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December 23rd, 2025 03:20
XPS 8930, flashing yellow power button after installing X550-T2 PCIe x4 network card
I have the standard 460W power supply in my Dell XPS 8930. Since getting it I have installed a second hard drive, an NVMe drive, and a GTX1060 graphics card and all has been running fine for over a year.
Today I tried to install an Intel X550-T2 network card in the PCI x4 slot, but even with it fully seated, the XPS power button flashes yellow and refuses to boot. It does boot without the PCIe x4 card. Assuming the network card I installed is good, could it be that I am overtaxing the power supply? Or is there something else I should be doing, possibly in BIOS, to make this card work?
Thanks in advance.
Bob
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redxps630
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December 23rd, 2025 17:19
No it is not a power issue. The network card you installed apparently failed bios POST. When pc powers on from cold it checks all firmware, and when there is a new piece of hardware it does not find passing firmware test bios will flash yellow.
(edited)
landolfi
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December 31st, 2025 00:17
I have now tried two other multi-gig ethernet cards in the x4 slot, this time both of them TP-Link (TX201 and TX401). Although the system boots and the card is firmly seated, there are no new devices in Device Manager. Is there anything else I need to do to use the PCIe x4 slot? It appears the current TX401 board is getting power because an LED on it is lit. Any suggestions are welcome.
mrmacklems
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December 31st, 2025 09:20
The flashing yellow power button indicates a power or hardware compatibility issue. The Intel X550-T2 draws a lot of power, and the XPS 8930’s 460W PSU and OEM motherboard often can’t handle high-draw PCIe cards. It’s not a BIOS setting, the system should POST without drivers. Updating the BIOS may help, but the most reliable fix is a higher-wattage PSU or using a lower-power 10GbE NIC.
landolfi
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January 1st, 2026 15:43
From what I was able to find, the Intel X550 uses about 11-13W, and the TP-Link TX401 (which also didn't work), only 3-5W. I was able to boot with the TX401 installed, but it never showed up in device manager and the activity LEDs didn't light, so not sure whether it ever got power or not. It was as firmly seated in the x4 slot as I could make it without bending the card, and I tried:
1. Disabling secure boot
2. Disabling Killer onboard Ethernet
3. Resetting BIOS to default
4. Confirming BIOS 1.1.31 (latest)
It was pretty crowded in there anyway with a GTX1060 video card taking up 2 slots and crowding the x1 slot. There wouldn't have been much clearance for the TX401 heatsink.