Optiplex 990 lights 1 & 3

Are you getting lights 1 & 3 with a blue or amber power button?

Power light is blue, not amber.

Thanks for the reply.  It is a OptiPlex 990 Small Form Factor.  We have not replaced any of the batteries as they are retaining bios info after being unplugged.  We were unaware that is a standard thing to do.  On the lights on the front of the case, the 1 & 3 light are on, power light is normal.  This causes the PC to not boot.  Upon reseating the ram in their slots, it then boots & works normally.  

your idea how NVram works is not right. (I used to work where we made the fastest ones on earth for the MIL)

the battery is and ANALOG device, and that always wins,  when you unplug a PC that battery MUST WORK.

The battery can in fact drop low, as it ages, and all do and all fail, (5-7years is spec) less of PC stored, offline for 3 years)

at 0 volts the NVRAM is now dead,  so sure can't keep time or settings (at AC line dead)

The NVram has 3 power sources but only 1 , AC cord pulled or rocker switch non dell PSU)

but if  you ever tested memory like me on $100,000 memory tester (major ATE)

we did exactly this, we tested the NVRAM and dropped voltage, in tiny steps. until just 1 bit failed. see?  at 2.x volt this happens on all PCs made all NVRAM. (that is SRAM +battery) but with no battery we test it.

that what we called the "VDD DROPsy" test.  and with  many array patterns done,

why do you avoid changing out COIN cells, until the world collapses,?

I see folks retiring PCs for bad coin cells, why, I COULD NEVER IMAGINE. (and way my gov taxes are so high?)

The bits that FAIL first seem random,. (to me) but my product engineer to my left told me, noise on the vss bus

in the chip are worse there , (him pointing finger to SRAM area, schematic of DIE , yah.  ) hummmm facts...

The coin cell is not there for fun, and not one ever lasts a decade. (but seen one at 3v 10years sure)

Once the cell goes from 3.3v and near 3,0 this is the EOL cliff the cliff of faster sooner death. EOL end of life.

why would any one wont to be there, and try go do real work on a PC ?

we clean PCs so they do not overheat, (heat is #1 electronics killer)

then test the coin cell, takes  me   5 minutes labor,.  why skip this ?

Seem this topic is the old take a  horse to water, deal.... but now you know .

if the clock does not fail, nOR DATEs. (ON BIOS SCREENS) so what?  it's only 1/2 that side.

what about the other 1024 bits in the NVRAM , any can fail. and what happens is NOT KNOWN. (random bits drop, random results)  (why run dead batteries, ?) I can tell you it will  not be fun . and,.....

Here what TARS says  4:24m (what happens,. TARS, "nothing good'

AT BEST the PC boots and logs, to the BIOS logger page CRC fails NVRAM error.

or is so bad the BIOS just goes dumb. (or dead screened) (no 2 PCs are the same with endless bios types) results.

nothing but pain is the answer ,  are dead PCs fun? 

The first rules for all electronics are,  first power and coin cell tops that list for sure super unreliable.

this is all PAR, every word, here.  all techs know this fact.(about just the coin) all else above are hard proofs.

(sff= small form factor) so i just got a Optiplex 990 sff from a friend of mine for free but it's slow I can't even play Roblox on it so I saved up all my money and got 250 so do i just biuld a new pc or upgrade my Optiplex 990 SFF  and if I upgrade my Optiplex 990 sff please tell me the cpu and gpu i could get and that will fit in it I'm 13 and don't know much about pc's and stuff like that so i really need help 

ps: I want at least 60 or 100fps fortnight low settings, mincraft, roblox

I'll try reseating the RAM and replacing the coin battery first, then I'll take it from there.

I have this exact issue, and I only noticed now as I'm trying to get the thing working after I lost my patience about 9 months ago and left it.