New Confuser

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sleddriver

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Finally won a Dell auction today on an Optiplex 790 SFF i3 with 4G Ram, 250G HD, and an optical writer. $205. First confuser I've bought since 1998!! Why? Because friends gave me their broken old ones; I fixed them, them put them to use. The old Dell Dim 5150 I'm using now is just a 3.2GHz P4, running WXP with 3Gb of RAM! Hah!

Of course it's had about 3 power supplies in it, at least as many video cards (which are probably faster then the P4...) and I pay the bar tab for the fuzz bunnies!

Problem is the fans sound like a blender going off the deep end on more & more w-sites, so I took Dougs suggestion and pulled the trigger on the dell auction site.

There are some good deals there if you're in need of a new confuser:
http://www.dellauction.com/
http://dellrefurbished.com/

Be sure to check these deals out:

Quote:
Dell Coupons | Dell Refurbished Store

Shop our premium grade refurbished laptops, desktops and more with these great Dell coupons. Every month, enjoy big savings on various Dell products. Find the perfect item to keep or the perfect gift to give, using the Dell promo codes listed on this page. Note, we change coupon codes often so keep visiting for new deals and promotions!
Featured Coupon Offer:

40% off any Optiplex 390 Desktop + Free Ground Shipping

Use Coupon Code: SEPTHOTDEAL
Limited Time Offer
Other Coupon Offers:

30% off any Latitude E5420 Laptop
30% off any Optiplex 790 Desktop
25% off any DellP170S 17 inch Monitor

Use Coupon Code: SEPTDEAL
Expires: 9/30/2015


Thanks Doug!
cheers3.gif
 
I've been lucky to get 18 months out of a $1500 box the last decade.

So nearly 2 years ago, I bought a Dell Optiplex (870 ???) factory refurb, $280 including shipping and Windows 7.

It's been great, really a satisfying purchase, and is my new computer buying strategy.

Something that I found too, and have surprised a bunch of visitors is that the commercial computers are quieter than most of the packages from the computer shops.
 
Yep, me too. Tech was changing so fast (and expensive), I just hung on. HW is so much cheaper now and deals are everywhere. So, it was trigger time.

Commercial stuff is better built, especially laptops. Amazing how cheap some of them are built.

I'll be updating the LT later this Fall, then I can ditch the old doorstops.
 
Fed Ex delivered it this morning! Came ground from Tn in about 2 days. Not bad at all for a charge of only $15.

It's quite a bit smaller than I thought, as stock photos make it look LARGE. Very compact and silent. I can barely hear a fan and it's not cranking out HEAT like the big PS in the old Dim 5150.

i3-2100 3.1Ghz w/4G RAM (only 3.2G usable?). This machine really flys compared to the old P4 3.2Ghz. Windows INSTANTLY snap open on complex sites under FF w/Ublock. Haven't installed Flash yet, but was able to watch several Youtube videos (HTML5?).

One hitch is with the Apple cinema display I have. It uses a DVI connector (I think) and the Optiplex doesn't. So I'll need an adapter. Currently running on an old Dell Ultrasharp 4:3 LCD.

I need to backup the W7 backup/boot/disk partition so I'll have a disk(s). Not sure how to do this, but I'll figure it out. I use Acronis for all backups.

Looking forward to getting to know W7 and already wish I'd pulled the trigger on this sooner! This was a b-day present...my first NEW confuser since 1998!! I've certainly done my share of repurposing old confusers.

BTW, this machine appears to be brand new. Not any dust at all inside. The fans are clean.

I'll have to explore some W7 guides to learn the new features. Really looking forward to using the snipe-tool and new folder system that actually REMEMBERS my fldr pref's. Stupid XP never would.
 
Update:

The new confuser is a joy to use. Learning my way around W7. Not particularly looking forward to moving all my files, etc. over. Any suggestions to make this as painless as possible?

Unfortunately, I noticed that "Win Update" has dwnld'd GETX. No Way Jose. Found a clear guide over on Tweakhound on how to get rid of this, but it'll take time.

Still need to pickup an adapter for the on-board video to connect to my Apple widescreen display. Odd that's needed...no adapter necessary with the upgraded video card in the XP machine. Plugs right in.
 
Update:

Dell PS
Model: L240AS-00
DELL P/N: 2TXYM
P/N: PS-5241-5DF
Date code: R1118 (Jan 18, 2011?)

No more confuser joy: I was watching a Volvo repair video earlier and all stopped. Black screen. Looks like a dead PS. Pulled the case apart, removed the PS, pulled its case apart and found a quite dirty fan with 3 large fuzz bunnies in the blades. I guess when GENCO refurbished these things, they don't bother clearing out the rabbit's nests.

Don't see any black marks, swelled caps or burned traces inside.

I may check the ESR on the elec. caps just for grins. Could also be the switcher xnstr. I'll be looking for another PS...sans the bunnies.
 
Bummer...

I had one Optiplex that had a power supply go right after getting it off Ebay. The vendor replaced the computer and the next one was good.
 
Mine is a Dell Financial Services refurb. Sent them a detailed email. Will see if they reply.

Local discount electronics has a replacement PS in stock, yet they want $80 and it'll be a refurb as well. The whole machine only cost me $200.

Found out through research that LOTS of Optiples 790's have had PS problems. Dells on site is full of stories. My PS ends in "A00" which means it was in the batch that experienced lots of failures. Later models were "A01" and "A02". I'll be looking for that with any replacements.

Another thing I discovered upon disassembly, is that there is a blue cap on the front of the PS fan that appears to divert air into it. Very odd that. I should have inspected all fans for debris & bunnies.

I'm typing now on an Alien M17x given to me free, but with a non OEM PS and a battery that not isn't recognized by the OS, but won't charge either. How nice to have a Dell confuser that everything works......

This will be my main machine until I get the Optiplex PS issue sorted.

You never can have just ONE confuser....you ALWAYS need a backup to carry on with when the first one fails.
 
Update:

My DellHell frustration continues.....

I called the DFS rep who answered my email, with no joy. When he repeated the same story, I asked to speak to his supervisor. He wouldn't volunteer their name & number, but would refer my number to them. He does have my email address, yet I've received no email reply or referral.

So I go online onto support.dell.com, looking for a NEW replacement PS, not another 'refurbed' one. Can't find it on their site. So I call their "contact US" number. Very poor connection & vocal quality, Dell rep. difficult to understand, long latency. He says they have no stock. I ask if the optiplex 790 is still a current model. Yes. They are still being sold on dell's site. Next, I ask when a replacement PS will become available, as my confuser is useless without it. He doesn't know.

Offers to transfer me to "warranty" dept, I'm on hold for 20min. before I'm disconnected. I call back. Reach someone else off-shore. Give her Service tag #. Said she is from DFS. When asked for further information about this machine, I reply that it's on the confuser with the dead PS, and thus currently unobtainable.

I ask to have my case elevated to a supervisor. On hold yet again. Supervisor Ginger comes on line. When asked where she is, she replies Phillipines. When asked what dept she's in, she replies DFS.

She keeps wanting to tell me that the account specialist for this account is . (Never talked to her). I keep repeating I bought this machine from DFS in Sept 2015.

Next she wants to give me/transfer me to DFS. I explain I've already talked to them earlier and have their number. She wants to give me ANOTHER number. Unfortunately they're now closed. I explain that figures since I've been in Dell [censored] for nearly an hour now, trying to get someone, in the US, on a decent phone connection, with good audio quality, how/where I can get a replacement power supply.

She says she will expidite my case and call me back Monday! According to her, I actually have a case number (?????) 4174603. Interesting as no one ever told ME my case number!

So it's now 5:50p. I've wasted a good portion of my late afternoon in Dell [censored] and still don't have an answer to my Q: How do I obtain a replacement PS?

The plot continues to escalate downhill......

I call a local discount electronics, asking for stock & price information. They have "new" for $80 and "used" for $40. When I later drop by however, they have neither: Just apologies. They inquire who I spoke to. Not sure I was ever told. I restate the story but to no avail. The kid disappears into the back. While waiting I notice a stack of about 20 very used OP 790 towers. They're quite dirty, some banged up, scratched, etc. Rough to say the least. I remove the side cover for an inspection. The system case fan is dirty. The cpu fan & heatsink is just clogged with dust/dirt. Inside the case there is more of the same. Same song re: PS fan.

The kid comes back empty handed, explains that the 790 SFF's they have are all missing PS's. He says PS's for this SFF are "very popular". So this fits with what I discovered above. These machines are about 4-5yrs off-lease and the original PS's were replaced under warranty. Now the replacements have failed, according to Dell's own customer service, they have no inventory. DE, being a buyer of large amounts of off-lease Dell junk, has zero inventory and plenty of customers looking for replacement PS's.

There is a local Goodwill computer store. Maybe they have one. I'm also considering putting the one I have on the bench, checking the ESR of all electrolytic caps and the switching transistor, and fixing it myself. No doubt Dell used the cheapest @#$%^ they could find for parts.

Another option is to rig a compatible PS externally and use the wiring harness of the dead one to connect it.

I'm getting a whif of fraud here and it stinks. The reselling of "refurbished" conputers, with known PS faults, to an unsuspecting public who is mostly clueless about such technical details. When their PS fails outside of the already short warranty, they come back looking for another, which is pulled from the same used lot. Calling dell is of no help: They don't have any.

DE offers "refurbished" used units, without even bothering to open them and blow out the case + fans. Their rep admitted that they just reload the OS, run dell's diagnostics and stack them out front. At least DFS (Genco), didn't ship me a "rough" unit, loaded with dust. Unfortunately the one I received contained a PS from a known bad lot.

Caveat Emptor........
 
Your time is worth something. Perhaps it's time to order one on-line and pay the $40 or whatever to get this fixed???
 
If I could find a NEW one on-line, not a pulled used, that would be great. Otherwise, I could wind up in the same boat a month from now, two or three months....who knows?

If you know of a reputable source for this part, I'm interested.
 
Can't really help there. I know I had to order one years ago for a Dell Inspiron 530s

I think I did the same as you were thinking, tried it out with a known good PS and when I was convinced it was the PS that was faulty, looked on-line at New Egg or similar for a replacement.

I think I found one that was a bit higher output and it's been going for 5+ years now.
 
Found unexpected joy at a Goodwill computer store. They didn't have the PS but they did have a bin of $5 LT batteries for Macbooks, in both black & white. I found one that was even half charged. It's now charging. Been looking for a lower-cost solution to its battery problem, including reloading the pack with new cells. Just been too busy......

They pointed me to another place close by, but turns out they only have LT parts. Might come in handy for the alien M17x I'm now using. It won't recognize its battery nor the PS that came with it.

Back to my original subject....didn't realize having a SFF chassis would lead to this PS problem. Live & learn......
 
Will the board migrate to a more conventional chassis?

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Found unexpected joy at a Goodwill computer store. They didn't have the PS but they did have a bin of $5 LT batteries for Macbooks, in both black & white. I found one that was even half charged. It's now charging. Been looking for a lower-cost solution to its battery problem, including reloading the pack with new cells. Just been too busy......

They pointed me to another place close by, but turns out they only have LT parts. Might come in handy for the alien M17x I'm now using. It won't recognize its battery nor the PS that came with it.

Back to my original subject....didn't realize having a SFF chassis would lead to this PS problem. Live & learn......
 
I have several similar ones: 745, 755, and 760-- but no 790's. The harness should be standard ATX-12V, with one big plug and one small plug for the MB, and various plugs for drives. You should be able to take any standard desktop supply, push the leads through the hole left by removing the original supply, and fire it up plug and play. This would be a good idea in any case to confirm the rest of the machine still works and all you really need is repair or replace PSU.
 
Last edited:
Update:

Re: Bigger chassis. Not sure. I'll definitely keep this limitation in mind going forward. Never owned a compact confuser before. Didn't realize the PS's were limited and $$$$ compared to others in larger cases.

Re: External supply. I'm liking this idea. Already read about others doing it. My old ATX supply might even work. Have to check specs + pinout.

Progress update:

Pulled the PS board from its metal case. First thing I checked was the encased fuse. It's open. Right next to it is a 420V EC. Looking down at the base I noticed some dark brown, crusty stuff...like burned electrolytic paste. The ESR meter read open so it's Toes Up. Pulled it and took a photo, but photobucket seems to be down.

While in there, I checked the ESR of the remaining EC's. Only one stood out. Another high V cap > 400V. It's ESR measured 21 Ohms. Seems high.

Semicond. usually short when they go, and sometimes blow fuses & take other components out with them. Haven't checked any switching xnstrs or diodes.

All the downstream low voltage caps check out fine, so it looks like the damage occurred at the front end, just downstream of the VAC section.

New, high Q, low ESR caps would run about $10 + shipping, so I may go for it. Mousers' in Tx so delivery would be next day even with reg. ground. I could also order new EC's for the sled's fuel pump relay as I've read it's the cause of failure.

Photobucket's still down so no photos to post. I'll add them later.

Thanks for the replies!
 
OP,sleddriver
can you post the pictures of the stickers on the PS case?
maybe we can find you an alternative?
warning: probably you may have to jerry-rig it back since dell PS are a bit smaller then regular PS...
 
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