Optiplex 760 Wierd Issues

[HardwareExtreme]

Hello Everyone,
So I have 2 Optiplex 760s. The problem happens to both of them, but the motherboards look fine. I tried putting 4gb of DDR2 Ram into it, and the first system boot and ran fine for a couple months. Then, after that it started giving RAM errors, 3 and 4, and it would do that for a while until I reseated the RAM, and then do it again. I know the RAM is fine since I have used it in other systems with no problem. However, in the second one, it spits out the same errror for about 5 minutes, and then boots right up without a hitch. When I tried to install Windows on it, it crashed at the beggining at the Hard Drive setup.

Specs (Same for both machines)
4 gb DDR2 Ram (4x1GB Dimms)
Radeon HD 7450 (1GB)
Core 2 Duo E8500
160gb SATA hard drive (Samsung)

I installed Windows 7 on the first one, and I am trying to install Vista on the second one. Both motherboards do not have any blown up capacitors AFAIK. Can anyone tell me what this might be?

 

[1LiquidPC]

Regarding caps, are any slighty bulged? They don't need to be leaking/blown to cause issues.

 

[HardwareExtreme]

None of them look bulged or anything like that; all of them looked normal. However, are there ones underneath the cpu heatsink because I didnt check there?

 

[1LiquidPC]

Nearest to the CPU socket are where bad ones usually develop. Which form factor are both systems?

 

[HardwareExtreme]

Both are MT (minitower). I popped the heatsink off on the one I am working on, and all of the capacitors looked fine. I also tried a different GPU and different RAM that is known to be working, but no beans.

 

[1LiquidPC]

Very odd with same problems on both. Even a similar hardware fault on both systems seems unlikely. Being the same, may be worth it to mix n match all the parts on hand. Try cpu, ram, gpu, hdd, and psu from one system installed in the other. Sounds like a pain, but still may be worth your time.

 

[william p]

A lot of old Dells require "low density" RAM. Usually meaning 8 chips on both sides of the modules. High density RAM will have 8 chips total. Low density is faster, High Density is cheaper to make and can overclock better.

 

[HardwareExtreme]

These machines refuse to boot with low density, so I doubt it is that. I may have to try switching out parts though as 1Liquid said though. I can try low density, but with my experience with a Optiplex 960 it doesn't like it.


Welp, even with low density ram this thing is just plain refusing to boot now. I am going to try and get my other one working though.

 

[william p]

There was a typo in my previous post. I fixed it. I used low in the wrong place. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[HardwareExtreme]

Ok, so I pulled out my other 760. Turns out the problems I had with it before were really just issues with overheating. It boots up perfectly fine and I even scavenged up 8gb of RAM to slap into it. I'm guessing that the problems with the other one is probably a dead motherboard. However, I may see if I can replace it with something better, like a motherboard from a 780.