Dell OptiPlex XE3 Tower Service Manual
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Dell OptiPlex XE3 Tower Service Manual

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OptiPlex XE3 Tower
Service Manual
Regulatory Model: D18M
Regulatory Type: D18M005
August 2021
Rev. A01
Table of Contents
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Summary of Contents for Dell OptiPlex XE3 Tower

  • Page 1 OptiPlex XE3 Tower Service Manual Regulatory Model: D18M Regulatory Type: D18M005 August 2021 Rev. A01...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Contents Chapter 1: Working on your computer................... 6 Safety instructions................................6 Before working inside your computer........................6 Safety precautions.................................7 Electrostatic discharge—ESD protection........................7 ESD field service kit ..............................8 Transporting sensitive components.......................... 9 After working inside your computer..........................9 Turning off your computer — Windows 10........................9 Before working inside your computer..........................9 After working inside your computer..........................
  • Page 3 Installing PCIe expansion card..........................33 Power supply unit................................34 Removing power supply unit or PSU........................34 Installing power supply unit or PSU........................36 Intrusion switch................................. 38 Removing intrusion switch............................38 Installing intrusion switch............................39 Speaker....................................40 Removing speaker............................... 40 Installing speaker................................41 Power button..................................
  • Page 4 Chapter 5: Troubleshooting......................77 Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment — ePSA diagnostics................77 Running the ePSA Diagnostics..........................77 Diagnostics..................................77 Backup media and recovery options..........................79 Recovering the operating system..........................79 Battery status lights................................. 80 Chapter 6: Getting help and contacting Dell.................81 Contents...
  • Page 5 A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2017-2021 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 6: Chapter 1: Working On 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: Safety Precautions

    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: Esd Field Service Kit

    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: Transporting Sensitive Components

    Transporting sensitive components When transporting ESD sensitive components such as replacement parts or parts to be returned to Dell, it is critical to place these parts in anti-static bags for safe transport. Lifting equipment Adhere to the following guidelines when lifting heavy weight equipment: CAUTION: Do not lift greater than 50 pounds.

  • Page 10: After Working Inside Your Computer

    6. After the computer is unplugged, press and hold the power button for 5 seconds to ground the system board. CAUTION: Place the computer on a flat, soft, and clean surface to avoid scratches on the display. 7. Place the computer face down. After working inside your computer NOTE: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your computer may severely damage your computer.

  • Page 11: Chapter 2: Disassembly And Reassembly

    Disassembly and reassembly Topics: • Side cover • Bezel • Front panel door • 3.5-inch hard drive assembly • 2.5-inch hard drive assembly • Optical drive • M.2 PCIe SSD • SD card reader • Memory module • Expansion card •...

  • Page 12: Installing Side Cover

    Installing side cover 1. Place the side cover on the computer and slide the side cover forward [1]. 2. Slide the side cover until the click sound and the blue tab secures the side cover to the computer [2]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 13: Bezel

    3. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Bezel Removing front bezel 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the side cover. 3. To remove the front bezel: a. Lift the tabs to release the front bezel from the chassis [1]. b.

  • Page 14: Installing Front Bezel

    Installing front bezel 1. Position the front bezel to align the tab holders on the chassis. 2. Slide and press the front bezel until the tabs click in place. 3. Install the side cover. 4. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer.

  • Page 15: Front Panel Door

    Front panel door Opening the front panel door 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel CAUTION: The front panel door opens only to a limited extent. See the printed image on the front panel door for the maximum permissible level.

  • Page 16: 3.5-Inch Hard Drive Assembly

    2. Install the front bezel side cover 3. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. 3.5-inch hard drive assembly Removing 3.5–inch hard drive assembly 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3.

  • Page 17: Installing 3.5-Inch Hard Drive Assembly

    b. Pull the metal bracket that shields the hard drive assembly [1]. c. Press the blue tab [2] and pull the hard drive assembly out of the computer [ 3]. Installing 3.5–inch hard drive assembly 1. Insert the hard drive assembly into the slot on the computer until it clicks into place [1]. Disassembly and reassembly...
  • Page 18 2. Close the metal bracket that shields the hard drive assembly [2]. 3. Connect the SATA cable and the power cable to the connectors on the hard drive . 4. Install the: front bezel side cover 5. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer.

  • Page 19: 3.5-Inch Hard Drive

    3.5-inch hard drive Removing 3.5–inch hard drive from the hard drive bracket 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3.5-inch hard drive assembly 3. To remove the hard drive bracket: a.

  • Page 20: 2.5-Inch Hard Drive Assembly

    2.5-inch hard drive assembly Removing the 2.5–inch drive assembly 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3. Open the front panel door. 4. To remove the drive assembly: a. Disconnect the drive assembly cables from the connectors on the drive [1] . b.

  • Page 21: 2.5-Inch Hard Drive

    3. Close the front panel door. 4. Install the: front bezel side cover 5. Follow the procedure in After Working Inside Your Computer. 2.5-inch hard drive Removing the 2.5–inch drive from the drive bracket 1. Follow the procedure in Before Working Inside Your Computer.

  • Page 22: Optical Drive

    Installing the 2.5–inch hard drive into the drive bracket 1. Align the hard drive to the side of the hard drive bracket, and pull the other end tabs to insert the pins on the bracket into the hard drive. 2. Insert the hard drive into the hard drive bracket and press the hard drive until it clicks into place. 3.
  • Page 23 c. Press the blue release tab [1] and slide the optical drive out of the computer [2]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 24: Installing Optical Drive

    Installing optical drive 1. Insert the optical drive into the optical drive bay until the blue release tab clicks into place. Disassembly and reassembly...
  • Page 25 2. Open the front panel door [2]. 3. Route the data cable and power cable under the drive cage. 4. Connect the data cable and power cable to the connectors on the optical drive [3]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 26: M.2 Pcie Ssd

    5. Close the front panel door. 6. Install the: front bezel side cover 7. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. M.2 PCIe SSD Removing M.2 PCle SSD - optional 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer.

  • Page 27: Installing M.2 Pcle Ssd

    Installing M.2 PCle SSD 1. Slide out the M.2 PCIe SSD from the connector on the system board [1]. 2. Replace the screw that secures the M.2 PCIe SSD to the system board [2]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 28: Sd Card Reader

    3. Close the front panel door. 4. Install the: front bezel side cover 5. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. SD card reader Removing SD card reader 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2.

  • Page 29: Installing Sd Card Reader

    Installing SD card reader 1. Insert the SD card reader into the slot on the front panel door [1]. 2. Tighten the screw to secure the SD card reader to the front panel door [2]. 3. Connect the SD card reader cable to the connector on the system board [3]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 30: Memory Module

    4. Close the front panel door. 5. Install the: front bezel side cover 6. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Memory module Removing memory module 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3.

  • Page 31: Installing Memory Module

    Installing memory module 1. Align the notch on the memory module with the tab on the memory module connector. 2. Insert the memory module into the memory module socket [1]. 3. Press the memory module until the memory module retention tabs click into place [2]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 32: Expansion Card

    NOTE: Bison XE3 supports 4 memory module. 4. Close thefront panel door. 5. Install the: front bezel side cover 6. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Expansion card Removing PCIe expansion card - optional 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer.

  • Page 33: Installing Pcie Expansion Card

    NOTE: The step is applicable only for the connector with card retention latch, otherwise, lift the PCIe expansion card out of the computer. 5. Repeat the steps to remove any additional PCle expansion card Installing PCIe expansion card 1. Insert the M.2 PCle Card to the connector and push the PCle Card to secure the card with the connector [1]. 2.

  • Page 34: Power Supply Unit

    3. Repeat the step 1 to install additional PCle expansion card. 4. Close the front panel door. 5. Install the: front bezel side cover 6. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Power supply unit Removing power supply unit or PSU 1.
  • Page 35 5. To remove the PSU: a. Remove the screw (3) to release the PSU from the computer chassis [1]. b. Press the release tab [2]. c. Slide and lift the PSU away from the computer [3]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 36: Installing Power Supply Unit Or Psu

    Installing power supply unit or PSU 1. Insert the PSU into the PSU slot and slide it toward the back of the computer until it clicks into place{1,2] Disassembly and reassembly...
  • Page 37 2. Tighten the screws (3) to secure the PSU to the computer chassis [3]. 3. Route the PSU cables through the retention clips [2,3,4,5]. 4. Connect the PSU cables to the connectors on the system board [1,6]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 38: Intrusion Switch

    5. Close the front panel door. 6. Install the: front bezel side cover 7. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Intrusion switch Removing intrusion switch 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3.

  • Page 39: Installing Intrusion Switch

    Installing intrusion switch 1. Insert the intrusion switch and slide the switch into the slot on the computer chassis [1]. 2. Route the intrusion switch cable through the fan grommet [2]. 3. Connect the intrusion switch cable to the connector on the system board [3]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 40: Speaker

    4. Close the front panel door. 5. Install the: front bezel side cover 6. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Speaker Removing speaker 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3.

  • Page 41: Installing Speaker

    Installing speaker 1. Insert the speaker into the slot [1] and slide it until it clicks into place [2]. 2. Connect the speaker cable to the connector on the system board [3]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 42: Power Button

    3. Close the front panel door. 4. Install the: front bezel side cover 5. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Power button Removing power button 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3.
  • Page 43 5. Pull the power switch out from the computer. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 44: Installing Power Button

    Installing power button 1. Insert the power switch into the slot from the front of the computer. Disassembly and reassembly...
  • Page 45 2. Open the front panel [1]. 3. Press the power switch to the slot on the computer chassis [2]. 4. Route the power switch cable through the retention clip [3]. 5. Align the cable with the pins on the connector and push to connect the cable. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 46: Heat Sink Fan

    6. Close the front panel door. 7. Install the: front bezel side cover 8. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Heat sink fan Removing heat sink fan 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2.

  • Page 47: Installing Heatsink Fan

    Installing heatsink fan 1. Place the fan on the heatsink assembly [1]. 2. Tighten the screws (4) to secure the fan to the heatsink assembly [2]. 3. Connect the heatsink fan assembly cable to the connector on the system board [3]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 48: Coin Cell Battery

    4. Close the front panel door. 5. Install the: front bezel side cover 6. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Coin cell battery Removing coin cell battery 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2.

  • Page 49: Installing Coin Cell Battery

    Installing coin cell battery 1. Hold the coin cell battery with the "+" sign facing up and slide it under the securing tabs at the positive side of the connector [1]. 2. Press the battery into the connector until it locks into place [2]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 50: Heat Sink

    3. Close the front panel door. 4. Install the: front bezel side cover 5. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Heat sink Removing heatsink assembly 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover bezel 3.

  • Page 51: Installing Heatsink Assembly

    Installing heatsink assembly 1. Align the screws of the heatsink assembly with the holders on the system board and place the heatsink assembly on the processor [1]. 2. Tighten the captive screws to secure the heatsink assembly to the system board [2]. NOTE: Tighten the screws in a sequential order (1,2,3,4) as printed on the system board.

  • Page 52: Processor

    4. Close the front panel door. 5. Install the: front bezel side cover 6. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Processor Removing processor 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the: side cover front bezel 3.

  • Page 53: Installing Processor

    CAUTION: Do not touch the processor socket pins, they are fragile and can be permanently damaged. Be careful not to bend the pins in the processor socket when removing the processor out of the socket. Installing processor 1. Place and align the processor on the socket such that the slots on the processor align with the socket keys [1]. CAUTION: Do not use force to seat the processor.

  • Page 54: System Fan

    4. Install the heat sink. 5. Install the heat sink fan 6. Close the front panel door 7. Install the: front bezel side cover 8. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. System fan Removing system fan 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer.

  • Page 55: Installing System Fan

    Disconnect the system fan cable from the connector on the system board [1]. b. Stretch the grommets (4) securing the fan to the computer to ease the removal of the system fan [2]. c. Lift the system fan out of the computer [3]. Installing system fan 1.

  • Page 56: Optional Vga Module

    5. Close the front panel door. 6. Install the: intrusion switch front bezel side cover 7. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. Optional VGA module Removing optional VGA module 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer.

  • Page 57: Installing Optional Vga Module

    b. Disconnect the VGA cable from the connector on the system board [1]. c. Remove the VGA module from the system [2]. Installing optional VGA module 1. Insert the VGA module into its slot from the inside of your computer [1] and connect the VGA cable to the connector on the system board [2].

  • Page 58: System Board

    3. Install the system fan. 4. Close the front panel door. 5. Install the: Front bezel Side cover 6. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer. System board Removing system board 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer.
  • Page 59 6. To remove the system board: a. Remove the screws (8) that secure the system board to the computer chassis. Disassembly and reassembly...
  • Page 60 b. Slide and lift the system board away from the computer [1, 2]. Disassembly and reassembly...

  • Page 61: Installing The System Board

    Installing the system board 1. Hold the system board by its edges and align it toward the back of the computer [1,2]. 2. Lower the system board into the computer until the connectors at the back of the system board align with the slots on the chassis, and the screw holes on the system board align with the standoffs on the computer.
  • Page 62 4. Align the cables with the pins on connectors on the system board and connect the following cables to the system board: 5. Route all the cables through the routing clips. a. power distribution for optical drive and hard drives [1] b.
  • Page 63 6. Install the: memory module M.2 PCle SSD expansion card SD card reader processor heat sink heat sink fan 7. Close the front panel door. 8. Install the: front bezel side cover 9. Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer.

  • Page 64: 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 65: Chapter 4: System Setup

    Boot sequence enables 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 66: Boot Sequence

    Boot sequence enables 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 67 Table 1. General (continued) Option Description Boot Sequence Allows you to specify the order in which the computer attempts to find an operating system from the devices specified in this list. ● Legacy ● UEFI (selected by default) Advanced Boot Options Allows you to select the Enable Legacy Option ROMs option, when in UEFI boot mode.
  • Page 68 Table 2. System Configuration (continued) Option Description Front USB Configuration Allows you to enable or disable the front USB ports. All the ports are enabled by default. Rear USB Configuration Allows you to enable or disable the back USB ports. All the ports are enabled by default.
  • Page 69 Table 4. Security (continued) Option Description NOTE: The system will always prompt for the system and internal HDD passwords when powered on from the off state (a cold boot). Also, the system will always prompt for passwords on any module bay HDDs that may be present.
  • Page 70 Table 4. Security (continued) Option Description Admin Setup Lockout Allows you to enable or disable the option to enter Setup when an Administrative password is set. This option is not set by default. Table 5. Secure Boot Option Description Secure Boot Enable Allows you to enable or disable Secure Boot feature ●...
  • Page 71 Table 7. Performance (continued) Option Description ● 1 ● 2 ● 3 Intel SpeedStep Allows you to enable or disable the Intel SpeedStep mode of the processor. This option is enabled by default. C States Control Allows you to enable or disable additional processor sleep states.
  • Page 72 Table 8. Power Management (continued) Option Description ● LAN with PXE Boot - A wakeup packet sent to the system in either the S4 or S5 state, that will cause the system to wake-up and immediately boot to PXE. ● WLAN Only - Allows the system to be powered on by special WLAN signals.

  • Page 73: Updating The Bios

    For more information on this subject, see Knowledge Article: https:// www.dell.com/support/article/sln153694 1. Go to www.dell.com/support. 2. Click Product support. In the Search support box, enter the Service Tag of your computer, and then click Search. NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer.

  • Page 74: Updating The Bios In Linux And Ubuntu

    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 75: System And Setup Password

    CAUTION: Do not turn off the computer during the BIOS update process. The computer may not boot if you turn off your computer. 1. From a turn off state, insert the USB drive where you copied the flash into a USB port of the computer. 2.

  • Page 76: Enabling Smart Power On

    To enter the System Setup, press F2 immediately after a power-on or reboot. 1. In the System BIOS or System Setup screen, select System Security and press Enter. The System Security screen is displayed. 2. In the System Security screen, verify that Password Status is Unlocked. 3.

  • Page 77: Chapter 5: Troubleshooting

    Invoke diagnostics boot by either of the methods that are suggested below: 1. Power on the computer. 2. As the computer boots, press the F12 key when the Dell logo is displayed. 3. In the boot menu screen, use Up/Down arrow key to select the Diagnostics option and then press Enter.
  • Page 78 mode. However, if the computer fails the POST, the computer emits a series of LED codes during the start-up. The system LED is integrated on the Power button. The following table shows different light patterns and what they indicate. Table 16. Power LED summary Amber LED state White LED state System state...

  • Page 79: Backup Media And Recovery Options

    Backup media and recovery options It is recommended to create a recovery drive to troubleshoot and fix problems that may occur with Windows. Dell proposes multiple options for recovering Windows operating system on your Dell PC. For more information. see...

  • Page 80: Battery Status Lights

    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 81: Chapter 6: Getting Help And Contacting Dell

    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 19. Self-help resources Self-help resources Resource location Information about Dell products and services www.dell.com My Dell app...

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