XPS 8950
Service Manual
Regulatory Model: D30MRegulatory Type: D30M002November 2021Rev. A00
Page 1: ...XPS 8950 Service Manual Regulatory Model D30M Regulatory Type D30M002 November 2021 Rev A00 ...
Page 2: ...ential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem WARNING A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage personal injury or death 2021 Dell Inc or its subsidiaries All rights reserved Dell EMC and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc or its subsidiaries Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners ...
Page 3: ...e optical drive 17 Installing the optical drive 19 Power button 20 Removing the power button 20 Installing the power button 21 3 5 inch hard drive 22 Removing the 3 5 inch hard drive 22 Installing the 3 5 inch hard drive 24 Graphics card 25 Removing the graphics card 25 Installing the graphics card 27 Memory 28 Removing the memory 28 Installing the memory 29 Solid state drive 30 Removing the 2230 ...
Page 4: ...System board 51 Removing the system board 51 Installing the system board 55 Chapter 3 Drivers and downloads 59 Chapter 4 System setup 60 System setup 60 BIOS overview 60 Entering BIOS setup program 60 Navigation keys 60 Boot Sequence 61 System setup options 61 System and setup password 66 Assigning a system setup password 66 Deleting or changing an existing system setup password 67 Real Time Clock...
Page 5: ...Chapter 6 Getting help and contacting Dell 73 Contents 5 ...
Page 6: ...r computer For more safety best practices see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www dell com regulatory_compliance WARNING Disconnect your computer from all power sources before opening the computer cover or panels After you finish working inside the computer replace all covers panels and screws before connecting your computer to an electrical outlet CAUTION To avoid damaging the computer ens...
Page 7: ...may cause degradation of memory integrity intermittent memory errors etc The more difficult type of damage to recognize and troubleshoot is the intermittent also called latent or walking wounded failure Perform the following steps to prevent ESD damage Use a wired ESD wrist strap that is properly grounded The use of wireless anti static straps is no longer allowed they do not provide adequate prot...
Page 8: ...n static safe packaging Metal static shielded bags are preferred However you should always return the damaged part using the same ESD bag and packaging that the new part arrived in The ESD bag should be folded over and taped shut and all the same foam packing material should be used in the original box that the new part arrived in ESD sensitive devices should be removed from packaging only at an E...
Page 9: ...re that no stray screws remain inside your computer 2 Connect any external devices peripherals or cables you removed before working on your computer 3 Replace any media cards discs or any other parts that you removed before working on your computer 4 Connect your computer and all attached devices to their electrical outlets 5 Turn on your computer Working inside your computer 9 ...
Page 10: ... number of screws and correct screw type is restored when the component is replaced NOTE Some computers have magnetic surfaces Ensure that the screws are not left attached to such surfaces when replacing a component NOTE Screw color may vary with the configuration ordered Table 1 Screw list Component Secured to Screw type Quantity Screw image Power button bracket Chassis 6 32 1 Solid state drive S...
Page 11: ...y Chassis Captive screw M3 4 Front I O bracket Chassis 6 32 1 System board Chassis 6 32 9 Major components of XPS 8950 The following image shows the major components of XPS 8950 NOTE Depending on the configuration ordered some components may or may not be present in your computer Removing and installing components 11 ...
Page 12: ... cage 3 hard drive 4 graphics card 5 graphics card bracket 6 power button and power button bracket 7 system board 8 chassis 9 front IO bracket 10 front cover 11 optical drive 12 antenna module 1 12 Removing and installing components ...
Page 13: ...fan and heat sink assembly 21 chassis fan Left side cover Removing the left side cover Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer About this task The following image s indicate the location of the left side cover and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure Removing and installing components 13 ...
Page 14: ...y on both sides remove and lift the left side cover from the chassis Installing the left side cover Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task The following image s indicate the location of the left side cover and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure 14 Removing and installing com...
Page 15: ...er into place 2 Tighten the captive screw that secures the left side cover latch to the chassis Next steps 1 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer Front cover Removing the front cover Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover Removing and installing components 15 ...
Page 16: ...ally to the bottom left tab 2 Swing the front cover outwards away from the chassis and remove the cover Installing the front cover Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task The following image s indicate the location of the front cover and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure 16 ...
Page 17: ...er working inside your computer Optical drive Removing the optical drive Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task NOTE Depending on the configuration ordered your computer may not have an optical drive installed The following image s indicate the location of the optical drive and provides a visual representation of the...
Page 18: ... Disconnect the optical drive s power and data cables from the optical drive 3 Pull the release tab on the optical drive cage towards the bottom of the computer 4 Pull to slide out the optical drive through the front of the computer 18 Removing and installing components ...
Page 19: ...nent before performing the installation process About this task The following image s indicate the location of the optical drive and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure Steps 1 Align the tabs on the optical drive bezel with slots on the optical drive and snap it in place 2 Replace the optical drive bracket by inserting the alignment pins on the optical drive bracket into...
Page 20: ... After working inside your computer Power button Removing the power button Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover 3 Remove the front cover About this task The following image s indicate the location of the power button and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure 20 Removing and installing components ...
Page 21: ...elease tabs on the power button to release it from the power button bracket 6 Thread the power button cable through the slot on the power button bracket and remove the power button and its cable from the power button bracket Installing the power button Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task The followi...
Page 22: ...the screw hole on the chassis 5 Replace the screw 6 32 that secures the power button bracket to the chassis 6 Connect the power button cable to the system board 7 Place the computer in an upright position Next steps 1 Install the front cover 2 Install the left side cover 3 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer 3 5 inch hard drive Removing the 3 5 inch hard drive Prerequisites ...
Page 23: ...with the left side facing up 2 Disconnect the hard drive data and power cables from the 3 5 inch hard drive 3 Press the release tabs on the hard drive carrier and slide the hard drive carrier out of the hard drive cage 4 Pry the hard drive carrier to release the tabs on the carrier from the slots on the 3 5 inch hard drive 5 Lift the 3 5 inch hard drive off the hard drive carrier NOTE Note the ori...
Page 24: ...f the 3 5 inch hard drive and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure Steps 1 Place the 3 5 inch hard drive into the hard drive carrier and align the tabs on the carrier with the slots on the hard drive 2 Snap the hard drive carrier onto the 3 5 inch hard drive 3 Slide the hard drive assembly into the hard drive cage until it snaps into place 4 Connect the hard drive data ca...
Page 25: ...the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task NOTE Depending on the configuration ordered your computer may not have a discrete graphics card installed The following image s indicate the location of the graphics card and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure Removing and installing components 25 ...
Page 26: ... bracket to release it from the chassis 4 Slide and lift the graphics card bracket off the chassis NOTE The size of the graphics card bracket may vary depending on the graphics card configuration on your computer 5 Using the tab lift and open the PCIe door 6 Press and hold the securing tab on the graphics card slot to release the graphics card from the PCIe x16 slot on the system board 26 Removing...
Page 27: ...If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task The following image s indicate the location of the graphics card and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure Removing and installing components 27 ...
Page 28: ... the graphics card power cable to the graphics card 7 Place the computer in an upright position Next steps 1 Install the left side cover 2 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer Memory Removing the memory Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task NOTE This computer may have up to four memory modules ...
Page 29: ...s task NOTE Up to four memory modules may be installed into this computer The following image s indicate the location of the memory and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure Steps 1 Align the notch on the memory module with the tab on the memory module slot 2 Insert the memory module into the memory module connector 3 Press down on the memory module until the memory module...
Page 30: ...solid state drive slots on the system board The following image s indicate the location of the 2230 solid state drive and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure Steps 1 Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up 2 Remove the screw M2x3 that secures the 2230 solid state drive to the system board 3 Slide and lift the 2230 solid state drive from the M 2 card slot o...
Page 31: ...es the 2230 solid state drive to the system board 4 Place the computer in an upright position Next steps 1 Install the left side cover 2 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer Removing the 2280 solid state drive Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task NOTE Depending on the configuration ordered you...
Page 32: ...0 solid state drive Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task NOTE You may install up to two M 2 2230 2280 solid state drives into the two M 2 solid state drive slots on the system board The following image s indicate the location of the 2280 solid state drive and provides a visual representation of the i...
Page 33: ...board 4 Place the computer in an upright position Next steps 1 Install the left side cover 2 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer Removing and installing the M 2 screw mount About this task The following image provides a visual representation of the procedure to remove and install the M 2 screw mount on the system board Which will allow the conversion of the slot for M 2 2230...
Page 34: ...w the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task The following image s indicate the location of the wireless card and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure 34 Removing and installing components ...
Page 35: ...d slot Installing the wireless card Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task The following image s indicate the location of the wireless card and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure Steps 1 Connect the antenna cables to the wireless card Table 2 Antenna cable color scheme Conne...
Page 36: ...the wireless card to the system board 6 Place the computer in an upright position Next steps 1 Install the left side cover 2 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer Coin cell battery Removing the coin cell battery Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task The following image s indicate the location of...
Page 37: ... the location of the coin cell battery and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure Steps 1 Insert the coin cell battery into the socket with the positive side label facing up and snap the battery in the socket 2 Place the computer in an upright position Next steps 1 Install the left side cover 2 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer Chassis fan Removing ...
Page 38: ...m board 3 Press down on the securing tab to release the rear chassis fan from the chassis 4 Lift the rear chassis fan off the chassis Installing the chassis fan Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task The following image s indicate the location of the chassis fan and provides a visual representation of ...
Page 39: ...omputer in an upright position Next steps 1 Install the left side cover 2 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer Power supply unit Removing the power supply unit Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task The following image s indicate the location of the power supply unit and provides a visual repres...
Page 40: ...40 Removing and installing components ...
Page 41: ...de the lock mechanism on the graphics card support bracket to release it from the chassis 8 Slide and lift the graphics card bracket off the chassis NOTE The size of the graphics card bracket may vary depending on the graphics card configuration on your computer 9 Remove the two screws 6 32 that secure the power supply cage to the chassis 10 Slide and lift the power supply cage off the chassis 11 ...
Page 42: ...About this task The following image s indicate the location of the power supply unit and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure 42 Removing and installing components ...
Page 43: ...t may vary depending on the graphics card configuration on your computer 6 Slide the lock mechanism on the graphics card bracket to secure it to the chassis 7 Connect the system board power cable to the system board 8 Connect the power supply cables to the processor power cables 9 Route the power supply cables through the routing guides on the chassis 10 Connect the graphics card power cables to t...
Page 44: ... the location of the voltage regulator heat sink and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure Steps 1 Place the computer on its side with the left side facing up 2 Remove the four captive screws that secure the voltage regulator heat sink to the system board 3 Lift the voltage regulator heat sink off the system board Installing the voltage regulator heat sink Prerequisites If you ...
Page 45: ...65 W Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer 2 Remove the left side cover About this task NOTE The heat sink may become hot during normal operation Allow sufficient time for the heat sink to cool before you touch it NOTE For maximum cooling of the processor do not touch the heat transfer areas on the heat sink The oils in your skin can reduce the heat transfer c...
Page 46: ...isites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task NOTE If either the processor or the fan and heat sink assembly is replaced use the thermal grease provided in the kit to ensure that thermal conductivity is achieved NOTE This procedure only applies for computers shipped with a 65 W processor The following image s indica...
Page 47: ...t during normal operation Allow sufficient time for the heat sink to cool before you touch it NOTE For maximum cooling of the processor do not touch the heat transfer areas on the heat sink The oils in your skin can reduce the heat transfer capability of the thermal grease NOTE The processor fan and heat sink assembly consists of one fan and one heat sink that is linked by tubing containing water ...
Page 48: ... fan to the chassis 6 Slide and lift the processor fan from the chassis 7 Lift the processor fan and heat sink assembly from the system board Installing the processor fan and heat sink assembly 125 W Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the existing component before performing the installation process About this task NOTE If either the processor or the fan and heat sink assembly i...
Page 49: ...Steps 1 Place the heat sink on the system board and align the captive screws to the screw holes on the system board 2 Tighten the four captive screws that secure the heat stink to the system board 3 Place the processor fan on the chassis and align the screw hole on the fan to the screw hole on the chassis 4 Replace the screw M3x5 that secures the fan to the chassis 5 Connect the processor fan and ...
Page 50: ...y from the processor to release it from the securing tab 2 Extend the release lever completely and open the processor cover CAUTION When removing the processor do not touch any of the pins inside the socket or allow any objects to fall on the pins in the socket 3 Gently lift the processor from the processor socket Installing the processor Prerequisites If you are replacing a component remove the e...
Page 51: ...ivot the release lever down and place it under the tab on the processor cover Next steps 1 Install the fan and heat sink assembly 65 W or the fan and heat sink assembly 125 W whichever applicable 2 Install the left side cover 3 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer System board Removing the system board Prerequisites 1 Follow the procedure in Before working inside your compute...
Page 52: ...rive hard drive data cable SATA 3 10 hard drive data cable SATA 0 11 hard drive data cable SATA 1 12 hard drive data cable SATA 2 13 system board power cable 14 coin cell battery socket 15 M 2 2230 2280 solid state drive slot 16 PCIe x16 slot SLOT 2 17 PCIe x4 slot SLOT 4 18 PCIe x4 slot SLOT 1 19 fan and heat sink assembly fan cable 20 processor fan cable 21 processor fan pump cable The following...
Page 53: ...Removing and installing components 53 ...
Page 54: ...d remove the front I O bracket from the chassis 3 Disconnect all the cables that are connected to the system board 4 Remove the nine screws 6 32 that secure the system board to the chassis 5 Lift the system board at an angle and remove it from the chassis 54 Removing and installing components ...
Page 55: ... the left a b c d a DIMM 3 b DIMM 1 c DIMM 4 d DIMM 2 4 SATA power cable 5 M 2 2230 2280 solid state drive slot 6 M 2 2230 wireless card slot 7 power button cable 8 chassis fan cable 9 optical drive hard drive data cable SATA 3 10 hard drive data cable SATA 0 11 hard drive data cable SATA 1 12 hard drive data cable SATA 2 13 system board power cable 14 coin cell battery socket 15 M 2 2230 2280 sol...
Page 56: ...ink assembly fan cable 20 processor fan cable 21 processor fan pump cable The following image s indicate the location of the system board and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure 56 Removing and installing components ...
Page 57: ...is 2 Replace the nine screws 6 32 that secure the system board to the chassis 3 Route and connect all the cables that you disconnected from the system board 4 Place and align the front I O bracket with I O slot on the chassis 5 Replace the screw 6 32 that secures the front I O bracket to the chassis Next steps 1 Install the processor Removing and installing components 57 ...
Page 58: ... Install the coin cell battery 5 Install the wireless card 6 Install the graphics card if applicable 7 Install the 2230 solid state drive or the 2280 solid state drive whichever applicable 8 Install the memory 9 Install the front cover 10 Install the left side cover 11 Follow the procedure in After working inside your computer 58 Removing and installing components ...
Page 59: ...rivers and downloads When troubleshooting downloading or installing drivers it is recommended that you read the Dell Knowledge Based article Drivers and Downloads FAQ 000123347 3 Drivers and downloads 59 ...
Page 60: ...rd drive installed and enabling or disabling base devices BIOS overview The BIOS manages data flow between the computer s operating system and attached devices such as hard disk video adapter keyboard mouse and printer Entering BIOS setup program About this task Turn on or restart your computer and press F2 immediately Navigation keys NOTE For most of the System Setup options changes that you make...
Page 61: ... System Information System Information BIOS Version Displays the BIOS version number Service Tag Displays the Service Tag of the computer Asset Tag Displays the Asset Tag of the computer Ownership Tag Displays the ownership tag of the computer Manufacture Date Displays the manufacture date of the computer Ownership Date Displays the ownership date of the computer Express Service Code Displays the ...
Page 62: ... 2 PCIe SSD information of the computer LOM MAC Address Displays the LOM MAC address of the computer Video Controller Displays the video controller type of the computer Audio Controller Displays the audio controller information of the computer Wi Fi Device Displays the wireless device information of the computer Bluetooth Device Displays the bluetooth device information of the computer Boot Sequen...
Page 63: ...eo Multi Display Enable or disable multiple displays Primary Display Set or change the primary display Table 6 System setup options Security menu Security Internal HDD 2 Password Set change or delete the internal hard disk drive password Internal HDD 3 Password Set change or delete the internal hard disk drive password M 2 SATA SSD Password Set change or delete the M 2 solid state drive password S...
Page 64: ...tensions Intel SGX Enable Enable or disable Intel Software Guard Extensions Enclave Memory Size Set the Intel Software Guard Extensions Enclave Reserve Memory Size Performance Multi Core Support Enable multiple cores Default Enabled Intel SpeedStep Enable or disable Intel Speedstep Technology Default Enabled NOTE If enabled the processor clock speed and core voltage are adjusted dynamically based ...
Page 65: ...ation Support menu Virtualization Support Virtualization Specify whether a Virtual Machine Monitor VMM can utilize the additional hardware capabilities provided by Intel Virtualization Technology VT for Direct I O Specify whether a Virtual Machine Monitor VMM can utilize the additional hardware capabilities provided by Intel Virtualization Technology for Direct I O Table 10 System setup options Wi...
Page 66: ...our computer CAUTION Anyone can access the data stored on your computer if it is not locked and left unattended NOTE System and setup password feature is disabled Assigning a system setup password Prerequisites You can assign a new System or Admin Password only when the status is in Not Set About this task To enter the system setup press F2 immediately after a power on or reboot Steps 1 In the Sys...
Page 67: ... situations You can initiate the RTC reset on the computer from a power off state only if it is connected to AC power Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds The computer RTC reset occurs after you release the power button NOTE The RTC reset is aborted if the power button is held for less than 25 seconds or more than 40 seconds The RTC reset restores the BIOS to defaults and resets the comp...
Page 68: ... for your computer model 3 Click Drivers Downloads Expand Find drivers 4 Select the operating system installed on your computer 5 In the Category drop down list select BIOS 6 Select the latest version of BIOS and click Download to download the BIOS file for your computer 7 After the download is complete browse the folder where you saved the BIOS update file 8 Double click the BIOS update file icon...
Page 69: ... following USB drive formatted to the FAT32 file system key does not have to be bootable BIOS executable file that you downloaded from the Dell Support website and copied to the root of the USB drive AC power adapter that is connected to the computer Functional computer battery to flash the BIOS Perform the following steps to perform the BIOS update flash process from the F12 menu CAUTION Do not t...
Page 70: ...ter when the diagnostic tests are performed For more information see SupportAssist Pre Boot System Performance Check System diagnostic lights The power status light indicates the power status of the computer These are the power states Solid white Computer is in S0 state This is the normal power state of the computer Blinking white Computer is in a low power state S3 This does not indicate a fault ...
Page 71: ...s Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery is a standalone tool that is preinstalled in all Dell computers installed with Windows operating system It consists of tools to diagnose and troubleshoot issues that may occur before your computer boots to the operating system It enables you to diagnose hardware issues repair your computer back up your files or restore your computer t...
Page 72: ...tatic electricity that remains on the computer even after it has been powered off and the battery has been removed The following procedure provides the instructions on how to conduct flea power release Steps 1 Turn off your computer 2 Disconnect the power adapter from your computer 3 Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to drain the flea power 4 Connect the power adapter to your computer...
Page 73: ...r Express Service Code at www dell com support For more information on how to find the Service Tag for your computer see Locate the Service Tag on your computer Dell knowledge base articles for a variety of computer concerns 1 Go to www dell com support 2 On the menu bar at the top of the Support page select Support Knowledge Base 3 In the Search field on the Knowledge Base page type the keyword t...
