If you have a recent Dell desktop system, read this before you replace the motherboard or power supply.

Dell used non-standard motherboards and power supplies, apparently from September 1998 until April 2002. Although Dell power supplies and motherboards produced during that period use what appear to be standard ATX power connectors, the pinouts are different. (The Inquirer posted an article in April 2002 that contains Dell's official response to this issue.)

On Dell systems made during that period, replacing a Dell power supply with a standard ATX power supply destroys the motherboard and/or power supply as soon as you apply power to the system. Similarly, upgrading the motherboard in a Dell system with a standard ATX motherboard while continuing to use the standard Dell power supply destroys the motherboard and/or power supply as soon as you apply power to the system.

If you have a recent Dell desktop system, be very careful about upgrading it or replacing the motherboard or power supply. If you need a replacement power supply and are certain that your Dell system uses the hacked version of the ATX power connector, you can buy a replacement Dell-specific power supply from PC Power & Cooling. Rather than do that, though, we recommend you replace the power supply and motherboard together, using industry-standard components.