PCA Forums

I have a dell dimension 5100c, I think it's just a little bit over 3 years old, and it won't power on after a power outage last week. The green light on the motherboard is still on, but the power button on the system doesn't respond at all.

I figured it was the power supply, but would just like to make sure that's the case before I get a new one.

And if it is the case, any suggestions on the best place to order one.

I would use a power supply for a test first. Pull the one out of the computer you are posting from?

I'm posting from my laptop, so unfortunately that won't really work. I really don't have anything else laying around that I can yank a power supply from.

All Dells made in the last 7 years have standard ATX power supplies.

There is really no way to reliably know if it's the PSU or something else without swapping the PSU. In my expeience 80% of the time it's the PSU.

Even a PSU tester won't tell you anything. I have one, but I have seen plenty of PSUs that would not allow a mobo to POST, pass the diagnostic on the tester with flying colors.

No way around it, you need a PSU. Buy one at Office Depot or Best Buy. Most places will let you return it.

Otherwise take it to a mom & pop computer store and see if they'll test it and sell you a PSU so you can install it. Otherwise you'll have to eat the labor.