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Expansion Cards: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX300 System User's Guide

	Overview		Removing an Expansion Card
	Installing an Expansion Card

Overview

The system accommodates up to six expansion cards, including up to five 32-bit Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) expansion cards and a 32-bit accelerated graphics port (AGP) card. (See Figure 1 for examples of these cards.)

NOTES: In order to meet PC99 requirements, your Dell system uses only PCI expansion slots. Industry-Standard Architecture (ISA) expansion cards are not supported. Before disconnecting a peripheral from the system or removing a component from the system board, verify that the standby power light-emitting diode (LED) on the system board has turned off. For the location of this LED, see Figure 3 in "Inside Your Computer."

Figure 1. Expansion Cards

1 32-bit PCI expansion card 2 32-bit AGP card

Installing an Expansion Card

To install an expansion card, perform the following steps.

CAUTION: Before you remove the computer cover, see "Safety First—For You and Your Computer."

1. Prepare the expansion card for installation, and remove the computer cover according to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover."

See the documentation that came with the expansion card for information on configuring the card, making internal connections, or otherwise customizing it 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 installing any expansion cards.

2. Remove the AGP card brace according to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing the AGP Card Brace."
   
   
3. Unscrew and remove the metal filler bracket that covers the card-slot opening for the expansion slot you intend to use (see Figure 2).

   Save the screw to use when installing the expansion card later in this procedure.

Figure 2. Removing the Filler Bracket

1 Filler bracket

4. Insert the expansion card into the expansion-card connector.

   If the expansion card is full-length, insert the front end of the card into the corresponding card guide on the inside front of the chassis as you insert the card into its connector. Insert the card's edge connector firmly into the expansion-card slot. Gently rock the card into the connector until it is fully seated (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Installing an Expansion Card

1 Expansion card 2 Expansion-card connector 3 Card edge connector

5. When the card is firmly seated in the connector, secure the card's mounting bracket to the chassis with the screw you removed in step 2.

6. Connect any cables that should be attached to the card.

   See the documentation for the card for information about the card's cable connections.

   If you are installing the entry-level OptiPlex™ sound card, disconnect the internal speaker cable from the control panel at the front of the chassis and reconnect it to the INT SPKR connector on the sound card. You may have to route the speaker cable through a hole in the front of the chassis in order to reach the sound card connector.

7. Replace the AGP card brace.
   
   
8. Replace the computer cover, and reconnect your computer and peripherals to their power sources and turn them on.

NOTE: After you remove and replace the cover, the chassis intrusion detector will cause the following message to be displayed at the next system start-up:

ALERT! Cover was previously removed.

9. To reset the chassis intrusion detector, enter System Setup and reset Chassis Intrusion to Enabled or Enabled-Silent.

   See "Chassis Intrusion" for instructions.

NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.

While in System Setup, if you installed an entry-level OptiPlex sound card, change the setting for Sound to Off.

Removing an Expansion Card

To remove an expansion card, perform the following steps.

CAUTION: Before you remove the computer cover, see "Safety First—For You and Your Computer."

1. Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover."
   
   

2. Remove the AGP card brace according to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing the AGP Card Brace."
   
   
3. If necessary, disconnect any cables connected to the card.
   
   
4. Unscrew the mounting bracket of the card you want to remove.
   
   
5. Grasp the card by its outside corners, and ease it out of its connector.
   
   
6. If you are removing the card permanently, install a metal filler bracket over the empty card-slot opening.
   
   

NOTE: Installing filler brackets over empty card-slot openings is necessary to maintain Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of the system. The brackets also keep dust and dirt out of your computer.

7. Replace the AGP card brace.
   
   
8. Replace the computer cover, and reconnect your computer and peripherals to their power sources and turn them on.
   
   

   NOTE: After you remove and replace the cover, the chassis intrusion detector will cause the following message to be displayed at the next system start-up:

   ALERT! Cover was previously removed.

9. To reset the chassis intrusion detector, enter System Setup and reset Chassis Intrusion to Enabled or Enabled-Silent.

   See "Chassis Intrusion" for instructions.

NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.

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