pages contain information about Dell Precision 7920 Rack product overview.
Topics:
•Technical specifications
•System information label
Technical specifications
The technical and environmental specifications of your system are outlined in this section.
System dimensions
Table 2. Dimensions
System Xa Xb Y Za (with
bezel)
Za
(without
bezel)
Zb Zc
Precision 7920 Rack 482.0 mm
(18.98
inches)
434.0 mm
(17.09
inches)
86.8 mm
(3.42
inches)
35.84 mm
(1.41 inches)
22.0 mm
(0.87
inches)
678.8 mm
(26.72
inches)
715.5 mm
(28.17
inches)
3
Product Overview 13

Chassis weight
Table 3. Chassis weight
System Maximum weight (with all hard drives/SSDs)
3.5 inch hard drive systems 28.6 kg (63.05 lb)
Processor specifications
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports the following processors:
●Intel Xeon E5-26xx v5 processor
●Intel Xeon E5-26xx v6 processor
●Intel Xeon Gold 52xx processors
●Intel Xeon Silver 42xx processors
●Intel Xeon Bronze 32xx processors
●Intel Xeon Platinum 82xx processors
●Intel Xeon Gold 62xx series processors
PSU specifications
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports up to two AC power supply units (PSUs).
14 Product Overview

Table 4. PSU specifications
PSU Class Heat dissipation
(maximum)
Frequency Voltage Current
1100 W AC Platinum 4100 BTU/hr 50/60 Hz 100–240 V AC, autoranging 12 A–6.5 A
1600 W AC Platinum 6000 BTU/hr 50/60 Hz 100–240 V AC, autoranging 10 A
NOTE: Heat dissipation is calculated using the PSU wattage rating.
NOTE: This system is also designed to connect to the IT power systems with a phase to phase voltage not exceeding 230
V.
NOTE: If a system with 1600 W AC PSU operates at low line 100–120 V AC, then the power rating per PSU is derated to
800 W.
System battery specifications
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports CR 2032 3.0-V lithium coin cell system battery.
Expansion bus specifications
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports up to eight PCI express (PCIe) generation 3 expansion cards, that can be installed on
the system board using expansion card risers. The following table provides detailed information about the expansion card riser
specifications:
Table 5. Expansion card riser configurations
Expansion
card riser
PCIe slots on
the riser
Height Length Link CPU
Riser 1C Slot 1 Full Height Full Length x16 CPU1
Slot 2 Full Height Full Length x8 CPU1
Slot 3 Full Height Half Length x8 CPU1
Riser 2A Slot 4 Full Height Full Length x16 CPU2
Slot 5 Full Height Full Length x8 CPU2
Slot 6 Low Profile Half Length x8 CPU1
Riser 3A Slot 7 Full Height Full Length x8 CPU2
Slot 8 Full Height Full Length x16 CPU2
Memory specifications
Table 6. Memory specifications
Features Specifications
Minimum memory configuration 8 GB
Maximum memory configuration 3072 GB
Number of slots 24
Maximum memory supported per slot 128 GB
Memory options ●1DPC (One DIMM per channel)
●2DPC (Two DIMM per channel)
Product Overview 15

Table 6. Memory specifications (continued)
Features Specifications
Type DDR4 ECC or Non-ECC memory
Speed ●Sky Lake Processors: 2666 MHz
●Cascade Lake Processors: 2933 MHz
Ports and connectors specifications
USB ports
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports:
●Two USB 2.0-compliant ports on the front panel
●One internal USB 3.0-compliant port
●One USB 3.0-compliant port on the front panel
●One micro USB 2.0-compliant port in the front panel for iDRAC Direct
●Two USB 3.0-complaint ports on the back panel
NIC ports
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports up to four Network Interface Controller (NIC) ports on the back panel, which are
available in the following configurations:
●Four RJ-45 ports that support different combinations of 1Gbps and 10Gbps
●One RJ-45 ports that support iDRAC9 Enterprise Network connector
NOTE: vFlsh card have dedicated slots on the system board.
16 Product Overview

VGA ports
The Video Graphic Array (VGA) port enables you to connect the system to a VGA display. The Precision 7920 Rack system
supports two 15-pin VGA ports on the front and back panels.
Serial connector
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports one serial connector on the back panel, which is a 9-pin connector, Data Terminal
Equipment (DTE), 16550-compliant.
Internal Dual SD module vFlash card
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports vFlash card.
Video specifications
The Precision 7920 Rack system supports integrated Matrox G200eW3 graphics controller with 16 MB of video frame buffer.
Table 7. Supported video resolution options
Resolution Refresh rate (Hz) Color depth (bits)
1024 x 768 60 8, 16, 32
1280 x 800 60 8, 16, 32
1280 x 1024 60 8, 16, 32
1360 x 768 60 8, 16, 32
1440 x 900 60 8, 16, 32
1600 x 900 60 8, 16, 32
1600 x 1200 60 8, 16, 32
1680 x 1050 60 8, 16, 32
1920 x 1080 60 8, 16, 32
1920 x 1200 60 8, 16, 32
NOTE: 1920 x 1080 and 1920 x 1200 resolutions are only supported in reduced blanking mode.
Environmental specifications
NOTE: For additional information about environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see Dell.com/
environmental_datasheets.
Table 8. Temperature specifications
Temperature Specifications
Storage –40°C to 65°C (–40°F to 149°F)
Continuous operation (for altitude less than 950 m or
3117 ft)
10°C to 35°C (50°F to 95°F) with no direct sunlight on the
equipment.
Maximum temperature gradient (operating and
storage)
20°C/h (68°F/h)
Product Overview 17

Table 9. Relative humidity specifications
Relative humidity Specifications
Storage 5% to 95% RH with 33°C (91°F) maximum dew point. Atmosphere
must be non-condensing at all times.
Operating 10% to 80% relative humidity with 29°C (84.2°F) maximum dew
point.
Table 10. Maximum vibration specifications
Maximum vibration Specifications
Operating 0.26 Grms at 5 Hz to 350 Hz (all three axes).
Storage 1.88 Grms at 10 Hz to 500 Hz for 15 min (all six sides tested).
Table 11. Maximum shock specifications
Maximum shock Specifications
Operating Six consecutively executed shock pulses in the positive and negative x,
y, and z axes of 6 G for up to 11 ms.
Storage Six consecutively executed shock pulses in the positive and negative x,
y, and z axes (one pulse on each side of the system) of 71 G for up to
2 ms.
Table 12. Maximum altitude specifications
Maximum altitude Specifications
Operating 3048 m (10,000 ft)
Storage 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
Table 13. Operating temperature de-rating specifications
Operating temperature de-rating Specifications
Up to 35°C (95°F) Maximum temperature is reduced by 1°C/300 m (1°F/547 ft) above
950 m (3,117 ft).
35°C to 40°C (95°F to 104°F) Maximum temperature is reduced by 1°C/175 m (1°F/319 ft) above
950 m (3,117 ft).
40°C to 45°C (104°F to 113°F) Maximum temperature is reduced by 1°C/125 m (1°F/228 ft) above
950 m (3,117 ft).
Particulate and gaseous contamination specifications
The following table defines the limitations that help avoid any equipment damage or failure from particulate and gaseous
contamination. If the levels of particulate or gaseous pollution exceed the specified limitations and result in equipment damage
or failure, you may need to rectify the environmental conditions. Remediation of environmental conditions is the responsibility of
the customer.
Table 14. Particulate contamination specifications
Particulate contamination Specifications
Air filtration Data center air filtration as defined by ISO Class 8 per ISO 14644-1
with a 95% upper confidence limit.
NOTE: The ISO Class 8 condition applies to data center
environments only. This air filtration requirement does not apply
to IT equipment designed to be used outside a data center, in
environments such as an office or factory floor.
18 Product Overview

Table 14. Particulate contamination specifications (continued)
Particulate contamination Specifications
NOTE: Air entering the data center must have MERV11 or MERV13
filtration.
Conductive dust Air must be free of conductive dust, zinc whiskers, or other
conductive particles.
NOTE: This condition applies to data center and non-data center
environments.
Corrosive dust ●Air must be free of corrosive dust.
●Residual dust present in the air must have a deliquescent point less
than 60% relative humidity.
NOTE: This condition applies to data center and non-data center
environments.
Table 15. Gaseous contamination specifications
Gaseous contamination Specifications
Copper coupon corrosion rate <300 Å/month per Class G1 as defined by ANSI/ISA71.04-2013.
Silver coupon corrosion rate <200 Å/month as defined by ANSI/ISA71.04-2013.
NOTE: Maximum corrosive contaminant levels measured at ≤50% relative humidity.
Operating system
Your Precision 7920 Rack supports the following operating systems:
●Windows 11 Pro, 64-bit
●Windows 11 Pro for Workstations, 64-bit
●Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit
●Windows 7 Pro, 32-bit (downgradable)
●Windows 7 Pro, 64-bit (downgradable)
●RHEL 8.0
●Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, 64-bit
System information label
Precision 7920 Rack – Front system information label
Figure 3. LED Behavior, Express Service Tag, Configuration and Layout
Product Overview 19

Precision 7920 Rack – Service information
Figure 4. System touchpoint, electrical overview, jumper settings and memory information
20 Product Overview