Replacement motherboard for dell 4500 lightning victim

tibrok

Following the lightning strikes at the weekend, the motherboard on our dell dimension 4500 desktop computer seems to be damaged.

The symptoms:

-There is no response when trying to switch it on.
-The little green led on the motherboard is on but none of the diagnostic lights at the back of the machine come on.
-The hard disk is OK (I tried it as a slave on another computer).
-There is no visual indication (burning etc) of damage anywhere on computer.
-There was no telephone line connected at the time. The broadband modem and fax that was connected to the line had to be replaced.
-The linksys wireless router that was connected via cat5 cabling between the broadband modem(sizzled) and computer was undamaged.
-The network card seems to be undamaged( removing it dosen't help the computer boot up)


I'm wonder what my options are to get her going again??

- Does anyone know where I can get a replacement dell motherboard (specs P4,NOR,2000/400,512K,SKTN)?
- Can anyone recommend any other motherboard that would do the job?? Does the dell dimension case hinder getting a replacement motherboard?


Any other suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks

Tibrok

atheist

Ring Dell tech support and ask to be quoted for a chargeable call. Don't expect a call-back that day. Also ask for sku part numbers and hold for parts. An alternate source is Budget IT.

Previous experience tells me you're best bet is to write it off and claim on you're contents insurance. Beltronics do cheap UPS's but you need to be trade. I just bought a 400VA ups for €35 euro. Use an online calculator to determine the UPS rating you need to purchase first.

tibrok

Thanks for the tip on getting an UPS. I had a surge protector on the plug following a similiar strike last year (who said it dosen't strike twice) but it dosen't seem to have made a difference.

Tibrok

Ciaran500

Is it a good quality surge protector, the cheap ones are no better than a standard adapter.


If it is a good like a belking they should have a equipment guarntee if you can claim off that.

tibrok

It was a cheap one. In any case I hope to claim off the house insurance. Following the first strike all I had to claim on was the phone modem and the parallel port.


Tibrok

atheist

Surge suppressors contain a varistor, a resistor where the resistance is proportional to the current. Unfortunatly the only way of testing these is stastical, and they can fail to either an open or closed state doing their job. It may have protected you during a previous storm and failed open doing it's job - and as I said testing them is destructive!

tibrok

I've been onto Dell tech support via email. They have said they do not sell replacement motherboards. They can only give a quotation for an out of warranty service to repair the desktop machine. They gave exhaustive troubleshooting steps which all point to motherboard failure.

I've tried the budget-it website mentioned above for a replacement motherboard but it is marked as under construction. Would anyone know of anywhere else I could source a replacement motherboard. The identication code printed on the motherboard itself is E210882. As far as I know it is Intel 875P chipset.

Thanks

Tibrok

Stephen

You won't be able to fit a standard ATX motherboard into that case either.

These guys might be able to help you with a replacement board: http://www.servicesource.co.uk/