Reference Guide

DELL CONFIDENTIAL Page 2
Restricted - Confidential
Description
Reference
Designator
Volatility Description
User Accessible
for external data
Remedial Action
(action necessary to
lose data)
Video
memory –
type – see
next column
UMA
architecture-
uses system
DDR3.
Discrete
graphics
systems use
gDDR3 (UV3-
UV6) for frame
buffer
Volatile memory in off state.
512MB gDDR3 for Discrete
Graphics systems. UMA uses
main system memory size
allocated out of main memory.
No
Enter S3-S5 state
below.
Security
Controller
Serial Flash
Memory
U36
Non Volatile memory, 16 Mbit
(2Mbyte)
No
NA
Security
Controller
U33
128K byte ROM
128K bit one time
programmable
No
NA
Hard drive
User replaceable
Non Volatile magnetic media,
various sizes in GB
Yes
Low level format
CD-
ROM/RW/
DVD/
DVD+RW/
Diskette
Drives
User replaceable
Non Volatile optical/magnetic
media
Yes
Low level format /
erase
All other components on the motherboard will lose data once power is removed from the system. Primary power
loss (Unplug the power cord and remove the battery) will destroy all user data on the memory (DDR3, 1333MHz).
Secondary power loss (removing the on board coincell battery) will destroy system data on the system
configuration and time-of-day information.
In addition, to clarify memory volatility and data retention in situations where the system is put in different ACPI
power states the following is provided (those ACPI power states are S0, S1, S3, S4 and S5):
S0 state is the working state where the dynamic RAM is maintained and is read/write by the processor.
S1 state is a low wake-up latency sleeping state. In this state, no system context is lost (CPU or chip set)
and hardware maintains all system contexts.
S3 is called “suspend to RAM” state or stand-by mode. In this state the dynamic RAM is maintained. Dell
systems will be able to go to S3 if the OS and the peripherals used in the system supports S3 state.
Ubuntu, Win XP, Vista and Win 7 support S3 state.
S4 is called “suspend to disk” state or “hibernate” mode. There is no power. In this state, the dynamic
RAM is not maintained. If the system has been commanded to enter S4, the OS will write the system
context to a non-volatile storage file and leave appropriate context markers. When the system is coming
back to the working state, a restore file from the non-volatile storage can occur. The restore file has to be
valid. Dell systems will be able to go to S4 if the OS and the peripherals support S4 state. Win XP, Vista
and Win 7 support S4 state.