Power or motherbaord failure

For the Optiplex 320, a flashing amber light with no sound indication can mean 3 things.

1) Your power supply has failed

2) Your motherboard failed, most likely from a bad capacitor.

3) The front panel board (where the power button is located) is faulty or not connected properly.

I've worked with 10's of 1000's of Dell Optiplex's over the past 8 years and the flashing amber light is well known as a tell-tail sign of one of those three failure. Always start your trouble shoot with a PSU tester, then inspect the motherboard for domed or split/leaking capacitors...then on to the front panel which would require another panel and ribbon from the same model.

try to remove the power cable on that product and then hold the power button for 8 secs. Reinsert back the power cable and press the power button. If it won't turn on, then the power supply is the main cause of trouble. Contact dell right away for repair...

Normally a solid amber light indicates there has been some type of hardware failure. Possibly power supply, possibly motherboard.


Here is a link with a few things you can try.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/17145803.aspx

I just replaced my GX280 power supply (mini-tower) with the following 400W for $30.

http://www.cputopia.com/hp-400w-dell-optiplex-gx280-mini-tower.html

The only place I can think you will find an actual schematic for the PSU is from the manufacturer.

Hi,
Most likely you have a bad Power Supply, replace your power supply
Thanks

DiegoTech

Hi, sounds like a crash, do you get any report messages after reboot? Try starting in safe mode; press Del button during initial bootup, once in safe mode you can reset to a time before the problem started. Hope this helps, if not come back to me?

Dell GX280 has been known to have issues with mother board because of bad capacitors that were sent out in them at that time. I have had so many issues with them when i working as an it. If you can open up your pc and look on mother board for expanded capacitors or even leaking. if they are not round it means that is the problem. Dells are very easy to open. On top and bottom there are kinda buttons u can press and just open towards the side that has lock for like locker lock and look inside.

Confirm no leaking or bulging capacitors on your mothboard.
refer to here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

As this was a common problem with the GX280.
If found, you will need to replace the capacitors.

The other check is to make sure the heatsink is fitted correctly, perhaps reaply the thermal paste if you have any. I know that high temps would switch the GX280 off.

You hit that one right on the dot.  ATI website showed the specs for that graphics card you installed as needing a 300 Watt power supply.  Good news though... I researched newegg.com and I believe I found your 300W power supply.  There are 4 different Optiplex gx280 designs with 4 completely different power supplies.  Since you bought the low-profile video card, I believe you have the slim computer case and this power supply should work for you...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817374002

Good Luck

Same problem... orange power light, fan starts slow and builds up to very high speed.
I removed my video card and SIMMs --> it beeped on boot and the fan did not speed up.
Put one SIMM back in --> booted fine, pressed F2 to view BIOS. Memory reported fine.
Put all SIMMs back in --> all fine now.