On 6 Mar 2008 01:02:15 GMT, Dave Hinz wrote:

On Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:01:26 -0500, clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada clare wrote:

It's over 1 1/2 years old - replace the power supply.

What do you base that statement on please?

If that doesn't fix it, it's a Dell - throw it away and get a REAL
computer.

I've been inside a lot of systems, never had a problem or complaint with
Dell's build quality - after all, they're using the same commodity-grade
parts most other builders are using.

The advice to replug all the connectors makes good sense. Not sure that
if the fans are spinning up at all, that it makes sense to suspect the
power supply.


The major problem I have had over the last 10 years or so (since ATX
took over) has been power supplies.
AT power supplies, and PC before them, usually lasted five or more
years. Very often a WHOLE LOT more.
I am seeing flakey and failed power supplies within warranty on many
consumer grade systems - and a whole lot more that fail just out of
warranty. ANd they fail on the "professional grade" stuff too. Often
exactly the same power supply.

As far as DELL is concerned, their consumer grade stuff is definitely
more troublesome in my experience than a lot of others. Add to that
the fact their "restore disks" very often do not have all the required
drivers for the system they are supplied with. (e-machine stuff is
every bit as bad). Their laptops have been more trouble than the
desktops. (also true of HP/Compaq)
When they sell on price, you cannot expect any more than that.
Yes, the "proffessional grade" stuff is better but I'm not a great fan
of the company or it's products.
And I deal with systems every day.
Power supplies are the biggest problem, no matter what manufacturer,
followed by hard drives and RAM. With the exception of AMD processors,
I have not had a CPU problem in over 5 years (except one on the ASUS
board referenced below). With the exception of AMD specific boards and
DELL computers, I have only had 3 motherboard failures in the last 5
years, and 2 were DOA. The other was an ASUS board owned by a client
who has the damndest luck with ANYTHING technical. Ended up with the
motherboard, processor and power supply dead on that one and I suspect
the power supply was the culprit but could not prove it. Replacing ANY
TWO of the three parts would NOT get the system running. Could be the
motherboard went out and killed the PS, but that doesn't exactly
explain the CPU.

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