Dell XPS G884D User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ XPS™ 430
Quick Reference Guide
Model DC01L
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Notes, Notices, and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data
and tells you how to avoid the problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury,
or death.
Macrovision Product Notice
This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected
by method claims of certain U.S. patents and other intellectual property
rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and other rights owners. Use of this
copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision
Corporation, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only
unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering
or disassembly is prohibited.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2008 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.
is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, XPS, and Xcelerator are trademarks of Dell Inc.;
Intel, Core, and Intel SpeedStep are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation
intheU.S.andothercountries;Microsoft,Windows,WindowsVista,andtheWindowsVistastartbutton
logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries; Blu-ray Disc is a trademark of the Blu-ray Disc Association; 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 DC01L
July 2008 P/N G884D Rev. A00
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Contents 3
Contents
1 About Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Front View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Front Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Back Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2 Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure . . . . . . . 11
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . 13
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . 14
3 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4 Optimizing for Greater Performance . . . . 23
Understanding Intel®SpeedStep®Technology . . . . 23
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4Contents
5 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Troubleshooting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
When to Use Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Starting Dell Diagnostics From Your
Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Starting Dell Diagnostics From the
Drivers and Utilities Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Troubleshooting Software and Hardware
Problems in the Microsoft Windows Vista®
Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . 37
6 Reinstalling Your Operating System . . . . 39
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities . . . . . . . . . . 40
Using the Drivers and Utilities media . . . . . . . 41
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Using Microsoft Windows System Restore . . . . 43
Using Dell Factory Image Restore . . . . . . . . . 44
Using the Operating System Media . . . . . . . . 45
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Contents 5
7 Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
8 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Obtaining Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Technical Support and Customer Service . . . . . 50
Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
AutoTech Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Automated Order-Status Service . . . . . . . . . 51
Problems With Your Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Product Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . 52
Before You Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
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6Contents
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About Your Computer 7
About Your Computer
NOTE: For more information about the ports and connectors on your computer, see
"Specifications" on page 15.
Front View of the Computer
1cover release latch 2optical drive tray eject button (2)
3vents 4power button
5front panel connectors 63.5-inch flexbays (2)
75.25-inch drive bays (2) 8hard-drive activity light
1
2
8
4
3
5
7
6
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8About Your Computer
Back View of the Computer
1power connector 2voltage selector switch
3back panel connectors 4card slots
3
2
1
4
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About Your Computer 9
Front Panel Connectors
Back Panel Connectors
1microphone connector 2headphone connector
3USB 2.0 connectors (2) 4IEEE 1394 connector
1IEEE 1394 connector 2eSATA connector
3S/PDIF (RCA) connector 4USB 2.0 connectors (3)
5link integrity light 6network adapter connector
7network activity light 8surround sound connector
9line-in connector 10 line-out/headphone connector
11 S/PDIF (optical) connector 12 center/subwoofer LFE connector
13 side surround sound connector 14 USB 2.0 connectors (2)
12 43
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1113 1214
10
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10 About Your Computer
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Setting Up Your Computer 11
Setting Up Your Computer
Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from
potential damage and to help to ensure your own personal safety.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, read the safety
information that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices
information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
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 this manual
reflects the maximum ambient operating temperature. The room 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 15.
• Leave a 10.2 cm (4 in) 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 percent airflow through the enclosure (front and back).
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12 Setting Up Your Computer
• If your computer is installed in a corner on a desk or under a desk, leave at
least 5.1 cm (2 in) clearance from the back of the computer to the wall to
permit the airflow required for proper ventilation.
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Setting Up Your Computer 13
NOTICE: Do not install your computer in an enclosure that does not allow airflow.
Restricting the airflow impacts your computer’s performance, possibly causing it to
overheat.
Connecting to the Internet
NOTE: ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country.
To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an
Internet service provider (ISP). Your ISP will offer one or more of the
following Internet connection options:
• DSL connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your
existing telephone line. With a DSL connection, you can access the
Internet and use your telephone on the same line simultaneously.
• Cable modem connections that provide high-speed Internet access
through your local cable TV line.
• Satellite modem connections that provide high-speed Internet access
through a satellite television system.
• Dial-up connections that provide Internet access through a telephone line.
Dial-up connections are considerably slower than DSL and cable (or
satellite) modem connections.
• Wireless connections that provide Internet access using WiFi, WiMax, or
custom wireless technology.
If you are using a dial-up connection, connect a telephone line to the modem
connector on your computer and to the telephone wall jack before you set up
your Internet connection. If you are using a DSL or cable/satellite modem
connection, contact your ISP or cellular telephone service for setup
instructions.
Setting Up Your Internet Connection
To set up an Internet connection with a provided ISP desktop shortcut:
1
Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
2 Double-click the ISP icon on the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
desktop.
3 Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.
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14 Setting Up Your Computer
If you do not have an ISP icon on your desktop or if you want to set up an
Internet connection with a different ISP, perform the steps in the following
section.
NOTE: If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in
the past, the ISP might have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service
status, or try connecting again later.
NOTE: Have your ISP information ready. If you do not have an ISP, the Connect to
the Internet wizard can help you get one.
1 Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
2 Click the Windows Vista start button ™, and click Control Panel
3 Under Network and Internet, click Connect to the Internet .
The
Connect to the Internet window appears.
4 Click either Broadband (PPPoE) or Dial-up , depending on how you want
to connect:
• Choose
Broadband if you will use a DSL, satellite modem, cable TV
modem, or Bluetooth wireless technology connection.
• Chose
Dial-up if you will use a dial-up modem or ISDN.
NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, click Help me choose
or contact your ISP.
5 Follow the instructions on the screen and use the setup information
provided by your ISP to complete the setup.
Transferring Information to a New Computer
You can use your operating system "wizards" to help you transfer files and
other data from one computer to another—for example, from an old
computer to a new computer.
1
Click the Windows Vista start button , and then click Transfer files
and settings
→ Start Windows Easy Transfer .
2 In the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue .
3 Click Start a new transfer or Continue a transfer in progress .
Follow the instructions provided on the screen by the Windows Easy Transfer
wizard.
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Specifications 15
Specifications
NOTE: Offerings may vary by region. For more information regarding the
configuration of your computer, click Start→Help and Support and select the
option to view information about your computer.
Processor
Processor type Intel®Core™2 Duo
Intel Core2 Extreme (dual-core and quad-core
processor)
Intel Core2 Quad (quad-core processor)
Level 2 (L2) cache Intel Core2 Duo - 2 MB, 4 MB, or 6 MB
Intel Core2 Extreme - 4 MB or 8 MB
Intel Core2 Quad - 6 MB, 8 MB, or 12 MB
Memory
Type dual-channel 1066 and 1333 -MHz DDR3 (non-ECC
memory only)
Memory connectors four
Memory capacities 1 GB or 2 GB
Minimum memory 2 GB
Maximum memory 8 GB (for a 64-bit operating system)
4 GB (for a 32-bit operating system)
Computer Information
Chipset Intel X48 Express Chipset/ ICH9R
DMA channels five
Interrupt levels 24
BIOS chip (EEPROM) 8 Mb
System clock 1066/1333 MHz (depending on the processor)
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16 Specifications
Expansion Bus
Bus type PCI Express x1, x8, and x16
PCI 32-bit (PCI specification 2.3)
PCI
connectors two
connector size 124 pins
connector data width
(maximum)
32-bit, version 2.3
Bus speed 33 MHz
PCI Express
connector two x1
connector size 36 pins
connector data width
(maximum)
1 PCI Express lane
Bus throughput 1 GB/s
PCI Express
connector one x16
connector size 164 pins
connector data width
(maximum)
16 PCI Express lanes
Bus throughput 32 GB/s
PCI Express
Connector one x8 (electrically configured for an x4 card)
Connector size 98 pins
Connector data width
(maximum)
8 PCI Express lanes
Bus throughput 4 GB/s
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Specifications 17
Drives
Externally accessible: two 3.5-inch flexbays
two 5.25-inch drive bays
Internally accessible two 3.5 HDD bays
Available devices Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, memory devices, SATA
Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) writer, SATA BD/DVD combo
drive, SATA DVD+/-RW drive, SATA DVD drive
(2nd drive only), Media Card Reader, and Media
Xcelerator™(optional)
Connectors
External connectors:
Network adapter Integrated network interface capable of 10/100/1000
Mbps communication.
RJ-45 connector — To attach your computer to a
network or broadband device, connect one end of a
network cable to either a network port or your network or
broadband device. Connect the other end of the network
cable to the network adapter connector on the back panel
of your computer. A click indicates that the network
cable has been securely attached.
NOTE: Do not plug a telephone cable into the network
connector.
On computers with a network connector card, use the
connector on the card.
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.
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18 Specifications
Audio HDA 7.1 channel
six connectors for 7.1 support
rear L/R surround connector — Use the black surround
connector to attach multichannel-capable speakers.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on
the card.
line-in connector — Use the blue line-in connector to
attach a record/playback device such as a cassette player,
CD player, or VCR.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on
the card.
line-out/headphone connector — Use the green line-out
connector to attach headphones and most speakers with
integrated amplifiers.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on
the card.
S/PDIF (optical) connector — Use the S/PDIF optical
connector to transmit digital audio without going
through an analog audio conversion process.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on
the card.
center/subwoofer LFE connector — Use the orange
center/subwoofer connector to attach a center speaker or
a single subwoofer.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on
the card.
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.
Connectors (continued)
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Specifications 19
Audio ( continued ) side surround sound connector — Use the gray side
surround sound connector to attach multichannel-
capable speakers. The side-surround output provides
enhanced surround audio for computers with 7.1
speakers.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on
the card.
S/PDIF (RCA) connector — Connects to external digital
stereo speakers.
USB two front-panel and five back-panel USB 2.0-compliant
connectors
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.
IEEE 1394 (Firewire) one front-panel and one back-panel 6-pin connector.
Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices
such as digital video cameras and external storage
devices.
eSATA Use this connector to connect to external SATA storage
devices.
System board connectors:
Serial ATA five 7-pin connectors
FlexBay two 2-port USB headers
USB1 1 port USB header
USB2 1 port USB header
Internal S/PDIF 5-pin header
Fan two 5-pin connectors
PCI two 124-pin connectors
PCI Express x1 two 36-pin connectors
PCI Express x16 164-pin connector
PCI Express x4/x8 98-pin connector
Connectors (continued)
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20 Specifications
Controls and Lights
Front of computer:
Power button push button
Power light blue light — Blinking blue in sleep state; solid blue
for power-on state
amber light — The blinking amber indicates a
problem with the system board. A solid amber light
when the system does not boot indicates that the
system board cannot start initialization. This could be
a system board or a power supply problem (see "Power
Problems" on page 35).
Hard-drive activity light blue light — A blinking blue light indicates hard-drive
activity.
Rear of computer:
Link integrity light (on the
integrated network adapter)
green light — A good connection exists between
a 10-Mbps network and the computer.
orange light
— A good connection exists between
a 100-Mbps network and the computer.
yellow light — A good connection exists between a
1-GB (1000-Mbps) network and the computer.
off (no light) — The computer is not detecting a
physical connection to the network.
Network activity light (on
the integrated network
adapter)
yellow blinking light when there is activity on the
network; if there is no network activity, the light will
be off
Standby power light AUX_PWR_LED on the system board
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