Acer ASPIRE M3910(G) manual

Acer Aspire M3910(G) Service Guide PRINTED IN T AIW AN[...]

ii Revision History Please refer to the table below for the updates ma de on this service guide. Date Chapter Up dates[...]

iii Copyright Copyright © 2010 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any lan guage or computer languag e, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magne tic, optical, chemi cal, manual or otherwise, without the[...]

iv Disclaimer The information in this guide is subject to ch ange without notice. Acer Incorporated makes no representations or warranties, either e xpressed or implied, w ith respect to th e contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warrantie s of merchantability or fitnes s for any particular purpose. Any Acer Incorporated software described[...]

v Conventions The following conventi ons are used in this manual: SCREEN MESSAGES Denotes actual messages that appear on screen. NOTE Gives additional informa ti on rela ted to the current topic. W ARNING Alerts you to any physical risk or system damage that might result from doing or not doing specific actions. CAUTION Gives precautionary me asure[...]

vi Service Guide Coverage This Service Guide provides you with all technica l information relating to the BASIC CONFIGURA TION decided for Acer's "glo bal" product offering. T o better fit local market requirements and enhance produ ct competitiveness, your regional office MA Y have decided to extend the func tionality of a machine ([...]

vii System Tour 1 Features 1 Block Diagram 4 System Compo nents 5 Front Panel 5 Rear Panel 6 Hardware Specifications and Configurations 7 Power Management Function( ACPI support function) 10 System Utilities 11 CMOS Setup Utility 11 Entering CMOS setup 12 Navigating Through the Setup Utility 12 Setup Utility Menus 13 System Disassembly 26 Disassemb[...]

viii FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) List 60 Aspire M3910(G) Expl oded Diagram(AM350-ASSY) 61 Aspire M3910(G) Expl oded Diagram(AM351-ASSY) 62 Aspire M3910(G) FRU List 63[...]

Chapter 1 1 Features Below is a brief summary of the computer ’s many feature: NOTE: The features listed in this section is for your re ference only . The exact conf igura tion of the system depends on the mo del purchased. Operating System • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bits • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic 64-bits • Microsoft Windo[...]

2 Chapter 1 • 1GB to 16GB Max memory support • Design Criteria: • Must meet Intel L ynnfield and Clarkdale Chipset platform design guide Hard disk • Support up to two SA T A ports • 3.5", 25.4mm • Capacity and models are listed on A VLC Optical disk • Support two SA T A 5.25" standard ODD • Support DVD-ROM, DVD-SuperM ulti[...]

Chapter 1 3 USB ports • Ports Quantity: 12 • 6 back panel ports • On-board: 2 2*5 headers • 4 ports for front daughter board • Connector Pin: standard Intel FPIO pin defi nition • Data transfer rate support : USB 2.0/ 1.1 Extension slot • Support one PCIe x 16 slot • Support two PCIe x 1 slots • Support one PCI slot Total I/O port[...]

4 Chapter 1 Block Diagram[...]

Chapter 1 5 System Components This section is a virtual tour of th e sy stem’s interior and exterior components. Front Panel No. Component 1 USB 2.0 ports 2A c e r l o g o 3 Optical drive button 4 Optical drive button (Remov ab le HDD bay for AM351 bezel) 5 16 in 1 Card Reader 6 Power button 7 Headphone/S peaker-out/line-out jack 8 Microphone-in [...]

6 Chapter 1 Rear Panel No. Component 1 Power connector 2 PS2 keyboard port 3 HDMI port 4V G A p o r t 5 USB 2.0 ports 6M i c - i n 7 Line-out 8 Expansion slot (graphics card and TV tuner card and Mode card) 9 Line-in 10 USB 2.0 ports 1 1 LAN conne c to r 12 System F AN 13 PS2 mouse port 14 Fan aperture 4 7 1 11 12 3 14 13 5 10 8 6 9 2[...]

Chapter 1 7 Hardware Specifications and Configurations Processor BIOS IOS Hotkey List Main Board Major Chips Item Sp ecification Processor T ype CPUs which complaint with Intel FSB 800/1066/1333 MHz CPUs Socket T ype Intel Socket T LGA 1 156 pin Minimum operating speed 0 MHz (If S top CPU Clock in Sleep St ate in BIOS Setup is set to Enabled.) Item[...]

8 Chapter 1 Memory Combinations System Memory Audio Interface Slot Memory T ot al Memory Slot 1 1GB,2GB,4 G 1G ~4GB Slot 2 1GB,2GB,4 G 1G ~4GB Slot 3 1GB,2GB,4 G 1G ~4GB Slot 4 1GB,2GB,4 G 1G ~4GB Maximum System Memo ry Supported 1G~16GB Item Specification Memory slot number 4 slot Support Memory size per socket 1GB/2GB/4GB Support memory type DDRI[...]

Chapter 1 9 SATA Interface USB Port Environmental Requirements Power Management • Devices wake up from S3 should be less than. • Devices wake up from S5 should be less than 10 seconds. Item Sp ecification SA T A controller PCH: Intel H57 SA T A controller resident bus PCI bus Number of SA T A channel SA T A X 6 Support bootable CD-ROM YES Item [...]

10 Chapter 1 Power Management Function(ACPI support function) Device Standby Mode • Independent power management ti me r for hard disk dr ive devices(0-15 minutes,time step=1minute). • Hard Disk drive goes into S tandby mode(for A T A standard interface). • Disable V -sync to control the VESA DPMS monitor . • Resume method:device activated [...]

Chapter 2 11 CMOS Setup Utility CMOS setup is a hardware configurat ion program built into the system ROM, called the complementary meta l- oxide semiconductor (CMOS) Setup Utility . Since mo st systems are already properly configured and optimized, there is no need to run this util ity . Y ou will need to run this utility under the follo wing cond[...]

12 Chapter 2 Entering CMOS setup 1. T urn on the server and the monitor . If the server i s already turned o n, close all open app lications, then restart the server . 2. During POST , press Delete . If you fail to press Delete before POST is completed, you will need to re start the serve r . The Setup Main menu will be d isplayed showing the Setu [...]

Chapter 2 13 Setup Utility Menus The Setup Main menu includes the following main setup categories. In the descrip ti ve t able foll owi n g ea ch of th e me nu s cre en sh ot s, settings in boldface are the default and suggested settings. Parameter Description Product Information This page shows the relevant information of the main board S tandard [...]

14 Chapter 2 Product Information The Product Information menu disp lays basic information about the syst em. These entries are for your reference only and are not user-configurable. Parameter Description Processor T y pe T ype of CPU installed on the syst em. Processor S peed S peed o f the CPU installed on the system. System Memory T otal size of [...]

Chapter 2 15 Standard CMOS Features Parameter Description Option System Date Set the date following the weekday-month-day-year format. System T ime Set the system time following the hour-minute-second format. Halt On Determines whether the system will stop for an error during the POST . All, But Keyboard No Errors All Errors[...]

16 Chapter 2 Advanced BIOS Feature Parameter Description Option Quick Boot Allows you to decrease the time it takes to boot the computer by shortening or skipping certain st andard booting process. Enabled Disabled Quiet Boot When enabled, the BIOS splash screen displays during startup. When disabled, the diagnostic sc reen d isplays during startup[...]

Chapter 2 17 Advanced Chipset Features Parameter Description Option Intel EIST When enabled, this feature allows the OS to r educe power consumption. When disabled, the system operates at maximum CPU speed. Enabled Disabled Intel XD Bit When enabled, the processor disables code execution when a worm attempts to insert a code in the buffer preventin[...]

18 Chapter 2 Integrated Peripherals Parameter Description Option Onboard SA T A Controller Enables or disabl es the onboard SA T A controller. Enabled Disabled Onboard SA T A Mode Select an operating mode for the onboard SA T A. RAID Native IDE Onboard USB Controller Enables or di sables the onboard USB controller . Enabled Disabled Legacy USB Supp[...]

Chapter 2 19 Power Management Setup Parameter Description Option ACPI Suspend Mode Select an ACPI state. S3 (STR) S1 (POS) Deep power off mode Select the Deep power off Mode Enabled Disabled Power On by RTC Alarm Enables or Disables to wake up the system by RTC Alarm Function Enabled Disabled Power On by PCIE Devices Enables or disables to wake up [...]

20 Chapter 2 PC Health Status Parameter Description Option Smart F AN Enables or disables the smart system fan control function. Enabled Disabled[...]

Chapter 2 21 Frequency/Voltage Control Parameter Description Option Clock to All DIMM/PCI Enables or disabl es control the clock to all DIMM/PCI Enabled Disabled S pread S pectrum Enables or disables the reduction of the mainboard’s EMI. Note: Remember to disable the Spread S pectrum feature if you are overclocking. A slight jitter can introduce [...]

22 Chapter 2 BIOS Security Features Setting a supervisor pass word 1. Use the up/down arrow keys to select Chan ge Supervisor Pa sswor d menu then press Enter . A password box will appear . 2. T ype a password then press Enter . The password may consist up to six al phanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) 3. Retype the password to verify the first en[...]

Chapter 2 23 Load Default Settings The Load Default Settings menu allows you to lo ad the defau lt settings for all BIOS setup parameters. Setup defaults are quite demanding in terms of resources cons umption. If you are using low-speed memory chips or other kinds of low-performance co mponents and you choose to load these settings , the system mig[...]

24 Chapter 2 Save & Exit Setup The Save & Exit Setup me nu all ows you to save cha nges made and close the Setup Utility .[...]

Chapter 2 25 Exit Without Saving The Exit Without Saving menu allows you to disca rd changes made and close the Setup Utility .[...]

Chapter 3 26 This chapter contains step-by-step procedure s on how to disassemble the desktop computer for ma intenance and troubleshooting. Disassembly Requirements T o disassembl e the computer , you need the following tools: • Wrist grounding strap and conductive mat for preventing electrostatic discharge • Flat-blade screwdriver • Philips[...]

27 Chapter 3 Pre-disassembly Procedure Before proceeding with the disassembly procedure, perform the steps listed below: 1. T urn off the system and all the peripherals connected to it. 2. Unplug the power cord from the power ou tl ets. 3. Unplug the power cord from the system. 4. Unplug all peripheral cables from the system. 5. Place the system un[...]

Chapter 3 28 Removing the Side Panel 1. Remove the two screws located on the rear edge of the side panel. 2. Slide the side panel toward the back of the cha ssis until the tabs on the cover disengage with the slots on the chassis. 3. Lift the side panel away from the server and put it aside for reinstallation later .[...]

29 Chapter 3 Removing the Heat Sink Fan Assembly W ARNING: The heat sin k becomes very hot when the system is on. NEVER touch the heat sink with any metal or with your hands. 1. disconnect the fan cable fro m the mainboard. 2. Use a long-nosed screwdriver to loos en the four screws on the heat sink, in the order as shown below . 3. Lift the heat si[...]

Chapter 3 30 Removing the Processor IMPORT AN T : Before removing a processor from the mainboard, make sure to create a backup file of all import ant dat a . W ARNING: The processor becomes very hot when the system is on. Allow it to cool off first before handling . 1. Release the load lever . 2. Lift the load lever and load plate to the fully open[...]

31 Chapter 3 Removing the VGA Card 1. Release the Slot cover lock. 2. Remove the screw from chassis. 3. Disconnect the power cable s from the VGA card. 4. One finger Press the clip and the same time Gently pull the card to remove it from the mainboard.[...]

Chapter 3 32 Removing the TV Card 1. Gently pull the TV card to remove it from the mainboard. Removing the Mode Card 1. Gently pull the Mode card to remove it from the mainbo ard.[...]

33 Chapter 3 Removing the Hard Disk Drive 1. Disconnect the data and power cab les from the rear of the optical drive and th e mainboard. 2. Remove the HDD bracket a. Remove the screw that secures th e HDD bracket to the ODD bracket. b. Lift the bracket up and turn it over .[...]

Chapter 3 34 3. Remove the HDD module a. Remove the eight screws secure the HDD module to the HDD bracke t. b. Slide the HDD out of the bracket.[...]

35 Chapter 3 Removing the Front Bezel 1. Remove the side panel. Refer to the previous section for instructions. 2. Disconnect the LED cable. 3. Release the front bezel from the chassis interior . 4. Pull the bezel away from the chassis.[...]

Chapter 3 36 Removing the Optical Drive 1. Disconnect the data and power cables from the rear of the optical drive. 2. Remove Four screw from the optical drive. 3. Pull the drive out of the drive. Da t a c a b l e Pow er c abl e[...]

37 Chapter 3 Removing Real USB Board 1. Remove USB cable 2. Release the screw of real usb. 3. Remove the real usb board.[...]

Chapter 3 38 Removing Cables 1. Remove power switch and LED cables from slot of M/B 2. Remove HDD Data and ODD Data cables from slot of M/B. 3. Remove USB1/2/3 cable from M/B. 4. Remove FIO cable and Audio cable from M/B O DD C a b l e Pow e- L e d C a bl e HDD C a b l e[...]

39 Chapter 3 Remove System FAN 1. Remove System F AN cable from M/B . 2. Release four screws according to the following picture . 3. T ake off the system fan from chassis.[...]

Chapter 3 40 Removing the Power Supply 1. Disconnect the 24-pin an d 4-pin power supply ca bles from the mainboard . 2. Remove the four screw that secure s the power supply to the chassis. 3. Lift the power supply module out of the chassis.[...]

41 Chapter 3 Removing the Memory Modules IMPORT AN T : Before removing any DIMM from the memory board, make sure to create a backup file of all import ant dat a . 1. Press the holding clips on both sides of t he DIMM slot outward to release the DIMM. 2. Gently pull the DIMM upward to pull it away from the M/B.[...]

Chapter 3 42 Removing the removable HDD bay 1. Remove the HDD rail 2. Remove the screws that secure the HDD bay . 3. Remove the HDD bay .[...]

43 Chapter 3 Removing the Mainboard 1. Remove the eight screws that secure the ma inb oard to the chassis. 2. Lift the board from the chassis. Note: Circuit boa rds >10 cm² has been h ighlighted with the yellow rectangle as above image shows. Please detach the Ci rcuit boards and fol low local regul ations for disposal .[...]

Chapter 3 44 3. Punching in IO Shield then you can remove it. 4. Remove the RTC battery . Note : RTC battery has been highligh ted with the yel low circle as above image shows.Please detach the R TC battery and follow local regulations for disposal.[...]

Chapter 4 45 This chapter provides instructions on how to trouble shoot system hardw are problems. Hardware Diagnostic Procedure IMPORT AN T : The di agnostic tests described in this chapter are only intended to test Acer products. Non- Acerproducts, prototype cards, or modified options can give false errors and inval id systemresponses. 1. Obtain [...]

46 Chapter 4 System Check Procedures Power System Check If the system will power on, skip this sect ion. Refer to System External In spection. If the system will not power on, do the fol lowing: • Check if the power cable is properly co nnected to the system and AC source. • Check if the voltage selector switchis set to the correct volt age set[...]

Chapter 4 47 Beep Codes Beep codes are used by the BIOS to indicate a seriou s or fatal error to the end user . Beep codes are used when an error occurs before the system video ha s b een initialized. Beep c odes will be generated by the system board speaker , commonly referred to as the PC speaker . AMIBIOS displays the checkpoi nts in the bottom [...]

48 Chapter 4 Checkpoints A checkpoint is either a byte or word value output to I/O port 80h.The BIOS outputs checkp oints throughout bootblock and Power-On Self T est (POST) to indicate th e task the system is currently executing. Checkpoint sare very useful in aiding software developers or te chnicians in debug ging problems that occur during the [...]

Chapter 4 49 DA Restore CPUID value back into register . Give control to BIOS POST (ExecutePOSTKernel). See POST Code Checkpoints section of document for more information. DC System is waking from ACPI S3 st ate. E1-E8 EC- EE OEM memory detection/configuration error . Th is range is reserve d fo r chipset vendors & system manufacturers. The er [...]

50 Chapter 4 Bootblock Recover y Code Checkpoints The Bootblock recovery code gets control when the BIOS determines that a BIOS recovery needs to occur because the user has forced the upda te or the BIOS checksum is corrupt . The following table des cribes the type of checkpoints that may occur during th e Bootblock recovery portion of the BIOS. NO[...]

Chapter 4 51 BIOS Recovery 1. This function only effects when the BIOS BootBlock section is healthy . 2. Allow to execute recovery function media: FDD / USB storage / ODD. 3. The recovery media to support Boot fu nction is unnecessary . 4. Recovery step as follow: 4-1. Copy the latest BIOS ROM file to th e root directory of recovery media. 4-2. Ren[...]

Chapter 5 52 M/B Placement Jumper and Connector Information Chapter 5[...]

53 Chapter 5 LABEL COMPONENTS 1. CPU Socket Supports the LGA1 156 Intel L ynnfield/Havendale/Clarkdale processors 2. CPU_F AN CPU cooling fan connector 3. DIMM1~4 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM slots(Chann el A: DIMM4, DIMM2 Channel B: DIMM3, DIMM1) * Single Channel Mode: DIMM2 must be populated. * Dual Channel Mode: DIMM2 and DIMM1 must be populated. 4. GPIO0[...]

Chapter 5 54 Jumper Setting The section explains how to set jumper fo r correct configuration of the mainboard. Setting Jumper Use the motherboard jumpers to set system config uration options. Jump ers with more Than one pin are numbered. When setting the jumpers, ensure th at the jump er caps are Placed on the correct pins. Checking Jumper Setting[...]

55 Chapter 5 Connecting Optional Devices Refer to the following for information on connecting the mo therboard’s optional devices: SATA1~6: Serial ATA connectors These connectors are used to support the new Serial A T A devices for the highest data transfer rates (3.0 Gb/s), si mpler disk drive cabling and easier PC assembly . It eliminates limit[...]

Chapter 5 56 have this kind of case, use auxiliary USB connector to connect the front-mounted ports to the motherboard. Please make sure that the USB cable has the same pin assignment as indicated above. A different pin assignment may cause damage or system hang-up. COM2: Onboard serial port header Connect a serial port e xtension bracke t to this [...]

57 Chapter 5 C_INTRUSION: Chassis detect header This detects if the chassis cover has been removed. This function needs a chassis equipped with intrusion detection switch and needs to be enabled in BIOS. INT_SPK1: Internal speaker OBR: Button recovery jumper PRINTER: Oboard parallel port header Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name 1 +5V 2 KEY 3 SPDIF 4 [...]

Chapter 5 58 TPM: TPM Module Header This header allows user to protect the PC from impermissible visit. SPI_DEBUG: SPI_DEBUG header 9 PD7 10 ACK 1 1 BUSY 12 PE 13 SLCT 14 ALF 15 ERROR 16 INTT 17 SLCTIN 18 Ground 19 Ground 20 Ground 21 Ground 22 Ground 23 Ground 24 Ground 25 Ground 26 NC Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name 1 CK_P_33M_T PM 2 GND 3 FWH4 4[...]

59 Chapter 5 GPIO0~1: Button recovery jumper 5 VCC 6 CLK 7 GND 8 DO Pin Signal Name 1G P 3 6 ( G P 1 6 ) 2G N D Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name[...]

chapter 6 60 This chapter offers the FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) list in global config uration of the Aspire M3910(G) desktop computer . Refer to this chapter whenever orderin g the parts to repair or for RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization). NOTES: • When ordering FR U parts, check the most up-to-dat e information availa ble on your region al[...]

61 Chapter 6 Aspire M3910(G) Exploded Diagram(AM350-ASSY) NOTE: This section will be update d when more information becomes availab le. ITEM NAME Q’TY ITEM NAME Q’TY 1 CHASSIS ASM 1 4 HDD BRACKET 1 2T O P - C O V E R 15S I D E C O V E R 1 3 FRONT BEZEL 1 6 POWER 1[...]

Chapter 6 62 Aspire M3910(G) Exploded Diagram(AM351-ASSY) NOTE: This section will be update d when more information becomes availab le. ITEM NAME Q’TY ITEM NAME Q’TY 1 CHASSIS ASM 1 5 HDD BRACKET 1 2T O P - C O V E R 16S I D E C O V E R 1 3 REMOV ABLE HDD BRACKET 1 7 POW ER 1 4 FRONT BEZEL[...]

63 Chapter 6 Aspire M3910(G) FRU List Components Model Name or Key Spec. Acer P/N MB Kit MB Kit aSampras EIH57MK for M3 Intel H57 Realtek RTL81 1 1E Giga LAN A TX W/O 1394 LF w/i D-Sub+HDMI port MB.SDX07.002 Chassis Hon Hai Chassis MicroA TX HM 090G with front USB 4 port for Aspire AM350 bezel HS.13100.1 16 Hon Hai Chassis MicroA TX HM090J w/i 3.5&[...]

Chapter 6 64 CPU CPU Intel Core i7 870 LGA 2.93G 8M 1333 1 156 95W B-1 Quad Core KC.87001.CI7 CPU Intel Core i7 860 LGA 2.8G 8M 1333 1 156 95W B-1 Quad Core KC.86001.CI7 CPU Intel Core i5 750 LGA 2.66G 8M 1333 1 156 95W B-1 KC.75001.CI5 CPU Intel Core i5 670 LGA 3.46G 4M 1333 1 156 C-2 73W , Dual Core KC.67001.CI5 CPU Intel Core i5 661 LGA 3.33G 4M[...]

65 Chapter 6 ODD TOSHIBA DVD-ROM HH DL 16X TS-H353C LF Black Bezel SA T A (HF+Win7) KV .01601.001 GH-41F(H/F) Win7 non-Labelflash KU.0160D.049 DH-16AASH (H/F) Win7 non- Labelflash KU.0160F .009 ODD TOSHIBA Super-Multi DRIVE HH DL 16X TS-H653G LF Black Bezel SA T A (HF+Win7) KU.01601.007 DH-4O3S Win7 KV .0040F .002 ODD HLDS BD COMBO HH 6X CH10N Blac[...]

Chapter 6 66 Lite-On PCI Modem card, D-1 156I#/A7A, LSI Universal Modem (PCI) 56K V .92 - Pinball ( P40) FX.10100.004 WLAN WP81R1, WLAN PCI Card 802.1 1b/g/n 1T x 2R, Realtek RTL8190 NI.10200.021 WN7600R, WLAN PCI-Ex1 card 802.1 1 b/g/n 1T x 2R, Ralink 1T x 2R, RT2790+R T2720 NI.10200.008 WN7601R, Ralink RT3090, 802.1 1b/g/n 1x1 WLAN PCI-E x1 ca rd[...]