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Dell OptiPlex GX1 Installation Manual

Midsize managed pc systems
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Download this manual See also: Installation Manual
Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Midsize 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 DCM
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 1998–2000 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.
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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  • 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

        3. Remove the cover. Face the back of the computer and slide the upper half of the padlock ring to unlock the cover release mechanism. Face the front of the computer and press in the two securing cover-release buttons that are located on the sides of the cover toward the back (see Figure 2).

  • Page 4: Inside Your Computer

    "Using the Optional Stand for Vertical Orientation" for instructions. 5. If you are using a padlock to secure your system, reinstall the padlock. Inside Your Computer Figure 4 shows an overhead view of your computer to help orient you when installing hardware options. Unless otherwise specified, locations or directions relative to the computer are as shown.
  • Page 5   NOTICE: Make sure your system is turned off before you change a jumper setting. Otherwise, damage to your system or unpredictable results may occur. A jumper is referred to as open or unjumpered when the plug is pushed down over only one pin or if there is no plug at all. When the plug is pushed down over two pins, the jumper is referred to as jumpered.

  • Page 6: Removing And Replacing The Expansion-Card Cage

    NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in your online System User's Guide. 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.

  • Page 7: Rotating The Power Supply Away From The System Board

    4. Slide the expansion-card cage out of the chassis. 5. Lift the expansion-card cage up and away from the chassis. Replacing the Expansion-Card Cage Use the following procedure to replace the expansion-card cage: 1. With the securing lever in the upright position, align the slots in the left side of the expansion-card cage with the tabs on the left side of the chassis (see Figure 2.

  • Page 8: Removing And Replacing Front-Panel Inserts

    Installing SCSI Devices Overview Your Dell computer has five 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 two 5.25-inch bays that can hold up to three half-height, 5.25-inch devices—typically tape drives or CD-ROM drives.

  • Page 9: Connecting Drives

    To replace a front-panel insert for a 5.25-inch bay, work from inside the cover. Position the insert behind the bay opening, insert the two ring-tabs (one on each end of the insert) over the posts on the inside of the opening, and firmly press both ends of the insert into place (see Figure 2). To remove the insert covering the 3.5-inch bay, follow these steps: 1.

  • Page 10: Installing A Drive In A 5.25-Inch Drive Bay

    attached to the connector on the system board. NOTICE: When connecting an interface cable, do not reverse the interface cable (do not place the colored strip away from pin 1 of the connector). Reversing the cable prevents the drive from operating and could damage the controller, the drive, or both. Most interface connectors are keyed for correct insertion;...
  • Page 11 4. Attach the bracket to the new drive. Turn the drive upside down, and locate the four screw holes around its perimeter. Fit the bracket over the drive, and then tilt the front of the drive up so that the bracket drops down into place. To ensure proper installation, all screw holes should be aligned and the tabs on the front of the bracket should be flush with the front of the drive (see Figure 7).

  • Page 12: Installing An Eide Hard-Disk Drive

    If you installed a CD-ROM drive, see the documentation that came with the drive for instructions on loading device drivers and using the drive. If it is an EIDE CD-ROM drive, test it by running all of the subtests in the IDE CD-ROM Drives test group of the Dell Diagnostics.
  • Page 13 NOTICE: When you unpack the drive, do not set it on a hard surface, which may damage the drive. Instead, set the drive on a surface, such as a foam pad, that will sufficiently cushion it.   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.
  • Page 14 16. Run the Hard-Disk Drive(s) Test Group in the Dell Diagnostics to verify that the new hard-disk drive is operating properly. See your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for information on running the Dell Diagnostics and troubleshooting any problems that may occur.

  • Page 15: 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 16 devices. If you are installing both internal and external SCSI devices, verify that termination is enabled on the external SCSI device and disabled for the SCSI host adapter and all internal SCSI devices. General Procedure for Installing SCSI Devices CAUTION: To avoid the possibility of electric shock, turn off the computer and any peripherals, disconnect them from their electrical outlets, and then wait at least 5 seconds before you remove the computer cover.
  • Page 17 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 18: 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 19: Software 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 20 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 21 Security management features of Dell OpenManage include the following: Password security that enables network administrators to maintain standard attribute values for the local and remote systems in a Dell DMI network For more information about the Dell OpenManage, refer to the online Dell OpenManage Help that accompanied the software.

  • Page 22: Connecting Peripheral Devices

    Passwords The password feature enables you to set a user-defined password to restrict access to the system. Additional protection is available through the System Setup program. When the Setup Password option is set to Enabled, Password Status allows you to prevent the system password from being changed or disabled at boot time.

  • Page 23: Using The Power Switch

    Your system contains two USB connectors for attaching USB-compliant devices. USB-compliant devices are typically peripherals such as keyboards, mice, printers, and computer speakers. If you reconfigure your hardware, you may need pin number and signal information for the USB connectors. Integrated NIC Connector Your system has an integrated 10/100-Mbps 3Com PCI 3C905B-TX Ethernet NIC.

  • Page 24: Using The Optional Stand For Vertical Orientation

    Using the Optional Stand for Vertical Orientation Dell offers an optional stand that you can attach to the computer for a mini tower (vertical) orientation. Although you can attach (and remove) the stand at any time with a minimum of system disruption, it is easiest to attach before you set up your computer and connect the back-panel cables.

  • Page 25: Accessing Online Documentation

    To remove the stand, turn the computer over so the stand is at the top, loosen the screw, lift the stand away, and place the computer in a horizontal position. 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 Figure 5), your original configuration complied with these requirements and all ENERGY STAR power management features of the computer are enabled.

  • Page 26: 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 27: Icu Error Messages

    Back to Contents Page ISA Configuration Utility Messages: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Midsize 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 to problems that prevent proper operation of the utility.
  • Page 28 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 modify a card and its configuration modified. Do you want to load "Preparing to Use the ICU."...

  • Page 29: 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 30 A Plug and Play expansion card Use the following procedure: ERROR: Failed to activate device, CSN=Card Select Number. could not be activated. 1. Exit the ICU and turn off your system. 2. Remove the Plug and Play expansion card that could not be activated. Follow steps 2 through 6 of "Removing an Expansion...
  • Page 31 "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 32: Expansion Cards

    Back to Contents Page Installing System Board Options: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Midsize 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 33 Expansion Slots Two riser board options are available (Figure With the active riser board option, seven expansion-card connectors reside on the riser board. Because two expansion slots are shared, a maximum of five expansion cards can be installed on the riser board. Expansion-card connectors ISA1–ISA2 support 8- or 16-bit ISA expansion cards.
  • Page 34 See the documentation that came with the expansion card for information on configuring the card, making internal connections, or otherwise customizing the card for your system. CAUTION: Some network cards automatically start up the system when they are connected. To guard against electrical shock, be sure to unplug your computer from its electrical outlet before you install any expansion cards.

  • Page 35: 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 36 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 37 Then repeat steps 6 and 7. 9. Run the Video Test Group in the Dell Diagnostics to test the new video memory. See your Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide for information on running the Dell Diagnostics and troubleshooting any problems that may occur.

  • Page 38: 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. The microprocessor upgrade kit includes a new single-edge contact (SEC) cartridge with heat sink assembly and an airflow shroud.

  • Page 39: 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 40 6. Replace the expansion-card cage as described in "Replacing the Expansion-Card Cage." Replace the computer cover, and reconnect your computer and peripherals to their electrical outlets and turn them on. 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 41: 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 42 Figure 1. System Setup Screens   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 43: Using The System Setup Program

    The line of boxes across the bottom of both screens lists keys and their functions within 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.
  • Page 44 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 45 Num Lock Num Lock determines whether your system boots with the Num Lock mode activated on 101- or 102-key keyboards (it does not apply to 84-key keyboards). When Num Lock mode is activated, the rightmost bank of keys on your keyboard provides the mathematical and numeric functions shown at the tops of the keys.
  • Page 46 to Locked. In this state, the system password cannot be changed through the System Password option and cannot be disabled at system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter>. To unlock the system password, you must enter the setup password in the Setup Password option and then change the Password Status option to Unlocked.
  • Page 47 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 48 Auto Power On allows you to set the time and days of the week to turn on the computer system automatically. You can set Auto Power On to turn on 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.
  • Page 49 Minimum 20 minutes 1 hour Never 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 50: 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 51 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. The password assignment operation recognizes keys by their location on the keyboard, without distinguishing between lowercase and uppercase characters.

  • Page 52: 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 53: Responding To Error Messages

    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. For more information, see "Password Status." Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password To delete or change an existing setup password, perform the following steps: 1.
  • Page 54 Back to Contents Page...

  • Page 55: System Information

    Back to Contents Page Technical Specifications: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1 and GX1p Midsize 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 56: Key Combinations

    DIMM sockets three DIMM capacities 32-, 64-, 128-, and 256-MB SDRAM Standard RAM 32 MB (GX1) or 128 MB (GX1p) minimum Maximum RAM 768 MB BIOS address F0000h Drives Externally accessible bays two 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...

  • Page 57: Controls And Indicators

    Controls and Indicators Reset control push button Power control push button 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 connector) green LED Activity indicator (on optional integrated NIC connector)
  • Page 58 Back to Contents Page...

  • Page 59: 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 60: 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 61: 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 62: 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 63: 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 64 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 65: 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 66: Viewing Resources

    1. Start the ICU as described in "Starting the ICU." 2. Select the card from the current system configuration list in the ICU window. 3. Select Remove Card from the Configuration menu, or click Remove. The ICU requests verification that you want to remove the card. 4.

  • Page 67: Locking And Unlocking Cards

    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 68 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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