GX280 Motherboard or Processor Problem

Question

Just 2 days ago one of our GX280 units experienced a problem wherein the PC would not startup, the fan would just run very fast but the monitor was still blank. Then when the tech came he tried the processor into another working unit to make sure it was just a motherboard problem. After installing the processor of the defective unit into a good unit the good unit booted fine so he switched the processors back to where they were in the first place, now a very strange thing happened, we now have two units experiencing the same problem, the first defective unit and now the previously running unit. Same problem, wont startup and the fan is reving up wildly. Any of you experienced this problem? Was it a motherboard or a processor problem? I'm still waiting for the replacement motherboard, hopefully it will be here tommorrow. Message Edited by caballeror on 10-26-2006 01:34 AM

speedstep · Answer

Bent pins and damaged motherboards. Putting a bad part in a good system can damage that system also.

patrickacox · Answer

The bad processor could make the good board go bad. All of our Optiplex GX280's are starting to have the blown/bubbled/popped capacitors. It is usually the capacitors located right under the power supply. I think the heat from the PS is causing those caps to bubble.

I have replaced over 100 motherboards so far in the GX280's.

You have to be very careful when replacing the processor in the gx280 because the pins in the processor slot are very easy to bend if you are not careful.

The high revving fan problem on the gx280 is usually fixed by replacing the fan and heatsink.

caballeror · Answer

But then, the first bad system was previously working fine, it was not opened not until it became problematic. How would the processor have bent pins when it was not touched/removed before?

patrickacox · Answer

Sorry, I was just speaking in general of some of the things that can go wrong with the gx280.

On the second pc the tech could have bent a pin when he was testing the processor.

Have you checked the capacitors underneath the power supply? :)

midiman30 · Answer

This is a common GX280 problem. I see an avergage of 2 a month exhibiting similar problems.   Trust me its a MB problem :smileywink:   Although you cant be 100% sure of the exact cause. Your fist line of replacement is the MB, then CPU.   Most engineers who come to my site replace both for good measure.

caballeror · Answer

Its been weeks since the motherboards were replaced and so far there has been no problems.

SignalGeek · Answer

Im late in the reply, but this might help someone later on... We have several Dell PC's with various issues, mainly bad caps in the GX 260, 270 and 280's.   The cap's look fine on the latest 280, but the PC would power down for no reason. After troubleshooting, we noticed that the fan never came on, thus causing the PC to overheat. Easy enough! Replaced the Fan, Good to go! Hah! :smileymad: We just got called back to look at it again when it decided not to post. PC powered on, but the power light lit amber (usually an indicator of a bad processor) and the fan would accelerate like an airplane taxi'ing down the runway! We unplugged mouse, keyboard, monitor, removed the RAM, and then powered the PC up. Did not get any beeps. If the MB were fully functional, we would have had error beeps due to the RAM being removed. This has always been our method of testing if its the MB or processor when we do not have known good parts to swap with. So Dell is sent a replacement MB out. New MB causes fan to work properly, and what do you know...no more amber power light! :smileyvery-happy: Now I wonder if the MB might have caused the fan to go out first, before going completely dead.....

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GX280 Motherboard or Processor Problem

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