[DELL XPS 600] Motherboard replacement w/ regular atx motherboard

Check the back of the case, and see if the backplate is removable. If it's atached to the motherboard, you're probably stuck with the dell replacement board. Ascendtech sometimes carries dell replacement boards. Otherwise, check ebay. Computergeeks sometimes has Intel boards that will work with older dells. Some newer dells use the btx format for the board and case, so check your specs carefully.

I would go with a new case also. Newegg, fry's, and 2 websites, fatwallet and slickdeals sometimes have great specials. Look for free shipping.

Can I ask what mobo you went for to replace the xps 600 mobo. I'm in a similar situation with a dead mobo only I want to salvage the xps case.

Thanx for the response. I just spoke with Dell XPS T/S who ran me through a few tests and determined both the mobo and p/s are dead. So, it kind of makes it easier. I think I'll go the way yoiu did with new mobo, p/s and possibly processor. Thanx.

I am having problems just like you with the motherboard. I also caught Dell lying and I believe playing good cop/bad cop tactics.


I have had lots of problems with my xps 600 since the day I took it out of the box it in came in. Working with Dell I was able to resolve a lot of these problems (bad hard drive DOA etc) accept for one major problem a bad video card.

After about a year of operation the Nividia 6800 graphics card died. I called dell and after bouncing around support I spoke with a nice guy in India (good cop) and finally got him to agree to send my out a new video card.

I got a ticket and everything. But 6 days later I did not get the card. So I called back into Dell and they had no record that I ever called despite me having a ticket number and they had no record I was promised a video card. So I went through the long process all over again wasting lots of hours. That afternoon I get a call from a rude arrogant tech support agent who basically tried to tell me I was full of sh**t and did not need a new video card. He was very nasty (bad cop). So after wasting more time getting to a manager they finally send my out a video card and tech guy to install. The tech arrives puts the video card in (maybe a refurbished card) and everything is fixed. Dispatch tech says yeah obviously it was the video card. But I am still very disturbed about my lost ticket and dispatch….how did that happen? It cost me a week of no access to critical data.

Flash forward a year late and the 2nd video card goes out . Same error “failure to write/read to the video card memory” same problem garbled text at the post and never gets into windows. By the way this is NOT an environmental issue. I have an IMAC and HP computer and HP printer in the same location and they have no problems. I have a costly UPS so no surges or shortfalls and the area has great air conditioning. In my house with my kids and wife we have 5 other computers and none have any problems except for the XPS 600. Also no dust floating around….I play no graphic intensive games.

Anyways, although Dell support tries very hard not to send me a new video card (costly item) I do lots wrangling I thinking I am making headway when the 2nd agent comes on and tries to sell me an extended warranty for $160. I am not happy because I have been trying to get them solve the problem for a long time under the existing warranty and to stop just addressing the symptoms. I have had two bad video cards (the original and the replacement) and I want to know the cause. After all I am already under a $$$ warranty.

I tell the rep this and he responds well this will be your 5th video card. WTF? I start questioning him and he starts giving me dates and tickets. THEN UNBELIEVABLE he has the record of the video card that was never sent. The missing ticket and dispatch no one could ever find. The conversation I had with the guy in India that according to Dell and Dell managers never happened.

So now something clicks….this ticket was never lost to begin with. They cancelled it on purpose to see how bad I really wanted a fixed video card. Would I call back and make fuss? That bad cop rep I met on the second go around…he was the money control. His goal was to save money by bullying me into not getting a new card.

So the rep kind of agrees the other order was cancelled. Then checking the magic log, the log agrees the number of video cards is a lot less.

So I allege Dell lies and plays good cop bad cop and now I am still waiting for the replacement video card (it has been a few days) and if it comes this will only be the 2nd replacement card. The original went bad and the replacement went bad. Dell sucks My apologies I say this as it means one more dell sucks entry for google to the index. I am a nice guy and a reasonable person not one prone to bad language and saying people suck.

Normally, I do not post on these topics as my opinion is a bit biased at times, and probably here could cause a negative stir from some but... I had a co-worker at one of my previous jobs, and guess what his previous job was??? Dell tech support. Just to inform you guys of what I have been informed of, he stated to me that as a tech support, no matter how easy or simple the question was, the tech support team has an entire book/program full of information they must go through for every call to try to find ways NOT to be held liable for the problem, and in the end, not help you with your problem without you paying for it. (Im talking about telling someone that in order to shut down computer you have to press the start and shut down buttons) Yeah, its that bad.

Moral to the story, the best route to go is a custom built computer. You won't have the error messages that lead you to a tech support team that will give you the run around, most error messages are presented in the booklet you recieve for the motherboard/hdd/whatever equipment is failing, plus you know exactly what programs / hardware that is installed on your computer. I mean, unless you are someone that is buying a first time computer, do you really need programs that are trials, programs that help you choose your ISP, programs that are a waste of space???

Not a techy? No problem, surely you know someone that has a little computer knowledge, and quite honestly as someone who liked electronics but knew nothing of motherboard/cpu/psu/you get the picture hookups and innerworkings, I built a computer and im not gonna lie, is the best I have had to this day, and I have been one that purcheses 1600, 1800, and another 1100 dollar systems in the past. The one that is bigger and better then the rest was around 1100.

Im not gonna sit here and tell you that you can save 500 on custom built computers (though it is probably possible, but then you will be buying the low of the low and probably not be getting what you really want out of it) but you can build yourself a better computer, one without having to worry about tech support (tech support for the majority of the problems can be found on any major search engine, because ya, almost guaranteed that someone has had the same problem you have had) and a computer that for the same price as a name brand, will typically be faster and better quality on parts such as CPU speed/power and RAM speed/size.

Plus for the fact of not having to waste time and money on tech support that is innitially set up to avoid helping, its well worth it....