No visual indicator appears, HDD light pulses once, etc. (Dell Precision T5810)
No visual indicator appears, HDD light pulses once, etc. (Dell Precision T5810)
I’ve been working on a consistent no-show problem with my Dell Precision T5810. After swapping the motherboard twice and installing a new GPU, the issue persists. The system runs an Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 with 40GB DDR4 RAM, a GTX 760 (swapped for testing), and a 685W power supply. When turned on, the HDD light flashes briefly before staying off except for a brief pulse after minutes. Num Lock and Caps Lock respond after a few seconds, suggesting the system isn’t completely unresponsive. Fans operate normally, CPU heats up, and all USB ports function, yet no display appears. I’ve checked each RAM stick separately, tested in different slots, reset CMOS, reinserted CPU (verified pins), removed storage devices, and even moved the GPU to other PCIe lanes—no improvement. The GPU works elsewhere and with another GPU, so the problem likely lies beyond the hardware I’ve replaced. I’m uncertain whether the BIOS recognizes the motherboard or if a specific GPU is required. At this stage, the PSU, RAM, GPU, and motherboard have all been verified as functional. The only untested component is the CPU; it might be faulty or the PCIe controller isn’t communicating properly. Could a BIOS update clarify this? Are there other components to inspect?
Dell employs the front LEDs on the case to display error codes. (Earlier models featured four back lights that flashed in a binary pattern.) https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-...lang=en-us Consider verifying the chassis intrusion switch—ensure it’s connected and activated, otherwise the system may fail to start. A different Haswell Xeon processor could also be a viable option, though we’re uncertain if the current BIOS supports them.) You might find a lower-end, non-Hyperthreaded chip for minimal extra expense.
The indicator light on the power button confirms the system is operating properly. I'm running a new Haswell Xeon to determine if the issue lies with the processor.