display issue Dell Studio XPS 7100

Hi DNHCOMP,

Is this the first time you've tried to start the system since you installed the motherboard, video card and PSU? Did you install a replacement XPS 7100 motherboard?

So basically the system appears to start up properly but no video signal. You have onboard DVI and HDMI, but are they enabled in the BIOS? With some systems, installing an add-on card automatically disabled the onboard graphics adapter but with others it does not.

I have just replaced the MB in my 3 year old XPS 7100. I blew something trying to install a USB 3.0 board made by Inatech. The board is good, it draws 45 watts off a SATA connector.  When I power up the 7100 makes all the old familiar sounds but there is no video anywhere, not even the bios screen. The MB is brand new , bought from a surplus house for $35. I very carefully grounded myself and all the parts, working on top of a large cast iron table saw. It had the stock video card and I got nothing on the analog jack or the DVI jack. I noticed there is a DVI jack on the MB so I took the 7100 back to the shop, grounded myself and removed the video card. I got nothing out of the DVI on the MB,  I don't know for sure if the AMD Phenom II is good, but it pulling stuff off the hard drive, it all sounds like it is working. I can get a new CPU for $90 and that is the only thing left to replace. It has a brand new 750W Corsair modular PS. Since I can't even see the black BIOS screen, I am really puzzled. The monitor works well on analog but I don't have another device with DVI out to check the monitor and cable. Maybe there is no way for it to reset to the on- board video output. All I can think of is to see what it does if I start with the windows 7 installation disk. Really wondering what I should be hearing for beeps. Please help !!  I am going to fix this thing no matter what. My boss told my I am a pit bull on problems like this ! I am electrical but I started my career on tubes !! .

I swapped in an Asus 1155 motherboard into my 7100 chassis without all those elaborate precautions. :) ASRock offers an AM3-compatible board with onboard USB 3.0 and SATA 3.0 for $55.

I recently returned from a trip to japan, and havent booted my comp up for four months and I'm having the same issue.  No video, no SUB support but I get a blinking Ethernet light, fans in the case are working and power button is white.  Thanks for any help!

I am going to get answers tomorrow on how this MB is supposed to work. I cleared the BIOS and replaced the battery, but still no DVI video out. I did learn that beeps are error codes, and I'm not getting beeps, which is good. I need to find an AMD shop that can test the Phenom II CPU, and I also have no way to verify that my monitor's DVI input is still working. I discovered that the two best shops near me are on an exclusive arrangement with Intel and are not set up to work on AMD machines. Spent the last 2 days learning W 8.1. What an Easter Egg hunt that is. You have to Google how to do ANYTHING in it. Ironic that Google is saving MS's behind. MS evidently wanted this to be complete disruption. Sure, it's good once you decide to spend time with it, but no one is going to forget this deliberately frustrating experience.