[ale] [OT] Dell Optiplex SX270 Motherboard Failure

[Bob Toxen]

I've had a run of bad power supplies lately.  Also, both of my WD 60 GB
disks died recently, just out of warranty.  I'll make a point of buying
higher quality power supplies.

Bob Toxen
bob at verysecurelinux.com               [Please use for email to me]
http://www.verysecurelinux.com        [Network&Linux/Unix security consulting]
http://www.realworldlinuxsecurity.com [My book:"Real World Linux Security 2/e"]
Quality Linux & UNIX security and SysAdmin & software consulting since 1990.

"Microsoft: Unsafe at any clock speed!"
   -- Bob Toxen 10/03/2002

On Wed, Oct 06, 2004 at 01:10:32PM -0400, Jonathan Glass wrote:
> I had a Dell Optiplex SX 270 (small form factor..about the size of a box
> of waffles) quit powering up.  Spent some time resetting the BIOS,
> trying now power supplies (external), etc, etc.  My student worker
> (CompE student) leaned over and pointed at a capacitor that had blown. 
> The thing had oozed out the top and fried, and no power was getting
> anywhere.  The box is only 1 year old (under warranty), and has some of
> the cleanest power on campus, so I can only assume that the parts used
> were the cheapest available.
> 
> Called tech support, and the tech asked me "Have you tried a new
> motherboard?".  I just had to laugh at her.
> 
> Anyway, I seemed to remember someone on this list bemoaning poor quality
> components in computers, and now I can testify to it.
> 
> :(
> 
> Jonathan Glass