Dell XPS 710 won't turn on.

What color is the front panel power indicator light?  Also is it on solid or flashing?  

Remove the memory and then try powering on and see if the symptoms change.  

The front light that I get is amber (orange) in color, and is solid. I tried turning the computer on with each memory stick installed individually, as well as without any memory at all, and each time all I got was the amber light, with fans sounding like they're running at max. Also, each time I plug the computer back in (cord into the back of the computer), it starts up with the fans and the light, before I try anything. Each time I manually turned the computer off, then back on, for the same results. (Whenever I unplug my computer for any reason, when I plug it back in, I get the fans come on for a split second, then they stop.)

Thanks again,

Christopher

sounds like either your motherboard, or another component. Suggest you remove all the ram, unplug all the cards, unplug the power connector on all the drives. Then try to power on the system. If you are still getting the same results it is most likely the motherboard.

It is normal for the fans to spin up briefly when you first plug in the system to the wall outlet.

Well, I removed the RAM, video card, sound card, and unplugged the power connectors to the hard drives, and still get the amber light with the fans running, and nothing else.  Is there anything else I should be taking out/unplugging?

I'm thinking I'm going to have to either replace the motherboard, or use the working components I have to build a new computer (depending on what will work better in the long run).  Unfortunately, I'm practically broke right now, so whatever I do it's going to have to wait a bit until I get it fixed.  :-(

One last question, does anyone know what the amber light on the top right corner of the motherboard is for?  I've never seen it before, but then I've never had a reason to look at it anyway.

When you remove all the components you are only left with the motherboard, power supply and CPU. Since your fans are running that is usually a good sign that the power supply is OK. The light on the mother board is just an indication that the board is getting power. A new mother board will run you between 300-500 if you can find one. About the only place you can do that is E bay. As to reusing the components the power supply is very Dell proprietary and will only work with these systems. The hard drive and optical  could be reused in an new build. The ram is kind of out dated for today's new motherboards as these all use DDR3 ram. You can still find older model boards that you could use the ram in. The case as  cool as it is, is a BTX design case and as such would require extensive mods to add in the ATX style mother boards and BTX boards are virtually non existent.  

exact same problem happened to me on 19january 3am, pc froze for 15mins so i crashed it (held power button in) then restarted and fans went to full blast ! none of the 8 diagnostic lights on front came on , power button solid amber light, googled and found likely motherboard gone, called dell support went through tests..they confirm it seems to be motherboard failed...thats 2 dead since september 2006 ( 4.5yrs) last one replaced in august 2010 so its only lasted 1.5 years..dell say itll be £340 for engineer to come fit new one !

but seeing as it may only last 18months doesnt seem worth it..besides which dell have none in stock and cant say when if ever theyll get some, basically theyre saying your dell is dead buy a new one.. so repair guy in india explained new pc options to be which with quadcore again similar spec will easily cost £1100 ! , in the 4.5 yrs since i bought a dell xps 710 2 motherboards have gone..they also replaced powersupply at same time in aug2010, then 300gb harddrive had error so replaced that, then speakers crackled so they replaced subwoofer/speakers,,the 4yr warranty i paid for covered all that but the warranty must have cost £400ish ( paid £1700 for my xps 710 with 4yr warranty of ebay.co.uk seller it was brand new)...really not sure about quality of dell parts now ! what do you think i should do ? repair dell xps 710 if i can find another motherboard or buy new pc ? and if i do buy new should it be a dell ?

I would not waste any more money on it. Its and outdated chipset an overpriced motherboard. and extremely proprietray  power supply . One has to understand the big picture on these system. They were cutting edge at the time of release and  were Dells attempt to break into the gaming market. Due to extenuating circumstances they basicly got left out in the cold when Intel released the Quad core processors which Killed the BTX design.

You are far better off either building your own system(like I did, I had a XPS 720) or buying a ready made one. Personally I like the build your own if your looking to get a beefy gaming rig.

IF i was you i would save your money and get a new system.  I doubt you are under warranty (cudos if you are) and a new motherboard will set you back 350 -450. You can olny use a Dell 700/710/720 supply as it is extremely proprietary.

Since the case is based on a BTX design trying to fit in an ATX style motherboard is not all that easy.

The fact that you actually got six years out of it is very impressive. Most of the systems are only lasting about 3-4 years.

You cannot just drop in a 720 board into a 710. There were additional parts that were necessary, such as the front I/O panel two cables and a new back plate for the rear of the computer. You could live without the back plate but the I/O panel and two cables are necessary. Good price on the board though..

Can anyone tell me the legitimacy of the following link?  If this is legit, it could only cost me about $200 to fix my computer.  Right now, I'm quite short on cash, so the idea of buying a brand new motherboard, case, and power supply (plus anything else that I might need) is a bit too much for me.  However with tax money coming in soon(ish), I can fork over the dough for a temporary motherboard replacement, with the expectation that I'll have to do the big replacement in a couple/few years (And will be able to save for it specifically).

Plus, I've always liked my computer a lot, and have enjoyed showing off its massive size to anyone that is willing to look.  Getting rid of that would be like when I got rid of my first car.  Still a sad moment for me.  :-(

www.discountelectronics.com/index.php

I used to have them myself but my link went dead.  You might want to PM  Dell-Chris M ..

Thanks Davet50.  Do you have or know where I can find a link to the specific parts needed?  I remember seeing them somewhere, but can't remember where that was.

I found the following on a xps 710 thread, does this look about right to you?

1 . XPS 720 Motherboard (Dell P/N CK520)

2. XPS 720 Front Panel Assembly (including the following parts)

   a. Front Panel PWA Assembly (Dell P/N Black - XU567)

   b. Front Panel Ribbon Cable (Dell P/N TM476)

   c. Front Panel Retention Device (Dell P/N HN362)

   d. Front Panel Retention Device Screws (x2) (Dell P/N 16DYP)

    e. Replacement Front Panel Cosmetic Insert (Dell P/N Black – WJ206)

    f. Front Panel Audio Cable (Dell P/N GR709)

3. Rear I/O Panel (Dell P/N XU556)

4. Thermal Interface Material (TIM) (Dell P/N N6370)

5. Thermal Interface Material Cleaning Cloth (Dell P/N 06335)

6. XPS 720 Resource CD (Dell P/N JR085)

7. Upgrade Kit Users Guide (this manual) (Dell P/N NX581)

That looks like the whole kit. you would need all of item 2 and if you want to seal up your back of the case item 3. You would have to remove the current one as the back of the 710 and 720 layout is different. Also you lose the Serial port on a 720 board.