Dell Precision: troubleshoot random electric discharge

Hello,

Every now and then I hear some electric sparkling/discharge coming from the
chasis of my Dell Precision 670 ... are there any steps or hints to
troubleshoot this by myself? how to find what kind of cable is loose or
otherwise if this is due to accumulated static charge? or shall I just
contact Dell to send me a technitian? I have no warranty coverage anymore
.... 6 years old machine. I upgraded it couple of years ago to have the dual
core MOBO and upgraded the CPUs to Paxville 2.8Ghz DC.. but I didn't upgrade
the VRM though, would this be the reason? otherwise it works ok ...

TIA,
Best regards,
Giovanni

Hi!

Every now and then I hear some electric sparkling/discharge coming
from the chasis of my Dell Precision 670 ... are there any steps
or hints to troubleshoot this by myself?

Make sure the power cord is securely connected to the back of the
system. That's the only thing that springs readily to mind, because
I've had that happen when a power cord was loose. Try another cord set
if the trouble persists, and make sure the outlet you are using is
properly grounded.

You may also wish to examine the internal power connectors. Each one
should be snug-to-tight in terms of fit. Anything that's loose
indicates a problem, but usually the voltage and current drawn aren't
enough to result in audible arcing.

In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I would believe that
the VRM is the same for CPUs that this machine supported. Still, you
might look for signs of distress--darkened parts, bloated capacitors,
etc.

You may also try operating the system in a darkened room. If something
is arcing internally, that may reveal the cause.

Dell may not have anyone left who knows how to work on that computer
any longer. Even if they did, you will pay a fortune for their
services.

William

On 9/7/2010 4:03 PM, William R. Walsh wrote:
Hi!

Every now and then I hear some electric sparkling/discharge coming
from the chasis of my Dell Precision 670 ... are there any steps
or hints to troubleshoot this by myself?

Make sure the power cord is securely connected to the back of the
system. That's the only thing that springs readily to mind, because
I've had that happen when a power cord was loose. Try another cord set
if the trouble persists, and make sure the outlet you are using is
properly grounded.

You may also wish to examine the internal power connectors. Each one
should be snug-to-tight in terms of fit. Anything that's loose
indicates a problem, but usually the voltage and current drawn aren't
enough to result in audible arcing.

In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I would believe that
the VRM is the same for CPUs that this machine supported. Still, you
might look for signs of distress--darkened parts, bloated capacitors,
etc.

You may also try operating the system in a darkened room. If something
is arcing internally, that may reveal the cause.

Dell may not have anyone left who knows how to work on that computer
any longer. Even if they did, you will pay a fortune for their
services.

William

It's not just the cost of the services. It nearly a 100% certainty that
Dell has no spare parts fir the Precision 670. On the other hand, if
someone in the United States has need for Precision 670 parts, I know
where I can get my hands on them (probably for cheap), from 670's
removed from service. I have not done any care and feeding of 670's,
because they generate enough heat to keep ones house warm in winter.
Very smooth running dual Xeons, though... Ben Myers

Ben Myers wrote on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:36:12 -0400:
{...}
because they generate enough heat to keep ones house warm in winter.
Very smooth running dual Xeons, though... Ben Myers

I *love* old electronics that doubles as a space heater in the winter!
My old Tektronix o'scope from '69 is just wonderful in this regard! Dims
all of the lights in the house when you hit the power switch too. LOL

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 702G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix Linux

On 9/7/2010 6:22 PM, BillW50 wrote:
Ben Myers wrote on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:36:12 -0400:
{...}
because they generate enough heat to keep ones house warm in winter.
Very smooth running dual Xeons, though... Ben Myers

I *love* old electronics that doubles as a space heater in the winter!
My old Tektronix o'scope from '69 is just wonderful in this regard! Dims
all of the lights in the house when you hit the power switch too. LOL


I can get you some Precision 670's at a great price. You can do SETI
computations and keep your house warm all at the same time, and still
have enough CPU cycles left for some fast web surfing. Just say the
word, tell me how many, and pay the (substantial) freight. Could also
ship you a pallet load to save on per unit shipping costs.

The Tektronix and a Precision 670 make a great pair... Ben

On 9/7/2010 9:14 PM, Ben Myers wrote:
On 9/7/2010 6:22 PM, BillW50 wrote:
Ben Myers wrote on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:36:12 -0400:
{...}
because they generate enough heat to keep ones house warm in winter.
Very smooth running dual Xeons, though... Ben Myers

I *love* old electronics that doubles as a space heater in the winter!
My old Tektronix o'scope from '69 is just wonderful in this regard! Dims
all of the lights in the house when you hit the power switch too. LOL


I can get you some Precision 670's at a great price. You can do SETI
computations and keep your house warm all at the same time, and still
have enough CPU cycles left for some fast web surfing. Just say the
word, tell me how many, and pay the (substantial) freight. Could also
ship you a pallet load to save on per unit shipping costs.

The Tektronix and a Precision 670 make a great pair... Ben

And then there are the new-build desktops with dual core 1.6 Atom CPUs
and the new low-power Intel D510 chipset. Put a pair together this past
week. Four screws to mount the 6 inch square motherboard. I doubt that
they draw more than 30w with the hard drive and CD burner going at full
tilt. Quiet. Cooling fans never came on despite 90 degree
temperatures. Powerful enough to do most run-of-the-mill office and web
tasks easily and quickly.

But, NO-O-O-O! Everybody gotta have the fastest baddest i7... Ben