Dell GX270 no video

[Lyd]

unit turns on, give "check video cable" message on screen. I have removed and reinstalled all drives, memory, battery and power supply. I have installed a new video card, then a new mobo and finally a new power supply.

I am no idiot, just an old Dell tech with an MCSE and been out of the business for 20 years. I have limited tools/resources. Can anyone assist this old codger with this exasperating issue? I know I am forgetting something!

 

[johnb35]

What video card do you have? Does it require a 6 pin pci express power connector?

 

[PohTayToez]

Have you tried new/different RAM?

Sounds like you've pretty much tried everything else that it could possibly be except the CPU which isn't very likely to be the problem. It could be that one of your replacement parts was bad, I would guess the motherboard as they are known for bad capacitors.

 

[Lyd]

Thank you all for your help. Keep it coming. I did replace the cpu, it came with the mobo. The video card is an NVidia AGP VGA. I am not getting any posting beeps at all. I did the complete strip off and then added back one component at a time until I got no beeps at all. Still wont post. No I have not replaced the ram. I did check to see that they are in the proper positions.

Whats next? New monitor??? Or should I really just "replace the video cable" ?????? Has anyone ever had a cable go bad? Not me.

I am totally fed up. Any more suggestions will be heartily welcomed and thank you.

 

[PohTayToez]

Well bad RAM can definitely keep it from posting, try one stick at a time in both slots.

Did you look at the capacitors on the motherboard? When they go bad they will bloat and be convex on the top and possibly leak, although they can go bad without any visual indication too.

 

[Lyd]

two mobos, no bulging capacitors. Did the ram swap, all good, no beeps. Keep coming with the suggestions, I am desperate. Thanks in advance.

 

[PohTayToez]

Well I don't think there is anything to do that you haven't tried. It must be something that you've checked already. Did you try resetting the BIOS on the new motherboard?

Only other thing I can think to recommend would be not using the video card at all when you're testing, no sense in having an extra component that you don't need to get it to post.

 

[Okedokey]

I wouldve tested the cable first.

 

[Lyd]

Thank you all for your help. I actually did test the cable. I swapped out monitors the very first day.

I have to say the problem is resolved. I removed both ram sticks from the white slots. I put one ram into a black slot and it booted. When it booted, I had a WinXP system disk in the cd drive and when it came on, it was three quarters through a reinstall. I let it finish and then installed the second ram stick in the other black slot. I have no reasonable explanation of why this all happened the way it did. Thank you all again. Maybe the Dell way to say Bazinga! Just another good reason why I switched to Mac.

 

[Okedokey]

Thank you all for your help. I actually did test the cable. I swapped out monitors the very first day.

I have to say the problem is resolved. I removed both ram sticks from the white slots. I put one ram into a black slot and it booted. When it booted, I had a WinXP system disk in the cd drive and when it came on, it was three quarters through a reinstall. I let it finish and then installed the second ram stick in the other black slot. I have no reasonable explanation of why this all happened the way it did. Thank you all again. Maybe the Dell way to say Bazinga! Just another good reason why I switched to Mac.

Mac uses same hardware??? Why would that make a difference?