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Dell XPS 600 Power Supply
I've got a Dell XPS 600 on the bench. The PC will not boot, even from a CD. When I turn the power on, the power switch shows yellow and the monitor also has the yellow power button. I don't even get to the BIOS. All the fans run when I start the PC. I've replaced the video card but it still doesn't work. I've replaced the hard drive, but no joy. This model has the power supply attached under the case with dual fans. I don't even have a power supply tester for this model. It has a 24 pin connector to the motherboard. I priced new power supplies for this model and they run around $90.00 plus shipping for a refurb. Is there a way I can test the power supply to see if it is defective? Do they make a tester for this kind of connection?
jamietoner
In the power button led solid amber or blinking amber?
Also are any of the diag lights on?
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps600/en/SM/adtshoot.htm#wp1053861
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps600/en/SM/adtshoot.htm#wp1053861
ASKER
The power button is solid amber. No diag lights on. The motherboard light is on.
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ASKER
I appreciate everyone's help. I'm gonna try these solutions tomorrow. My customer is out of town for 3 weeks, so I've got time to find the problem and fix it. I'll keep everyone informed.
ASKER
Well...I've tried all these suggestions, but no joy. Capacitors on motherboard look OK. The power supply tests fine. However, I know, from personal experience, that a power supply may test OK when in fact, there is a problem. The number 4 diagnostic light is on, but all the others are not. I checked the documents provided, but there was nothing there to tell me what this means. Is there anything else I can do to determine, for sure, that the power supply is bad (short of ordering a new one)?
As you know, the fact a PSU tests ok with a tester isn't an absolute indiation that it's good. Since this unit uses a standard ATX supply, I'd hook in another supply before trying anything else ... simply because it's the easiest thing to eliminate.
If I understand your comment r.e. the diagnostic light configuration, there's nothing shown in Dell's service manual for the XPS 600 that matches that sequence (only #4 on) ... as you can see here:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps600/en/SM/adtshoot.htm#wp1053861
If another PSU doesn't power up the system, you almost certainly have either a failed motherboard or CPU.
If I understand your comment r.e. the diagnostic light configuration, there's nothing shown in Dell's service manual for the XPS 600 that matches that sequence (only #4 on) ... as you can see here:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps600/en/SM/adtshoot.htm#wp1053861
If another PSU doesn't power up the system, you almost certainly have either a failed motherboard or CPU.
Usually getting a diag led code thats not suppose to happen indicates a bad motherboard.
I don't disagree with jamietoner but a lot of 'bad motherboards' are bad because the power supply was sending out 'dirty' power ('dirty' = (can be) the correct DC voltage but full of AC voltage fluctuations, aka: 'noise/ripple'.)
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Noisy power will overheat chips and caps on the motherboard and eventually it will cause them to fail even if the PSU never goes out of range on the DC volts.
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PSU checkers and multi-meters only check basic DC volts because they have too slow a response time to even detect noise or ripple voltages. (Need an oscilloscope to detect that.)
So try that PSU swap gary suggested before you go writing off the MoBo.
... And if the MoBo is bad then don't assume the PSU is good because you may slowly kill the next motherboard with it.
.
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Noisy power will overheat chips and caps on the motherboard and eventually it will cause them to fail even if the PSU never goes out of range on the DC volts.
-
PSU checkers and multi-meters only check basic DC volts because they have too slow a response time to even detect noise or ripple voltages. (Need an oscilloscope to detect that.)
So try that PSU swap gary suggested before you go writing off the MoBo.
... And if the MoBo is bad then don't assume the PSU is good because you may slowly kill the next motherboard with it.
.