Dell power switch issues
Dell power switch issues
I’m reviewing the details you shared. You’re preparing to start college this fall and are assembling a PC inside an old Dell case. Your goal is to keep the power button, power LED, and HDD indicator functioning properly so the build looks like a standard Dell machine. You’ve encountered an issue with the power connector—its pinout isn’t documented, and you’re trying to troubleshoot it manually. The power LED isn’t changing color as expected, and you’re limited to the 6-pin connector (actually 9 pins, but only 3 are active). You’re seeking advice from someone with specialized knowledge to help you resolve this and make the build less obvious.
Apologies ahead of time for the unclear handwriting on my pinout diagram. I understand it’s not ideal.
Yep. It's supposed to go white, I found videos of it online with the original Dell motherboard inside and such, orange with the original Dell motherboard usually seems to indicate there is power but but there is some kind of hardware failure, so I'm wondering what I'am failing to replicate. I'll have to look into it more in the morning.
It seems the setup is compacted for a Dell. Likely the power supply varies, not a smart chip controlling it. It probably uses a simple switch—maybe you can test it by adjusting voltage and pressing a button, checking the display on a multimeter. Without more wiring info, it’s probably just a basic MBW with fixed voltage. Edited April 28, 2024 by thrasher_565
I thought the two colors functioned as reverse parallel LEDs, with one color using a specific polarity and the other a different one.
They're onto something. The Optiplex 7010 features two LEDs that operate in opposite directions, meaning swapping the polarity of the power LED pins will alter their colors. https://www.dell.com/community/en/conver...a8defeee13 You may need to remove the front button panel to inspect the wiring on that side.
I figured out the solution. The correct voltage was different from what thrasher suggested, but I accidentally used too much and it failed right away. It displayed orange at 3.3v while I supplied 5v. For a brief moment it turned white before shutting off permanently. It seems I should have used smaller steps instead. This was partly my mistake, but I’m confident I could have handled it myself. That one that glows white would be ideal. It probably matches what I should have done originally—just wanted to test if I could work with the existing setup. Thanks for all the advice!