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SGI Visual Workstation 230 General Maintenance

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SGI Visual Workstation 230 system board layout (User's Guide Figure 3-1)
The 230's M23D system board (SGI User's Guide, Figure 3-1): processor socket U3, DIMM sockets, battery BT1 at the top left, AGP and PCI slots

Routine care for the SGI Visual Workstation 230, from SGI's Silicon Graphics 230 Visual Workstation User's Guide (007-4263-001).[1] The 230 is a conventional ATX-style PC in an SGI tower. Everything inside it is changed with the procedures in chapter 2 of the guide: drives, the power supply, the three fans, expansion cards, the system board and the I/O panel gasket, with the processor and memory in chapter 3.[2] The SGI Visual Workstation 330 uses the same chassis, and its fans, drive bays and side panel come out the same way.[3]

Before you start

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  • Turn the system off and unplug the mains cable from the wall and from the power supply before opening the side panel.[2]
  • Follow SGI's ESD precautions: leave parts in their antistatic bags until needed, keep them off carpet, and wear a wrist strap connected to a grounded point on the system.[4]
  • The power supply is switch-selectable for 110 V or 220 V. Check the setting before plugging in the mains cable.[5]
  • The processor heat sink gets very hot in use; do not touch it with your hands or with metal while the system is on.[4]

Opening the case

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  1. Undo the two thumbscrews on the back of the case.
  2. Slide the side panel towards the rear and lift it away.
  3. For the front drives, also remove the bezel: release its four tabs by lifting them out of the chassis while pulling the bezel away, then swing it off.

[2] To refit the bezel, locate its four tabs on the right of the chassis and swing it closed; refit the side panel by placing it on the lower chassis rail and sliding it forward into place.[6] A padlock can be fitted through the locking loop, which is stored in a slot inside the case.[6]

Cleaning and airflow

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The 230 is cooled by three fans: the front fan draws air in, and the fan on the rear panel and the fan in the power supply push it out.[5] SGI's site advice is to keep the machine where airflow is unrestricted and the area is free of dust.[5] With the side panel off and the system unplugged, clear dust from the front fan, the rear fan, the processor fan and heat sink, and the power supply grille.

Replacing the rear fan

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  1. Remove the side panel and lay the system on its right side on a padded surface.
  2. Unplug the fan cable from the system board.
  3. Find the two fan release buttons on the inside of the rear panel. Push one with a pointed tool such as a Phillips screwdriver while pulling the fan upwards until the button clears its notch, then do the same with the other.
  4. Fit the new fan with its four retaining pins in their holes and the release buttons at the top, press it down until both buttons click, and reconnect the cable.

[7]

Replacing the front fan

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  1. Remove the side panel and the bezel, and unplug the front fan cable from the system board.
  2. Remove the fan screw on the front panel, then release the three clips holding the fan's plastic frame, one at a time, while holding the frame from inside the chassis.
  3. To take the fan out of the frame, lay the frame face down, press the centre of the fan and release the four retaining clips one at a time.
  4. Fit the new fan with its cable beside the slot in the frame, pass the connector through the hole next to the slot, push the frame onto its guide pins until the clips snap, and reconnect the cable.

[7]

Power supply

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SGI's guide warns that the supply may hold dangerous voltages even when unplugged and has no user-serviceable parts, and treats it as a unit to swap.[8] To remove it:

  1. Unplug the mains cable and remove the side panel.
  2. Disconnect the supply's cables from the system board and from the 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch drives.
  3. Remove the two screws on the rear panel.
  4. Lay the system on its right side on a padded surface and remove the screw on the inside of the upper panel.
  5. Pull the supply out without touching other parts.

Fit the replacement with the system still on its side, refit the inside screw and the two rear screws, and reconnect the system board, hard disk, CD-ROM and floppy cables.[8] See SGI Visual Workstation 230 Capacitor Replacement Guide for the capacitors inside it.

Memory and processor

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The three DIMM sockets take 3.3 V, 133 MHz ECC registered SDRAM DIMMs of 64, 128, 256 or 512 MB, to a maximum of 1.5 GB. The sockets are independent, so DIMMs of different capacity can be mixed, but SGI warns against mixing 100 MHz and 133 MHz SDRAM. Press each DIMM in until the holding clips close; release them outwards to remove it. The BIOS finds the memory by itself; run Setup to check the total.[4]

The Pentium III sits in socket U3. Pin 1 (the notched corner) goes to hole 1, and the socket lever locks it. The fan and heat sink clip onto the socket with a metal bracket, and its 3-pin and 2-pin cables plug into the board.[4] SGI says the processor frequency is set automatically and the JPX1 frequency table is for service technicians only.[4]

Battery and BIOS settings

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The BIOS settings are kept in battery-backed CMOS RAM; the battery is BT1 on the system board.[4][9] SGI's guide tells owners to write down the Setup values while the system is working properly, because an incorrect configuration is a major cause of power-on errors.[9] Setup is entered by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Esc during the power-on self-test.[9] If "Run Setup" messages keep appearing, or the BIOS reports "CMOS Battery Bad", replace the lithium battery.[9] If the cell has leaked, see Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage.

System board removal

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  1. Remove the side panel and lay the system on its right side on a padded surface.
  2. Remove all expansion cards and disconnect all cables from the board.
  3. Loosen the single system board screw.
  4. Pull the board away from the I/O gasket and lift it out.
  5. To fit a board, mount the retaining bracket on it, hang it on its standoff hooks, secure the screw onto the bracket, and reconnect the cables.

[10]

Maintenance checklist

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  1. Check the voltage switch matches the mains supply.
  2. Vacuum dust from the three fans, the processor heat sink and the power supply grille.
  3. Check that all three fans spin when the system is on.
  4. Reseat the DIMMs and check the processor heat sink bracket is locked.
  5. Record the BIOS Setup values.
  6. Replace the CMOS battery if the clock or settings are lost.
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References

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  1. ↑ Silicon Graphics, Inc., Silicon Graphics 230 Visual Workstation User's Guide, 007-4263-001, March 2000 (File:SGI Visual Workstation 230 User's Guide (007-4263-001).pdf).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 15-17. Customer replaceable components; removing the side panel and bezel.
  3. ↑ Silicon Graphics, Inc., Silicon Graphics 330 Visual Workstation User's Guide, 007-4278-001, June 2000, pp. 1-8 and 15-53 (File:SGI Visual Workstation 330 User's Guide (007-4278-001).pdf). Same chassis, drive bays and fan arrangement.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 57-71. M23D board, memory, processor installation, ESD precautions, JPX1.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 1-8. Fans, power supply voltage switch, site requirements.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 50-56. Securing the system and post-installation instructions.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 32-38. Replacing the rear and front system fans.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 29-31. Replacing the power supply.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 72-75, Table 3-4. Error messages, Setup key, CMOS battery.
  10. ↑ SGI, 007-4263-001, pp. 43-47. Replacing the system board.


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