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Optiplex GX-280 power light amber
This is for an Optiplex GX-280, running Windows XP SP2. When the power button is pressed, the power on light within the button doesn't turn green, it turns amber. The power supply fan spins up and the HDD spins up. The fan on the CPU starts slowly, gradually spins faster and gets much louder. The system won't boot. Eventually, it just shuts down. POST does not display on the monitor and the system does not send any beep codes.
Is the problem the power supply? I haven't had a power supply issue like this before. Usually it just goes out. Is it the CPU fan? Or is the fan slow to spin up because of a voltage problem? Is it something else? I don't want to get into a buy/test parts cycle if I can avoid it.
Bruce
sucl_1
52 Posts
1
January 5th, 2009 23:00
If your system is running for a long time and u don't shutdown randomly because power supply may be wead due to running for a long time. it may be problem with Power supply because system shows amber light when system does not get proper power.Or it may be due to faulty power cable which connect the systemboard to the power button.
brwilkinson
3 Posts
1
January 6th, 2009 10:00
First, this system is typically turned off when not in use. I have seen systems left on for years without p/s problems. I've seen systems turned off every night have problems. Starting up is hard on a power supply just like leaving it on. It appears to be 6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of the other.
Second, if the power cable that connects the systemboard to the power were bad, why does the cpu fan spin at all? Why does the HDD spin up? The button activates the system, everything tries to start, it just doesn't quite get there.
Bruce
sucl_1
52 Posts
1
January 7th, 2009 00:00
Hi,
Whatever u have reported may be true but it may be due to faulty power supply,It may be happen p/s does not giving proper power to the system to POST or it may be due to bad memory.Please get the link below which may be useful for u:
Have a nice day. :emotion-2:
lpsbtech
2 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2009 13:00
your problem is a bad motherboard . it is not the fan or power supply.
i support several thousand Dell pc
i have 100's of 280's and it is never the fan or the power supply.
the link on the above post wont get you to the gx280 troubleshooting it is for a sx280
cdm32
3 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2009 13:00
It most likely the motherboard. Dell ran into a bad batch of mother boards with the GX280's. The capacitors are bad and begin to leak. This causes the motherboard to go out. I have seen it myself on several of the GX280's.
danmb
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124 Posts
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July 7th, 2009 07:00
Is it possible to tell for sure whether it is the motherboard or not? Any particular pattern of lights or symptoms to look for?
I've seen a GX280 that boots up OK with the fan quiet. After about 30-45 minutes the fan gradually gets louder and louder. But after shutting down and letting it cool of for as little as 5 minutes, it boots up quiet again.
So... fan or motherboard?
Thanks
JoeC5711
3 Posts
0
July 22nd, 2009 15:00
Have you taken a look at the capacitors on the motherboard? I've had two GX280's (small form factor) die. Both on the same day, within hours of each other, in completely different locations / different cities. Both bought at the same time with a batch of 20 or so. I can't wait for the next ones to go...