Bizarre problem with Dell

[TechnoPro]

A client of mine called me up about display issues. I misdiagnosed the problem as being a bad video card (ended up being the monitor). So Dell sends me a replacement one. I install it, close the chassis, and am plugging back in the basics - keyboard, video, mouse, and power ? for testing. No sooner than when I plug the power cable in, I hear a fan spin up. This can be normal, so I thought nothing of it. Then, the system sounded like it was booting up. That's when it went poltergeist on me...

The CPU fan was spinning ridiculously fast. By ridiculously fast, I mean it was displacing enough air to blow papers that were taped to the wall. The sound was like a vacuum cleaner. I am not exaggerating. It was as if I had just attached the fan directly to a car battery. Other things were going ballistic as well; one of the optical drives was spinning way too fast. I quickly powered down the system, of course

I reopen the chassis to check if I had somehow messed up some wiring (unplugged, crossed, shorted, etc.). It was the only thing I could think of for why the PC was acting as if it had been overvolted. Everything was seated properly, so I tried again. Same Hoover Wind Tunnel effect. I put the original video card back in and the system was behaving normally again.

So pray tell, what the hell happened? Since when can a video card cause such bizarre behavior?

 

[Bozo Galora]

Putting the plug in the wall on a PC shouldnt make anything spin up.
I'd be interested if you can explain that some way.
Maybe you arced the AC while inserting plug pins in socket
Thusly, like you blew the mobo or PSU. Dell PSU are crap

You say the monitor went bad - maybe the vidcard did it - bad AGP slot

Next thought is Intel CPU have thermal throttling
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/104
Perhaps it isnt working anymore.

I would get out a flashlight and magnifying glass and look for burned things on mobo, or bulged filter caps around CPU
Then take out the PSU and give it the smell test
I would then reseat the CPU.

You could also buy one of those $12 PSU voltage testers

Just a few thoughts.

 

[shelaby]

some PSUs have a switch for 110V and 220V. could switching that to 220 have anything to do with it?

im not really sure, just guessing on this one

 

[Markfw]

Dell=hell.. I am on my third motherboard....(at work, I will never buy one)

 

[bob4432]

seems like dell's quality is slipping, or we are just hearing more abou it...

tagged for info, sorry i can't help

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: Bozo Galora
Putting the plug in the wall on a PC shouldnt make anything spin up.
I'd be interested if you can explain that some way.
Maybe you arced the AC while inserting plug pins in socket
Thusly, like you blew the mobo or PSU. Dell PSU are crap

You say the monitor went bad - maybe the vidcard did it - bad AGP slot

Next thought is Intel CPU have thermal throttling
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/104
Perhaps it isnt working anymore.

I would get out a flashlight and magnifying glass and look for burned things on mobo, or bulged filter caps around CPU
Then take out the PSU and give it the smell test
I would then reseat the CPU.

You could also buy one of those $12 PSU voltage testers

Just a few thoughts.

Some (most?) motherbaords draw power when plugged in, even when the system is powered off. This assumes, of course, that the hard power switch on the PSU (if one exists) is set to the ON position. While this does not explain why a fan spins up upon plugging the unit in, I have seen this occur on countless occasions.

The culprit here is the vid card that Dell sent me. Removing it and putting in the original one does not evoke the fans of fury.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: shelaby
some PSUs have a switch for 110V and 220V. could switching that to 220 have anything to do with it?

im not really sure, just guessing on this one

I made abosulutely sure that the switch was in the 110 position.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: bob4432
seems like dell's quality is slipping, or we are just hearing more abou it...

tagged for info, sorry i can't help

I used to be a Dell fanboy, having had very little trouble with them. Lately, I am seeing more issues and their tech support is degrading as well.

 

[dexvx]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: bob4432
seems like dell's quality is slipping, or we are just hearing more abou it...

tagged for info, sorry i can't help

I used to be a Dell fanboy, having had very little trouble with them. Lately, I am seeing more issues and their tech support is degrading as well.

They have 1/3 of the entire US market. Of course they should be the company with the most issues.

It'd be more helpful if you posted the model number of the desktop, the old video card and the new video card.