I guess when it rains it pours. I’ve previously chronicled the saga of my neighbor Jerry’s Dimension 4100, whose case fan has failed and can’t be replaced. Yesterday, he called me to tell me that his just-over-a-year-old Dimension 4600 won’t start.
We hauled the PC over to my office, where I plugged it in and took a look. Yep, it’s dead, Jim. I made the obligatory call to Dell’s support line, where I spent 15 minutes on hold before a cheerful tech told me that Jerry’s account was from the Large Systems division. Ha! While I was on hold waiting for those techs to pick up, I surfed over to the Dell Community Forum. And wonder of wonders, I read this thread, and this one, and then hit the mother lode on this one.
In short, lots of people have been complaining about a sudden rash of power supply failures in the Dimension 4600 line, typically just after the one-year anniversary. After I read through all the threads, I decided not to waste any more time waiting for a tech to pick up and tell me the computer was out of warranty. Instead, I’m heading for CompUSA to pick up a generic power supply and swap it with the defective one.
I’ll give kudos to Dell for having a Community Forum, but it’s a double-edged sword. This is one of three problems I’ve experienced with Dell products and support in recent months, and thanks to the forums I’ve learned that I’m not alone. Unfortunately, Dell doesn’t seem to have invested any energy in capturing the feedback on these forums to identify and fix common problems. I can only imagine how annoyed and angry their customers are who are getting the run-around from a support tech and don’t realize that there’s a place to share information and horror stories with other customers.
In general, I think Dell makes good, solid computers, but their support is troublesome. If you’re a Dell customer, do yourself a favor and start in the message boards the next time you have a problem. You might save yourself a lot of pointless aggravation.
Update: Yep, the new power supply fixed the problem.
Update: I’ve closed the comments on this post. They’re now read-only. A lot of people are asking for detailed help with their computers that I can’t offer, and the comments section isn’t really set up to work like a bulletin board or forum. A better suggestion is to go to the Dell forums.
Thanks for all the great feedback. – Ed Bott, February 2006
Ed Bott 
I just had a power supply failure in my Dimension 4600, about 11 months after purchase. What I wonder is: does the replacement supply have the same defect?
The rumors I’ve heard are that the problem is caused by a thermal relay. I suspect the problem is due to overloading of the 250W power supply. If you’re willing to put up with the aggravation of getting a spare part from Dell, by all means have them ship it to you. It will probably work for another 11 months.
I would recommend purchasing a 300W or higher rated PS and installing it yourself. Changing the Dimension 4600 power supply is very simple. It took me about five minutes…
Funny- my 4600 just won’t turn on after coming back from thanksgiving trip also, it’s just past the 1 year mark, but I did myself a favor and emailed them a related issue before the support anniversary passed, so it’s actually covered. i’ll let you know what Dell ends up doing. it all started by not goig into standby mode- it would just poof shut off fast & hard.
Interesting! I was also going out of town for several days over Thanksgiving so I turned my Dimension 4600 off. Got home and tried turning it on today. Nothing. I’m guessing the power supply is messed up, even though I still get a green light on the mobo when system is plugged in. Nothing at all happens when power switch is pushed. I’ll try switching out the PS and see what happens. Rrrrrr.
Regarding replacing power supply of Dell Dimension 4600, looks like pinout of PS1 for standard power supplies has a -5V pin, but Dell power supply does not have this. Ed, you said you replaced your power supply, did you have to do anything special? Or did a standard power supply work OK? Do you recall the one you ended up using? Thanks!
I used a generic 300W ATX power supply from CompUSA. It worked just fine and took about 5 minutes to install. Other folks posting on the Dell forums had similar experiences.
Exact same thing happened to me. Returned from a Thanksgiving trip to find my 4600 would not start up. Got the green light on the motherboard but nothing else. Just purchased an ATX power supply today and will try to install it tonight. Hope that does the trick……weird how this seems so common.
This is UNbelievable. My PS started acting up while I was on the phone with the Dell rep working on another problem. They asked if I wanted to purchase an extended warranty because mine was up in 8 days. Of course, being the IT guru that I am, I declined. Guess what happened 9 days later? Yup, the PS went bad. It’s been a month because I was out of town, but I plan to take your advice and purchase my own PS tonight. Thanks…
I went to CompUSA last night. Got the Mad Dog 450W supply that was only 29.00 after $50 rebate. Sale ends soon so all you folks who got home from vacation and had a dead power supply should act now! 🙂 Anyway, hooked it up and all is good now. Thanks Ed!
Only found this site by accident, but am mighty glad I did. I bought a Dim-4600 in March this year, and then treated myself to some new goodies last week to add desktop video editing capability to it. Of course, after reading all this, the next stop is NewEgg or the like to shop for a power supply.
Oh Man! I’m a lucky one too. Sounds like the majority of issues come from the PSU, but from the several different threads I’ve read it sounds like there can be other issues. Just bought my 4600 in August this year, definately getting the extended warrenty. I upgraded my video card and was having instability issues then realized it was a whimpy 250watt PSU, which led me here. This is disheartening, I’ve always heard good things about Dell, sounds like they’ve got to do some explaining. This should not go unanswered by them.
I CAN’T believe the number of individuals that are having the exact same issue, within the exact same time-frame (13months)! Tom K, you’ve been the only one that has mentioned the issue with going to stand-by(mine powers off, then quickly back on and off again). Have you replaced the PS yet-and was it the fix? I haven’t replaced either the PS or the MOBO (Dell’s recommendation) yet, as I’m up and running (for the moment)
My problem with my dimension 2350 is almost similar, my computer turns on but when I am at the point of clicking on NAME, it turns off.Thanks……..
Well, I went to Best Buy and purchased a generic 300W ATX PS and put it in. I’m back up and everything works well. That was an easy and relatively inexpesive fix, $50.00, but it still shouldn’t be happening as often as we are reading here. For other Dimension 4600 users, just prior to mine dying, it used to rev like someone easing on and off of a throttle. Vrooom, vrooom, vrooom,… Beware.
Bought my Dell Dimension 4600 1 year ago. Only bought the 1 year onsite warranty. Today the computer will not power on. My 1 year onsite warranty EXPIRED 1 WEEK AGO. Glad I found this thread. Guess I’m off to the computer store to buy a new PS. Thought Dell was a better company than this. Think long and hard about buying a Dell computer, and if you do, BUY AT LEAST 2 YEAR WARRANTY!
Yep, same problem. 4600, turned off one day, and it wouldn’t turn on. Mine actually made it to month 14, but I never turned it off before, I just rebooted when necessary. New 300w CompUSA power supply fixed it.
Add me to the list. Mine lasted 13 months. The Dell tech I talked told me it was the MoBo too so it’s clear they don’t have a clue about this. Searching around today and found this thread. I’m off to Compusa tonight.
#$%@!#$ DELL!!!! I made 1 year and 2 weeks when mine went out. I quess the $100 bucks I saved by going with the 1 year warranty will go towards a new power supply.
PS. If anyone is thinking of a class action lawsuit, count me in.
Add one more to the list. My Dell 4600 was purchased 12/9/03. No power on 12/22/04. And, I also only had a one year warranty.
i too bought a 4600 12/9/03 and it died on 12/19/04 i read the forum all the time so i knew what it was and of course 1 only had the 1 yr warranty. just for the hell of it i called dell and bitched and moaned and after an hour and a half i got my power supply in reality i could have gone to comp usa bought a power supply installed it in that time but it was the principle of it
Just to be different, I had the same problem with a Dimension 4500. After several go-rounds with Tech Support insisting the motherboard needed to be replaced, someone sent me the link to the Dell Forum, saving me hours of work and aggravation. $30 later, a new PS from TigerDirect solved the problem.
One would think it would be in Dell’s interest to pay attention to the wave of complaints, since selling to their customers motherboards they don’t need doesn’t make them any money and generates a lot of hard feelings.
Correction: mine is a 4550, not a 4500.
Here is Dell’s customer (don’t) care response:
{Jasmine 4:45:07 PM} Thank you for contacting Dell Consumer Customer Care Chat. My name is Jasmine .
{Jasmine 4:45:09 PM} How may I help you today ?
{Eric Stutes 4:45:35 PM} (3374061978) I need to bring to customer care attention a problem with the Dimension 4600 desktops which is effecting a large number of you customers including myself.
Based on the information on the Dell Customer for at http: forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_other&message.id=210341 (160+ messages and growing) I determined that the power supply was bad and replaced it. I had the Dell PS checked out and it was bad. I still have it by the way.
Based on Dell forum listed above and other forums such as http: http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000260.html there is obvious problem with the power supplies in the Dimension 4600 desktops sold starting on October of 2003 and in most cases right after the warrantee ran out. To make things worst the guys in tech support are stuck reading some script which brings them to the conclusion that it is a motherboard problem and the customer(s) need to buy a new motherboard.
Some of the members of the forum have sworn off Dell and even have begun contacting PC related magazines begging for help. It is obvious that teck support will not solve our problem therefore I am asking you for help.
Sincerely
Eric
{Eric Stutes 4:47:13 PM} Who can I speak with who can help in a instance such as this?
{Eric Stutes 4:48:54 PM} Hello?
{Jasmine 4:48:58 PM} please allow me a minute while I go through your account.
{Eric Stutes 4:49:09 PM} Thanks
{Jasmine 4:52:27 PM} Eric, Are you referring to order number xxxx, for Dimension 4600 ?
{Eric Stutes 4:54:15 PM} YEs
{Jasmine 4:54:37 PM} Eric, as i am a customer care representative, i suggest you to please contact our technical support team and they will assist you better
{Jasmine 4:54:49 PM} I apologize that I am unable to assist you directly with this issue.
{Eric Stutes 4:56:09 PM} Tech Support said that I needed to speak with customer care…..
{Eric Stutes 4:58:20 PM} and until the unit is identified as defective by customer care they could not provide any replacement parts without charging the customer.
{Jasmine 4:58:44 PM} Yes, Eric, we are customer care and unable to assist you in your technical queriy.
{Eric Stutes 4:59:17 PM} Thanks anyway. Bye.
{Jasmine 4:59:27 PM} bye bye.
Found this site by accident, when I was looking for information regarding my Dell 4600 Power Supply. My Dell is just over 1 year old and it was difficult to believe that the power supply would have failed that quickly.
However based on the many reports posted on your site regarding Dell PS issues I soon discovered that that was exactly the problem. Replaced the power supply and all is working fine again. Dell needs to face up and take responsibility for these product failures.
I bought two Dell Dimension 4600 in August 2003. My sons started to give power supply problems in August 2004. I gave up on the tech service after I managed to get it started. I keep both machines on all the time. I switched them both off for Christmas break and now cannot restart either. I spent 1 1/2 hours on the phone to dell tech with them getting me to take my computer apart. Of course no warranty cover and they claim no known power supply faults!! Not impressed after reading your forum.
This sucks. My 4600 PSU died 2 months to the day after the warranty. Tried to call Dell to see if they would do anything for me – big waste of time. I’d still take a Dell over the piece of S$%#t Gateway I used to have.
I am just getting thru 4 days of hell with my Dell D. 4600 after I couldn’t get it to power on… this was a couple of weeks after the warranty expired…I also found this site by accident, when I was looking for information regarding my Dell 4600 Power Supply. I was actually told by Dell to order a new motherboard… luckily I just replaced the power supply and all is working again but very slow… I’m working on that – I have been on hold at Dell tech support for 1 hr 20 mins. We need to make Dell take responsibility for these product failures and their lousy tech support…
Ditto to everyone’s post. 14 month’s into the warranty and the system won’t power on. I’m going to get a new power supply right now. Thanks for the info on this web site.
Add another to this growing list. I turned off the computer to go on xmas vacation, returned, tried to turn it back on and nothing. Died after 14 months. The green light on the mobo came on but apparently that only indicates there’s enough voltage to respond to the on/off switch. Replaced power supply and all is well. Everyone should complain to Dell and ask for a new psu or $.
Just got back from my new years trip, BAM. Thanks for all the posts here, I will get a new power supply for my 4600, but does anyone know what the extra little square 4-pin connector that goes to the mobo does? There’s the standard ATX connector and then an extra one that I can’t seem to find a replacement for. They both go to the motherboard but to different locations. What a great start to the new year!
I am looking to upgrade my PS simply because my new video card suggests having a 300W PS. My Dimension 4600, of course, only has a 250W PS. After reading the dell.com boards and this article and thread, I am now prepared for the worst condiering that my PC is now one year and one week old. My fingers are crossed that I do not have any problems!
Add one more. I’ve been on the phone with Tech support for the last 1.5 hrs. Had to walk through the checklist, and, of course, it’s the power supply. They’re sending me a new one, as I have 5 days left on my 1-year warranty. Usually I have a good experience with Dell, but out of 30 4600’s at work, we’ve had 2 drive failures and one PS failure in 3 months. Not the highest standard. . .
I bought my 4600 in October 2003. I turned it off when I left for Christmas vacation. When I returned last week it wouldn’t turn on. Dell tech support insisted it was a bad motherboard and wanted over $264. to install a new one. After searching the internet I found this site. Then I checked the Dell forum. I bought a new power supply at Circuit City and it solved my problem. I shouldn’t have had to spend $50. on a defective part that Dell has been made aware by many customers. It’s sad to see how the quality of Dell computers has declined.
Unbelievable. Same problem. 1 yr. 2 months to the day and my power supply went out. After several 45 minute waits for Tech support–(Usually in India) they couldn’t identify the problem, but thankfully all of you have!
I doubt I’ll buy a Dell again–they have SERIOUS customer service and Tech issues; but I must say, it was a Dell salesman who turned me on to this site. So Kudos for him!
My 4600 PSU died exactly like the others, but luckily at 11 months, 20 days and so I got it waranteed. I guess all that time playing games paid off 😉
Nice to know it’s a systematic problem though, so I know to buy a better one the next time it goes.
Same problem. Turned off the computer overnight and it wouldn’t go back on the next day. Green light on the MB lights up, but no fan and no power. I will think twice before I buy another Dell.
I experienced the same thing with a Dimension 4600. I disconnected my pc and connected to another power outlet and my PC did not start. I connected several times and nothing.
I leave the CPU connected to the new power outlet for a while (in my case 2 hours, it may be less), then the power led was blinking. After that, I pressed the power button and the PC STARTED!!!!
Maybe, I have good luck with this PSU, but I am thinking it will not last.
My psu is out too. Light on motherboard working but no fan and no led on the switch. It was working until I turned off machine and now can’t get it to turn on again. What’s up. After reading this forum, I’m just changing the psu with a generic. My computer is only one year old too. Thanks for the help guys.
Same here. Bought a Dimension 4600 last year. Shut down PC before going for Christmast holidays. Came back and found the Dimension acting weirdly. The power came on and then turn off the next second automatically without anyone pressing the power button. It cost me my 120GB HDD as the system powered up and down over the holidays, the drive spun up and then power down repetitively. (Should have unplugged the system from the wall socket? damn!!! considering the amount of data loss!!!)
Will go and look for a PSU. Someone or some fair trade organization should hold dell accountable for this PSU issue.
I will definitely rule out dell on my next PC purchase!!!
Purchased a 4600 December 2003, shut down January 2004. Dell tech support said the MoBO was fried. Thanks to this site, picked up a new power supply, and the new power supply fixed the problem.
I bought my 4600 December 2003, a year and two weeks later I had this same problem.
Kind of scary, almost like they designed it to fail after the warranty on purpose.
I wish someone could look into this.
And… Add yet another to the “list”.
My boss’s personal 4600 displayed all the usual symptoms (no fans, no leds except for the little green “flea” on the mobo.
New Antec Truepower 330W PS, and the machine is back up and running.
A few months ago we had a Dimension 4550 that (after ordering and trying a new mobo based on the recomendations of the snort highly skilled Dell script monke… um Tech Support Professional) ended up having a dead P4 1.6Ghz CPU, something I’d rarely seen…
I didn’t have a spare CPU to swap in , so I took it to a local shop for them to smoke test 🙂
Talking to the tech, he mentioned that he’d seen a rash of dead 1.6 GHZ P4 CPUs recently.
I don’t think it’s all that unusual to have episodes where a bad batch of stuff starts acting up, and how a company handles these little epidemics can taint their reputation for a very long time.
Remember the “Click of Death” on Zip Drives? It’s been 7 years or so, and I still won’t consider purchasing an Iomega product… I have no doubt I’ve spread the “Iomega=Bad” meme to dozens of potential customers over the years.
There’s already enough reasons to suspect that Dell’s “award-winning service” is turning formerly loyal customers into “ABDs” (Anybody But Dell)… Outsourced tech support you can’t understand, cancelling orders for no apparent reason and with no notice, problems with the web site, etc.: All of which I’ve personally experienced.
I realize that Dell has gotten so huge that corporate inertia comes into play… But they need to get off the dime on this. This is going to end up costing them far more than a stack of lowest-bidder $5 PSUs and some overnight shipping, if they don’t do the right thing.
Oh, and FYI: The Dimension 4600 was, like most, just out of warrenty… Shipped 11/05/03.
I figured my problem was the Power Supply because I have a client that has a Dimension 4600 that she leaves on all of the time. I had to shut it down and run some new Ethernet cable in her office and wouldn’t you know it when I went to power up her 4600 it wouldn’t come on. Computer companies should do recalls on bad products. Dell ought to be ashamed for ignoring this problem..
Just got back from a week long business trip, and had my 4600 off for the first time in months. Purchased 10/03, died 1/05… I guess I should be happy for the extra three months I squeezed out of my bad PS, but this is unbelievable! Class action anyone? Thanks for the tips.
This is dealing with a 4100 demension, basiclly it’ll POST only if all the RAM is removed… otherwise i get no reaction from it, not even a single beep to say “things are kind of OK”
-tried replacing the CPU, but i think i used a celeron w/ a bus of 100Mhz, instead of the 133 the board/RAM run at .. and that did nothing.
-tried hooking up my known good antec 430W PSU, couldn’t even get it to POST with that hooked up
so i’m wondering how a generic PSU hooks up to a dell?
Also, anyone still think this problem is a PSU, or could it be the MB or CPU?
thanks, trying to help out a friend,
dan
Guys, I am damn lucky to find this site by accident. I have the same problem. Today I am going to try another power suppply. I broke my nuts from last two months trying to find a solution. I will get back to let you know that it worked or not.By the way the defective power supply works on other systems.Currently, I am using it on a ASUS MOBO and here i am typiing.
My buddy and I recently decided to give PC repair a shot, as a little side business. Our first job is to repair my girlfriend’s father’s Dimension 4600. Initially, the job started off as a simple reformatting of the hard drive and re-installation of OS and components. Well, when we first tried to start it up, guess what happened. That’s right. The same problem you are all discussing here. Comp was getting power, but was not turning on. Until today, I was convinced (by discussions of this same problem on other sites) that it was a defective power switch. Specifically, it was a problem with a short in the wires. Well, after reading ALL of these posts, I am leaning toward the PS being the root of all evil in this matter. I have a Dimension 8250 and have had a generally great experience with it. Then again, I bought it in 2002 when Dell still had Sales and Tech Support workers in the U.S. This company has essentially turned into it’s one time competitor, Gateway. Slapping together a computer with cheap parts and not having any support whatsoever for their customers. The wisest decision for America is to not buy Dell—anymore, ever. After discovering what Dell is all about, I will never buy a Dell again. Publicize this. Spread the word!
Same story here:
– lucky to find this site
– bad PSU @ 16 mos. (better than most of you!)
– found this site while at work on phone w/ Dell’s Indian Tech Support
– previous poster that cited his “vroom vroom vroom” experience prior to PC death is exactly the same thing that happened to me.
– LED on MB on, but unable power-on
thought it was just the power button though as I could get the PC to turn on when I ‘jiggled’ the wires that connect to the power button.
! Mine is 15 months old (shipped 10-24-03!) and the power supply crapped out last nite.
Dell should be offering a recall on this!
good thing i stumbled upon this site. i recently was asked by a friend to fix his dim 4600 software issues. when i got it it was dead. it’s about 1 year old with a 250watt supply. i took the one i had from my pc and powered it up for a few moments. when i returned my ps to it’s home, it was dead. that’s what i get for helping. any suggestions? ps took the motherboard down with it? and then took my ps down too?
fustrated
Add one more name to the list folks. Exact same story; Dell 4600 from Sept 03. Tried to upgrade the DVD drive to a DVD burner and system will not come back up. No fan, no power, but small green light glows on the MOBO. Called Dell up and half an hour of scripted responses later I was told to order a $267 Mother board. I am going to attempt to replace the PSU as soon as it stops snowing here in the Midwest, any recommendations? Dell seriously needs to issue a recall for these power supplies. The sad part is I am back to using my 5 year old HP Pavillion 600MZ Celery machine that I had kept in a BOX IN MY BASEMENT, plugged it in and it booted right up…while my ~1 yr old 2.8Mz Dell rig has temporarily turned into a foot stool. Any body thinking of Class Action count me in.
Hey all fellow fustrated Dell customers, in a follow up to my above complaint, i determined the dell 4600 to have a bad psu, and my mb had a stand off short. all is well with both computers. my friend’s computer was under extended warranty, so he called them up for a new power supply. after three hours of them not listening to him about the correctly diagnosed powersuply failure, they are sending a technician to his house to replace the motherboard, cpu, ram, and power supply. what a waste of money. i guess it’s nice because he gets a new computer. what a silly company.
hey all, i have figured out all of my troubles. the power supply was bad on the dim 4600 and i had a short on my motherboard. all is well with my machine. my friend’s dim 4600 booted up nicely with my power supply and i fixed his software problem. his computer is under warranty so he thought he’d get a new power supply from dell. after three hours of plugging things in, unplugging,and giving numbers to tech suppport from dell, they are sending a technician with a new motherboard, cpu, ram and power supply. what a bunch of jokers. i guess it’s good for him, he gets a new computer. they simply would not listen to him that the power supply was done. i guess he will have to go through this again in about a year.
what a bunch of dinks.
Yep – me too. Purchased the Dell 4600 in October 2003. It’s hard to believe that there are all these machines failing and no recognition from Dell.
I am helping some elderly folks who have family pictures (not yet backed up as they were recently downloaded off the camera). Their Dell 4600 (just out of warranty) quit working–We thought it was the HDD, but maybe it is the power supply! I’m trying to get their pictures off before Dell’s Indian Techs have them reformat even if it is not the drive! I have purchased 6 Dells and have loved them–but I have not purchased the lower level ones. I also always buy the 4-year warranty. They have a few good people over there in India and the Philippines, but most of them just know how to read in English–that is what they seem to do. They do not seem to be able to understand when you tell them what you have already done. I told my friends to buy this Dell, and I am now regretful!
Susan
I am laughing so hard I can barely write. I’ve been without a PC for the past two months out of sheer laziness, after it went dead right after arevvin. A couple of days ago I finally decided to open up my Dimension 4600, and there was that green led on the mobo fooling me into believing that the power supply was OK. Thankfully, after calling tech support who helped in nothing at all, I came across this thread. New PS, and all’s OK.
Thanx
ive got a dell 4600 2.4 geforce fx and after about 11 months or so when i pluged the pc into the wall i got a noise taht sounded like a race car vrooom vrooom vrooom on and off untill i pressed the power button pretty annoying same old crap from the crappity crap from dell.com so after reading all you guys messages im gonna order a new psu if any action is going to be taken count me in!
The power supply on my 4600 (built Oct. 2003) just died last night. Thanks to message boards like this one, I know all I’ll have to do is replace the PSU. Thanks!
Same old problem dell 4600 no power 1 mo after warrenty expired. Opened power supply to find (2)capacitors leaking! Tops opened!
Same as above….14 months after new purchase 4600…dead. Bought PS from dell, replaced, everything worked fine for 3 wks…now replacement ps is dead also!
Spent 3 hrs on phone to get them to honor 90 day waranty on PS. Should have just gone to local computer store and spent the $35 on a new one.
Dell no more.
Its a year to the day tommorow and my computer sounds like a freight train. I have a decent video card when I take it out, the noise stops. I know the card is good because it was noisy when I had my old card installed also. Dell says my motherboard is bad. What should I do ED? Anyone? Should I replace the motherboard or are they right for once and should I replace the powersupply. Mycomputer starts up fine, its just noisy, but ONLY when the video card is plugged in. PLEASE give me some advice before I pay dell for a motherboard!!! 🙂
Matty,
I’ve had a similar problem. My guess is that you have a noisy fan on the video card. The electronic circuitry is fine, but one part on the little plastic fun is rubbing against another part and making an annoying noise. It’s a common problem with video cards that use these little tiny fans.
I replaced my video card with one that uses a passive cooling system, and in the process got a much better video card. You might want to give that a try.
Thanks for the help. I really didn’t want to believe I had gotten two bad Nvidia cards. Sinc I can still return it, that seems like the best thing to do I don’t know what its rubbing against, but that humming is VERY VERY annoying. Is this smonething with most video cards that have fans? Or an isolated issue? I guess I’m going to staples today. I hope they have something That’ll work.
sorry for the double post, but I have an update on the situation. I took the card and plugged it into another system, an older one. The computer was no where near as noisy as my own, it only made the noises I would expect from a computer. Plugging the card back into my system, the loud humming returned. Is there any other issues I’m not considering? Or could it still be the card dispite my little “test?
Good troubleshooting! The ideal next step would be to put the card back in the Dell, leave the cover off, and put your ear as close as possible (safely of course) so you can listen and identify where the noise is coming from. The fan could be scraping against an adjacent card, or causing something else to vibrate. Normally the sort of sound you’re describing comes from a fan, and you have at least two other fans in this system: the one in the power supply and the case fan. I supose it’s possible that the power draw from the video card is affecting the power supply fan somehow, but that’s a long shot.
Ok, I opened er up again and took out ALL the cards near my video card, which was only one, a fire wire card. I took out the little blockers for the other empty slots. Probally extreme….. Still noise. It seemed to be the video card Finally I unplugged the fans power plug on the fan. BAM it was quiet, Just like when I unplugged the card. Is there anyplace on the mother board I could plug the fans power line into? I already know that woudln’t make the slightest difference, butI’m trying for the solution here. I’d hate to lose this card, it was affordable and had dual monitors, just like I needed! How long a shot is the powersupply? The fan is noisy but it was noisy upuntil about 4 days ago when I replaced my old card, just like I said above. Both Nvdia’s Both had fans. I’d rather it be the power supply because thats something I can afford. AND enjoy my nice card. I dunno. Any thought anyone?
Matty, I tried to send you an e-mail but it bounced. Use the “Send me an e-mail” link at the bottom right of my home page to send me your actual address and we’ll continue this via e-mail, OK?
Greetings from the UK! I too got a Dell Dimension 4600 back in December 2003. In about August of 2004 I started encountering problems (namely my USB ports failing and infuriating screen garbling on both the desktop and games). Thought it might be my Radeon 9800 Pro. Now realise it is more than likely my crappy 250W PSU. Going to get an Antec 480W to hopefully ease my troubles.
G’day from Oz. Okay – slightly leftfield question on the same thread. PS failed at the weekend – but this is on a Dell Pentium 3 computer. Not complaining too much compared to you lot – had 4 years out of the thing, so I’m lucky. Bought a new system today coz I’m a sucker for a new toy and it needed replacing.
HOWEVER, anyone know of a power supply unit that is compatible with a Pentium 3 connection? Reason being I want to get all the stuff off the old computer? Dell support no help whatsoever. Many thanks.
I have the same problem–dead power supply, Dimension 4600. But the new generic PSU I tried to put in won’t work. The connector labelled “P3” on the original PSU doesn’t exist on the new PSU. (It’s the connection to the hard drive).
Any idea why? Is it the wrong kind of PSU? How do I tell?
One more question. I’ve read elsewhere that the wiring in the connector to the motherboard is different in Dells (even though the connector fits)–and that using a non-Dell PSU could hurt the motherboard. Is this not so?
I hate to kill everything in my attempt to replace an inexpensive part…
Yan, any generic AT power supply should work. There’s nothing special about a Dimension 4600 on the motherboard. As for the hard drive, the connector to an IDE drive is completely standard. If you have an SATA drive, you may need an adapter, which should cost just a buck or two.
Thanks Ed. But I’m not sure whether I have a SATA or IDE hard drive. The drive has three connectors, one’s a very small 4 pinned slot, then there’s one that’s connected and immoveable, so I’m not sure what the connecter looks like. Last there’s a longer thin connecter, which is where the original PSU was plugged in. I looked up SATA/IDE adaptors, but don’t see anything on my HD or PSU that resembles the big 40 pinned connector the adapters have, so I’m not sure where I’d put it if I had one.
SATA connectors are very small and thin. See this set of pictures for the data connectors and this page for a picture of the power adapter.
Dell Dimension 4600 3 weeks out of warranty and having the same issue as above. At first I thought it was a motherboard, but then realized the green LED is on. What is crazy this Dimension was brought in and then we had the same issue on another one. Guess what they both had 1 year warranties, what is dell putting these faulty Power Supplies in these units hoping that they make it through 12 months sure seems like it. Thanks for the blog Ed, I can not believe Dell has not recalled these. Dell is dropping the ball bad lately in regards to support this is just 1 example of many over the past year and for those of you who post at there forum. I was told that Dell Techs are not encouraged to read them. Talk about being dissasociated with your end users. All I have to say does anyone remember Compaq and there fallout from greatness, could Dell be next?
Okay, so it was a SATA adaptor that I needed. Thanks.
Only I still don’t have it working. Everything’s connected, but when I power it on, the monitor’s blank and switches to standby. On the box all the lights and fans are on, so it’s got power–no beep codes, the diagnostic lights on the back are ok. But nothing.
Sorry, I can’t do tech support via this comments board. This would be an excellent question to ask on the Dell forums. Be sure to mention that you have an SATA drive, because it needs special drivers to boot properly.
I have the same problem… we should all get organized and form an e-petition demanding new PSUs.
Hey im glad i found this… anyways im upgrading my power supply on my dell 4600 for the reason igot a new video card… ive seen many things on this , but here is my question..
i was told that i need to buy a converter for my dell cuz it will allow a standard atx ps but it also needs an extra connector… adapter if you will
http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/dellconverter.html
for all of you that have replaced your ps with the 4600 is this extra connector even there ? i opened my case and did a quick look but i didnt see it..
I installed a standard ATX power supply into a 4600 and didn’t need any special adapter. That’s the consensus from everyone else who has posted here and on the Dell forums.
Another bad PSU to report, it lasted about 16 months here.
About the ‘Do you need an adaptor’ question, if you have SATA drives you will most likely need an adaptor if you go with the CompUSA Generic 300w ATX power supply. I went with the Antec TruePower 330 that has SATA connectors built in. It fits in perfectly, no mods necessary. (link)
I don’t think you would ever need the adaptor mentioned by joe for the 4600 series.
Another one bites the dust.
Our 4600 is 17 months old and is non-responsive to the power button –I must’ve gotten one of the good ones!
It shut down normally last night and nothing happens when we push the power button today.
I’ll follow the line to the local computer store to buy a supply and see if that fixes my problem too.
Everyone should mail their dead power supplies to Michael Dell’s personal office!!!!
Well, I guess I’m toast like the rest of the 4600 owners….. I bought two of them in November, 2003. The first PS went out 3 weeks ago and I was really bummed. The other one went out yesterday. Can you believe it. I think Dell owes everyone who has a bad PS a hundred bucks, or we go to court. I’m happy with Dell in all other respects but I will no longer recommend their system until they fix the bugs.
Another Dell 4600 suicide. Purchased 10/03, died today. I stumbled onto this website. This is unbelievable, considering I just recently purchased another Dell….I’m such a tool. I now feel like there should be a contest to see if someone can make a Dell Dimension 4600 run for an entire 2 years……wait a minute….that might be to high of a quality for Dell!!!
I had dinner with 6 of my coworkers tonight who all have Dell systems from an employee discount program.
One had a 4100 puke its supply.
Three of us had 4600 supplies choke, puke and die. The 4600 systems all were purchased in October 2003.
One had a laptop that the motherboard went south on just after warranty expiration.
The last guy has a 4600 and we have now placed it on death watch.
Why, oh why would Dell produce such consistently shitty quality on such a fundamental low-tech part as a power supply??!!!!
Guess what! My Dell Dimension 4600 died the other day, 15 months after purchase. Power Supply issue as well, replaced it with Antec TruePower 330W. Back up and running now.
This is my first and last Dell. I’ve heard so many good things about them, but I’ve never had an issue with any of my PCs before. I guess I’ll go back to building my own.
For what its worth we run entirely all Dells at our company and we push computers hard because of the 3D work that pretty much everyone does. We have about 50 Dells running and 25 of them are 4600s. Of those 4600s we have had 3 power supplies go bad, which is about average for us compared to the scratch ones we used at a previous company most of us worked for.
Also, when we called Dell about the computers that were out of warranty they charged $25 for new Power Supplies and shipped them next day for free, so we were fairly happy with that response.
As of now, we are buying 8400’s and have had not problem with them at all and that is with running up to a variety of Video Cards – 6800GT’s, 6800Ultras, X800XT/PE, X800Pros and X700Pros.
Me Too! Mine lasted 14 months. Dell 4600…thanks to this website I left work, bought the new power supply, installed it (works fine now) and was back to work within an hour. This was for my home computer. I just saved 4 hours talking to India. Thank you. I’m not going to waste my time talking to Dell. I’m moving on…time is money.
15 months of PC life and 2.25 hours traversing the planet while Dell’s so called customer support bounced me from one department to another, I am finally back up and running.
I too have lived through the 4600 power supply death.
As a corporate IT director who has spent well over 20M with Dell during the past 10 years, I will tell you it felt great to meet with another vendor for lunch yesterday.
Bye-bye Dell!
Our 250 watt max power supply went out in our Dim4600 two days ago. Dell is sending somebody out to replace it.
My wife called to ask if we could pay the difference and have a higher wattage supply put in. She spent 45 minutes on the phone with Dell and they said not to put a higher wattage power supply in the 4600 because it will burn it up….? What is that suppose to mean?
OK,
15 months and the supply has gone out on my 4600.
Called Dell, on hold for 35 mins, new PS on the way, 4-5 days for delivery. Couldn’t provide overnight service so I called CompUSA. The person who answered the phone recommended an ATX replacement and gave me a part number. 30 Min drive to the nearest CompUSA and one of the CERTIFIED in store techs will not sell me a power supply for a Dell and goes on to all but gaurantee a “smoked mother board” if I put in anything but the Dell PS.
I get back in the car and drive the 30 miles home frustrated that the original CompUSA phone rep gave me a rec. part# etc…….
After sleeping on it I decide to go to Best Buy
Purchase the 330Watt ATX power supply.
This supply has all the same connectors as the Std.Dell PS but with an extra -5Volt in the main P1 connector. I pulled the white, -5Volt wire out of P1, plugged it in and the box has been running problem free, more quiet than ever for the last 9 days.
Hope this helps the next poor sole trying to solve the ever expanding Dell 4600 PS problem.
I came across this site today – just a bit too late.
I bought my DELL Dimension 4600 on Feb 11, 2004. On March 18, 2005 I shut it off as I was watching a movie and did not want the fan noise. After the movie, I tried to power it back, and no sign of any activity whatsoever.
Next day, call to DELL tech support, tried all customary checks, different cable, etc. The tiny LED on motherboard was on. He concluded that power supply was faulty. I cribbed about DELL quality, PC being just 13 months old – but to no avail – and was trasnferred to parts department.
I wish I had read this site, before I agreed to cough up $40 fpr power supply (part# M0148).
I instlled this today (Apr 3) and computer came back up but the system fan did not. I was able to complete the boot sequence, but shut it immediately for the fear of burning processor.
Tested the fan separately in another computer with a 400W supply and it worked there. I called tech support again, and he concluded that the fan connector is gone. He gave me the option of replacing the mother board OR get a MOLEX cable to connect power supply directly to fan. Dell does not supply this cable.
So you the wise men in this forum – have you come across the fan problem – what is this cable Dell support was talking about, is it something standard I can buy online.
Sorry for a verbose post. Lastly my email has 2 too many Os – just to defeat spammers.
Thanks.
I also had the same problem – power supply failure in my Dimension 4600, about 12 months after purchase. May i ask what PS model and watt should i buy for my dimension 4600?
Any ATX-compatible power supply should do. Although you could get by with a 250W PS, I would recommend at least a 300W, and more if you can afford it.
I to had the same problem mine lasted about 15 months. and the funny thing is that i just was tired that night and wanted a peaceful sleep (pc near my bed) so i turned it off then next morning nothing………….damn dell…..im not sure if i am going to put money into it or build my own pc let me know of any class action suit please
bastard … same problem with my 4600 after 15 months or so .. and they suggested i buy the same part again.
I’m looking at a 4600 right now for a friend and it’s dead, well a blinking amber light on the front panel is all that occurs plus a motherboard light.
A new standard PSU got it working fine, tnis model was unused for 2 weeks then used for a week and not dead, they don’t like being out of use I suspect.
Also I notice the CPU fan rattles like it’s got some loose bits inside… I wonder if any standard fan will work?
I had the same problem with 4600. Lasted about 16 months…. then just would not turn on. Spent about 30 mins with tech support after about 20 mins on hold…. conclusion either PSU or MOB was bad. But since past the warranty period, they could not do anything.
The green LED on the MOB fools you as if the PSU is good. I even opened up the PSU to check if the fuse had blown. I had some 6.3 Amp fuses lying around so I tried one but still no luck. Then a Google search got me to this blog… 🙂
Just bought Antec 300W PSU from Circuit City for 49.99… took under 10 mins to replace and everything is golden.
Hate Dell … They should be recalling this PSU or at least replacing it free of charge if so many people are having an issue.
I had the same problem with 4600, bought it Dec 03, psu died early Apr, 2005.
Call tech support, bought a new power supply from Dell for $40 (shipping+tax). This new power supply does power up the machine, but it didn’t go beyond the basic diagnostic. What I am having is the blinking LED A, yellow LED B and green LED C & D. The DVD ROM LED and the harddrive LED just keep blinking and no display. Call the tech support again, now they said it might be the motherboard…
Before I try to buy a new mother board from them, will try a more powerful power supply.
Samem problem as everyone is having power supply failed at 13 months. Removed my computer to connect to a UPS and it would never turn on.
Thanks Dell!
My story is similar to all the rest. 2 months out of warranty! Turned the Dimension 4600 off a week ago and now it won’t power on. After 2 hours on the phone (45 minutes on HOLD), and after the tech guy had me unhook EVERYTHING from the inside of my computer, he said: “Unfortunately you’re out of warranty and we can’t send you parts, but I can connect you to customer support.” The sales support girl tried telling me that Dell was the ONLY place I could get a replacement power supply from. Yeah right.
I’m wondering just how difficult it is to replace the power supply on one’s own. I’m not a computer guru, but I have installed CDRW and a second hard drive with little problem.
Another 14 month old Dimension 4600 that won’t start. Computer was left on in the sleep mode when not in active use. The first few times there was trouble after being unplugged to move. During the attempts to restart, if left plugged into a wall socket for up to an hour, the green light on the mother board would start to flicker and after more time the computer would light up for a second then shut down again. If you pressed the power switch during one of these pulses the machine would start. The last two times there was a problem the machine turned itself off. Unable to get any response from the computer now. Dell Support recommends replacing the motherboard. Any comments on success with going to a 300W power supply?
This is really interesting.. my dell 4600 i bought last year at christmas. Died today may 7. Im just happy its only the psu. If it had been the mobo or processor i would have cried. Also, the new psu might help it to run better considering i probably max it out alot.
2.66ghz
768mb ram
geforce 5200fx
Sony 48x cd-rw
Sony 16x Dvd
Same story as evryone is having. I bought a Dell Dimension 4600 on oct. 21 2003. Then after 11 months the computer was behaving strangely. When the computer was off, it was trying to turn on by itself and if I happened to push the power button at the time he was trying to turn on I succeed to power up the computer. Then at the end of april 2005 (17 months lucky me)the power supply died. I called tech support to explain the situation and told them what I tried to diagnose the problem (unplugging everything and check what happen)to pin point the faulty part and they told very rapidly without any doubts that the power supply was the faulty part. After what I read, is there a way to force Dell to recall an obvious faulty part. Without any doubts, the electronic design or the bad quality of the electronics components is the cause of the problem. Didn’t we pay the price for a new computer when we bought it.
I found this thread while searching the web for info on upgrading the 4600’s PSU (my 4600 was purchased Jan 2004). I was to get my hands on a GeForce 6800, so I was researching what PSU I needed. I ended up purchasing an Antec TruePower 480W. It wasn’t cheap, $82 from Amazon. BUT now I find out the GeForce 6800, that was going to be given to me as a gift, is a PCI-E and I can use it! I’m debating whether to return the PSU or not, because I certainly don’t need one with that much power (and cost) to simply put my mind at ease. I would lose the cost of shipping it back though. What would you do? Thanks.
I found this thread after my Dimension 4600’s 250 watt power supply died. I purchased a generic ATX (300 watt) from CompUSA to replace it. I am now in the midst of switching them out and it seems the plugs are not the same? I cannot find the P3 plug that goes into the hard drive. Did anyone else experience this? Does anyone have a step-by-step on how to do this? I am definitely not experienced in this and could use all the help I can get.
HELP PLEASE!!!
Terry, if I were you, I’d treat the new PS as “Money in the bank”, because you’ll probably need it in the long run…
Our Dim 4600 seems to have the same problem as this thread describes. It’s about 18 mo. young, and not normally turned off. When tring to power it up, I see the CPU fan jog slightly, but no activity at all from the PS fan.
I’ll call Dell and rag, but I’ll probably end up at Best Buy or somewhere for a new PS.
Boy,until I read all the threads, I thought my family were the only ones to have had the “no power-up” problem with the Dell 4600. The 4600 died a little over its 12 month anniversary and Dell tech support (via phone) told my brother it was a bad motherboard. When I started shopping for the motherboard on Ebay, one of the sellers mentioned that he was selling the motherboard because the problem was actually the power supply. I emailed Dell tech support and asked how they could be SO sure that it was a bad motherboard and not a bad power supply. They said it was because of the green light glowed on the motherboard and that there were no “beeps” when the 2 sticks of memory were temporarily removed. I still wasn’t convinced and searched the Internet for power supply problems and tripped-up on this website. Thanks to you, I will buy a 300 watt power supply and hopefully, that will take care of the problem (without having to fork-out $$s for a motherboard). Thanks for all the info!!!!
Greetings from France. Bought 4600 in January 2004 – power supply failure May 2005. It is absolutely disgusting that a company with Dell’s reputation did not issue a product recall on this model; moreover, the continuing failure of their customer services representatives to acknowledge that there is a problem is downright shoddy.
I intend to raise the matter with a consumer affairs programme on BBC Radio 4 – perhaps if others were to email the show, we would all get somehwere and Dell will be exposed for their sharp practices regarding this matter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/
I purchased my 4600 in November of 2003 and about a week ago (after installing a DVD burner and a 2nd hard drive) it started making the “revving” sound that others have talked about. This morning I shut it off while I was out for the day and this evening it won’t power up. I get the little green light just like everyone else, but no fans or anything. I removed all of my hardware from the motherboard and got no beeps so I thought the motherboard may have gone bad. Fortunately, I stumbled across this thread. So, now I’m going to purchase a better PS. If anyone figures out a way for Dell to reimburse us in any way let me know, I’m in. Thanks to everyone for posting. It’s threads like this that save people alot of money and even more hassle!
Thanks for the Post. I purchased my 4600 in October 04 and of course only purchased the 1 year warranty. June 11, 05 would not power on and went through whole process with tech support to figure out the problem. The tech I talked to suggested it be either the ps or mobo. Thanks to all of you I will definitely try the ps first. Nice to know others care enough to post and save others $$ and headaches!! Again, THANKS!!
wow. it’s amazing to see that so many people have had this problem. i purchased in september of 2003, then in july of 2004 my computer wouldn’t turn on anymore (10 months). since it was still under warranty, a technician came and replaced the power supply because by that time the computer would power on so it was evident the motherboard wasn’t the problem. fast forward to today, and my computer was unplugged for 3 hours while i put a new desk in place, and suddenly it won’t power on again — another 11 months after the original power supply was replaced, but now out of warranty! i chatted with dell support today and gave the support guy (who i’m assuming was in india) a hard time when he just wanted to direct me to dell sales for first a new power supply then for a new motherboard. i’m going out first thing in the morning for a new power supply and i hope it works out! thanks for the info everyone.
Another member for the club! My computer is re-booting at intermittent times for no apparent reason. Checked out the electicity, cables, ups, etc. Found info. on the Dell forums which corroborate what’s been talked about here. Just bought a new PS and will be putting it in the next day or two.
More importantly, if anyone is seeking reimbursement from Dell count me in – seriously! Maybe if enough people complain they will make at least a token gesture (probably a gift certificate for their equipment – figures!).
I have two dimension 4600’s in my home and the power supplies BOTH failed within 2 days of each other. It’s possible that an electrical surge hastened their demise, because my surge suppressors are low end. Whoever posted the Antec 330 watt as a good replacement power supply… thank you. Installation was easy, and I’m back in business!!
I have read many a thread on the Dell 4550/4600. Just finished repairing a 4550. P/S working-but no video/no post. Disconnected all devices.
Uninstalled all cards. Added video-post ok, added drives, one at a time-post ok. Added internal modem device-no post. Removed modem-post ok. I’m not implying this as a typical fix, just another reason to verify these machines(foxconn boards) just can’t stand up.
MY 4600 BLEW IT’S POWER SUPPLY AND AFTER READING ABOUT ALL THE WOES PEOPLE WERE HAVING, DECIDED TO DO A LITTLE INVESTIGATION OF MY OWN.
THE POWER SUPPLW SUPPLIED WITH THE DELL 4600 IS
UNDERATED FOR THE APPLICATION—THE UNIT ACTUALLY
NEEDS A P\S WITH A MINIMUM RATING OF 300 WATTS. A
HIGHER RATED SUPPLY WILL WORK AS WELL AS THE SUPPLY WILL REGULATE TO THS UNITS DEMAND.
I DIDN’T LIKE THE PRIC OF DELL’S REPLACEMENT UNIT,
SO I FOUND A POWER SUPPLY RATED FOR 550WATTS WHICH
IS DIRECTLY INTERCHANGEABLE WITH THE DELL UNIT.
AND GUESS WHAT, THE PRICE WAS $8.95. INSTALLED IT
MYSELF AND IT WORKS JUST FINE—NO INSTALLATION
PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER.
FOR THOSE INTERESTED, GO TO http://WWW.apactonline.com
and check out the 550 watt QUIET ATX POWER SUPPLY
WITH SATA INTEL/AMD (PRICE FROM THEM $8.95) PLUS
SHIPPING. THEIR ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER IS AS FOLLOWS: APACTONLINE
334 PASEO TESORO
WALNUT, CA 9178
909-869-8871
THEY SHIPPED MY UNIT PROMPTLY AND IT ARRIVED IN FINE SHAPE.
DELL CAN GO TO –LL!
STOP THE PRESSES!
YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT. OK MAYBEE U WILL.
2 MORE BAD POWER SUPPLIES. BOTH DELL 4600. WE PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME AND TO MY SURPRISE THEY BOTH WENT OUT WITHIN HOURS OF EACH OTHER.
THIS IS THIEVERY ON THE PART OF DELL COMPUTERS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DELL.
Same story for me. Pressing the power button on a dimension 4550 and I get nothing, I mean nothing but a small green “flea” light on the Mobo. Will buy a ATX PS from CompUSA tomorrow to see if it corrects the problem. Add my name to the class action suit…DELL (Dead Electricity Line Lost!) bunch of commie bastar#s!
My Dell Dimension 4600 (bought Oct 2003) stopped powering on about 2 weeks back – it made a vroom vroom noise and died – so I googled for this problem and found this board. My one-year warranty was long over, so I did what many ppl on this forum suggested, went to Best Buy, bought a 350 W Antec ATX Power Supply. My desktop is up and running again.
I am amazed how many 4600 power supplies are failing – I am not buying anything from Dell again (my other peeve, I bought a DVD-R drive from them which stopped working after a year, apparently that is a common problem as well) – no more Dell for me. Regardless of their technical support service, their components are inferior and not stable.
Just another one to add to the list. Dimension 4600 invoice is dated Sept 28, 2003 and it just died last night. I have an extended warranty. However, after over 10 hours spent arguing with tech support over the fact that neither the CD drive nor the DVD/CD combo drive would output sound (this was discovered two weeks after the machine arrived), I vowed never again to 1)contact tech support 2)buy a Dell. I insisted they replace the computer and they did, however the secondary CD drive on the replacement has never output sound either. The company I work for buys all Dell, I will let IT know that this is another Dell failure.
Same problem here. I bought DELL 4600 about a year and half ago. Worked fine till now. Came back from vacation and DELL does not boot. I kept the power key pressed for about a minute and my computer started. I have to so this whenever this happens. Also whenever I power off the desktop. It start flasing all the power, HD and keyboard lights. Just wondering what it is doing while I have powered the PC off.
I have a Dell 4600. 1 month after the warranty ended the power supply, the mother board, the video card, and the hard drive were all damaged. Of course Dell said SORRY should have purchased the extended warranty! Why is this happening to the Dell 4600? Is Dell doing anything!?!
My Dell 4600 PSU just died last night a little over a year after warranty. Off to CompUsa I go to buy a part that I shouldn’t have to. Thanks Dell for selling me a computer with inferior parts.
Same here. Dell is almost 2 years old though, made it quite a while. I have ordered a new PS and will install it this weekend. This site has been an eye opener. DELL DO SOMETHING!
I’ve had my Dell 4600 for about 13 months. I’m having the same trouble. I shut down the machine one day and when I tried to power on later, nothing happened. After reading similar accounts in the Dell forums, I took my PC to CompUSA to get the power supply tested. They told me that the power supply was fine, and that the motherboard or the processor was probably the problem. They basically offered to build me a new machine for about $300. I declined, and purchased a new motherboard from Dell. But when I installed the new motherboard and pressed the switch, nothing happened. The green light on the motherboard was on, as it was before I purchased and installed the new motherboard. So basically, I blew $139 on a new motherboard. I’m beginning to grow skeptical about CompUSA’s diagnosis, and I’m wondering if I should invest in a new power supply. But after wasting $139 on a motherboard, I’m somewhat reluctant to buy a new power supply. Any advice?
I would return to MOBO and pick up a power supply. I just replaced one for a customer…I don’t remember the exact model but it was like $75 from best buy. Tossed it in and presto the machine came back to life.
Thanks, Dave.
Question: Daughters X-MAS gift took an indirect lightening hit last week, Dell 4600. PS gone
I removed the powersupply, however it appears all cables ( wiring harnesses ) are hardwired into Old Dell PS.. Will a new PS come with a wiring harness ? or am I screwed ??
Please advise
Thanks
I have the same problem on my 4600. My power supply lasted 18 months though. One question, I read on another forum that since Dell uses proprietary parts putting a non-dell power supply in as a replacement will destroy the motherboard. Any truth to this?
Well, I replaced the Power supply with a New One from Dell. $29.95 after bitching to them. Recieved and installed… still can’t turn on..
I do have one connector that I am not sure if it goes anywhere ? or is a not used ( P-7 ). Any other suggestions would be great.. Hidden fuses, bad switch, etc. Ohterwise, I send back to Dell, or scrap a 17mth old computer.. Any idea’s please advise
I replaced my Dimension power supply with a new 250W PSU from Fry’s and that didn’t work. I then read about all the problems others were having. I exchanged the 250W PSU for a more substantial one (500W – it was on sale) and the Dimension started up fine after it was installed. I don’t know if the 250W PSU I bought was insufficient, broken or just installed incorrectly, but the more substantial PSU works great. I might recommend not dealing with Dell in getting the power supply, so you can get the size that you need and it saves you a headache of dealing with customer support. Also, you can usually find a good deal on PSUs somewhere. Thanks again for all those that contributed to these posts as it proved invaluble.
I too had a Dell 4600 where the power button did not bring on the power and the green light was on the Motherboard. A simple 300W ATX power supply fixed it right up. Thanks for all those that wrote about this probelm.
4550 PS went out yesterday. After reading here, I feel pretty luck — I think I made it well over 2 years (though no real mods or additions to the computer during that time). Went through the whole crap of doing piece-meal changes and seeing what happened. Got a Compusa 300w ps last night and it worked (over the original 250); went back today to get a 350 since I got a new video card. Hope this one works too.
The thing I didn’t like was how the back plate of the case couldn’t accomodate a power supply w/ a rocker switch on it, and how the case for the 4550 makes it tough to put in an non-oem PS (all the clip crap in this clamshell case). Man, I’m really beginning to hate this case.
Well, I’ll try the Mad Dog right now. Hope it works. If it don’t I’ll let you guys know for future reference.
Just one more vote. I have the exact same symptoms. Dell 4600. When it starts it does seem to stay started. It just needs a lucky jumpstart whenever it’s been unplugged for any length of time. Big bummer – I suppose I should buy the new power supply now. Or wait for the Intel Macs!
Hi all, I have the exact same probelm, I figured that it was the PS, and I went and purchased a new one from the local supplie store. I got a pretty good deal, but when I got it home and went to install it in the machine, the connectors were incompatible. The P4 connnector is a 6 pin (5 live)(square shaped) connector, and the ATX has only the standard connectors. The tech guy at the store says that he has been researching a new supply for me on line, and has been unsuccesful as of yet.
Is there a convertor or adaptor that I can buy to get the ATX to work?
PLease, I knew that the Dell ps was crap, and the tech guy at the comp store said that even though it says it is a 250w, its maximum output is only 150w.
Please help me, I am so very proud of the $1000.00 paperweight that I have invested in!!!!!
Same ol’ Dell Dim. 4600 problem. Front panel light blinking weirdly. No power-up. Green flea on mother board was lit. BTW, this indicates that the 5Vsb (stand-by) power is working. Anyway, I fixed it with an ATX compatable PS from http://www.Tigerdirect.com. I bought a PowMax 300W PS from them for $17. It’s been working for over a month now….
Same problem Dell Dim 4600, dead after 14 mon, purchased May 04.
Has anybody heard about the class action lawsuit against Dell that is going on right now ?
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/dell_suit.html
I would think there are enough people on this board alone to do something similar. I am so glad I found this site though… I too was told I had to purchase a new Mobo and a PSU. http://www.tigerdirect.com here I come!
What a SURPRISE!!! Hard drive went belly up at 13 months. The PS went 2 months later. Thanks to this thread, I didn’t order a new motherboard that the Dell tech suggested that I buy. What’s with these guys?!!!
My gf’s Dimension 4600 had the same stupid PSU failure on 8/9/05. I just found this site today. I purchsed the system as a christmas gift for her on 12/2003. She called me at work and told me that the computer just doesn’t want to turn on. I figured she unplugged something. I took it home and sure enough it was a hardware issue. I searched the dell forums, and I was surprised to learn that this was a widespread problem. I replaced the dell psu with an Antec 350w smartpower psu. The system booted up fine, and I thought all was well. However, now the system freezes / locks up randomly but specifically while playing games. So I believe the PSU failure may have done additional damage to the system. I tried swapping video cards and a fresh install of windows and it still freezes. I’m so pissed.
I contacted Dell support, and one tech placed me on hold while he talked to his manager.. next thing I know it.. I was cut off. I’m out of warranty and out of luck. We should file a class action lawsuit against Dell. I want to sign up for that!!!!!!!!!!!!
Same Ole Shi#$%t. Put a new dell PS in, nothing. Little green light on mother board, but no action no fans nothing. Checked the power switch with ohm meter and it works. Theory PS went bad and took MB with it.
Will never buy anther Dell. Their service is a joke.
I hope they go bankrupt!!
Recall or class action needs to happen.
I just want my 500.00 bucks back. What a piece of crap
My 4600 has same symptoms as described by many herein – completely dead, save for the little green light on the main board. I patched in not one, but several generic ATX power supplies to no avail. However, with the generic ATX power supplies all is dead, to include the little green light is not on either.
Thoughts or suggestions?
Thx!
Downstairs we have 11 4600’s along with a multitude of other models ranging from 4400’s to 4550’s to Optiplex gx270’s.
So far on the 4600’s only
9 power supplies replaced
7 mobo’s
2 hard drives
I was on the phone with the escalation team and they keep trying to tell me that the problem is the voltage from the wall, and maybe I have had a lightning strike (since this morning I have 7 4600’s in front of me that have failed. 1 PS 6 mobo’s) The only problem with that theory
1) The power is all regulated and monitored
2) None of the other computers have failed… EVER!
Thankfully the US Army buys 3 year warranties.
I have the same Dell 4600 “can’t power up” problem. I was lucky – it lasted 18 months with only intermittent problems up until now. I will purchase the PS recommended above and thank you all for your input. I will also be contacting our local TV consumer advocate. What the heck, it couldn’t hurt. No more Dell for me or my friends.
Yet another case to add to the thread. Bought my Dimension 4600 in Nov 2003. Two days ago it was working just fine. I shutdown normally. The following day, it would not start up. I took the power supply to work and had a PC expert check out the PS with a generic mobo in the lab. It WORKED just fine. He told me to look for a reset button on my mobo but I couldnt find any. So just before taking out the mobo to check out in the lab at work, I did a google search. Boy, am I glad I came across this thread. My next stop is the local PC store to get a bigger PSU.
I am wondering what power supplies are safe to use with a Dimmension 4550 i need a 300 watt+
oh and also.. am i going to need a converter because dells parts are different or whatever?
(see other post above)
Hi All,
I was given a 4600 motherboard and was wondering if anyone new the pinout on the front panel connector (the blue connector on the motherboard labeled J7J2) I’m trying to get this thing to start without any success.
Thanks,
CK
Same issue. Little green light on mobo only sign of life. Been staring at this computer for a month thinking it was shot. Glad I found this thread. I’ll get a new psu tomorrow and try it out. Mine also died a couple months post warranty. I had success before writing a letter addressed directly to Michael Dell. Maybe if he gets inundated with letters, his secretary will tip him off and he’ll read them.
Well you can add another one to this gargantuate list! I bought a 4600 back in July 04 and my PC all of the sudden stopped working as of August 15th. So just a little over the yr warranty time frame. I have called and complained, sent numerous emails, etc. and Dell refuses to help or assist due to the expired warranty. What a big crock of shite if you ask me! It is a KNOWN PROBLEM that should be ADDRESSED immediately. Not only is my PSU out, but it took the mobo with it. Dell of course makes proprietary boards so you have to fork out $160+ to replace it. They’re rarely even on eBay. I’m so fired up right now over this whole thing I’m about to pop a blood vessel. Anyway, no more DELLS for me!
12 Months and 1 Day until my Power Supply Died…of course I had the one year warranty. 🙂
Here lies…Dell 4600 Power Supply
8/20/04 – 8/21/05
R.I.P
My dimension 8400 has neber worked, I recived this system in March, so far 2 new hard drivr2s , 2 new operating systems and a total of 9 system re-nstalls. _ have made a total of 79 calls to DELL custmer care an the TEAS’ yesterdat was the topper 10.33 hours on the phone doig the tests that I do on a daily basis with Dell, the the Supervisor was going to see if I can get a re-furbished system. No one at DELL understand a word called cutomer servvice and thinking outside the script. The call backs that I was supposed to receive did not happen, I just called another customer care and as I type I am actually on hold with headquarters. All my calls to DELL and the tests od 10.33 hours were not logged on my case. Mst Dell Techs are not logging in the cases , when a problem arises then you are screwed due tiuo irrisponsibility and lazyness. Why shoul I install another part on a PC that never functioned? Here I go again back to the endless transfer around the world until my warranty runds out. Does anyone have a phr numbrt tp a real DELL upper level or person that will do something?
Any help is appreciated.
Write me at f-garcia@sbcglobal.net
Thank you all,
Frank G.
Let me join the party. My 4600 died last week 18 months after purchase. I am no great computer wizard but took the psu out and brought it to my local computer store for testing. It tested fine and they thought it was the mb; i then gave them my whole machine to repair. It was then that they discovered the psu no longer worked with the mb. So I had a new 400 watt psu installed and I am back up to speed. The people at Dell should be arrested for selling a machine that is underpowered.
Yup… I have a customer who has a dell just past the 13 month mark and the PSU died.
Same thing. I have the computer 20 months and it refused to boot up. Called Dell and was told I needed a new motherboard (which was not luckily in stock).
Anyway read this, put in a Mad Dog 400w powersupply discounted this week to $40 at CompUSA and bingo the PC works perfectly.
Loved the look of the power supply by the way.
I had the same problem dell 4600 wouldn’t boot so I replaced the power supply with a 350W. A few months later same thing, it wouldn’t start so I relaced the PS with a 400w still nothing. I noticed if I plug in the 12v 4pin
connected nothing but if I removed it the computer lights, hard drive etc would started but no video. Is the motherboard shot?? I really hate to deal with dell. Does anyone know where to get a 4600 mobo at a reasonable price.
This is for Bill Chandler. You may have an issue with your processor or it could be the motherboard. The 4-pin connector is just a 12V auxiliary power for the processor, but your power FET’s may be shorted causing the board not to boot. If it’s the FET’s, then you have to get a new board. You can try the processor in another machine to verify it. Good Luck.
Dell Dimension 4550
Shipped date: 5/6/03
1st yr. warranty: 5/6/03 => 5/5/04
2nd yr. warranty: 5/5/04 => 5/5/05
Then, my sister calls me stating her PC will not power up on 9/22/05.
Hmmmmmm sounds fishy. How can everyone’s power supply ie immediatley following warranty end dates?
Sounds like a scam to me folks …. wanting us to purchase another extended warranty plan?
Will have to go to store and purchase a 300W PS for dimension 4550.
Dell Dimension 4600 BAD Power Supply, purchased 12/21/2003.
Won’t power-up. Previous systems, noted machine was trying to turn-on by it-self when power-OFF
Someone noted that using a hair dryer to the power supply would turn-on the PC. Guess what, it worked. So any one who suspects they have a bad power supply give it a shot.
All reshearsh indicates a ATX power supply works without any mods? the -5v (p1 20-pin) connection is the only question I have.
thanks for all the posts
Unbelievable, add me to the same s^&t list. Purchased PC in Dec 2003, power supply failure in Sept 2005. Did a search on the Dell Forum and found “complaints” of faulty power supply there. it may now only be one page long, but the site was accessed thousands of times.
Anyway, called Dell (developing a five o’clock shadow while on hold/bounced around). Told me the green flea light indicated it was the power supply and mobo. “Preobably caused by all the bad weather and a lightening surge”, I was told. I responded that weather was perfectly calm from when I last had the pc on. I told them to only send power supply…still a 250 watter for $29.99 It was only after I asked that he told me this was a refurbished power supply, which I think should have been readily disclosed. This suggested to me that this is a part that was prone to replacement. I Really got a hard sell on the mobo for $139.00, which I said I would order later if needed. “Why do you want to pay another shipping and handling charge, when I tell you it won’t fix your problem”. Any way, I stuck to the power supply. WHen I asked if the replacement was a 300 watter, he said no, your system can’t accomodate 300 watts. Then he tried to push next day delivery for $25. I said no, give me the cheapest rate, which was $10.00 shipping. He said it might take two weeks, I still stuck to cheapest shipping. I ordered on Saturday, and had the power supply on Tuesday! (that was the one pleasent surprise). ANyway, I put the new power supply in, and voila, it worked fine. It was only after ordering from Dell did I find this site. Anyway, I am back up and running fine. Forget what they tell you about the green light. I am going to send letters to Michael Dell himself and to the Better Business Bureau. A known problem like this should be a recall and handled much better by a multi-billion dollar firm like Dell!
Yes i hate the support from dell and now an artical in buessinesweek online has dell saying ergo John Hamlin senior V. P. says he is hireing a few thousand add. reps plus on 9/28/05 announcment of a higher priced line called XPS will be put in quote shorter queues and dedicated teams for support. Funny in short terms there going to charge more money for a standerd service they cant support now. plus (quote) Thats one of several ways in wich dell will encourage customers who want more support to pay extra for it. what a joke 9/30/05 buessinesweek online this artical needs to be read by everybody looking at a dell shi$er product charge more for support. looks like a plain ol scam to me . thank you for the site to vent this info .
I got home from a month vacation and no power. I usually leave my 4600 on but I turned it off for the month. My son knows about this stuff and I don’t, so I called him. He told me to check your site and I was able to fix the problem. One of the last messages said to put a hair dryer to the power supply. I did that and it fired up in about a minute of hooking it back up. It may be a temporary fix but I’m up and running!
I am planning to replace the 4600 250W PSU with a standard ATX PSU. However, when I compare the two. there are extra wires going to J1F1(fan commector) and J5B1(Microprocessor power connector).
Could someone who has successfully replaced the PSU, please tell me whether the wires to these connectors on the mothorboard are really needed? And if yes, do I buy some more cable and connectors for this purposes? Thanks so much.
Benny
Dell 4600. Purchased Feb 12, 2004. PSU dead, Oct 12, 2005.
Hair dryer worked this time. What an incredible thread here, thank you all very much. Shame on Dell for pushing the MOBO when this PSU problem is so widespread and common.
Well, it’s nice to see I’m in good company with these issues. I think I may have gotten lucky though, as mine crapped out after about 22.5 months. I called support (only the second time since I got the comp) and had a great rep. He told me about the power supply issue (even told me it was somewhat common) and put me through to cust. service. Before doing so, I asked him if I could use a generic so I wouldn’t have to wait for shipping and he said I could, but that service would probably tell me otherwise. I got on with them and was told it would take 5-7 days to send, at which point I said I’d buy it on my own. They (of course) told me I couldn’t and that if I did, I’d fry the mobo and void my warranty…told them that if I was under warranty, I’d be getting the PS for free and hung up. Quite thankful that I found this forum, as I’ll be going to compusa tonight to pick up a new one (can proably get it cheaper online, but time is of the essence)
I have had my Dell 4600 for 22 months and now it won’t turn on. This is obviously defective merchandise and we really need to pull together and start a class action suit!
You folks are fantastic. Thank you very much. My Dell Dimension 4600 wouldn’t power on tonight. After fussing around (and figuring it was the power switch, since the “flea” LED came on, indicating some power to the motherboard), I nevertheless searched around on the web for problems with Dimension 4600’s turning on and found this forum.
I replaced my power supply from another Dell I had, and now my 4600 works. Excellent! I needed it up and running tonight, as my computer has on it information I need for a trip I’m taking tomorrow — so this site was very useful for me.
I bought my Dimension 4600 in October, 2003, so it’s two years old, and I use it every day. It sounds like Dell got a crappy power-supply vendor for this series.
Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of computers of various sorts, including a lot of Dells of numerous models: about 5 Dell computers personally, including one in the 1980’s, I think it was, and about 100-200 of them in business. I’ve had very good luck with Dells overall — better reliability, fewer hassles, and better items on their site (like drivers and BIOS updates) on average than other brands I’ve worked with (generic “build it yourself”, Compaq, HP, etc.), even including this experience with my Dimension 4600.
Anyway, thanks very much for this information — you folks saved me a lot of stress. 🙂
there is an investigation from a law firm http://www.lieffcabraser.com/dell-dimension.htm there looking into it as a class action
Purchased two Dimension 4600s 12/31/03, they BOTH died the same day. We turned them off, usually leave on, neither computer will turn back on. IT person tried power supply, no luck, tried Dell was told “we cannot help you, if you were under warranty we could give you new motherboard, but since you are not, we cannot sell to you”. This is truly unbelievable.
Yes…yet another addition to the pissed of Dell customer list. Just got off the Dell forums. Very ticked now. 2 years and 5 days from purchase date and nothing. Out of warranty. My monitor, which is plugged into the back of the tower, has power but that’s all I have. In retrospect, I remember a power problem in February but figured it was a glitch since it turned on after a few tries. I do leave it on most of the time because the “hibernate” and “standby” modes both would basically would power everything down anyway. It would take forever to post so it was less aggravating to just leave the thing on. Not going to bother calling the irritating “support team” in India. Off to buy my new PSU today. AAAaaaaaarrrrggghhhh! Not buying another Dell again. They should have recalled these p.o.s. PSU’s!
Had the power suppy checked out at work tests good but does nt power up put in a new power supply started right up this computer takes a standard atx power suppy with p4 power connector the rumors about it having to have a specialadapter because it s a dell are false maybe on some other dell s yes but not this one
Hi everyone, is replacing the power supply as a pre-emptive move recommended? I have a Dimension 4600, shipped in late March ’04, and haven’t wittingly had any power supply issues YET, but since I just added a new video card that requires supplied power and would like to add a second internal hard drive in the future, it seems like it would be a good way to avoid what seems to be an inevitable problem…
Suggestions very much appreciated, and thanks for bringing this to everyone’s attention and to everyone for sharing their experiences!
Welcome to Dell Chat. Please wait for an available agent. You will be notified when your chat is accepted by an agent.
The session has been accepted.
{dhruv_kalia 7:35:55 AM} Thank you for contacting Dell Consumer Hardware Warranty Support Chat. My name is Dhruv. How may I help you today?
{ 7:36:14 AM} have you read my comment?
{dhruv_kalia 7:36:37 AM} No, its not there on the screen.
{ 7:36:55 AM} I am having a problem with my power supply.
{ 7:37:23 AM} The computer will not turn back on after having it off for about an hour.
{ 7:37:42 AM} If I let it sit about 6 hours it will work again.
{ 7:37:58 AM} Looking at the forums this is a very common problem
{ 7:38:23 AM} Just wondering if this is something you replace as a defective part.
{dhruv_kalia 7:38:29 AM} I have noted your question and am reviewing it. Meanwhile, may I have the name and telephone number registered with us?”
{ 7:38:53 AM} Richard Jungles
{dhruv_kalia 7:39:10 AM} Thank you for the information.
{dhruv_kalia 7:39:27 AM} Just to keep you updated, the contract of the computer has expired. So while troubleshooting if we have to replace any parts, I would be unable to do that and you will have to get in touch with the Dell sales department for the same.
{ 7:40:23 AM} It seems after seeing the forums, that these ps units are defective.
{ 7:41:57 AM} I guess I will have to find a better power supply on my own.
Thanks anyway.
{dhruv_kalia 7:42:18 AM} Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support online Chat, have a great day! ‘CLICK’
At our company we dit buy eight Dimension 4600 in januari 2004. The first power supply died in june 2005, two others in october and the forth now in november 2005. Because out of warrenty we have to buy new power supplies. At Dell custom support they said the bad 4600 power supply is NOT a known issue….. They say it;s maybe a problem with the power voltage, but we have another 10 computers here without problems. So now we have two spare power supplies (not Dell brand) on stock!
I wish I’d come across this board before I began the two day journey into being shuttled to every department known to man for refusing to pay on on a system they couldn’t seem to get a replacement motherboard for after a nine month wait.
I’ve had 4 power supplies die on my 4600 and the rave reviews I used to give Dell went straight into the toilet.
Like so many people here it died right after the warranty expired. And I had the 2 year one! It was even around Thanksgiving (2004). Coincendence, yes, but aggravating as you know what. Now I’ll save myself the hunt for the motherboard they no longer produce and can’t find a comparable product for and just get a generic power supply.
I SUGGEST EVERYONE GO ON THIS WEBSITE AND FILE A COMPLAINT SO SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. THANK YOU http://www.lieffcabraser.com/dell-dimension.htm
Just an update, I replaced my Dell motherboard with a third party model, one whose BIOS actually shows you the temperature monitor and the fans it’s monitoring, and that’s also built to accept a processor heatsink fan. I also did go ahead and buy a third-party power supply, too, and my computer’s never run better. Total cost just over $100:
Motherboard: $45
PSU: $43 after rebate
Heatsink w/ fan: $20
I’m even considering a new case – Dell’s really isn’t a bad one, but I’m even considering replacing that just to get the Dell name out of my house, lol. Anyway I just wanted to let everyone know that such a thing is possible. Thanks again to everyone for their feedback, it made a big impact!
I just spent 2 days of being cut off, put on hold for 30 minutes, etc…same as everyone else and amazingly each person told me what to order and then again told it’s not available. I think it’s worth trying a generic power supply for sure. I have nothing to lose. My dimension 4600 also died right after the warranty expired a few months ago. I even asked for a number to complain to and they connected me and when I was talking, I got disconnected. Makes you want to scream!
Thanks for this info…..
I also have problem with power on. I’ve had this unit just over one year. Never had any problem. Tried to power up and nothing. Dell Support says I need new motherboard, but my problem sounds exactly the same as most here. On my way to get PS. Hope this works. Thanks for Info.
I wanted to thank everyone for their help. My Dell 4600 would not power up after being 2 years old. I read this link online and suspected it was the power supply. I bought a Antec 500W power supply at Comp USA since it was on sale for 50$ after rebate. I then tried to test the voltages as suggested on this forum at http://www.ochardware.com/articles/psuvolt/psuvolt2.html. I was disappointed to see that the voltages were all fine. I thought maybe I had too many hard drives connected since I have 3 hard drives (although it worked fine before). I unplugged two of the non OS drives and the computer still did not power up. So then I thought it was the power switch. So I disconnected it and connected it to an ohmeter and the switch worked. So now I thought I was in trouble. I felt it may be the motherboard but the motherboard still had the little green light on which I have some people call the “flea” light. Since I did not want to spend the money on a new motherboard, I decided just to try replacing the power supply anyway since I read somewhere that someone still had the “flea” light on and replacing the power supply worked. It took me about 45 minutes to replace the power supply mainly because the Antec 500W power supply was larger than the original power supply and I had to crowd the wires together to make it fit between the power supply and the back of the CD-ROM. I was so glad when I powered it up and the computer started running. I was just surpised that the old power supply still had the right voltages but still did not work. Anyways, I wanted to thank everyone for their help.
Same problem but it does seem that my MB is dead after replacing the power supply twice in 17 months with 350w and up. Have you heard of any other formal source for complaints where buyers are actually refunded monies??
What is a GOOD replacement computer or barebones kit.
email dbcvisuals@yahoo.com if you have any suggestions.
Thanks
dave
Ditto to all. Progressively added a couple of USB Printers, one BW and one Color all-in-one; Speakers w/subwoof. Around Thanksgiving, after 14 months, my 4600 started doing revving noises. We had an electrical storm that knocked power off and on a few times. Could not get the sucka to power up. Green light on MB but nothing on power button. Started to disco to have a good look and the box booted. Put surge protectors all around. Box ran OK for a couple of weeks then last night it just died. No response. Green light on MB again but can’t get it to POST. Thank God for this forum I tripped up on. Found a killer price froma reputable dealer for a Brand new 4600 PSU rated at 480W. Free delivery and NO TAX to California. Confident this will fix the problem.
I have owned several Dell notebooks and this tower. Never had great support. Can’t believe they foist this underpowered crap on us and get away with it. The country is going to Dell in a hand cart!
http://store.911forpcs.com/911forpcs/dedi2446posu.html
► Dell Dimension 2400, 4600 power supply – FREE DELIVERY!! 39.29
Subtotal: 39.29
Shipping: 0.00
Tax: 0.00
Total: 39.29
imagine this-my in-laws dell 4600 won’t power up. haven’t looked at it yet, but after the phone conversations and reading this and other forums sounds like the psu. it just surpassed its 2 year anniversary, off to best buy.
Dave, As to the voltages being OK. They might still show OK w/o being under a normal load but once the load is applied they will not be at the correct level with a bad supply. Just a tip.
Interesting. I read all the posts and felt compelled to respond. I have a Dell 4600 and a Dell 2400. The 4600 is just over 2 yrs old and have purch an extended warranty. I will purch the extended warranty on the 2400 in Feb. Prior to these 2 I had a Dimension XPS 300 for 5 yrs. Never a prob with the 300. The cpu fan become noisy on the 4600 a few months after purchase. I called (tech support was still stateside) and they had a tech out in a few days and swapped it out. It is now noisy again After trying and finally ……getting a tech online ( I couldn’t understand him so I hung up) I emailed Dell and got an almost immediate answer saying they are shipping me a new fan (we’ll see). BTW, the fan I am having probs with is the CPU fan directed over the heatsink. I have yet to have a prob with the PS. Just the noisy fan on the CPU. I turn my comp off every nite (does everyone else?). I still like Dells but not the foreign support.
Jack
As a favor to a friend I checked a Dell Dimension 4600. No power. Told them to get PS from Dell. Replaced PS but when I hit the start button it just blinks. It does not have the LEDs on it. I watched and the Motherboard has a light that comes on but the fan doesnt respond and the computer just blinks…I would think that the replacement PS, which was purchased from Dell, would work, even with the horror that I’ve just read about. So what would you recommend as a follow-up. I’ve seen suggestion such as jumpering the green wire to the black wire and pulling out all cards with just the motherboard left and than trying to turn it on. All of this sounds a little much and I would think that there is some easier way.
Anything you might suggest would be appreciated.
By the way, I enjoy Microsoft Windows XP Inside-Out. It is very informative.
new Antec 350 watt PSU from best buy, and we’re up and runnin.
went to the lieffcabraser.com website to file my complaint
Well can you believe this one??? I bought a Dell 8400. I ordered it with everything they could put in it. Paid almost $1,800 for it. Had problems with it since day one. I call tech support and they want a credit card # so they can bill me for support. I even purchased the extended warranty.I got a $1,800 piece of junk that I cant even get tech support for.
I had a Dimension 4600 with the same issue.
1) Just would not power up one day.
2) After being plugged in for an hour or so would make a Vroom noise an cycle power to the fan. If you pushed the power on switch during this cycle, the PC would actually power on.
3)On shutdown, the power would keep cycling and the lights on my CD and DVD drive would keep lighting.
4) Small light on Mother Board was still lit.
Solution:
1) Replaced power supply with an Antec 350W Smartpower 2.0 – Purchased at Comp USA. It was about $60 and took 10 minutes max to install. Fit like a glove!
1) Took off left side cover of PC.
2) Released processor cooling baffle.
3) Used black spring clip to release the processor cooling fan to gain better access to the cooling fan.
4) Removed old PSU and noted location of all connection
5) Slid new unit in secured with screws. Plugged in all devices and wire tied extra leads. The main connection to the motherboard suuport both 20 and 24 pins. tou can released 4 pins if you don’t need them, which is what I had to do.
6)Buttoned unit back up and it is running Great!
After this experince and the poor support, I will NEVER buy a Dell computer again!!
It’s a darn shame, what an opportunity miss by Dell: I have a nice 3 year old Dell 4600 that stopped working New Year’s Day. When I went through the Dell Diagnostics and emailed their support folks I received a response in 2 hours (very impressive !!). Unfortunately, the mis-diagnosis was “the motherboard needs replacement”. After reading this forum I simply replaced the PSU with an Antec ATX 350W Smartpower from Best Buy and I was back up and running in 15 minutes. Now if Dell had simply said “the PSU is bad, you can replace it with any standard ATX model” I would have been delighted with the response.
I have a Dimension 9100 which lacks parallel, serial, and 1394 on board IO. Any suggestions for a motherboard that will fit the Dimension case?
Add me to the 4600 list. I bought two 4600’s and one died 6 months ago when it was just 1 month out of warranty. Since i wasn’t going to pay Dell stupid money to fix it i just started using my second one. Then yesterday that one failed too. Same problem. The flea light on the mother board is on but it just won’t turn on. Given all these issues, there should have been some kind of recall on the 4600. So i guess its off to COmpUSA to buy a power supply this morning.
Seems like these guys (www.lieffcabraser.com) are researching a class action but there is no info on where they are with that.
Glad i found this website.
Same problem as everyone else: Computer would not start, even though the little “flea” light was lit up on the motherboard. I purchased a new power supply from:
http://store.911forpcs.com/911forpcs/dedi2446posu.html
and got it the next day! After installing it, it still would not start; but after investigating further, I discovered that I had plugged the wrong 4 pin socket onto the motherboard. After connecting the right one, everything was fine and the computer works better than ever. One caveat regarding this replacement power supply from 911forpcs-it’s VERY noisy.
Add one more PSU dead on 4600. co-worker asked me to swap out a motherboard for him. being a fool i agree. he told me the problem(push the button & nothing) i asked if it was power supply? he said he paid geek squad 50 some dollars to diagnose the problem, they told him MOBO was dead. and PSU checked out ok. So he calls DELL (warranty expired) they send out a refurbished board, and tell him he needs a new video card also!!!!!???? Without thinking (google’n) I rip out the mobo put in the new one, with original vid card (cause i knew it should be fine) NO BOOT!!! i see the light on the motherboard, and tell myself it has power…this is where i should have run a search and found this site! i pulled the wires out of the front panel switch, thinking the switch had worn dead 🙂
cross the wires and nothing!! ok now im scratchin my head.. run a search finally..AND FIND THIS AWESOME SITE THANK YOU!!!! i had a Thermaltake 420w power supply just hooked up the 20 pin and 4pin, crossed them wires and blammo! posted and fired up (erred due to no drive power) solution found. called coworker told him to order a switch 😉 and get a RMA on this new hardware he didn’t need..
I just wanted to say that I too have a 4600 and I have ran it 15-24 hours a day since new. Air cleaned system once a month and have not had a glitch out of it. I am very impressd with my DELL !
The PSU in my 4600 died this month, exactly a year after it was bought. DELL only ships “refurbished” supplies now, with a 90-day warranty. Given my experience, and yours, I’m going to buy a new ATX supply at Compusa. Thanks, everyone.
Hoping someone can help. I have a Dell Dimension 4500 ( bought in 2003). After the first year a new hard drive was installed. Experienced the blue screen of death. And just before christmas this year (2005) the machine would just shut itself down. Sometimes it would restart and sometimes it wouldn’t. Had to shut down using the power switch and then restart. Took the machine to a computer guy. Said it sounded like a power supply problem. It sat on his bench for 8 hours and the machine shut down twice with the original power supply. He attached his own power supply and it sat for 5 hours with no problems. We purchased a refurbished power supply from Dell ( couldnt get a new one- even though we paid the same price for it.) I was told we couldn’t use another type of PS because Dell machines were periphial. Computer guy installed the PS , but it still does the same thing. What is the next step to repairing this computer. Hoping it doesnt cost too much. I’m thinking we just might have to live with the problem until the machine just dies.
Hey Guys,
I’ve got a bad 4600 Power supply also, my idea is to box it up with a nice letter informing Dell of the crappy PS there putting out. I figure if they get all there bad PS’s back and a big influx of crap maybe they will see the light. It’s gonna cost me $3 to ship it. What do you all think?
Posted earlier about a power supply problem with my Dell dimension 4500. Talked to another computer guy and he suggested i have a Trojan problem and that i should reformatt my hardrive. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Could this be the problem or is it a hardware problem. Anyone else tried doing this and were successful? I would like to know.
I have a 4550 that I replace the power supply, still no startup, then replace with a different Dell MB and still no startup. I replace the memory still no startup, replace video card, still no startup. Jumper the PS and the fan run! How can I jumper the push button switch to see if this is the problem?