Graphics card problem

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Rickles

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Topic # 87471 29-Jul-2011 16:17

Hi,

I have decided to move away from my onboard VGA graphics and installed a new ASUS EAH5450 PCIE card.

However, it will not work, and in fact the machine (WinXP Pro/2GB RAM) will not even start to boot up once the card is installed.

I have checked the BIOS and set the Primary Graphics Adapter to PCIE. I cannot find anywhere to actually disable the onboard VGA, so assume that it will 'auto-switch' once the new card is detected.

Interestingly, the machine will not even boot up with the new card installed AND the monitor connected to the onboard VGA port, yet all is perfectly well once I remove the new card.

Any clues or suggestions as to what might be going on and how to fix would be most welcome. Do I need to install the new drivers first (albeit that it should boot in safe mode at least anyway)?

Thanks, R.

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Chief Trash Bandit
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Reply # 499486 29-Jul-2011 16:20

What model motherboard ?

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garvani

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Reply # 499488 29-Jul-2011 16:24

Yeah need the motherboard model and rest of your pc specs. Its possible that its not compatible with your motherboard, and you will need to go down to the hd4xxx series (had a couple of these come into the workshop in the last year or so)
Also the card could be d.o.a.

Poll

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Reply # 499489 29-Jul-2011 16:25

Hi R

Sounds like a faulty card, I would check it in another pc if you have a spare or try another known working pcie card in this pc if you have one of those. Secondly check for dust and try re seating the card in the pcie slot.

If your machine is not even posting then drivers are irrelevant.

Hope this helps.

Rickles

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Reply # 499492 29-Jul-2011 16:27

Motherboard is also ASUS, P5VD2-VM SE.

User Manual tends to indicate that all should be OK.

Monitor is Philips 170S4 LCD.

R.

garvani

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Reply # 499495 29-Jul-2011 16:37

Motherboard is of the same era where ive had problems with the HD5xxx and HD6xxx series of cards. If you can, then try it in another machine to rule out DOA.

Rickles

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Reply # 499498 29-Jul-2011 16:40

Thanks guys ... will try and find another machine for elimination trial, and also ensure PCIE slot is really clean (never been used before so could be dirty).

Anyone handy in Wellington that could try the card out for me (my other machine is a netbook)?

Card is brand new, btw.

R.

Rickles

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Reply # 499672 30-Jul-2011 10:47

UPDATE: Cleaned out PCIE slot and ensured card edges clean and not damaged.

Re-installed card, turned on machine and it still refuses to boot ... no hard drive activity at all !?

Power supply is 500W, so no problem there.

R.

tdgeek

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Reply # 499676 30-Jul-2011 10:55

Most decent cards have an extra power connector on it, mine has 2. Check that as the PCIe slot may not have enough power hence the need for a power cable from the power supply attached to the card. It will be on the top, and probably rear of card

Rickles

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Reply # 499678 30-Jul-2011 11:02

tdgeek,

Thanks for suggestion, but no power connector on the card.

Also, I'd expect the machine to at least continue booting even if it had the new card slotted in.

R.

Poll

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Reply # 499679 30-Jul-2011 11:03

No extra power connector required for your card on the Asus website, I would assume it is doa unless you can find a mate with a spare video card and/or pc to test out our other suggestions.

Poll

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Reply # 499681 30-Jul-2011 11:07

Rickles
It won't continue booting because it is failing the post test which it does when starting up, by removing the card and having it successfully boot means that either the pcie slot or the card is faulty (very minor chance of power supply too but highly unlikely), have you ever had another video card running in the machine?

Rickles

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Reply # 499684 30-Jul-2011 11:12

Poll,

Never tried another card in this machine, and yet to try the new card in another machine .... I know that is the most obvious things to try but only have a netbook as my other computer on hand at the moment .

R.

Rickles

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Reply # 513580 29-Aug-2011 18:02

UPDATE: Tried card in two later model machines and they too failed to boot. Tried card in a virtually new machine running Win7 and it works ... I guess backward compatibility with PCI-E slots and versions isn't all that 'compatible' .

R.

garvani

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Reply # 513623 29-Aug-2011 19:27

yep as i stated in the 2nd reply it probably wasnt compatible with your motherboard, it isnt the first time ive seen that, had a few motherboards of that era come in for graphics upgrades that just wouldn't go.. a hd4xxx series card will be fine in the machine though, should be able to get one off TM reasonably cheap.

Rickles

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Reply # 513650 29-Aug-2011 20:38

garvani ... thanks for your input.

R.

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