Contents Before working inside your computer......9 ..................9 Before you begin ..................9 Safety instructions ................10 Recommended tools After working inside your computer......12 Technical overview............13 ..............13 System board components Removing the computer cover ........15 ....................15 Procedure Replacing the computer cover ........16 ....................
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Replacing the memory modules........23 ....................23 Procedure ..................25 Post-requisites Removing the graphics card........26 ................... 26 Prerequisites ....................27 Procedure Replacing the graphics card.........29 ....................29 Procedure ..................29 Postrequisites Removing the 3.5-inch hard drive........30 ................... 30 Prerequisites ....................30 Procedure Replacing the 3.5-inch hard drive........
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Removing the optical drive.......... 46 ....................46 Procedure ..................46 Post-requisites Removing the coin-cell battery........47 ................... 47 Prerequisites ....................48 Procedure Replacing the coin-cell battery........50 ....................50 Procedure ..................50 Post-requisites Removing the wireless card..........51 ....................51 Prerequisites ....................52 Procedure Replacing the wireless card.........
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Replacing the power-button module......63 ....................63 Procedure ..................63 Post-requisites Removing the chassis fan..........64 ................... 64 Prerequisites ....................65 Procedure Replacing the chassis fan..........68 ....................68 Procedure ..................68 Post-requisites Removing the front-panel light board......69 ................... 69 Prerequisites ....................
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Replacing the processor fan........82 ....................82 Procedure ..................82 Post-requisites Removing the heat sink..........83 ................... 83 Prerequisites ....................83 Procedure Replacing the heat sink..........85 ....................85 Procedure ..................85 Post-requisites Removing the system board........86 ................... 86 Prerequisites ....................86 Procedure Replacing the system board.........89 ....................
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Flashing the BIOS............95 Getting help and contacting Dell........96 ................. 96 Self-help resources ..................97 Contacting Dell...
Before working inside your computer NOTE: The images in this document may differ from your computer depending on the configuration you ordered. Before you begin Save and close all open files and exit all open applications. Shut down your computer. The shut-down instruction varies depending on the operating system installed on your computer.
CAUTION: 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 shipped with the product or at www.dell.com/...
After working inside your computer CAUTION: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your computer may severely damage your computer. Replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside your computer. Connect any external devices, peripherals, or cables you removed before working on your computer.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. System board components chassis-fan cable connector memory-module slots (2) coin-cell battery...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Lay the computer on its side with the vents facing up. Remove the screws that secure the cover to the chassis.
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align the cover over the chassis and slide it toward the front of the computer. Replace the screws that secure the computer cover to the chassis.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Procedure Place the computer in an upright position.
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Gently rotate and pull the front bezel away from the chassis. chassis front-bezel tabs (3) front bezel...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align and insert the tabs on the front bezel into the slots on the front panel. Rotate the front bezel towards the chassis until the front-bezel tabs snap into place.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis Using the fingertips, spread apart the securing clip at each end of the memory- module slot until the memory module pops up.
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Lift the memory module out of the memory-module slot. NOTE: If the memory module is difficult to remove, gently ease the memory module back and forth to remove it from the slot. CAUTION: To prevent damage to the memory module, hold the memory module by the edges.
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Ensure that the securing clips are extended away from the memory-module slot. Align the notch on the memory module with the tab on the memory-module slot.
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Insert the memory module into the memory-module slot and press the memory module down until it snaps into position and the securing clips lock in place. memory module memory-module slot notch securing clips (2) Close the side-chassis.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis Open the card-retention bracket.
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Push the securing tab away from the graphics card, grasp the card by its top corner, and ease it out of the slot. card-retention bracket graphics card...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align the graphics card with the slot on the system board. Place the card in the slot and press down firmly. Ensure that the card is firmly seated in the slot.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
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Open the side-chassis. hard-drive assembly side-chassis screw...
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Disconnect the data cable and the power cable from the hard drive. hard drive data cable power cable...
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Slide the hard-drive assembly out of the side-chassis. hard-drive assembly side-chassis Remove the screws that secure the hard-drive bracket to the hard drive.
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Lift the hard drive off the hard-drive bracket. screws (4) hard-drive bracket hard drive...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Place the hard drive in the hard-drive bracket. Align the screw holes on the hard drive with the screw holes on the hard-drive bracket.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis Disconnect the data cable and the power cable from the hard drive.
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Press the tabs on the hard-drive assembly and slide the hard- drive assembly out of the side-chassis. data cable power cable hard drive Spread apart the hard-drive bracket from one edge and lift the hard drive up.
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Slide and remove the hard drive from the hard-drive bracket. NOTE: Note the orientation of the hard drive so that you can replace it correctly. hard-drive bracket hard drive...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align the holes on the hard drive to the tabs on the hard-drive bracket. Snap the hard drive into the hard-drive bracket.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis If a 3.5-inch hard drive is installed, disconnect the data and power cables from the drive.
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Disconnect the data cable and the power cable from the optical drive. hard-drive cable hard drive hard-drive power cable optical-drive power cable optical-drive cable optical drive Close the side-chassis. Remove the screw that secures the optical-drive assembly to the side-chassis.
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Gently slide the optical-drive assembly out of the optical-drive bay on the front of the chassis. side-chassis screw optical-drive assembly...
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Remove the screws that secure the optical-drive bracket to the optical drive. screws (2) optical-drive bracket optical drive Gently pull and disconnect the optical-drive bezel from the optical drive. optical drive optical-drive bezel...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align and snap the optical-drive bezel to the optical drive. Align the screw holes on the optical-drive bracket with the screw holes on the optical drive.
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: Removing the coin-cell battery resets the BIOS setup program’s settings to default. It is recommended that you note the BIOS setup program’s settings before removing the coin-cell battery.
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure With the positive-side facing up, insert the coin-cell battery into the coin-cell battery socket and snap the battery into place.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis Remove the screw that secures the wireless card to the system board. Slide the wireless-card bracket off the wireless card. Disconnect the antenna cables from the wireless card.
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Slide and remove the wireless card from the wireless-card slot. wireless-card slot wireless card screw wireless-card bracket antenna cables...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align the notch on the wireless card with the tab on the wireless-card slot. Slide the wireless card at an angle into the wireless-card slot.
Replace the screw that secures the wireless card to the system board. notch wireless card wireless-card slot antenna cables wireless-card bracket screw Close the side-chassis. Post-requisites Replace the front bezel. Replace the computer cover.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
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Gently slide the antenna cables through the routing holes on the side-chassis. antenna cables routing guides routing holes (2) Close the side-chassis.
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Using a plastic scribe, gently pry the antenna modules off the side-chassis. antenna modules (2) plastic scribe antenna cables (2)
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Adhere the antenna modules to the side-chassis. Open the side-chassis and route the antenna cables through the routing guides.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Slide the power button into its socket. Connect the power-button cable to the system board.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align the screw holes on the chassis fan with the screw holes on the chassis. Replace the screws that secure the chassis fan to the chassis.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis Disconnect the lighting cable from the system board. Remove the lighting cable from the routing guides on the chassis.
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Slide the cable out through the side-chassis and close the side-chassis. lighting cable routing guides Remove the screws that secure the lighting module to the chassis.
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Lift the lighting module, along with its cable, off the chassis. lighting module screws (2) lighting cable...
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align the screw holes on the lighting modules with the screw holes on the chassis.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis Press the securing clips and disconnect the power cables from the system board.
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Note the routing and remove the power cables from the routing guides. securing clips (2) routing guides power cable Remove the screws that secure the power-supply unit to the chassis. Press the clamp and release the power-supply unit from the chassis.
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Slide and lift the power-supply unit off the chassis. clamp power cables power-supply unit screws (3)
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Slide the power supply towards the back of the chassis. Align the screw holes on the power-supply unit with the screw holes on the chassis.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Procedure Open the side-chassis. side-chassis Disconnect the processor-fan cable from the system board. Remove the screws that secure the processor fan to the heat sink.
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Lift the processor fan off the heat sink. processor fan screws (4) processor-fan cable...
After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Procedure Align the screw holes on the processor fan with the screw holes on the heat sink.
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. WARNING: The heat sink may become hot during normal operation. Allow sufficient time for the heat sink to cool before you touch it.
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Lift the heat sink off the system board. heat sink captive screws (4)
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. CAUTION: Incorrect alignment of the heat sink can damage the system board and processor. NOTE: The original thermal grease can be reused if the original system board and heat sink are reinstalled together.
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. NOTE: Your computer’s Service Tag is stored in the system board. You must enter the Service Tag in the BIOS setup program after you replace the system board.
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Note the routing and move the cables away from the system board. chassis-fan cable power cable routing guide lighting cable drive-power cable optical-drive cable hard-drive cable power cable Remove the screw that secures the I/O cover to the chassis and lift the cover off the system board.
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Remove the screws that secure the system board to the chassis. Starting from the edge near the memory-module slots, gently lift the system board off the chassis. system board screws (7) I/O cover...
After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. NOTE: Your computer’s Service Tag is stored in the system board. You must enter the Service Tag in the BIOS setup program after you replace the system board.
Entering BIOS setup program Turn on (or restart) your computer. During POST, when the DELL logo is displayed, watch for the F2 prompt to appear, and then press F2 immediately. NOTE: The F2 prompt indicates that the keyboard is initialized. This prompt can appear very quickly, so you must watch for it, and then press F2.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Remove the jumper plug from pins 1 and 2 and replace it on pins 2 and 3. jumper plug pin 1 pin 2 pin 3 Close the side-chassis. Post-requisites Replace the front bezel. Replace the computer cover.
Before working inside your computer. After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in After working inside your computer. For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/ regulatory_compliance. Prerequisites Remove the computer cover. Remove the front bezel.
Remove the jumper plug from pins 1 and 2 and replace it on pins 2 and 3. jumper plug pin 1 pin 2 pin 3 Close the side-chassis. Post-requisites Replace the front bezel. Replace the computer cover.
You may need to flash (update) the BIOS when an update is available or when you replace the system board. To flash the BIOS: Turn on your computer. Go to www.dell.com/support. Click Product support, enter the Service Tag of your computer, and then click Submit.
Getting help and contacting Dell Self-help resources You can get information and help on Dell products and services using these self-help resources: Information about Dell products and www.dell.com services Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 Dell Help & Support app Windows 10 Get started app Windows 8.1...
Contacting Dell To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues, see www.dell.com/contactdell. NOTE: Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be available in your country. NOTE: If you do not have an active internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.