Dell XPS 8950 Service Manual
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Dell XPS 8950 Service Manual

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XPS 8950
Service Manual
Regulatory Model: D30M
Regulatory Type: D30M002
November 2021
Rev. A00

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Summary of Contents for Dell XPS 8950

  • Page 1 XPS 8950 Service Manual Regulatory Model: D30M Regulatory Type: D30M002 November 2021 Rev. A00...
  • Page 2 A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2021 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.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Transporting sensitive components..........................8 After working inside your computer..........................9 Chapter 2: Removing and installing components................10 Recommended tools................................10 Screw list..................................... 10 Major components of XPS 8950.............................11 Left-side cover................................... 13 Removing the left-side cover............................13 Installing the left-side cover............................14 Front cover..................................15 Removing the front cover............................15...
  • Page 4 Updating the BIOS using the USB drive in Windows..................68 Updating the BIOS from the F12 One-Time boot menu..................69 Chapter 5: Troubleshooting......................70 Locate the Service Tag or Express Service Code of your Dell computer ..........70 SupportAssist diagnostics............................... 70 System-diagnostic lights..............................70 Recovering the operating system..........................
  • Page 5 Chapter 6: Getting help and contacting Dell................73 Contents...

  • Page 6: Chapter 1: Working Inside Your Computer

    You should only perform troubleshooting and repairs as authorized or directed by the Dell technical assistance team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. See the safety instructions that is shipped with the product or at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

  • Page 7: Electrostatic Discharge-Esd Protection

    ESD protection is an increasing concern. Due to the increased density of semiconductors used in recent Dell products, the sensitivity to static damage is now higher than in previous Dell products. For this reason, some previously approved methods of handling parts are no longer applicable.

  • Page 8: Transporting Sensitive Components

    It is recommended that all field service technicians use the traditional wired ESD grounding wrist strap and protective anti-static mat at all times when servicing Dell products. In addition, it is critical that technicians keep sensitive parts separate from all insulator parts while performing service and that they use anti-static bags for transporting sensitive components.

  • Page 9: After Working Inside Your Computer

    After working inside your computer About this task CAUTION: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your computer may severely damage your computer. Steps 1. Replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside your computer. 2. Connect any external devices, peripherals, or cables you removed before working on your computer. 3.

  • Page 10: Chapter 2: Removing And Installing Components

    Removing and installing components NOTE: The images in this document may differ from your computer depending on the configuration you ordered. Recommended tools The procedures in this document may require the following tools: ● Phillips screwdrivers #1/#2 ● Optical drive opening tool ●...

  • Page 11: Major Components Of Xps 8950

    System board Chassis #6-32 Major components of XPS 8950 The following image shows the major components of XPS 8950. NOTE: Depending on the configuration ordered, some components may or may not be present in your computer. Removing and installing components...
  • Page 12 1. left-side cover 2. hard-drive cage 3. hard drive 4. graphics card 5. graphics-card bracket 6. power button and power-button bracket 7. system board 8. chassis 9. front IO-bracket 10. front cover 11. optical drive 12. antenna module (1) Removing and installing components...

  • Page 13: Left-Side Cover

    13. antenna module (2) 14. power-supply unit 15. power-supply cage 16. memory 17. solid-state drive 18. wireless card 19. voltage-regulator heat sink 20. fan and heat-sink assembly 21. chassis fan Left-side cover Removing the left-side cover Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer.

  • Page 14: Installing The Left-Side Cover

    Steps 1. Loosen the captive screw that secures the left-side cover latch to the chassis. 2. Pull on the left-side cover latch to release the left-side cover from the chassis. 3. Holding the left-side cover firmly on both sides, remove and lift the left-side cover from the chassis. Installing the left-side cover Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation process.

  • Page 15: Front Cover

    Steps 1. Holding the left-side cover firmly on both sides, slide the bottom edge of the left-side cover into the chassis and push the left-side cover into place. 2. Tighten the captive screw that secures the left-side cover latch to the chassis. Next steps 1.

  • Page 16: Installing The Front Cover

    About this task The following image(s) indicate the location of the front cover and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1. Gently pry and release the front-cover tabs from the top-left, working down sequentially to the bottom-left tab. 2.

  • Page 17: Optical Drive

    Steps 1. Insert the right-side front-cover tabs into the corresponding slots on the chassis. 2. Push the left-side of the front cover towards the chassis, snapping the slots into position. Next steps 1. Install the left-side cover. 2. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer.
  • Page 18 Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left-side facing up. 2. Disconnect the optical drive's power and data cables from the optical drive. 3. Pull the release tab on the optical-drive cage towards the bottom of the computer. 4.

  • Page 19: Installing The Optical Drive

    5. Remove the optical-drive bracket from the optical drive. 6. Eject the optical drive by inserting an optical drive opening tool in the optical-drive eject hole. 7. Using a plastic scribe, gently push the optical-drive bezel away to remove the tabs from the slots on the optical drive. Installing the optical drive Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation process.

  • Page 20: Power Button

    4. Connect the optical drive's power and data cables to the optical drive. 5. Place the computer in an upright position. Next steps 1. Install the left-side cover. 2. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Power button Removing the power button Prerequisites 1.

  • Page 21: Installing The Power Button

    Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Disconnect the power-button cable from the system board. 3. Remove the screw (#6-32) that secures the power-button bracket to the chassis. 4. Push the power button and it's bracket through the slot on the chassis and thread the power-button cable through the slot on the chassis.

  • Page 22: 3.5-Inch Hard Drive

    Steps 1. Thread the power-button cable through the slot on the power-button bracket. 2. Press down on the securing tabs to push the power button into the slot on the power-button bracket. 3. Thread the power-button cable through the slot on the chassis. 4.
  • Page 23 About this task NOTE: This computer may have up to two 3.5-inch hard drives installed in the two hard-drive cages on the chassis. The following image(s) indicate the location of the 3.5-inch hard drive and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure.

  • Page 24: Installing The 3.5-Inch Hard Drive

    Installing the 3.5-inch hard drive Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation process. About this task NOTE: You may install two 3.5-inch hard drives into your computer, one into each hard-drive cage on the chassis. The following image(s) indicate the location of the 3.5-inch hard drive and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure.

  • Page 25: Graphics Card

    Next steps 1. Install the left-side cover. 2. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Graphics card Removing the graphics card Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the left-side cover. About this task NOTE: Depending on the configuration ordered, your computer may not have a discrete graphics card installed.
  • Page 26 Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Press down on the securing clip to disconnect the graphics-card power cables from the graphics card. 3. Slide the lock mechanism on the graphics-card support bracket to release it from the chassis. 4.

  • Page 27: Installing The Graphics Card

    7. Lift the graphics card off the system board. Installing the graphics card Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation process. About this task The following image(s) indicate the location of the graphics card and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure.

  • Page 28: Memory

    Steps 1. Align the graphics card with the PCIe x16 slot on the system board. 2. Using the alignment post on the PCIe slot, connect the card in the connector and press down firmly. Ensure that the card is firmly seated. 3.

  • Page 29: Installing The Memory

    3. Grasp the memory module near the securing clip, and then gently ease the memory module out of the memory-module slot. CAUTION: To prevent damage to the memory module, hold the memory module by the edges. Do not touch the components on the memory module. NOTE: Repeat step 2 to step 3 to remove any other memory modules installed in your computer.

  • Page 30: Solid-State Drive

    Next steps 1. Install the left-side cover. 2. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Solid-state drive Removing the 2230 solid-state drive Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the left-side cover. About this task NOTE: Depending on the configuration ordered, your computer may have up to two M.2 2230/2280 solid-state drives...

  • Page 31: Removing The 2280 Solid-State Drive

    About this task NOTE: You may install up to two M.2 2230/2280 solid-state drives into the two M.2 solid-state drive slots on the system board. The following image(s) indicate the location of the 2230 solid-state drive and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure.

  • Page 32: Installing The 2280 Solid-State Drive

    Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the 2280 solid-state drive to the system board. 3. Slide and lift the 2280 solid-state drive from the M.2 card slot on the system board. Installing the 2280 solid-state drive Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation process.

  • Page 33: Removing And Installing The M.2 Screw Mount

    Steps 1. Align the notch on the 2290 solid-state drive with the tab on the M.2 card slot on the system board. 2. Slide the 2280 solid-state drive into the M.2 card slot on the system board. 3. Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures the 2280 solid-state drive to the system board. 4.

  • Page 34: Wireless Card

    Wireless card Removing the wireless card Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the left-side cover. About this task The following image(s) indicate the location of the wireless card and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure. Removing and installing components...

  • Page 35: Installing The Wireless Card

    Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the wireless card to the system board. 3. Slide and lift the wireless-card bracket off the wireless card. 4. Disconnect the antenna cables from the wireless card. 5.

  • Page 36: Coin-Cell Battery

    Table 2. Antenna-cable color scheme Connectors on the Antenna-cable color Silkscreen marking wireless card Auxiliary Black ▲ (black triangle) 2. Slide and place the wireless-card bracket on the wireless card. 3. Align the notch on the wireless card with the tab on the wireless-card slot. 4.

  • Page 37: Installing The Coin-Cell Battery

    2. Push the coin-cell battery-release lever on the coin-cell battery socket to release the coin-cell battery out of the socket. 3. Remove the coin-cell battery. Installing the coin-cell battery Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation process. About this task The following image(s) indicate the location of the coin-cell battery and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure.

  • Page 38: Installing The Chassis Fan

    About this task The following image(s) indicate the location of the chassis fan and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Disconnect the rear-chassis fan cable from the system board. 3.

  • Page 39: Power-Supply Unit

    Steps 1. Slide the tabs on the rear-chassis fan into the slots on the chassis and rotate the rear-chassis fan inwards. 2. Press the rear-chassis fan against the chassis to snap the chassis fan in place. 3. Connect the rear-chassis fan cable to the system board. 4.
  • Page 40 Removing and installing components...

  • Page 41: Installing The Power-Supply Unit

    Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Press down on the securing clip to disconnect the graphics-card power cables from the graphics card. 3. Disconnect the graphics-card power cables from the power-supply unit. 4.
  • Page 42 About this task The following image(s) indicate the location of the power-supply unit and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Removing and installing components...
  • Page 43 Steps 1. Place and align the screw holes on the power-supply unit to the screw holes on the chassis. 2. Replace the four screws (#6-32) that secure the power-supply unit to the chassis. 3. Place and align the screw holes on the power-supply cage to the screw holes on the chassis. 4.

  • Page 44: Voltage-Regulator Heat Sink

    Voltage-regulator heat sink Removing the voltage-regulator heat sink Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. About this task NOTE: The heat sink may become hot during normal operation. Allow sufficient time for the heat sink to cool before you touch it.

  • Page 45: Processor Fan And Heat-Sink Assembly

    Steps 1. Place the voltage-regulator heat sink on the system board. 2. Align the captive screws on the voltage-regulator heat sink to the screw holes on the system board. 3. Tighten the four captive screws that secure the voltage-regulator heat stink to the system board. 4.

  • Page 46: Installing The Processor Fan And Heat-Sink Assembly (65 W)

    Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Loosen the four captive screws that secure the processor fan and heat sink assembly to the system board. 3. Disconnect the processor-fan cable from the system board. 4.

  • Page 47: Removing The Processor Fan And Heat-Sink Assembly (125 W)

    Steps 1. Place the processor fan and heat-sink assembly on the system board and align the captive screws to the screw holes on the system board. 2. Tighten the four captive screws that secure the heat stink to the system board. 3.

  • Page 48: Installing The Processor Fan And Heat-Sink Assembly (125 W)

    Steps 1. Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up. 2. Disconnect the processor fan and heat-sink assembly fan cable from the system board. 3. Disconnect the processor-fan pump cable from the system board. 4. Loosen the four captive screws that secure the heat sink to the system board. 5.
  • Page 49 NOTE: The processor fan and heat-sink assembly consists of one fan and one heat sink that is linked by tubing containing water. Ensure that there is no damage to the tubing and there is no leaks before replacing the processor fan and heat-sink assembly NOTE: This procedure only applies for computers shipped with a 125 W processor.

  • Page 50: Processor

    Processor Removing the processor Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the left-side cover. 3. Remove the fan and heat-sink assembly (65 W) or the fan and heat-sink assembly (125 W), whichever applicable. About this task The following image(s) indicate the location of the processor and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure.

  • Page 51: System Board

    Steps 1. Ensure that the release lever on the processor socket is fully extended in the open position. NOTE: The pin-1 corner of the processor has a triangle that aligns with the triangle on the pin-1 corner on the processor socket.
  • Page 52 About this task The following image indicates the slots and connectors on your system board. 1. processor socket 2. processor-power cables 3. U-DIMM slots From the left (a>b>c>d): a. DIMM 3 b. DIMM 1 c. DIMM 4 d. DIMM 2 4.
  • Page 53 Removing and installing components...
  • Page 54 Steps 1. Remove the screw (#6-32) that secures the front I/O-bracket to the chassis. 2. Rotate and remove the front I/O-bracket from the chassis. 3. Disconnect all the cables that are connected to the system board. 4. Remove the nine screws (#6-32) that secure the system board to the chassis. 5.

  • Page 55: Installing The System Board

    Installing the system board Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation process. About this task The following image indicates the slots and connectors on your system board. 1. processor socket 2. processor-power cables 3.
  • Page 56 18. PCIe x4 slot (SLOT 1) 19. fan and heat-sink assembly fan cable 20. processor-fan cable 21. processor-fan pump cable The following image(s) indicate the location of the system board and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Removing and installing components...
  • Page 57 Steps 1. Slide the back I/O-ports on the system board into the front I/O-slots on the chassis and align the screw holes on the system board with the screw holes on the chassis. 2. Replace the nine screws (#6-32) that secure the system board to the chassis. 3.
  • Page 58 2. Install the fan and heat-sink assembly (65 W) or the fan and heat-sink assembly (125 W), whichever applicable. 3. Install the voltage-regulator heat sink, if applicable. 4. Install the coin-cell battery. 5. Install the wireless card. 6. Install the graphics card, if applicable.

  • Page 59: Chapter 3: Drivers And Downloads

    Drivers and downloads When troubleshooting, downloading or installing drivers it is recommended that you read the Dell Knowledge Based article, Drivers and Downloads FAQ 000123347. Drivers and downloads...

  • Page 60: Chapter 4: System Setup

    System setup NOTE: Depending on the computer and its installed devices, the items listed in this section may or may not be displayed. System setup CAUTION: Unless you are an expert computer user, do not change the settings in the BIOS Setup program. Certain changes can make your computer work incorrectly.

  • Page 61: Boot Sequence

    Boot Sequence allows you to bypass the System Setup–defined boot device order and boot directly to a specific device (for example: optical drive or hard drive). During the Power-on Self Test (POST), when the Dell logo appears, you can: ● Access System Setup by pressing F2 key ●...
  • Page 62 Table 3. System setup options—System information menu (continued) General-System Information SLOT5_M.2 Displays the PCI information of the computer. SLOT6_M.2 Displays the PCI information of the computer. Processor Information Processor Type Displays the processor type. Core Count Displays the number of cores on the processor. Processor ID Displays the processor identification code.
  • Page 63 Table 4. System setup options—System Configuration menu (continued) System Configuration SATA Operation Configure operating mode of the integrated SATA hard drive controller. Drives Enable or disable various drives on board. SATA-0 Displays the SATA device information of the computer. SATA-1 Displays the SATA device information of the computer.
  • Page 64 Table 6. System setup options—Security menu (continued) Security Master Password Lockout Disables the master password support. Hard Disk passwords need to be cleared before changing the setting. SMM Security Mitigation Enable or disable SMM Security Mitigation Table 7. System setup options—Secure Boot menu Secure Boot Secure Boot Enable Enable or disable the secure boot feature.
  • Page 65 Table 8. System setup options—Intel Software Guard Extensions menu (continued) Intel Software Guard Extensions Deep Sleep Control Deep Sleep Control enables you to control the Deep Sleep mode support. USB Wake Support USB Wake Support enables the USB devices to wake the computer from Standby.

  • Page 66: System And Setup Password

    SupportAssist System Resolution Auto OS Recovery Threshold Control the automatic boot flow for SupportAssist System Resolution Console and for Dell OS Recovery tool. SupportAssist OS Recovery Enable or disable the boot flow for SupportAssist OS Recovery tool in the event of certain system errors...

  • Page 67: Deleting Or Changing An Existing System Setup Password

    Depending on how the computer is configured, you may see LED indications during the period the power button is held and after it is released. Once the reset is complete, the computer restarts and the Dell logo appears indicates reset success.

  • Page 68: Clearing Bios (System Setup) And System Passwords

    ● Password clear The Master System Password is used to clear the admin and computer password. To clear the system or BIOS passwords, contact Dell technical support as described at www.dell.com/contactdell. NOTE: For information on how to reset Windows or application passwords, refer to the documentation accompanying Windows or your application.

  • Page 69: Updating The Bios From The F12 One-Time Boot Menu

    One-Time boot menu on the computer. Most of the Dell computers built after 2012 have this capability, and you can confirm by booting your computer to the F12 One-Time Boot Menu to see if BIOS FLASH UPDATE is listed as a boot option for your computer. If the option is listed, then the BIOS supports this BIOS update option.

  • Page 70: Chapter 5: Troubleshooting

    Locate the Service Tag or Express Service Code of your Dell computer Your Dell computer is uniquely identified by a Service Tag or Express Service Code. To view relevant support resources for your Dell computer, we recommend entering the Service Tag or Express Service Code at www.dell.com/support.

  • Page 71: Recovering The Operating System

    It enables you to diagnose hardware issues, repair your computer, back up your files, or restore your computer to its factory state. You can also download it from the Dell Support website to troubleshoot and fix your computer when it fails to boot into their primary operating system due to software or hardware failures.

  • Page 72: Flea Power Release

    Steps 1. Turn off your computer. 2. Turn off the modem. 3. Turn off the wireless router. 4. Wait for 30 seconds. 5. Turn on the wireless router. 6. Turn on the modem. 7. Turn on your computer. Flea power release About this task Flea power is the residual static electricity that remains on the computer even after it has been powered off and the battery has been removed.
  • Page 73 Getting help and contacting Dell Self-help resources You can get information and help on Dell products and services using these self-help resources: Table 16. Self-help resources Self-help resources Resource location Information about Dell products and services www.dell.com My Dell app...

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