Anyone knowledgeable about computer hard drives, i need some help

[Curt Harms]

Many, if not most, of the newer low profile laptops have the SSD integrated on the motherboard. Some can still be swapped out, but it's more complicated than sliding the drive out the side like the older laptops.

So don't buy one of those

[Grant Wilkinson]

While there has been a lot of discussion on ssd vs platter, I wonder about a laptop without wireless network connectivity. I don't believe that I have seen even a semi-modern laptop without built in wifi. Am I reading the specs wrong? If not, are you content, OP, with having to plug this into a wired network all the time?

[Curt Harms]

While there has been a lot of discussion on ssd vs platter, I wonder about a laptop without wireless network connectivity. I don't believe that I have seen even a semi-modern laptop without built in wifi. Am I reading the specs wrong? If not, are you content, OP, with having to plug this into a wired network all the time?

There's a new WiFi standard on the horizon, WPA3. It's still a work in progress but should fix WPA2s security issues. USB wifi can be easily upgraded, soldered-on wifi cannot.

[Mark Hennebury]

This is a Dell precision 3630 Desktop workstation.

While there has been a lot of discussion on ssd vs platter, I wonder about a laptop without wireless network connectivity. I don't believe that I have seen even a semi-modern laptop without built in wifi. Am I reading the specs wrong? If not, are you content, OP, with having to plug this into a wired network all the time?

[Mark Hennebury]

Yesterday, i tried restating the computer, and it came up with the black screen and the error " front fan Failure ..etc." as it did when the Dell tech was here.

So i took the side panel off and ....of course there is no front fan.
So i check around the motherboard and there is a socket for a front fan, So i am guessing that when they replaced the motherboard they put in a different one then what was originally in there.
So i put in a fan from another computer and restarted it, this time no black screen, no " Front fan error" it just went straight to blue screen and stop codes. I ran a scan and everything checked out fine including the new front fan. But still goes to blue screen and wont start. So i just removed the fan and will talk to Dell about a replacement.

[mike stenson]

There's a new WiFi standard on the horizon, WPA3. It's still a work in progress but should fix WPA2s security issues. USB wifi can be easily upgraded, soldered-on wifi cannot.

I'm not sure the new encryption method will require new hardware.

[Tom M King]

I sort of remember running into issues like this a decade and a half ago, when building a new computer, but the last several have been plug, screw, and play. There would be a jumper in the wrong position, typically.

There should be videos on Newegg about building a computer. It's really not difficult at all. Back then, you could get into BIOS before the OS of the computer booted. I don't know that you can even do that with current versions.

[Mark Hennebury]

Thanks Tom, So it may be the correct motherboard and just jumper in the wrong position.
Yes I am beginning to think that i should have just ordered the parts and put one together myself.

I sort of remember running into issues like this a decade and a half ago, when building a new computer, but the last several have been plug, screw, and play. There would be a jumper in the wrong position, typically.

There should be videos on Newegg about building a computer. It's really not difficult at all. Back then, you could get into BIOS before the OS of the computer booted. I don't know that you can even do that with current versions.

[Chuck Wintle]

Yesterday, i tried restating the computer, and it came up with the black screen and the error " front fan Failure ..etc." as it did when the Dell tech was here.

So i took the side panel off and ....of course there is no front fan.
So i check around the motherboard and there is a socket for a front fan, So i am guessing that when they replaced the motherboard they put in a different one then what was originally in there.
So i put in a fan from another computer and restarted it, this time no black screen, no " Front fan error" it just went straight to blue screen and stop codes. I ran a scan and everything checked out fine including the new front fan. But still goes to blue screen and wont start. So i just removed the fan and will talk to Dell about a replacement.

How is a scan possible when the computer will not start?

[mike stenson]

How is a scan possible when the computer will not start?

I suspect that this isn't an OS loaded scan. While I work entirely in a Unix environment (including the apple laptops we're provided), a blue screen and panic codes are a Windows thing. Often times hardware, but.. If you're loading a diagnostic utility, they generally will come up regardless.

[Chuck Wintle]

I sort of remember running into issues like this a decade and a half ago, when building a new computer, but the last several have been plug, screw, and play. There would be a jumper in the wrong position, typically.

There should be videos on Newegg about building a computer. It's really not difficult at all. Back then, you could get into BIOS before the OS of the computer booted. I don't know that you can even do that with current versions.

Jumpers are not really used anymore in my experience. And you can still go into the BIS as you describe.

[Chuck Wintle]

Thanks Tom, So it may be the correct motherboard and just jumper in the wrong position.
Yes I am beginning to think that i should have just ordered the parts and put one together myself.

Have you tried to use the generic driver for the video? I had this experience once and switching to a generic driver helped.

[Mark Hennebury]

Have you tried to use the generic driver for the video? I had this experience once and switching to a generic driver helped.

Chuck, no I haven't tried the generic driver. Although I just had to switch to the generic one on my old computer as the video card has given up on that one.

[Grant Wilkinson]

This is a Dell precision 3630 Desktop workstation.

Sorry, Mark. I should have read more closely.

[Derek Meyer]

If it blue screens immediately like that, then I would suspect the BIOS settings. Most Windows 10 machines now require a UEFI BIOS with SecureBoot enabled. If the BIOS does not have UEFI enabled, then the system will try to boot with a non-UEFI driver and will error. See if you can find the settings in your BIOS to enable UEFI support and/or SecureBoot.

Many of the newer desktop motherboards now come with one or two M.2 slots that can accept an SSD in the form of a small card with a connector on the short edge. These M.2 drives use the PCIe interface, so they have much more bandwidth available than the SATA interface, as much as 4 times more. This won't give you 4x the speed of a SATA SSD, but they can be significantly faster in some cases.