Startup problems

Hey guys, I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum to post this question but I love the DS forum.  I've read a lot of times Alex would recommend unplugging and plugging back in certain components as a first step, but in my case since it's not a new computer it doesn't sound like something could be seated incorrectly.  I'm thinking some part is ready to give out...

I have a Dell XPS Studio 8000 and the last month twice when I powered on the computer, the fans would start and everything and then about 10-15 seconds into startup the power button (which is normally lit up white) will flash orange and about 5 beeps willl come from the computer itself not my speakers...and it will just keep cycling through 5 beeps/ orange flashes...pause....5 beeps/flashes...pause.  So then I push the power button again and everything shuts off, and I power back on and it starts up like normal.

This has never happened since I bought this computer 3 years ago.  But it's happened twice in the last month (not in a row).  Anyone have any idea what this could be?  Sounds like a hardware problem...maybe the hard drive?  I'm taking this as a clue to back up my stuff on an external hard drive...but I was just wondering if those 5 beeps indicates something or if there's some kind of error report I can get from the computer itself.

Another thing, when this did happen the monitor never clicked on from the moment I pressed the power button, just remained black..no error message flashed.

Thanks

Really tough to say.  When the pc does finally boot to Windows, is the system clock in lower right of screen accurate or did it go to 12:00, etc.  Are icons disappearing on Windows desktop?