IT Access Point
30Mar/100

PSA: Dell Uses Duplicate Part Numbers

Lesson learned.  Apparently Model Number on Dell parts don't tell the whole story.

Dell Power Supplies side-by-side

I had a problem with a Dell Precision 690 where the the tower would power up, but I would get no video.  I tried everything: different monitors, both analog and digital (DVI); different video cards; different video cards in a different slot (PCI instead of PCI-E).   Same result...

I made the $35 investment to get a digital power supply tester from Best Buy, which works rather well, might I add.  However, in this instance, I was unable to successfully test the power supply.

Long story short, I got the model number of the Dell PSU and started my eBay trek.  I found the auction that matched model numbers and specs.  Within 2 days, I had the replacement PSU.  I got down to business installing.