Yellow Light on Motherboard

vXI Joker IXv · 05-20-2009, 02:50 PM

Ok, this is the first time I'm dealing with hardware and I'm making noob mistakes already. So I recently acquired a Dell 'P.O.S.' AKA OptiPlex GX280 Tower. It wasn't turning on (except for a yellow light on the motherboard) and I wondered why until I noticed it had no RAM (duh!). I ordered the RAM and when it came in, I excitedly tried again to find the same occurrence. I can bring the specs if they're needed, but does anyone have a clue what it could be? Oh, almost forgot... HELP!!!

Wrench97 · 05-20-2009, 03:44 PM

Which form factor is the GX280?
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...n/ug/index.htm

What are the Diagnostic lights on the back telling you?
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1114558

vXI Joker IXv · 05-20-2009, 04:32 PM

Thank you. I have a small mini-tower computer and the light is on the motherboard. The issue is the machine will not turn on at all. When I open the case, there is a yellow light on the motherboard that is lit.

Wrench97 · 05-20-2009, 04:56 PM

On the back there should be 4 diagnostic leds are any of them lit up? If so what color yellow or green.> http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1114558

vXI Joker IXv · 05-22-2009, 04:45 PM

Ok, so thank you for the picture because it actually helps to know exactly where to look for those lights. They don't seem to turn on. I have the machine right here right now and when I plug in the power, the yellow light on the motherboard turns on, but the lights in the rear do not. When I try powering on the machine, nothing. I really want to just quit with this machine, but I JUST bought the RAM hoping to get it to work and that's 100 dollars down the drain...

Wrench97 · 05-23-2009, 12:58 AM

No lights on the back I would test the power supply either by swapping it out or with a voltmeter> http://www.techsupportforum.com/f210...er-151526.html

vXI Joker IXv · 05-24-2009, 01:34 AM

Ok, I'll get one or the other this week and hopefully that's it... or I'll be back here. lol Thanks for the help.

richard2k84 · 05-26-2009, 06:25 AM

Isn't the light on the motherboard to show that there is power running through it, and not that something is wrong.

Wrench97 · 05-26-2009, 09:00 AM

The motherboard LED only tells you there is 5v standby power.