Possible PSU failure?

Associate
Joined
12 Jun 2022
Posts
4
Location
London
Hello

I am new to these forums, looks like it could be a good source of help (and supplies!)

My Dell 8700 desktop (about 8 or 9 years old) won't power up. When I press the main power on button, nothing happens at all. It has been playing up for a few weeks in that sometimes it works when I press it, and sometimes it doesn't, needing 3 or 4 goes typically, or maybe a different type of press, harder, longer, shorter....basically the button has felt unreliable. Physically it seems OK, there is a click there like there always has been. Has felt a bit random, in terms of whether it starts up or not. Now, it doesn't want to turn on at all.

There is an orange light on inside the case, and the green test button on the outside of the power supply works OK.

I have replaced the button battery, tried taking USB devices out, and the graphics card, and have removed the two connectors that feed into the area/box where the power button is, before replacing them immediately to check if there was a loose connection. Still the same.

Could it be that a new power supply is necessary?
If I go that way (don't know much about them), do they come with instructions to point me to where I should plug each mini-plug? They have a lot of wires! One to to the SDD, one to the....etc etc. Maybe it would be more straightforward than I imagine. I'm now getting in to areas I don't really understand very well and am slightly nervous about fiddling, on the other hand I'd like to fix this computer and keep it going.

The only other symptom I have noticed is that twice in the last few days I've been working and the monitor turned blue! Not a typical blue screen of death with a Windows message, just all blue.

I wondered what else I could try next to fix it. Is buying a new PSU worth a go I wonder. I'd probably go cheapest possible, but I'm here to ask advice. The current PSU is rated as 460W.

Thanks for any help, much appreciated.
 
Thanks mickyflinn! Currently not confident doing that, unfortunately! Not sure what tools I'd need and where to look, as you say.

I wonder what is more likely to go, the power button or the PSU. I think the PSU, but it's a hunch more than anything. Partly as I've never heard of power buttons needing replacing, but also that my screen has turned blue a couple of times recently..
 
Hello. So I jump started it! Does this mean that it is probably the button, and not the PSU?

I think I have seen the part you mean - so it's the button and the cable that leads to the motherboard. Will it be easy to fit myself I wonder. It's getting very deep into the innards of the case.

I've got this far though....!
 
Back
Top Bottom