XPS 720 Overheating Issues, No Longer Booting

Question

I recently have been experiencing an issue with my XPS overheating. I have had the machine for little over a year and a half and have never had any sort of problem with my computer overheating before. This occurs when I am doing average things such as browsing on Firefox and is certainly no result of bringing the computer to its metaphoric knees with overclocking or any of that sort of thing. (That is to say, I don't overclock my machine or anything else that could potentially damage it.)

After taking the computer out to my garage and thoroughly emptying it of true clouds of dust, the problem seemed to go away for a few days. I also moved the computer from inside my desk's (open) cabinet that I have had it in for a year onto the desk instead to make sure that it is suddenly not getting enough ventilation. However, this morning my computer overheated again. I cracked open the case and none of the heat sinks seemed loose or anything. I took an air compressor and thoroughly dusted out every corner of it I could muster, including the heat sinks, which I had neglected to dust off before. If dust was the problem, there is no way it possibly could have been now.

But now my XPS will not even successfully power on. When I hit the switch, the LED lights come on and the fans blow at full power. However, no matter how patient I am, they never quit, and my monitor never shows anything. The fans continue to blow until I cut the power again. Also, it shows the numbers "2" and "4" near the USB and fire wire ports on the front.

EDIT: So I looked up the "2 4" thing in my manual and this code is apparently for a memory compatibility or configuration error. This makes absolutely no sense because there is no way I could have changed the memory over the course of not being able to even boot my computer up. I disconnected the power and looked to see if the memory sticks came loose, but no dice. After plugging it back up, the computer now shows none of the 1 2 3 4 diagnostic lights at all. The fans also do not blow at full blast like they used to be doing. Still not powering itself off after 20+ seconds.

I should also note that after reading around and realizing that the power light changes color, that it is steady amber.

I don't understand what has suddenly happened to my computer. I have done nothing to it out of the ordinary to cause overheating, and dusting it has apparently made the problem worse. Could I have possibly damaged something by just blowing air in the computer to get dust out of it?

Darrell WV · Answer

Hello ocphox and welcome to the Dell Communtiy Forums General Hardware,

Well, some thoughts, cleaning and dusting the inside of an XPS is sort of like changing the oil in your car, waiting until it is overheating is just too late sometimes. If I am readint your post, you can not get to the F2 or the F12 screen? so you can not do a Dell Diagnositics prepost or system tree? If you had the 2 and 4 light, that could mean the memory as you said or sometimes the processor, guessing here that it just got too hot and had been running hot for some time due to dirt/dust build up on the cooling fans/heatsink.

Or your PSU could have over heated and now will not power up the unit.

Best case would be to start with calling Dell Tech Support if you are still in warranty they will start the parts replacement shuffle. If you are out of warranty, you are going to have to try to swap out parts to see what is not working. Rotten choices, but gotta start somewhere. I am guessing that either the MOBO is fried or the PSU is fried due to heat build up.

Keep us posted as to what you find out.

Darrell WV

ocphox · Answer

I get nothing on my screen at all. So, can't really do Diagnostics...

My machine isn't in warranty anymore, as I didn't expect it to become horribly broken after just a year of use, but I guess nobody stressed the importance of dusting to me enough before. (However, I find this to be a little bizarre since my brother has had the same machine I've got for almost a year longer, has never dusted it, and has never overheated...) So, I'm probably going to have to try to isolate the problem myself. I made some attempts already which I explain later on...

I don't know what the meaning of the 2 and 4 I had earlier was about. Either way, presently I do not get any diagnostic lights turn on at all. They do not even flash when I connect power.

I have made some attempts to isolate the problems, but I haven't really gotten anywhere. All I know is if I unplug everything and connect basically only the power, I get the same result of steady amber power button and no indications from the Diagnostic LEDs on the front.

Earlier I had it sort of begin to start up. The fans stopped blowing and the decorational LEDs changed from the default diamond (i think? light blue in any case) to the deeper blue I usually had it set to, but then the machine promptly switched off. I forget if it was immediately after that, but I at another point booted up and got the 1 2 3 diagnostic LEDs. 1 2 3 wasn't in the manual for diagnostic LEDs, and i forget what it said about it online. Either way, when I powered down, I was unable to get anything more than fans, amber power light, and blank diagnostic LEDs again.

Beyond that, I am completely in the dark about what's up with my machine. I am sincerely hoping it is something minor like the PSU, but I'm honestly expecting more that it's an issue with the MOBO. I don't know how to diagnose this 100% on my own, however.

ocphox · Answer

To clarify, here are the things I pulled out of the motherboard just now:

-Both RAM sticks

-Video card

-Sound card

I then disconnected the power to...

-CD-ROM Drive

-Harddrive

I am pretty sure that is everything, though if there is something I might have forgotten, suggestions would be good (even though I realize people can't magically tell what's in my PC.) I got the same response as before. No beeps, no Diagnostic lights. Amber light power switch, fans blowing until powered off.

Davet50 · Answer

Pull everything out of the motherboard except the processor disconnect the power to the drives. Power on the rig. If the fans spin up and you see the same indications, no lights no beeps then the motherboard is gone.

A new board will run you around 425. You can only get them from either Dell or possibly Ebay.

Davet50 · Answer

OK so that leaves 3 major componets. The powersuppy, the motherboard, the processor.

Since the fans power up the supply is good. Since processors in reality seldom fail that leaves the mb. If the mb was good then you would hear beeps, see diagnostic lights,

My recommendation is to get a new system board.

ocphox · Answer

Right.  I just placed an order for a new MOBO.   Thanks for the assistance, fellas.

Darrell WV · Answer

Your welcome of course, but really Dave did all the real thinking.    Best on your replacement MOBO, Darrell WV

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XPS 720 Overheating Issues, No Longer Booting

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