So, My Computer Just Died

[infernorhythm]

I've got a Dell desktop that I've had for four years. It's worked fine, and I recently updated to Firefox. Aside from my windows suddenly disappearing from the bottom toolbar (I was able to find them pretty well just by opening up the Ctrl-Alt-Delete tasks box), my computer's been fine. In the last day it randomly shut off. I mean, the monitor was still on, but the CPU wouldn't start. I had to turn my surge protector off and back on to get it to start up again. But an hour ago it died again, and I can't get it back up. My CPU is a bit dusty, but could that cause it to die? Has hitting my surge protector fried my CPU?

I'm planning on taking it into a Best Buy or Frys tech help thing, but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas what might have killed it.

[computoman]

Call DHelli first and pray you have an extended warranty. Hopefully you do not have one of the dells with capacitor and other motherboard problems. open up you can ans see if any fo the capacitors have tops that are arched /\ instead of the normal --. Dells generally do not use standard motherboards. After mine was out of warranty and died, I just striped the system for parts and threw the case and motherboard sans cpu in the garbage.

[gta_bmx]

Sounds like your motherboard and/or CPU is bad. You may be able to get a replacement on ebay for cheap since it's 4 year old hardware, but that might be more of an involved repair than you want to do yourself. Geek Squad type places are gonna soak you. I personally wouldn't drop more than $150 on it for parts/labor. Any more than that and I'd just buy a brand new laptop for $400 that will be faster with bigger capacities. Then sell your Dell for parts on ebay; 'might' get $100 for it, making your new laptop cost $300 net.

Or possibly a mom and pop PC store could fix it for $75 or so if you can score a replacement mobo/CPU but that may not even be the problem with it.

Or heck it could even be a loose wire or cable that a technician can see right away. Good luck with it.

[gta_bmx]

I'm sorry I misread your post. I thought you had a laptop. :) Desktop makes it easier for diagnosis and cheaper to fix. I'd unplug the PC and look at the main board, see if things are loose.

A mainboard/CPU combo that'll be speed appropriate for your 4 year old hardware can be had for like $50-$70 off of newegg. It may not fit in the Dell case though. You can get a case for $40. Then just combine the new mainboard/CPU into the new case along with the Dell hard drive, memory, DVD drive, cards, etc.. It's not that hard.

Or you could buy a better motherboard/CPU combo as the beginnings of a faster system.

[infernorhythm]

Thanks for the help guys, a friend of mine took me to a local computer place that he knew, they took it in. They said it might be fault in the start up switch/plug. I should get it back soon.

[computoman]

It is unusual for a switch to go out, but if that is all it is good for you! I would still look at the caps and see what shape they are in. The techs could tell you that.

[dem0072]

Yeah. It could also be a faulty Power Supply. Usually vendors stick crappy PSU's in their systems.


But be forewarned, build your own or have an independent computer serviceman build one for you next time. It supports your local market, gives you greater value, and better quality parts and a faster system for your money.

As I always say... investing in Dell is asking for hell.

[tehboris]

Dell computers from around that time used cheap capacitors that leak after a couple of years, resulting in a dead motherboard.

[dem0072]

Dell computers from around that time used cheap capacitors that leak after a couple of years, resulting in a dead motherboard.

Yeah, after servicing enough of them myself I've gotten sick and fed up with their entire product line, to the point that I no longer recommend any of their products to anyone.

The proprietary shitbox is about all they can make. Proprietary cheap disposable systems with poor motherboards that run off of poor chipsets, non upgradeable hard drives, flimsy flaky power supplies, weird ass clam shell computer cases, locked bios settings, the lack of an AGP or PCIX16 port, if you do have the fortune of one of those ports you still won't be able to upgrade your video card because the board might not recognize it or be compatible with it.

Shit by the time you get a dell to the point of being a quality system you've done voided the warranty, and almost bought yourself a completely new system. The only pride you're left with is the deceiving look of the cheap flimsy cookie cutter dell case.

[computoman]

My good old amd athlon 1.5 just bit the dust after seven or eight years hard service. I have a spare cpu to put in the mb to see if it was just the cpu died, but I want a new computer. I was thinking about this one. I probably will not use vista though.

http://www.frys-electronics-ads.com/ads/2009/03/06/41162/Lenovo-Desktop-PC-Intel-Pentium-Dual-Core-Processor-E2220

[ArmpitOfDeath]

Yeah, after servicing enough of them myself I've gotten sick and fed up with their entire product line, to the point that I no longer recommend any of their products to anyone.

The proprietary shitbox is about all they can make. Proprietary cheap disposable systems with poor motherboards that run off of poor chipsets, non upgradeable hard drives, flimsy flaky power supplies, weird ass clam shell computer cases, locked bios settings, the lack of an AGP or PCIX16 port, if you do have the fortune of one of those ports you still won't be able to upgrade your video card because the board might not recognize it or be compatible with it.

Shit by the time you get a dell to the point of being a quality system you've done voided the warranty, and almost bought yourself a completely new system. The only pride you're left with is the deceiving look of the cheap flimsy cookie cutter dell case.

I suppose it's the problem of buying a cheap flimsy cookie cutter PC in the first place. I have few problems with the Precision range, and most of my XPS 7-series have been fine.

[computoman]

I have never really had a problem with the older brown Dells. Though I did not like the special motherboards. Most people who like the newer Dells have machines still under warranty.