Dell SX270

[tgriner]

We have a large number of Dell SX270s with defective Nichicon capacitors.

URLs of interest:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfor...ssage.id=18420
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfor...id=8312#M13069
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/hardwar...015761p,00.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_Plague
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY...eb03/ncap.html

[willawake]

Re: Dell SX270

i moved your thread to the correct forum

we got several reports about GX270. what is the SX270? does it use the same board? how is dell handling your situation?

[tgriner]

Re: Dell SX270

Why is this the right forum? (Off-brand or unknown?)

Dell is not an off-brand. Seems there should be a Dell forum by now.

Anyways, more research shows that all our SX270s (smaller form factor version of GX270) with date code 020304 (feb3, 2004) have failed with leaky Nichicon 1800uf 16v capactiors.

All our newer SX270s with date code 051504 (may15,2004) which use Rubycon capacitors are fine.

So it seems some sort of quality defect with Nichicon capacitors supplied to Dell in early 2004. I hear that Apple iMac G5s suffered the same fate.

Dell is sending a tech out to inspect the systems since they are still under extended warantee.

The SX270 uses a different motherboard from the GX270. Also, I hear that Dell 400SC's from early 2004 also had the capacitor problem.

[kc8adu]

Re: Dell SX270

dell is a assembler of low bidder hardware like other bargain brand pc makers.
you never know whats in that new dell box.
off brand or unknown means the mobo.

[MD Willington]

Re: Dell SX270

Pictures would be great also...

SX is the small form factor...that's mean a hotter environment...

[kc8adu]

Re: Dell SX270

and all the more likely to go tu if crap parts are used.

[tgriner]

Re: Dell SX270

Dell sent a tech over today with a load of new SX270 motherboards.
He pulled our RAM, and CPUs, transplanted them to the new motherboards and we are back up and running.

The new motherboards have Rubycons with a "K" shaped groove on the top of the caps, unlike the old oozing Nichicon's which had a "+" shaped groove.

[tgriner]

Re: Dell SX270

As far as I know, Dell is more than just a low end assembler. I think they design all their own cases, motherboards, and all that. This particular problem doesn't seem to be something I would blame them for because Nichicon has historically been a very reputable supplier.

Perhaps there should have been some sort of "mea culpa" press release by now, along with a recall rather than these "no questions asked" in field replacements, but at least corporate customers who see a pattern are being serviced.

The symptoms we saw were that the machines would generally continue running until you powered them off... Then they wouldn't power back on. If the problem caused more noticable crashes then I think it would have been given higher visability.

Also, I think (in a way) we are lucky that the problem tends to happen soon enough that things are still under warantee. We had the machines running 24x7 for about a year (in a chilled lab) before they all gave up the ghost. If they had lasted 3 years then it would have been more unpleasant as I wouldn't expect such prompt service.

[tgriner]

Re: Dell SX270

Picture of 3 of the bad units.

[AK0R]

Re: Dell SX270

The upper board, in particular, shows that several other caps (besides the common one indicated on the three boards) have bulged and/or vented (as indicated by the discoloration on the tops due to vented electrolyte). Are the new motherboards the same model? Did you happen to get make and series of the caps on the failed motherboards, as well as comparison info on the replacement boards?

[willawake]

Re: Dell SX270

i cant believe the boards were still stable in that condition.

[willawake]

Re: Dell SX270

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=24596

the INQ has picked up the story...........you read it first on badcaps when? like FEBRUARY

[MD Willington]

Re: Dell SX270

Re: Optiplex GX270 Bulging Capacitor
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfor...=319629#M16846

[willawake]

Re: Dell SX270

http://www.my-esm.com/story/OEG20020624S0036
old article on Dell's use of reverse auctions to procure passive parts