Personal Computer User Manual
Table Of Contents
- Contents
- Finding Information
- Setting Up and Using Your Computer
- Front View of the Computer
- Back View of the Computer
- Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure
- Setting Up a Printer
- Playing CDs and DVDs
- Copying CDs and DVDs
- Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)
- Connecting Two Monitors
- Power Management Options in Windows XP
- Power Management Options in Windows Vista
- Enabling SpeedStep™ Technology
- About RAID Configurations
- Transferring Information to a New Computer
- Setting Up a Home and Office Network
- Connecting to the Internet
- Solving Problems
- Troubleshooting Tips
- Battery Problems
- Drive Problems
- E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems
- Error Messages
- Keyboard Problems
- Lockups and Software Problems
- Media Card Reader Problems
- Memory Problems
- Mouse Problems
- Network Problems
- Power Problems
- Printer Problems
- Scanner Problems
- Sound and Speaker Problems
- Video and Monitor Problems
- Troubleshooting Tools
- Removing and Installing Parts
- Appendix
- Glossary
- Index
40 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Enabling SpeedStep™ Technology
SpeedStep technology controls your computer's processor performance
automatically, dynamically adjusting the operating frequency and voltage,
according to the task at hand. When an application does not require full
performance, significant amounts of power can be saved. Performance is
designed to still be responsive, with maximum processor performance being
delivered when required, and automatic power savings when possible.
Windows Vista automatically sets Intel Speedstep technologies in the Dell
Recommended, Balanced, and Power Saver power plans. It is disabled in the
High Performance power plan.
About RAID Configurations
This section provides an overview of the RAID configuration that you might
have selected when you purchased your computer. Although several RAID
configurations are available, Dell offers only RAID level 1 for its Vostro
computers. RAID level 1 configuration is recommended for the data integrity
requirements of digital photography and audio.
The Intel RAID controller on your computer can only create a RAID volume
using two physical drives. If a third drive is present, then that drive cannot be
made part of a RAID volume using the Intel RAID configuration program,
although it can be used as a spare drive in a RAID 1 configuration (see
"Creating a Spare Hard Drive" on page 46). However, if four drives are present
in your computer, then each pair of drives can be set as a RAID level 1
volume. The drives should be the same size in order to ensure that the larger
drive does not contain unallocated (and therefore unusable) space.
RAID Level 1 Configuration
RAID level 1 uses a data-redundancy storage technique known as "mirroring."
When data is written to the primary drive, it is then duplicated, or mirrored,
on the other drive. A RAID level 1 configuration sacrifices high data access
rates for its data redundancy advantages.