Dell GX280; Faliure to boot windows; CPU fan acceleration!

[isayni2u]

I have a Dell GX280 failing to load Windows:

When it was first brought to my attention, the unit was completely unresponsive. After noting that neither the MB LCD nor the PS fan were active, I replaced the PS and found that yet another problem occurred...despite the MB LCD indication of power receipt.


When the unit is powered up, the dell rear POST lights display output correlating to a clean boot. However, as soon as Windows begins to load, the display message states that "no video output" is occurring. 30 seconds later, the CPU fan rapidly accelerates.

Of course, I shut down the system.


A unit displaying similar symptoms was brought in a week ago. There seemed to be no indication of processor damage. The MB was replaced and the problem disappeared.

I did the same for this unit...and got a 0 POST boot reading. The power button turned solid amber 2 seconds after powering. I replaced with a known good PS and it did not change the symptoms. Assuming that something may have happened to the PS [I.E shorting out] I placed it in a known working unit and it did not fail.


I just hope that Dell didn't send out a defective MB.



Any thoughts?

 

[johnbullas]

Any boot beeps (bell codes?) being produced?

On board graphics disabled in BIOS with NO graphics card in the PCI/AGP/PCI-E slot?

My own MB (Platinum K8N Neo) starts with a fast fan then slows down once temperature detection/control kicks in)

If the fan is seized will it overload the PSU?

Was there a short on the board?

Just a bit of blather to get you thinking

 

[BadFrog]

I know it sounds odd but I have seen bad memory cause high fan speeds on dells. Beep codes, as mentioned above, should tell you whats really going on.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[maxthedork]

Have you tried booting into safe mode? Maybe an incompatible video driver, I don't know if the video chipset is the same from board to board because the 280 has four different video drivers available on the support site.

 

[LawnBoy]

I just hope that Dell didn't send out a defective MB.

Sounds like it to me. We've seen a rash of bad GX280 MBs.

 

[isayni2u]

Just to refresh, I solved the initial problem by replacing the MB:


"A unit displaying similar symptoms was brought in a week ago. There seemed to be no indication of processor damage. The MB was replaced and the problem disappeared. I did the same for this unit...

and got a 0 POST boot reading. The power button turned solid amber 2 seconds after powering"

I agree with LawnBoy...those repair techs at Dell who refurbish MBs probably send them back in worse condition. It probably would be a good idea to request a NEW MB via our contract.

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