having some serious cpu issues

[tw]

Originally posted by breakingnews
The motherboard power light is on, so it's being powered. Someone suggested that the board or the processor might be fried, but why would the computer work then? Is that possible?

That motherboard light reports little that is useful. LED may be powered, but not enough to permit computer to boot. That LED is only from one power supply - not the one that would power rest of computer (since a PSU is really two separate power supplies).

Without readings that provide numbers, then you don't know if the PSU is working. If PSU is marginal, then everything else can appear intermittent or failed - including memory.

You are wildly speculating instead of seeking irrefutible facts. Were Dell comprehensive hardware diagnostics executed? What is reported in the system's event logs. Until voltage measurements are taken on DC power outputs, then you have no idea if the PSU is completely good or completely defective. A defective (intermittent) supply can make anything else appear to be failed.

Further information was posted previously in:
Let's play "what part is failing?"

In the meantime, this would be a new system - completely covered by warranty. Why are you fixing it?