Dell OptiPlex GX1 Installation Manual

Mini tower managed pc systems

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Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Mini Tower Managed PC Systems Reference and

Installation Guide

Introduction

Using the System Setup Program

Using the ISA Configuration Utility

Working Inside Your Computer

Installing System Board Options

Installing Drives

Technical Specifications

ISA Configuration Utility Messages

NOTE: You can obtain the latest version of this document from the Dell Web support site at http://support.dell.com.

Model MMP

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer Corporation is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, OptiPlex, DellWare, Dell OpenManage, and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; Intel and Pentium are registered

trademarks, and MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks, and Windows for Workgroups is a

trademark of Microsoft Corporation; IBM and OS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation; 3Com and EtherLink are registered trademarks,

and Fast EtherLink is a trademark of 3Com Corporation; VESA is a registered trademark of Video Electronics Standards Association; UNIX is a registered trademark of The

Open Group in the United States and other countries. As an Energy Star Partner, Dell Computer Corporation has determined that this product meets the Energy Star

guidelines for energy efficiency.

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 Computer Corporation

disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

Initial release: 7 Dec 1998

Last revised: 31 Jan 2000

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Summary of Contents for Dell OptiPlex GX1

Page 1 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 Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Page 2: Before You Begin
It describes how to remove and replace the computer cover and expansion-card cage, as well as rotate the power supply away from the system board. It also familiarizes you with the internal components you may handle if you install Dell hardware options.
Page 3: Replacing The Computer Cover
Figure 1. Padlock Installed 3. Remove the cover. Face the back of the computer and slide the upper half of the padlock ring to the left to unlock the cover release mechanism. Face the left side cover and press the left-cover release button that is located at the bottom-left corner of the front panel (see Figure Lift the bottom of the cover, allowing it to pivot up toward you.
Page 4: Inside Your Computer
NOTE: The computer should be placed fully on a flat surface. It is difficult to align the cover if the front to the computer is hanging over the edge of table. Figure 3. Replacing the Computer Cover 4. If you are using a padlock to secure your system, reinstall the padlock. Inside Your Computer Figure 4 shows a side view of your computer to help orient you when installing hardware options.
Page 5 Jumpers Jumpers are small blocks on a circuit board with two or more pins emerging from them. Plastic plugs containing a wire fit down over the pins. The wire connects the pins and creates a circuit. To change a jumper setting, pull the plug off its pin(s) and carefully fit it down onto the pin(s) indicated. ...
Page 6 Password features are disabled. BIOS Reserved (do not change). BUS66M Reserved (do not change). 266MHZ* Reserved (do not change). 300MHZ* Reserved (do not change). 333MHZ* Reserved (do not change). 350MHZ* Reserved (do not change). 400MHZ* Reserved (do not change). 450MHZ* Reserved (do not change).
Page 7: Removing And Replacing The Expansion-Card Cage
Removing and Replacing the Expansion-Card Cage Your Dell computer has a removable expansion-card cage, which greatly simplifies many installation procedures by allowing you to remove the riser board and all installed expansion cards in a single step. Removing the Expansion-Card Cage...
Page 8 To access some components on the system board, you may have to rotate the system power supply out of the way. Use the following procedure to rotate the power supply: CAUTION: Before you remove the computer cover, see "Safety First — For You and Your Computer."...
Page 9: Removing And Replacing The Front Bezel
Connecting Drives Overview Your Dell computer has six drive bays for installing the following types of drives (see Figure The externally accessible drive bays at the front of the computer consist of one 3.5-inch drive bay (dedicated to a 3.5-inch diskette drive) and three 5.25-inch bays that can hold up to three half-height, 5.25-inch devices—typically tape drives or CD-ROM drives.
Page 10: Removing And Replacing Front-Panel Inserts
While pressing the tab release, tilt the bezel away from the chassis, disengage the two retaining hooks at the bottom of the bezel, and carefully pull the bezel away from the chassis. To replace the bezel, fit the two retaining hooks on the bezel into their corresponding slots at the bottom of the chassis. Then rotate the top of the bezel toward the chassis until the top tabs snap into their corresponding slots on the bezel.
Page 11: Installing A Drive In A 5.25-Inch Drive Bay
The drive's interface connector is a card-edge connector or a header connector, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5. Drive Interface Connectors When attaching the interface cable to a drive, be sure to match the colored strip on the cable to pin 1 of the drive's interface connector. For the location of pin 1 on the drive's interface connector, see the documentation that came with the drive.
Page 12 NOTE: If you are installing a non-EIDE tape drive, check the documentation for the drive to determine the jumper or switch settings used to designate the drive as drive address DS4 (not DS2 or DS3 as may be indicated in the drive documentation). Unless the drive is already set to drive 4, reconfigure its jumper or switch setting (see "Jumpers.") If you are installing an EIDE CD-ROM or EIDE tape drive, configure the drive for the Cable Select setting.
Page 13 7. If you are installing a drive that has its own controller card, install the controller card in an expansion slot. "Installing an Expansion Card." 8. Connect a DC power cable to the power input connector on the back of the drive (see Figure NOTICE: You must match the colored strip on the cable with pin 1 on the drive's interface connector to avoid possible damage to your system.
Page 14: Installing An Eide Hard-Disk Drive
See your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for information on running the Dell Diagnostics and troubleshooting any problems that may occur. Use the following guidelines to determine which test to use: If you installed a diskette drive, test it by running all of the subtests in the Diskette Drive(s) test group of the Dell Diagnostics. ¡...
Page 15 2. Unpack the drive and prepare it for installation. Check the documentation that accompanied the drive to verify that the drive is configured for your computer system. Change any settings necessary for your configuration. NOTE: If you are installing a non-EIDE tape drive, check the documentation for the drive to determine the jumper or switch settings used to designate the drive as drive address DS4 (not DS2 or DS3 as may be indicated in the drive documentation).
Page 16 Boot Sequence to CD-ROM First. Insert a bootable CD (such as an operating system installation CD or the Dell ResourceCD) into CD-ROM drive, and turn on the computer. NOTE: If Enabled, the Chassis Intrusion option will cause the following message to be displayed at the next system start-up: ALERT! Cover was previously removed.
Page 17: Installing Scsi Devices
Installing SCSI Devices To use SCSI devices in your Dell computer, you must have a SCSI host adapter card, which comes with its own SCSI cable. This cable can be used to attach a variety of SCSI devices (hard-disk drives, tape drives, and so on). The SCSI host adapter configures the devices attached to it as one subsystem, not as independent devices.
Page 18 NOTE: There is no requirement that SCSI ID numbers be assigned sequentially or that devices be attached to the cable in order by ID number. SCSI Cable and SCSI Termination The type of cabling you receive with your SCSI device depends on the type of device you are installing. If you are installing internal SCSI devices (such as CD-ROM, hard-disk, or tape drives), you have internal SCSI cables as shown in Figure 14.
Page 19 Boot Sequence to CD-ROM First. Insert a bootable CD (such as an operating system installation CD or the Dell ResourceCD) into CD-ROM drive, and turn on the computer. NOTE: If Enabled, the Chassis Intrusion option will cause the following message to be displayed at the next system start-up:...
Page 20 Drives," before proceeding to the next step. 16. Run the SCSI Device(s) test group of the Dell Diagnostics to verify that the new SCSI device is operating properly. See your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for information on running the Dell Diagnostics and troubleshooting any problems that may occur.
Page 21: System Features
Pentium® II and Pentium III microprocessors. Each computer system uses a high-performance Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) design that allows you to configure the computer system to your initial requirements and then add Dell-supported upgrades as necessary. These systems also support the Industry-Standard Architecture (ISA) bus for older expansion devices.
Page 22: Hardware Features
A 64-bit accelerated graphics port (AGP) video subsystem, which includes the ATI 3D Rage Pro super video graphics array (SVGA) video controller. On the Dell OptiPlex GX1, this video subsystem contains 4 MB (upgradable to 8 MB) of synchronous graphics random-access memory (SGRAM) video memory; the Dell OptiPlex GX1p comes with 8 MB of SGRAM video memory. Maximum resolutions are 1600 × ...
Page 23: Manageability Features
Manageability Features Your Dell OptiPlex GX1 or GX1p Managed PC system incorporates many hardware and software features to improve the manageability of the system. Installed features include the following:...
Page 24 Automated inventory control of one or more groups for the remote systems in a Dell DMI network. Network administrators can automate inventory to occur every day, week, or month at a certain hour, on the hour; or they can enable inventory as needed. Dell OpenManage creates a text file for the group(s) and saves it to a user-defined directory.
Page 25: Connecting Peripheral Devices
Your system includes temperature probes to sense when the processor becomes overheated. In such a case, a message appears on the screen when Dell OpenManage is running or at the next system start-up notifying you of the problem. Security Features Your Dell OptiPlex GX1 or GX1p system has the following integrated security features.
Page 26 For example, you must connect most devices to a particular input/output (I/O) port or connector to operate properly. Also, external devices like a mouse or printer usually require you to load device drivers into system memory before they will work. Always attach external devices while your computer is turned off.
Page 27: Using The Power Switch
Microsoft Windows 95 does not support ACPI. Table 3 shows power button functions for Windows 95 operating systems and for Windows 98 operating systems that have the ACPI feature disabled. Table 3. Power Button Behavior Under Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows 98 (With Dell AutoShutdown Loaded) Results...
Page 28: Accessing Online Documentation
ENERGY STAR® Compliance Certain configurations of Dell computer systems comply with the requirements set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for energy- efficient computers. If the front panel of your computer bears the ENERGY STAR® Emblem (see...
Page 29: Getting Help
Getting Help Dell provides a number of tools to help you if you don't understand a procedure described in this guide or if your system does not perform as expected. For information on these help tools, see the chapter titled "Getting Help" in your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide or the "Contacting Dell"...
Page 30: Icu Error Messages
Back to Contents Page ISA Configuration Utility Messages: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Mini Tower Managed PC Systems Overview Configuration Manager Messages ICU Error Messages Overview The ISA Configuration Utility (ICU) and its Configuration Manager are capable of identifying problems and alerting you to them. Both utilities can alert you to problems with card configuration as well as problems that prevent proper operation of the utility.
Page 31 No configuration (.cfg) file You can create an ISA Configuration Utility exists for the card being This message appears when you diskette from the Dell ResourceCD. See modified. Do you want to load modify a card and its configuration "Preparing to Use the ICU."...
Page 32: Configuration Manager Messages
Troubleshooting Guide for instructions. ERROR: Failed NVS write. An attempt to write to NVRAM Run the Dell Diagnostics to verify the integrity of your Error=Internal Error Code. failed. system NVRAM. See "Running the Dell Diagnostics" in your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for instructions.
Page 33 "Getting Help" in your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for instructions. ERROR: Failed to activate device, A Plug and Play expansion card Use the following procedure: CSN=Card Select Number. could not be activated. 1. Exit the ICU and turn off your system. 2.
Page 34 "Adding a Listed Card" for instructions. If your Plug and Play or PCI expansion card is not automatically configured when you reboot the system with all other cards removed, you should contact the manufacturer of the card or see "Getting Help"...
Page 35: Expansion Cards
Back to Contents Page Installing System Board Options: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Mini Tower Managed PC Systems Overview Adding Video Memory (OptiPlex GX1 Only) Expansion Cards Upgrading the Microprocessor Adding Memory Replacing the System Battery Overview This chapter describes how to install the following options: Industry-Standard Architecture (ISA) and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) expansion cards...
Page 36 Expansion Slots Nine expansion-card connectors reside on the riser board (see Figure 3). Because two expansion slots are shared, a maximum of seven expansion cards can be installed on the riser board. Expansion-card connectors ISA1–ISA4 support 8- or 16-bit ISA expansion cards. Expansion-card connectors PCI1–PCI5 support 32-bit PCI expansion cards.
Page 37 5. Install the expansion card. Insert the card-edge connector firmly into the expansion-card connector on the riser board. Gently rock the card into the connector until the card is fully seated (see Figure 5). Figure 5. Installing an Expansion Card 6.
Page 38: Adding Memory
When you add system memory, you may install DIMMs in any socket. For optimum operation, Dell recommends that you install a DIMM in socket A first (closest to the processor) before installing a DIMM in another socket.
Page 39 9. When the System Memory total is correct, press the <Esc> key to exit the System Setup program. 10. Run the Dell Diagnostics to verify that the DIMMs are operating properly. See your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for information on running the Dell Diagnostics and troubleshooting any problems that may occur.
Page 40 Removing a DIMM To remove a DIMM, press the securing clips outward (see Figure 8) simultaneously until the DIMM disengages from the socket (it should pop up slightly). Figure 8. Removing a DIMM Adding Video Memory (OptiPlex GX1 Only) You can upgrade video memory on an OptiPlex GX1 from 4 to 8 MB by installing a video-memory upgrade module (OptiPlex GX1p systems come with 8 MB of video memory).
Page 41: Upgrading The Microprocessor
Upgrading the Microprocessor To take advantage of future options in speed and functionality, you can replace the microprocessor on your system board with any Dell-supported microprocessor upgrade. Call your Dell sales representative for information on available microprocessor upgrades.
Page 42: Replacing The System Battery
As the system boots, it detects the new microprocessor and automatically changes the system configuration information in the System Setup program. 11. Run the Dell Diagnostics to verify that the new microprocessor is operating correctly. See your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for information on running the Dell Diagnostics and troubleshooting any problems that may occur. Replacing the System Battery A 3.0-volt (V) CR2032 coin-cell battery installed on the system board maintains system configuration, date, and time information in a special...
Page 43 4. Locate the battery and remove it. The battery (see Figure 1) is mounted in a socket labeled "BATTERY" in the front-right corner of the system board (as you face the front of the system). Pry the battery out of its socket with your fingers or with a blunt, nonconductive object, such as a plastic screwdriver. 5.
Page 44: Entering The System Setup Program
Before you use the System Setup program, you need to know the kind of diskette drive(s) and hard-disk drive(s) installed in your computer. If you are unsure of any of this information, see the Manufacturing Test Report that was shipped with your system and is located in the Dell Accessories folder.
Page 45 Information on the two System Setup screens is organized in five boxed areas: Title box The box at the top of both screens lists the system name, page number (Page 1 or Page 2), and the revision number of the basic input/output system (BIOS).
Page 46: Using The System Setup Program
Using the System Setup Program Table 1 lists the keys you use to view or change information on the System Setup screens and to exit the program. Table 1. System-Setup Navigation Keys Keys Action Moves to the next field. Moves to the previous field. Cycles through the options in a field.
Page 47 You must have an EIDE device connected to the primary EIDE interface if you have an EIDE device connected to the secondary EIDE interface. For older EIDE hard-disk drives not shipped with the system from Dell and less than 528 megabytes (MB) in capacity, you can use one of the following options if the Autodetect feature does not work:...
Page 48 Press the left- or right-arrow key to toggle the CPU Speed option between the resident microprocessor's rated speed (the default) and a lower compatibility speed, which lets you accommodate speed-sensitive application programs. A change to this option takes effect immediately (rebooting the system is not required).
Page 49 Password Status When Setup Password is set to Enabled, Password Status allows you to prevent the system password from being changed or disabled at system start-up. To lock the system password, you must first assign a setup password in the Setup Password option and then change the Password Status option to Locked.
Page 50 Boot Device Priority The Boot Device Priority option lists all bootable devices (hard-disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and so on) that are controlled by the system BIOS and any Plug and Play network adapters installed in the computer. Exclude From Boot Device Priority The Exclude From Boot Device Priority option allows you to remove from the Boot Device Priority option any boot devices that you want the system to ignore during system start-up.
Page 51 the system either every day or every Monday through Friday. NOTE: This feature does not work if you turn off your system using a power strip or surge protector. Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes). To change the start-up time, press the right-arrow key to increase the number in the highlighted field or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number.
Page 52 Wakeup On LAN Wakeup On LAN determines whether the Wakeup On LAN feature is set to On or Off. You must reboot your system before a change takes effect. Sound Sound determines whether the integrated audio controller is On or Off. You must reboot your system before a change takes effect. NIC determines whether an integrated network interface controller (NIC) is On or Off.
Page 53: Using The System Password Feature
Your Dell system is shipped to you without the system password feature enabled. If system security is a concern, you should operate your system only with system password protection.
Page 54 2. Highlight the System Password option, and then press the left- or right-arrow key. The option heading changes to Enter Password, followed by an empty seven-character field in square brackets. 3. Type your new system password. You can use up to seven characters in your password. As you press each character key (or the spacebar for a blank space), a placeholder appears in the field.
Page 55: Using The Setup Password Feature
Password." Using the Setup Password Feature Your Dell system is shipped to you without the setup password feature enabled. If system security is a concern, you should operate your system with setup password protection. You can assign a setup password, as described in "Assigning a Setup...
Page 56: Responding To Error Messages
If System Password is not enabled and is not locked via the Password Status option, you can assign a system password (however, you cannot disable or change an existing system password). NOTE: You can use the Password Status option in conjunction with Setup Password to protect the system password from unauthorized changes.
Page 57 Back to Contents Page...
Page 58: System Information
Back to Contents Page Technical Specifications: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Mini Tower Managed PC Systems Microprocessor Video System Information Key Combinations Expansion Bus Controls and Indicators Memory Power Drives Physical Ports Environmental Microprocessor Microprocessor type Intel® Pentium® II or Pentium III microprocessor Internal cache 32 KB (16-KB data cache, 16-KB instruction cache)
Page 59: Key Combinations
Drives Externally accessible bays three 5.25-inch bays for diskette, tape, or CD-ROM drives; one 3.5-inch bay for a diskette drive Internally accessible bays two 3.5-inch bays: one for a 1-inch-high hard-disk drive and one for a 1.6-inch-high hard-disk drive Ports Externally accessible: Serial (DTE) two 9-pin connectors;...
Page 60 Power indicators green LEDs (one on front panel, one on riser board); blinking green in sleep state Hard-disk drive access indicator green LED Link integrity indicator (on optional integrated NIC green LED connector) Activity indicator yellow LED (on optional integrated NIC connector) Power DC power supply: Wattage...
Page 61: Quick Start
Plug and Play expansion card to your system configuration. On systems with a Dell-installed Windows NT operating system, the ICU is installed on the hard-disk drive as a diskette image. Use the Dell Program Diskette Maker (in the Dell Accessories folder) to make an ICU diskette from this diskette image.
Page 62: About The Icu
ICU" for detailed instructions. About the ICU Before your system was shipped from Dell, a technician used the ICU to enter the correct information for the expansion cards initially installed in your computer. If your system was shipped with Dell-installed software, the ICU diskette image (from which you can make an ICU diskette) is installed on your hard-disk drive.
Page 63: Starting The Icu
Backing Up the ICU Diskette Before using the ICU, make a backup copy of the ICU diskette by performing the following steps. NOTE: If you received an ISA Configuration Utility Diskette with your system, use this procedure to create a backup of that diskette. 1.
Page 64: Adding A Listed Card
Adding a Listed Card NOTE: If you want to add a configuration file that you received on diskette with a new expansion card, you must copy the configuration file to the \db subdirectory on the backup copy of the ICU diskette. You should then reboot your system and perform the following procedure to add the expansion card.
Page 65: Adding An Unlisted Card
8. To change the resource settings, click the down arrow next to the Configuration Choice box. Then click the new resource setting from the list of available settings (see Figure You cannot manually enter a value; you must choose a setting from the list. If there is only one setting listed, no other settings are available. The setting that you select may affect the resources available.
Page 66 5. Click No when the ICU asks if you have a configuration file for the card. The Configure Unlisted Card dialog box appears with blank fields. 6. Enter the name of the card that you want to add in the Card Name field. 7.
Page 67: Modifying A Card
Modifying a Card Modifying a card allows you to change the system resources used by a card. This feature is helpful when you want to add a card that requires resources already in use by other cards or devices in your computer. You can allocate different resources to the cards currently in your computer to free the resources necessary for the card you want to install.
Page 68: Viewing Resources
NOTE: When you remove a Plug and Play or PCI expansion card from your computer, you do not need to run the ICU. To remove a Plug and Play or PCI expansion card, complete steps 2 through 9 in "Removing an Expansion Card."...
Page 69: Exiting From The Icu
Exiting From the ICU At the ICU window, select Exit from the File menu to exit the utility. If you have made any changes to the system configuration, you are asked whether you want to save the changes. If you click Yes, the ICU saves the updated system configuration information into NVRAM. If you click No, you exit the ICU without saving any of your configuration changes.
Page 70 9. Select Lock Resources. The Lock Resources box toggles the lock state of the selected configuration setting. 10. Repeat steps 6 through 9 for any other configuration settings that you want to lock or unlock. 11. Click OK in the Card Configuration dialog box when you have finished making your selections. Back to Contents Page...

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