XPS Desktops

[SlowSkier505]

One of the fans in my PSU is making an awful rattling sound.  I feel like the PSU needs to be replaced, but I cannot seem to communicate this to the tech support rep.  He keeps telling me he's going to send me a new CPU fan.  What am I supposed to do with this?  He doesn't seem to understand what a power supply is. Does anyone know how I can communicate to Dell that I need a new power supply?

[Tesla1856]

---

@SlowSkier505 wrote:

1. they're sending someone out to fix the CPU fan.  Totally bizarre.

2. And, yes it's definitely the PSU fan.  There are two fans in there, and it's the one on the left as you look at it from the front. 

3. I think my mistake was saying the word "fan" 

4. I mean, frankly, I'd be happy to pay for a new PSU and install it myself if they would just send it to me. 

5. I would just buy one off the shelf if I could.  I just can't seem to get anyone at Dell to understand that a power supply is a thing.

6. In the meantime this rattling is driving me slowly insane.  

---

1. We get it. Most of us here have moved-on to next steps.

2. OK, good.

3. Probably. Just say the Power-Supply is noisy.

4. That could be arranged. That's what I was trying to get to. You still never said which wattage one you have and who made it for Dell. We could try to help you get the right one, or maybe a better/different one.

It's almost as if you think we work for Dell and are trying to make excuses for them. We are definitely not that or trying to do that.

5. No, no retail/after-markets. Especially if yours is modular, I would suggest you get another Dell-OEM power-supply. Repair the machine back to stock config.

6. Yeah, we get it. New machine, driving you insane. That is why we are in here (spending our free time) trying to help you.

[RoHe]

I still don't think it's the PSU fan (see my post above).

You can't see the PSU fan just by looking into the case. You'd have to crack open the PSU's metal chassis box before you could see the PSU fan.

[SlowSkier505]

Yes, the PSU is contained inside a metal "chassis box" as you call it.  If you look at the image that you linked, you will see that inside that "chassis box" there are two fans, plainly visible through the grill in the front of the box, one on the left and one on the right (if the tower were standing up). The one on the left is rattling. 

[SlowSkier505]

---

4. That could be arranged. That's what I was trying to get to. You still never said which wattage one you have and who made it for Dell. We could try to help you get the right one, or maybe a better/different one.

---

I'm not sure how to determine these things.  There's no label or other visible markings on the PSU.

And, no,  I don't think you work for Dell, I just think the argumentation (not by you) about whether or not my PSU fan is actually rattling is unhelpful.

[SlowSkier505]

As a, hopefully, final update, I've managed to get someone on the phone who spoke much better English than the first few people I talked to, and they are now sending me a new power supply.

The rep had a pretty good laugh as he was reading through my vain attempts to get his colleagues to understand that the power supply was the problem, not the CPU fan. And, most amusingly, he said (unprompted by me) that the problem stemmed from the fact that I said "fan" when I first started talking to the first tech, and that sent everyone down the wrong troubleshooting path that led ultimately led to the wrong result.

So fingers crossed, and thanks again to everyone who tried to help resolve this communication breakdown.

[Tesla1856]

---

@SlowSkier505 wrote:

---

---

1. I'm not sure how to determine these things. 

2. There's no label or other visible markings on the PSU.

3. I just think the argumentation (not by you) about whether or not my PSU fan is actually rattling is unhelpful.

---

1. Well, you can likely get some info. from your Invoice or the Online-Config (in your Dell account).

2. There is a large sticker on the Power-Supply. It might be hidden while installed. Try to get a phone-pic of that.

Once we know some basic facts around the existing one (ie, the wattage, and if it uses "modular cables" or not) ... we can decide which one you need/want to replace it. Within each wattage, there will be several replacements available (each with it's own Dell-Part-Number [DPN]).

3. He means well. He's just trying to help.