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Dell XPS 2710 All-In-One Won't Boot, Screen Completely Blank
Hi. This is my first post on the forums and I hope someone can help me.
The Dell XPS 2710 All-In-One that I bought for my 10-year-old son 15 months ago (yes, that means the warranty is expired) will not boot. No post, no beep, nothing. Just a brief flicker of light on the screen, no words, nothing. The machine gets casual use and there is nothing to indicate what could have caused the problem. I did not upgrade the BIOS recently, so it's not like it was a bad BIOS upgrade or anything. I've tried hitting the F1, the F2, the F12, and the DEL keys during boot. No result.
The video is working. I know this because I can connect my laptop to the HDMI-in port and I can see the desktop of my laptop just fine. So the issue is NOT the video. My son uses this machine for homework and occasional movies in his room. I would like to fix the computer if I can. I am handy with computers and built several machines from the ground-up in the past.
I believe the most likely scenario is that the motherboard has gone bad; there are numerous posts around the internet about the 2710 AIO motherboards being unreliable. I saw a posting on the Dell forums from a guy who said Dell Tech Support replaced his 2710 motherboard five times. I see some of these motherboards selling on eBay for around $200. I'm toying with the idea of getting one. I've looked at the service manual for the 2710 and I'm fairly confident I could replace the board.
Has anyone had experience with swapping out their motherboard on a 2710 AIO? Or does anyone have any ideas about what else the problem with my son's computer could be? I appreciate any advice/help that someone could offer.
mjfoxtrot
12 Posts
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January 12th, 2014 00:00
mjfoxtrot
12 Posts
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January 26th, 2014 17:00
Follow-up: Success! I replaced the motherboard today, and the machine lives again. Everything boots fine and I see the Dell logo on boot, and once I adjusted the BIOS to recognize the RAID configuration on the machine, Windows 7 fired up no problem.
My assessment is that the problem on the old motherboard was failure of the on-board video. The motherboard itself was working, but the video was not. Since the video was part of the motherboard, the only option was to replace the board, and once I did that, everything is working again.
It cost me a total of $210 to replace the motherboard, which I bought from a third-party. The 2XMCT motherboards are also sold every now and then on eBay. Dell tried to sell me the motherboard for $515 plus shipping, which I refused.
The price that Dell had quoted me six months ago on an extended warranty was $360, which I also refused. So, I feel like I came out ahead on the deal. While I was awaiting the new motherboard to be shipped, I hooked up an HDMI cable from my laptop to the HDMI-in on the 2710 so my son could use the gorgeous 27-inch screen. So he was always able to use the monitor, and now the computer inside is fixed, too.
For those that ever want to replace the motherboard on an all-in-one, it's not too bad. Things are compact in there, and you probably shouldn't try it unless you feel comfortable with taking a computer apart.
The only real negative in the whole experience was, early on I made the mistake of contacting Dell to ask them if they would give me a discount on a replacement motherboard, since I have been a good Dell customer for 20 years and the $2,000 all-in-one was only 15 months old. They are a heartless, ignorant, and English-challenged bunch. My days with buying Dell are over. Just go to Dell's Facebook page and read the thousands of complaints from their customers about how bad Dell treats them. I consider myself lucky to be able to fix a computer myself, but I feel sorry for all the people that Dell leaves out in the cold.
mjfoxtrot
12 Posts
2
April 8th, 2017 01:00
I'm the original poster who created this thread, and it has been quite a while since I have logged on to read the many responses in the last few years. I thought I would post some follow-up thoughts:
-- It's nearly three and a half years after I installed a replacement motherboard, and everything is still running perfect on my son's 2710 All-In-One. The machine is rock-solid with the replacement 2XMCT motherboard.
-- I agree with posters who say that it is bunk that Win10 could brick a motherboard. That's absurd. I run Win7, Win10, and Ubuntu Linux on my 2710 and all three operating systems boot up fine and have not given me any trouble.
-- Several people have asked me where I bought the 2XMCT motherboard three years ago, and it was a computer parts retailer whose name escapes me now. It was a refurbished motherboard. From what I have seen, these motherboards are hard to come by and were in limited supply from Dell, so I'm sure the place I bought it from wouldn't have any more of them anyway. eBay is probably your best bet. Also, PekkaK's successful experience with the 3VTJ7 motherboard as a replacement sounds right. I remember researching the 3VTJ7 back when I was having my problem, and it appeared to be compatible. I didn't get that motherboard, though, simply because I found a replacement 2XMCT. But based on PekkaK's good advice, I would say the 3VTJ7 is a viable option for 2710 owners, and I think it sells for a more reasonable price on eBay.
-- For what it is worth, the BIOS I am running on my son's 2XMCT board is Dell's official version A06, with a date of 8/3/2012. That is not the most current BIOS, but since it has been running stable for over 40 months now, I am in the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mind set.
-- The only other issue I have had to fix on the machine was a hard-drive failure a few years ago. I think Dell shipped these units with lousy motherboards and hard drives, based on my experience.
-- That being said, the 2710 has been a great machine, once I fixed it. The 27-inch screen is beautiful and the machine runs quiet and smooth. These machines are worth fixing because of the elegant screen, all-in-one convenience, and the still-powerful quadcore i7 processor.
-- My opinion about Dell tech support/sales has not changed. They are awful, and I have never called them again. I admit that I have bought a couple of Dell laptops in the last few years, mainly because I find Dell prices to be pretty competitive. So, you can get decent prices from Dell on new machines, but just don't expect any humanity from them if you ever have to call. Spare yourself the grief and just fix the machine yourself.
Best of luck to all 2710 owners.
osprey4
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34.2K Posts
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January 11th, 2014 04:00
Hi mjfoxtrot,
The normal diagnostic procedure in a case like this is to disconnect the hard drive and remove the RAM, then try to boot the system. With the RAM removed, you should get a POST failure of two beeps.
mjfoxtrot
12 Posts
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January 11th, 2014 12:00
mjfoxtrot
12 Posts
0
January 12th, 2014 02:00
osprey4
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January 12th, 2014 03:00
The two beeps are a good sign. I would connect an external display and check if you see anything during boot.
mjfoxtrot
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January 12th, 2014 22:00
The only option I have for connecting an external display is via HDMI-out. I connected a working HDMI cable to the HDMI-out on the Dell 2710 to the HDMI-in on a 21-inch external monitor. I turned the monitor on, then turned on the Dell 2710. No dice, no video. I double-checked the HDMI cable and the HDMI-in port on the monitor. Both are working perfectly.
Even when the Dell 2710 AIO is working perfectly, I don't really believe there is any way to see a BIOS screen on an external monitor via the HDMI-out on the 2710. I think the HDMI video out only works if you are in Windows.
Last night I opened up the 2710 and took an extensive look around. Everything looks fine. All three fans spin. As I mentioned before, the HDMI-in works via my laptop, so the video ports on the back of the machine seem to be working fine. I get the two beeps when I take the RAM out and disconnect the hard drive, so it seems to at least be trying to POST.
Also, as per the manual's instructions, I cleared the CMOS settings by moving the CMOS reset jumper pins on the motherboard, then moving them back after about 20 seconds. This had no effect. I also removed the lithium battery for about 20 minutes, then re-inserted it (correctly.) Again, no effect.
As long as I was inside the machine, I took out the hard drive so I could get all my son's school work files off the machine. I was able to recover everything and the Seagate drive seems to be in good condition. While I was in there, I saw the Dell setup file for BIOS A10, dated January 2013, that I installed at that time.
There's got to be an explanation as to why it won't boot up. I've been working with building/fixing computers for 20 years and I'm rather hell-bent on figuring this particular problem out. Thanks again for any help.
mjfoxtrot
12 Posts
2
January 13th, 2014 17:00
After poring over the service manual, testing the components inside the machine, and reading everything I can about the 2710, I've come to the conclusion that the problem is either because of a corrupted BIOS or some failing of the on-board video. Since both problems are motherboard-related, I am moving ahead with my original plan of replacing the motherboard.
The motherboard on this machine is a Dell system model 2XMCT. Dell sells the replacement board for $315. Kind of ironic, that is almost exactly the price that they quoted me a few months back when they tried to sell me an extended warranty on the 2710. I declined the extended warranty because I felt the price was just too steep. I still think that was the right decision, as who would think that a motherboard would go bad after only 15 months.
I looked around and found a refurbished board for about $100 less. It's being shipped out tomorrow and I should have it by the end of the week. Replacing the motherboard on the 2710 looks like a fairly elaborate effort, but it is definitely do-able. I'll post back on the results, just in case there is anybody else out there who ever decides to replace this particular board.
mjfoxtrot
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January 14th, 2014 02:00
Hi AM99953,
There are many of us with bad 2XMCT motherboards. Dell, in typical fashion, does not appear to be doing anything to help people with a problem that is Dell's fault. Do a quick Google search of the Dell 2710 and you'll find dozens, if not hundreds, of complaints about these black 2710 monsters dying after a few weeks or even days.
Here is a link to where you can buy a replacement 2XMCT motherboard:
http://www.impactcomputers.com/dellparts-parts-for-dell-xps-parts-for-dell-xps-one-2710-internal-parts-and-assemblies-system-boards.html
. . . and Dell will also sell you a replacement board, but you can't find it directly on their web site. You have to ask an agent a their parts and accessories chat site: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/sales_chat_index_masthead?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
As of this writing, Dell charges $515 for the motherboard, which is highly overpriced.
am99953
5 Posts
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January 14th, 2014 02:00
hi mjfoxtrot
I have like your problem but I can not find motherboard model 2XMCT , pleas can you give me any link or web about this model ( 2XMCT ) , I want buy now I can not find any where
sorry about my English
thank you
am99953
5 Posts
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January 15th, 2014 03:00
thanks my frind :emotion-1:
soshite
20 Posts
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January 29th, 2014 17:00
I am going through this exact same dilemma too my friend, and Dell has TERRIBLE customer service. When you're in Warranty they do not want to talk to you ever and simply want to transfer you again and again. When you're out of warranty, they are more than happy to take the call because then they can easily say "there's nothing we can do, you're warranty is up sorry". They're a horrid bunch and the old saying goes trampled over and over "treat others as you would treat yourself," I am sure Michael Dell would not like to be simply told "sorry, out of warranty, not our problem."
What I want to know is: how did you get this motherboard for under $100, where did you get it, and for GOD'S sake, what MANUAL did you use to take this thing apart? I need help! Bad! Another thing I would like to know, when you got that MXCT Mother board, was it the high end motherboard with all the TV tuner features and the mSSD mobo? Or was it the basic motherboard? Thanks ! I look forward to fixing my machine as well as you did yours. Thanks
osprey4
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January 31st, 2014 10:00
Hi Soshite,
Your manual can be found on the main support site here: http://www.dell.com/support/my-support/us/en/19/product-support/product/xps-one-27-2710-aio/manuals
The link to the vendor of the motherboard was provided above. Please read through the entire thread for more details.
Nancyruns
4 Posts
2
January 18th, 2015 09:00
Thank you for posting about this. My XPS2710 is now about 2 years old. I've reinstalled the OS at least twice now, and then the network started dropping out. I replaced the mini network card and bought an external USB wireless adapter, and still have the issue.
Today started another round of the touch screen not being reliable. I'd been considering buying and replacing the motherboard, and I'm happy to see that you were successful doing so.
Thanks again for all the info!