/tech/ - Help with a Dell GX 240.

Name: bythethroat 2006-05-25 23:53

Eh, they killed the link to the tech support page, so I'll post this here. Go ahead and tell me if I'm out of line.

I need some help with diagnosing a problem with a Dell GX 240 desktop I comandeered from the school. All I got was the case, motherboard, and CPU. I'm trying use that to upgrade a friend's computer (putting her stuff into it). Basically becasue this mobo has a VGA slot. Anyway, that's the backdrop.

I put the power supply in from my own computer, because the one from her old one didn't have the 4 pin connector. After which, I put a hard drive and RAM in to see if it would boot. I know both the RAM and hard drive work, same for the power supply. When I started it, I got an evil post. The sequence was one long beep, a pause, three, pause, then two. 1-3-2. Also, the monitor got no signal. Everything else is spinning.

Is there any way to interpret what's wrong before I go and buy parts? Any help is appreciated. I think there are two verisons of this PC, this one is the vertical tower as shown.

Again, if this doesn't go here, please tell me. I can ask somewhere else. : ]

(Posted that verbatim in /g/, and was banned. I guess that was their way of telling me. Hehe. Ah well. I didn't see the link that used to be there to the tech forum. Anyway, help is still appreciated)

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-25 23:59

Images, if that helps.

Computer: http://static.ubid.com/vximg/3_500327098_0.jpg

Motherboard: http://static.ubid.com/vximg/3_500327098_0.jpg

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-26 0:00

My mistake, motherboard: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/MGKyoske/d0_1_b.jpg

Name: J3ph42 2006-05-26 10:22

YOu said the monitro got no signla. I see no vga card on the motherboard. DO you have an appropriate graphics card for the AGP slot? Make sure it the AGP versions match. Did you make sure both the 20 pin and the 4 pin power connectors are plugged in?

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-26 13:36

That's not my picture, just one I found.

In the one I'm working on, yeah, I have a GeForce FX 5200 secured in the AGP, and everything else is where it needs to go. I even tried with a generic PCI video card. I've switched out several sticks of RAM, tried each individually in both slots.

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-28 7:54

"I put the power supply in from my own computer, because the one from her old one didn't have the 4 pin connector."

DELL have proprietary PSU pinouts

Name: ANon 2006-05-28 20:59

Used to work that that evil company... fyi, as per Dell's training manuals, that beep code for your particular motherboard/computer indicates a RAM issue, either it's bad or incompatable (hopefully you've go it inserted properly hehe)

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-31 16:11

>>6
is correct
meaning, a normal PSU wont work unless you change the pins around.. hope you didnt break your computer heh

Name: Anonymous 2006-06-16 4:03

No, the power supply seemed to work fine. At least the motherboard got light, and it turned on, and it worked when I put it back in my own computer.

Also, the RAM was in right. I had 8 sticks that fit, and I tried them in all possible combinations and individually. :/

Name: Anonymous 2006-06-16 5:00

dell ram works in pairs. get two identical sticks. and try to get them with the lowest amount possible. and you need a blank HD for it. the monitor issue should be fixed once the ram works.

Name: Anonymous 2006-06-16 15:32

I'll look for a pair of RAM, but what's more likely, that it's the RAM, or that the mobo is fried? Maybe it's the motherboard that's not letting it recognize the RAM. I'm hoping it's just the RAM though. Hehe. -_-

Name: 夜の健康食品 2011-05-31 3:27

Name: 女性用媚薬 2011-05-31 3:29

Help with a Dell GX 240.

1 Name: bythethroat 2006-05-25 23:53

2 Name: Anonymous 2006-05-25 23:59

3 Name: Anonymous 2006-05-26 0:00

4 Name: J3ph42 2006-05-26 10:22

5 Name: Anonymous 2006-05-26 13:36

6 Name: Anonymous 2006-05-28 7:54

7 Name: ANon 2006-05-28 20:59

8 Name: Anonymous 2006-05-31 16:11

9 Name: Anonymous 2006-06-16 4:03

10 Name: Anonymous 2006-06-16 5:00

11 Name: Anonymous 2006-06-16 15:32

12 Name: 夜の健康食品 2011-05-31 3:27

13 Name: 女性用媚薬 2011-05-31 3:29