Help! Is my computer dying?!

[Gryffindorian]

This is so frustrating ... Using my smartphone right after two failed attempts on my tablet to access the BBS.

I fear my Dell XPS 710, which I originally got in early 2007, has reached the end of its life. Specs: Windows Vista OS, 2.4 GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 2 GB RAM, 750 GB hard drive, and N Vidia GE Force graphics card.

The problem is that the computer is not responding and doesn't boot up. Even when I press Ctrl Alt Del or try to get into the system BIOS, nothing happens. When I press the power button, the button just blinks in amber, but the monitor remains blank. The fan is on, and I can hear the CPU humming. I tap the mouse and keyboard; no response. All cable connections appear to be secure.

After I checked the manual and looked up some info online, all I found was some reference to the the internal power supply.

Can anyone help? I'm thinking about taking it to the Geek Squad, but I don't how much the repair would cost or if it would even be worth it. Would I be better off buying a new PC? What say you?

 

[ares93]

I need to know the graphics card. The 2006-08 geforce cards were prone to overheating.

Power systems, graphics card, ram and screen. In that order.

Connect it to an external screen to diagnose the graphics and screen.
Remove the battery and attempt to boot with only the charger.
Replace ram modules with known working ones.

The xps is a very good computer, even old as it is. But personally i dont think its worth to fix unless you can do it for cheap.

Edit: spelling. Bloody iphone

 

[Roger Wilco]

Sounds like a problem with the monitor or possibly the connection with the graphic card to me, not the computer.

eta: first thing I'd try is, hooking up a differnt monitor cable.

 

[Australis]

To me it sounds like the power supply, if things aren't getting up to speed.

 

[Count Zero]

I'm not sure your computer is actually booting. Take a good look at your motherboard, especially at the capacitators surrounding the CPU. I once had a similar problem and it turned out one of them had basically melted. I had to get a new board and CPU.

 

[Captain Ice]

Sorry man, but it sounds like you have a bad motherboard in there.

I'd try ares and Roger Wilcos suggestions just on the off chance that one of them was right. If you had a power supply problem, i highly doubt that you would get even the amber light. I've had quite a number of those go over the years and when that happens, the computer does absolutely nothing.

 

[ares93]

We shouldn't forget that the Geforce cards of that era burned themselves out quite easily.

 

[Starbreaker]

I would try hooking up to an external monitor first and seeing if you can get any kind of visual too. I had my monitor's power supply die last year.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Thanks all for your feedback.

I just got back from BB Geek Squad where a technician did a visual inspection of the interior of the tower. I told him about the blinking amber light and no signal coming from the PC. He did say that the problem was with the power supply unit. He looked at the motherboard and showed me that it was intact and couldn't be the problem. He said since it's a Dell XPS, the parts are proprietary and I'd have to order the parts myself. They would, however, be able to install them for me for a fee of $50.

The tech said the average price of the PSU is around $120. A website confirmed this, and when I called Dell just now, the sales rep initially quoted me $204 then lowered it to $150. I'm still looking around and may just order the lower price and have BB install the parts for me.

 

[Count Zero]

I don't think installing a power supply unit is difficult. You can do that yourself.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I don't think installing a power supply unit is difficult. You can do that yourself.

They only "hard" part is routing all the appropriate plugs.

And it's not so much hard as it is annoyingly tedious.

It is possible to just connect everything and be done, but that abates airflow which has a surprising negative effect on cooling--sometimes as much as 10-12 degrees C depending on the case.

 

[Australis]

Thanks all for your feedback.

I just got back from BB Geek Squad where a technician did a visual inspection of the interior of the tower. I told him about the blinking amber light and no signal coming from the PC. He did say that the problem was with the power supply unit.

Ahem.

 

[Gryffindorian]

^ Yes, thank you.

ares, I changed the graphics card last year when I started to have problems with the video quality. I believe it's NVIDIA GE Force 440 (?), so it couldn't have been the problem, having been recently installed.

Sorry, guys, I'm not really very technical and couldn't do the installation even if my life depended on it.

I'm also considering getting a new system entirely.

 

[ares93]

I highly doubt its a GF440. Even dell wouldn't be stupid enough to put that gpu in a high performance system. The 440 is utter and complete rubbish beyond comprehension. My guess is Geforce 7800 or 8800 series. That was the standard for gaming PC's back then.

I was under the mistaken impression that you meant the notebook xps. Anyway, the psu installation is straight forward. You can't bugger it up.

But, (there is always a but) as you said, you're not very technical. And by your own admission you lack the skill to modify a PSU to work with a the XPS. And Dell will rob you if you want their proprietary PSU. I'd say, if you can find a working used PSU, fix it up. Otherwise a computer with similar or better specs isn't that horribly expensive.

The XPS series is senselessly overpriced. Only reason i have one is that the previous owner was sold it to me for a fraction of what it was worth. 50 bucks for new ram and it was good to go. It was deemed unsalvageable by the local it tech. Idiots both of them. One for being incompetent and the other for believing him. You dont trash a 2000€ system without a second opinion.

 

[farmkid]

Oh, you can do it, as long as you have a screwdriver. I'm not familiar with your system in particular, but in most cases, there are just 4 screws to take out and a few cables to unplug. Then do the reverse to put it back in. With PSUs, you can't connect anything wrong. The various plugs will only fit where they go and nowhere else. Go ahead, open it up and have a look.

As for the cost, there's a decent chance that the PSU conforms to industry standards. If so, you don't have to get it from Dell; you could get a standard one from somewhere else for as little as $20 (although you might want to go with a little better one than what you would get for $20).

Also, based on your description of the problem, I'm not convinced it's the PSU. It certainly could be, but a visual inspection of the motherboard is not enough to rule it out. In my experience, Geek Squad guys aren't generally any smarter about this stuff than what you'll find here at TrekBBS. If someone who actually looked at the computer said it's the PSU, that's certainly a good place to start, but don't be surprised if it's something else. Electronic components can look fine and be dead as a doornail. In fact, I bought a motherboard on eBay a couple weeks ago that looked pristine, but acted exactly like what you're describing.

 

[Gryffindorian]

It's really served me well for the past five years. It's probably the longest time I've held on to a PC. I believe the original graphics card was a GE Force FX 7950, definitely a higher-end card. The 440 was a cheaper one I settled for last year because I don't really play a lot of games nowadays. I used to play City of Heroes/City of Villains, which has very minimal system requirements. These days I play mostly Sims 3, if I ever get bored.

EDIT:

I've been looking online for replacement parts. I'm a little bit concerned that the ones I can find are mostly refurbished items, which may not be so reliable.

Link

 

[Gryffindorian]

OMG!!! I can't freaking believe this!!! My Dell XPS is back in working order!!! I don't know how this happened!!! It's been unplugged for a few days, then I plug it back in, turn it on, and here I am!!! Oohmigosh!!! And here I was getting ready to go to Best Buy to shop for a new system!!!

It's alive, IT'S ALIVE!!!

 

[ares93]

OMG!!! I can't freaking believe this!!! My Dell XPS is back in working order!!! I don't know how this happened!!! It's been unplugged for a few days, then I plug it back in, turn it on, and here I am!!! Oohmigosh!!! And here I was getting ready to go to Best Buy to shop for a new system!!!

It's alive, IT'S ALIVE!!!

What happened before it died? Did you have a power outage or something similar? That's sound awfully lot like the fuse in the PSU. When there is power surge i the PSU, it disconnects the power and it takes a while for it to "resurrect". Its happened to me a few times when i was feeling clumsy.

 

[Gryffindorian]

OMG!!! I can't freaking believe this!!! My Dell XPS is back in working order!!! I don't know how this happened!!! It's been unplugged for a few days, then I plug it back in, turn it on, and here I am!!! Oohmigosh!!! And here I was getting ready to go to Best Buy to shop for a new system!!!

It's alive, IT'S ALIVE!!!

What happened before it died? Did you have a power outage or something similar? That's sound awfully lot like the fuse in the PSU. When there is power surge i the PSU, it disconnects the power and it takes a while for it to "resurrect". Its happened to me a few times when i was feeling clumsy.

Well, my six-year-old nephew had been playing Angry Birds on Google Chrome for over an hour before I decided to shut down the machine.

 

[Methos]

Windows Vista OS

there... i think we've identified your problem lol

M