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Processor Speed ...

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Washbush:
OK ... a quick follow up and a clarification ...
 
Can you come up with a list of symptoms that a computer would exhibit if a person were to keep adding power using devices until he exceeded the "safe range" of the power supply?
 
Would power using USB items as well as installed devices (like the firewire board and the TV tuner board) push the power supply to the point where it would be overloaded?
 
Finally, can you explain the relationship between the power supply reaching its usable limit and the fact that the CPU would jump to 100%?  What exactly is it that causes it to stay at 100% or fall back down to only a fraction of that.
 
I did nothing to the machine last night and may not do anything today.  I did learn that the DELL Dimension 8250 power supply may have an output of as little as 250W or as much as 305W.  I have had inexpensive stereo systems in the past that put out more than that ... on each channel!  So, that can't be very much.  I am thinking I might just risk it and see what I can find for the 8250 on ebay for $30 or so.  I would be willing to spend that if the computer would be usable.  In total, I still have not spent $100 on it for repairs in it's entire life!
 
JW

Shane:

--- Quote ---Can you come up with a list of symptoms that a computer would exhibit if a person were to keep adding power using devices until he exceeded the "safe range" of the power supply?
 
Would power using USB items as well as installed devices (like the firewire board and the TV tuner board) push the power supply to the point where it would be overloaded?
--- End quote ---

Hard question to answer because all hardware is different. On some your system can lock up, blue screen, reboot or things dont work properly. On others the system may not crash or lock up but things never seem to work right because the hardware isnt responding like it should.

If the USB draws power and the drive doesnt have its own power cord then it pulls power from the usb slot which the power supply then supplies.


--- Quote ---Finally, can you explain the relationship between the power supply reaching its usable limit and the fact that the CPU would jump to 100%?  What exactly is it that causes it to stay at 100% or fall back down to only a fraction of that.
--- End quote ---

If you opened task manager and you dont see any of the processes taking up the cpu then normally it is a driver that is taking the cpu. And again, if the hardware isnt working as it should the the driver may not work right and it could explain the high cpu.

But again, it may or may not be the power supply. It is simply something that you should try so you can mark it off the list as a possible cause. :wink:

Shane

Washbush:
OK ... that is what I have come down to.  I will move the boards from slot to slot and see if that makes a difference.  Then, I will I will see what my options are for the power supply.  After that, I (personally) am worn out. 
 
I remember buying this computer very well.  It was quite the thing in its day.  But, I have recently found the invoivce for my purchase and verified it with Dell Warranty.  It was March of 2003 that I registered the warranty.  I think I bought it in October of 2002.  Over the last 7 years, my daily desktop has been a Mac Pro with 32 Gig of RAM.  So, it is very, very possible that I am just expectidng too much from the Windows PC.  I just looked and I see that at this moment I have 6 windows open and I have been trying hard to keep it down.  With the Mac I never even  thought about it.  To be fair, the Mac cost 5X as much so I do expect more. 
 
Anyway, you have been a big help as far as keeping me interested in getting to the bottom of this.  I am going to assume that if I get to the power supply, and that is not it, then the problem is on the mother board.  I believe I have already asked you what would be involved in replacing that, and it is something that I do not want to undertake.  So, I may have to make this beauty into something that sits under my workbench and just gives me info from a DVD and plays music.  My hobby is repairing antique and vintage bb guns and pellet guns, especially old pistols.  So, I have bundles of information on CD and DVD.  It would be good to be able to access all that stuff more easily and this just might be the ticket to doing that if I keep it running off line.
 
I'll let you in on the final chapter of this story ...
 
JW

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