# [resolved]Monitor blank when turning on computer after inserting new video card



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi,

I have a Dell Dimension 4600 and until recently had a Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 video card in it. I decided to upgrade and got an AGP 6800XT. 

I took out the old fx5200, stuck in the 6800xt, replugged everything back and started my computer but my monitor stays black. The light on it flashes green at the moment the computer starts up but then shortly after it reverts to orange and doesn't show anything.

I know its probably a problem with my PSU, but on http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2&c=7&t=9354
it says the 6800 uses only 2 watts more than the fx5200. (38 and 36)

I took out the new one and am now using the old one and the monitor works fine.

Thanks in advance for any help, and if theres any computer information needed that I left out please ask.


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

Remove the old video drivers from add remove programs, then install the new card. Start the computer and tap F8 repeatedly. Now choose VGA mode and install the drivers that came with the new card. Reboot.

If that don't work google "driver cleaner pro" download and install driver cleaner and run from with in safe mode and remove any drivers relating to video, then do the above again


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply, sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner. Anyways, I removed the nvidia drivers from the control panel and it forced a reboot on my computer. Then I turned it off and put in the new card but when I tried turning it back on the monitor still wouldn't show anything.

I stuck the old one back in, turned it on safe mode and ran Driver Cleaner Pro, turned it off, put the new one in, and even after that the monitor would stay black.


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

If you can still get into safe mode, do two things. Do the drive cleaner again as Doby suggested (that usually does it), then go to the device manager and delete/uninstall anything under the video area. Then, shut down, put in your new card and let the computer find it and see what happens.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Okay, I'll try that the next chance I get.

And just to clarify: On driver cleaner, I just select Nvidia on the drop down menu and click start right?


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

Select the video driver that you have in there. If it is Nvidia, then that is what you select.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Wow that was fast. 

And thanks


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

where do you get the 2w difference from try a 50% increase is more accurate


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

dai said:


> where do you get the 2w difference from try a 50% increase is more accurate


Umm... sorry could you reword that please? I'm not that good with computers and don't know what "2w" means. :tongue:

Edit:
Oh and as for the video card problem I probably won't be able to get to trying it again until tomorrow.


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

dai is refering to 2watt you said the video cards power differance in post 1 when the 6800 uses much more and this could be a power issue and you need a better psu.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Yeah...
It probably is a problem with my PSU because Driver Cleaner doesn't seem to be fixing it. But on that one site that I linked to in my first post, from a sticky on this site by Dai, the watt difference between my new and old card seems very little. 

Anyways, is there any way that I can get it to work without having to go and buy a new PSU? I'm thinking of replacing my computer in 2-3 years and was hoping this new card would make it last a little longer, so if I had to get a new PSU, would it be more economical to just replace my computer altogether?

I currently have a Pentium 2.4ghz processor and 1GB of ram.

Is there any way to stop other power consuming hardware on the computer to free up some for the card to function properly? I have a CD drive and a burner. I just really dont want to go and have to spend another hundred dollars and wait another week to get my computer able to play some games I've recently purchased and have been anxious to play.

Hehe long post... sorry about that.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

first check it is power see if you can borrow a supply to try in it,if it is look for a supply from someone who has upgraded
we have a local bulletin board and they come up on it reguarly at good prices


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Do all power supplies fit or do you need a specific kind for specific kinds of computers?

Edit:
And if its not too much of a problem, could you give me a link to the forum? I can't seem to find it. 

Thanks


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

dells use normal atx from the p4 onwards 
sent pm


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Just curious, if it was the PSU, wouldn't it be a problem while I play demanding graphical games? Because (I'm probably wrong but) I thought video cards didn't need that much power on boot ups. Or is it that my PSU is just so horribly underpowered that it is just impossible for it to run?

And also, about how many watts do you think I need? I looked at the PSU sticky thread that showed some nice recommendations but I'm not sure if my computer is under low-end or standard. 

Thanks for the help Dai.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

when you turn the computer on it is about the only time everything pulls power
put your specs into here
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp
based on a quality supply and add 30% to the end result and that's the min. you need as far as watts
on the 12v line
agp min 18amps
pcie 24amps


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

I guess I'm terrible at computers because I can't really fill out the stuff on the calculator...

Anyways, I found out the watt difference between the Fx5200 and 6800GT since it was the highest watt demanding 6800 card and 6800XT wasn't there and it turned out to be 22 watts. Does that sound about the right amount of lack of watts to cause my problem?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

yes check the amps on the 12v+ line and see what you have


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Well I looked around the site for PSU help and found http://www.techsupportforum.com/f70/outdated-power-supply-information-and-selection-107466.html

It recommended:

FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN
Estimated Price: $ 41.99 [price quote accurate on 01-15-07]
Rails: Dual 12V / [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Efficiency Rating: 70%
Cooling Fans: 1
PFC: None
Connectors: 20 & 24 pin connections (20 + 4)
Peripheral: / PCI Express 6 Pin x 1 / SATA x 2 / P4 4Pin x 1 / Big 4 Pin x 6 / Small 4 Pin x 1 /
Manufacturer’s Website: HERE
Review link: HERE
Warranty: 2 years
Comments: Very strong 400 watt PSU and competively priced. This company also offers an AX450-PN PSU in this class. The referenced supply is 450 watts for slightly more at $51.50. Both are excellent power supplies and are recommened by our team.
Additional recommended PSU link: FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX450

SPARKLE ATX-400PN-B204 ATX 12V 2.0 400W
Estimated Price: $43.99 [price quote accurate on 01-15-07]
Rails: Dual 12V / [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Efficiency Rating: 70%
Cooling Fans: 1
PFC: None
Connectors: Main connector (20+4 pin)
Peripheral: / 12V (P4 x 1) / peripheral x 5 / SATA x 1 / Floppy x 1 / pci-e x 1 /
Manufacturer’s Website: HERE
Review link: HERE
Warranty: Unknown
Comments: This is a very respectable PSU maker; one of the only manufacturers that informs you to derate the output of this unit 2 degrees Celcius for every degree the PSU must operate in temps above 25C. This derating figure is valid up to 50C !!

for "standard computers"

Which of these would fit my system best, and which are compatible with it?
Thanks.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

what cpu do you have


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

SRtest.com and my device manager says I have a Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 2.40Ghz.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

i would go with the 450w not the 400
i don't have a clue what this is SRtest


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

SRtest.com just shows if you can run a game or not and compares your computer specs with the game requirements. You should check it out sometime. :grin: 

And so the SPARKLE ATX-400PN-B204 ATX 12V 2.0 400W will work with Dells? Does size of the PSU matter?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

they usually list the dimensions on the web site in it's specs


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

So I have to measure the one I have and get one exactly the same size?

Edit:
Yeah that's a pretty dumb question.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

terrister found this
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc.../sm/techov.htm


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

The website might just be down but the link isn't working for me.

Also, the dimensions on the new PSU are 6x3.4x5.5 inches in (WxHxL) and I measured mine to be (as exact as I could measure with my ruler) 5.9x3.7x5.5 inches. Would this work, or should I contact Dell or the PSU manufacturer and ask them?


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

It does not have to be the same exact dimension as your old psu, what is critcal is that there is room in the case, so this new psu is a bit bigger in width and height, look and see if there is enough room in there to accept it


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Well, today I actually removed my PSU to measure it more accurately, and got the dimensions of the PSU I'm planning on getting in millimeters to measure it more accurately, and it turns out it is the perfect size.

So, just checking again since there was never a definite "It is compatible with your system," will it work with a dell?

After this is answered, I'll finally order it and hopefully everything will work.

I really appreciate all the help that has been given in this thread, it must have been annoying having to constantly answer my constant bundles of questions. :tongue:


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

from the p4 onwards dell have used standard wired atx power supplies


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

So... is that a definite yes since SPARKLE ATX-400PN-B204 ATX 12V 2.0 400W has ATX in it twice?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

i would go with the 450 not the 400


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Aren't they both 400W?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

going on this you posted
[Comments: Very strong 400 watt PSU and competively priced. This company also offers an AX450-PN PSU in this class. The referenced supply is 450 watts for slightly more at $51.50. Both are excellent power supplies and are recommened by our team.
Additional recommended PSU link: FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX450]


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Oh, sorry I'm not very perceptive I guess.

Ok, Ill order it today and I'll post back with the results after I get it.

Edit:
Wait the one that says that is the FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN, not the SPARKLE ATX-400PN-B204 ATX 12V 2.0 400W. 

Will the FSP one work? It doesn't have ATX...


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

it's an atx


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Ok, so I finally received the PSU in the mail today, and it installed fine, but I still have the same exact problem. 

If I try to start my computer with the new video card, everything works fine except the monitor doesn't respond. If I put my old one back in, it works fine. I have the 450 watt PSU, and I know for sure that a 6800XT shouldn't need more than that...

What do I do now...? :sigh:


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

Go there and enter in all your info then add 30% to the total


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

My old PSU was 250 watts and my new one is 450. The only thing new is the video card and my old one wasn't an integrated one so I don't think the required power difference between them would be over 200 watts would it...?

I really would take the time to do the calculator but I don't know specific things about my computer like memory type, what brand my processor is, what kind of drives I have, etc...


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

this will tell you
http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Ok, so with the calculator and adding 30% to the total it says I need 275 watts. The one I purchased is 450.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Does which plug I put into the video card matter...?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

no so long as it is the right fitting


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Yeah its a 4 pin to a 4 pin connector...

The only thing I can think of now is that the card is defective...


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

can you get a friend to try it in their computer


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

I couldn't find anyone else with an AGP slot so unfortunately I couldn't test it in another person's computer, but I returned it and got another card just in case it was a defect. 

Turns out it isn't unless I got two defective cards in a row because the new one still shows the same problems. I make sure the card is in all the way, and I stick a plug in it, but the monitor just doesn't respond.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

you have connected the aux power plug to the m/b


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

On the mb I have a huge plug with a lot of pins and a 4 section square shaped plug. Sorry I can't be more specific, I don't know the names of the plugs.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

the aux plug is about 1/2inch square with 2 black and 2 yellow wires


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Yup that one is in.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

because it works with the 5200 and no video with the 6800 the only thing i can put it down to is it is still underpowered
if you boot with just
ram
video
cpu
can you see the bios and post screens


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

So just unplug everything else?

And if it is underpowered, then would I need a 500 watt psu...? The only thing I added is the video card, and my old psu was 250 watts so that means the 6800 takes over 200 more watts than the 5200. Does that sound right?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

you would have expected it to fire up with no problems,i would recommend borrowing before buying to check and make sure beg if you have to


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Buying an even stronger PSU?


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Ok so the new PSU arrived today. 


FSP Group (Fortron Source) FX600-GLN 600W All-In-One
Rails: Quad 12V [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected]
Efficiency Rating: 85%
Cooling Fans: 1
PFC: Active

and the video card STILL doesn't work even with this.

Ugh I'm so frustrated, probably almost as frustrated as you are with me. Hehe.

Any suggestions or should I just give up...?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

i have asked for opinons from others in case i am missing the obvious


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I wish I had time right now to research your old card & new vid card


what is the specified voltage for your old card ?????


What is the spec voltage of the new card ????



The PSU you now have is plenty strong and high quality. The most demanding 7950GT will only consume about 10 to 11 amps on the 12volt rail
so; power is not your issue any longer.

try running your old card with new PSU ???? does it fire up ?


BTW: where did you buy that video card ? the only shafting I ever got on ebay was from a supposedly NEW video card supplier; after the third new "sealed" video card he sent me was a dud; I finally woke up and got the message.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi.

Sorry I don't know the specified voltage for the cards but one time I asked someone I was playing with on CS and he said he also had a 6800xt and his psu was a 350 watt one. 

My old card works with the new PSU.

I bought the card off newegg.com from a company called Biostar. The customer reviews on the site didn't have any complaints about this problem and I've already returned it and got another one once. Maybe I'm just really unlucky. 

Here's a link to it:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814141038

I've also just recently updated my monitor and chipset drivers but that didn't help.


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

You know, I know you did this from reading the thread, but it still sounds to me like you don't have all those old drivers out of there for the old video card. Might be worth it to try it again to make sure, because that power supply should certainly pull this card with no sweat.

 Here is the process if you forgot:

Take out the new card

Put in the old card

Boot up and go to device manager (start, control panel, system, hardware, device manager, display adapter)

Delete everything under that heading (will take effect when you reboot, but don't reboot yet.

Run the Drive cleaner under my signature

Shut down

Take out the old card, put in the new card

Don't forget to hook up the power plug to the new card

Try to get it to boot up again...and, if it does install the new drivers.

What the heck can you lose by trying again since you have tried about everything else.

Addendum: If it still just sits there and won't show, then flick your monitor off for a minute or so and then back on and see if you get any gibberish type figures on the monitor or if it still just sits there.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi.

Ok, so:

I ran driver clearner pro with the old card in.

I turned off the computer, put in the new one and pressed down hard to make sure it was completely seated. Plugged it in, also pushing it in hard making sure it went in all the way, and screwed it in.

I connected the monitor to it and turned on the computer and when I did the lights on my keyboard flashes, my mouse turns on but the monitor light stays orange and the screen stays blank just like it was before I turned on the computer. 

I turned off the monitor and left it off for about a minute and turned it on, and the light flashed green and the screen flashed to a blank, but luminous and on, screen and then shortly after just goes back to a blank screen and an orange light.

When I put the old video card back in and started the computer, after I logged in I got a pop-up error that just said "Failed." and I just had a box to click ok. Then I got a error that said "sw20.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." that was one of the things that said "send error report" or "don't send" to microsoft.


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

Realizing I came in late on this (so, otherwise forgive if you have done this and I missed it), have you tried this video card in another computer to be sure it is a "known good card?"


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Well I've returned the first card that I got and got a replacement just in case it was a defective "bad card."

I would try it in a different computer but I don't have any access to other computers with an AGP slot.

Right now I'm thinking about returning again but I don't there's much of a chance that I got two defective cards in a row.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

http://www.castlecops.com/s12548-sw20_exe.html
it is part of the nv4dll section of the nvidia drivers


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Yeah that makes sense. I overclocked my old card so it probably just failed overclocking...

I uninstalled the overclocking program and set my old card back to its defaults, and tried the whole thing over again with driver cleaner pro but again nothing changed.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

what are you getting in safe mode


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

I can't get to safe mode because the monitor never turns on.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

set it up out of the case with
video
ram
cpu
speaker
and see if it posts
if it does connect the keyboard and go into the bios and check what voltages it lists


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Still doesn't show even when I did that and disconnected the fan on the card.

Again, it does with my old card.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Ok I got a comp to try it in and it worked. The card isn't bad.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

if you remove the ram or the video card do you get the bios beep error code that they are missing


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi Dai, 

sorry it took me so long. I just tried and there isn't any beeps, I think my case speaker is broken, but I know the computer boots up fine with the new card in, or at least gets past POST because I can turn the caps lock light on and off on the keyboard.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

your not going to like this but my thoughts on it is it is still no getting enough power


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

seriously...?

a 600 watt psu isn't enough for that!? I don't even have any extra cooler or fans or anything...


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

recheck all the required power leads are connected firmly
see if you can get hold of a speaker you need to know if there are any bios beeps,if there is anything wrong it will be beeping and not nessasarilly stopping continuing to boot


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

Just came past this thread once again, so bring me up to date. Will your computer work now with the old card in? Can you get into the Bios setup menu? If it works, what does it say in the Video Adapter area of the Device Manager, like what is now listed there.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Yes it works with my old card, and I can get to the Bios setup on my old card but not on my new card. Nothing ever comes up on the monitor with my new card in. Ill check what it says soon.

Umm... dai, whats a power lead?


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

the aux lead to the m/b and to the card if it requires it


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Yeah I make sure they are plugged in firmly.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

we know the card is ok
we know the computer is ok because it works with the old card
is the new card a tight fit,does the fan spin on it when you try to boot with it in
when we do find the cause you can bet it will be something very simple


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

When we try the old card, are you [cleaning-deleting-disabling] the drivers out for the old card each time you put in the new card? Do you know the make and model of motherboard, so we can go look at the Bios options in the manual?


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hey

The fan spins on the new card when I boot the computer up with it in and if I don't plug the card in the keyboard doesn't work, but if I do it does.

Whenever I try the new card I clean up all of the old drivers. 

I have a Dell Dimension 4600 and according to the program PC Wizard, I have Mainboard : Dell Computer Corp. ###### with serial number #######. I don't know if that will help at all but... yeah.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

that's because it is detecting the card is missing
see what belarc lists the mb as,i think it is an intel board made for dell
www.belarc.com
does the board support the voltage of the new card
it reeks of a power problem somewhere
have you the bound manual that came with the computer


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Belarc says:
Board: Dell Computer Corp. 02Y832
Serial Number: ..CN4811135B06KS.
Bus Clock: 533 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Computer Corporation A12 08/26/2004

I found the computer manual online but I don't know about the board one.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4600/en/4600/index.htm


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

what are the lights showing when the card is in
yellow/green/yellow/green


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

what lights?

the lights on my keyboard are green, the light on my monitor is orange, the light on my computer is green.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

i am not familiar with dells i think they are on the back 4 lights in a row,you can find a discription of them in the manual you posted,the sequence tells you if and what is a problem or working correctly


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

there aren't any lights on the back of my computer.

there are two lights on my computer near the power on button. One shows if the computer is on or off and the other never lights up but has a cylinder symbol next to it.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

did you look at the diagrams in the manual to try and see where they are,they must be there somewhere or they would not put the diognosis for them in the manual


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Oh after I posted that I took it out and got a better look and there are 4 lights labeled A, B, C, and D. 

Sorry about that last post.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

check the config of them with the manual and see what you can pick up from them
i think it was around page 53


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

I don't have the card with me at the moment but I will as soon as I get it. 

With my old card in everything is green.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

then if they are not all green matching the colours to the manual listing should provide an answer


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

the lights are all green with my new card

I also just left it on for about a half an hour with the new card in and when I came back I no longer could turn lights on and off on my keyboard.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

if the lights are all green it would indicate there is no problem with it using the card
when the keyboard stopped did you check the lights
have you another monitor you can try on it
when you rebooted did the keyboard work normally


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

The lights were still all green when the keyboard stopped.
I've tried it on another lcd monitor and a crt monitor.
The keyboard works fine with my old card.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

have not forgotten you still working on it


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Thanks


----------



## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

For the heck of it, if its a ps2 keyboard, borrow a usb or get an adapter. Lets see if it frees up an address. Also i would clear the hell out of that cmos.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi.

It's not a PS2 keyboard, its just a regular stock dell one. 

Someone told me to clear CMOS there should be a 3 pin jumper near the lithium batteries but I couldn't find it (hehe) so I just took the batteries out and put them back in about an hour later. If that resets CMOS then check that off. I'll try looking for the jumper again later.


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

hello Chow:


when you cleared the cmos & pulled the cmos battery out >>> did you remember to remove the power cord from the wall socket that feeds the PSU; otherwise you didnt really reset the cmos ??????


if you have a spare hard drive; I would pull the power plug from your existing hard drive and temp install a clean hard drive, then install Win XP to this drive as a clean install with your new video card installed.

I bet that will solve your problem, I am banking on a corrupted driver that simply wont clean out >>>>> also try booting the computer with the win xp set-up cd ??

resett the CMOS is very imporant! but wall plug must be pulled first before battery is pulled >>>> then wait 30 minutes before putting it back together

*does* your new video card need the additional power plug & are you connecting it if needed ????


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

forget the fresh windows install! I am  you cant even see a bios screen with the new card installed ! *DOH* for me! :4-hit: 


can you get us some close up digital pictures of your video card on both side of the card?

also are you sure you are connecting the power plug which must go to the card ???? many cards use a floppy drive power connector to power the video card ?

here is a thread exactly like yours !

http://www.computing.net/gaming/wwwboard/forum/7306.html


----------



## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

> It's not a PS2 keyboard, its just a regular stock dell one.


Try a usb or get a ps2 / usb adapter
cmos-
Switch off the power supply unit or *pull off the power cord*. There is a CMOS jumper near the battery. Change the jumper position from default 1-2 to 2-3 for one minute to discharge the CMOS data, check your motherboard for the correct pin numbers, and then put it back to default 1-2. Switch on the power supply unit or pull in the power cord. Press the power-on button to boot up system. If it works, hit "Del" key to enter the BIOS setup page to do correct settings.

Or pull the battery out for 15 to 20 minutes *after you unplug the machine *and* de-static* yourself before entering.


----------



## UncleMacro (Jan 26, 2005)

Let's recap...

The 6800 XT works in another machine. You've already replaced the power supply and a 6800 XT isn't a high-powered card. The 450 watt supply should easily handle a 6800 XT unless you've got tons of other stuff plugged into your computer. You've never seen the BIOS screens with the 6800 XT so you can ignore anything to do with drivers because none are loaded yet. Either 1: you haven't physically plugged it in properly (card not pushed fully into the slot or auxiliary power cable not plugged fully into the 4 pin molex connector on the card), or 2: there's some kind of BIOS conflict between the motherboard and video card which prevents the video card from working properly. So I'd do the following:

Make 100% sure that the card is plugged fully into the slot and the auxiliary power cable is plugged fully into the 4 pin molex connector on the card. You've presumably already done this thoroughly but it doesn't hurt to make one last check. It's easy to make the same mistake over and over.
Try connecting the monitor to both the VGA output and to the DVI output using a DVI-I to VGA adapter. A miscommunication between the motherboard and video card can lead to a display being sent to the wrong video card output. Try both of them.
Check with Dell to see if you have the latest motherboard BIOS. That's the most likely place that this kind of problem would be fixed. This page has the BIOS for a Dimension 4600. There's also a 4600C so make sure this is the right BIOS for your computer before doing anything. Making a mistake while flashing a motherboard BIOS will prevent your computer from booting so you need to be very careful to use the right BIOS and do it properly. If Dell has a newer BIOS then flash your motherboard BIOS with the new one. I've seen older Dells which have had BIOSes which were extremely picky about recognizing certain cards but it usually happens with models older than a 4600. This is probably your best shot at fixing the problem (if it can be fixed).
If nothing else works then you may be able to flash the 6800 XT video BIOS to a newer BIOS. Video BIOSes are sometimes patched by the video card maker to solve incompatibility problems. This is not a very likely solution but you can check to see if there's a newer video BIOS if you want to make sure you've covered all the bases. The problem is that you may need a PCI video card to be installed along with the AGP card to make sure you're flashing it properly. This page explains how to flash a video BIOS.
If none of that works then I'd try a completely different kind of card. It's rare for a motherboard BIOS and video card BIOS to refuse to cooperate but it's been known to happen (especially with older Dells). If you run into a combination which refuses to work then you're stuck trying another combination (and not another brand of 6800 XT).


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi linderman

I'm pretty sure it was unplugged, but I'll try again and make sure it was unplugged.

I just recently reformatted my computer prior to getting the new video card, I think about a week or two if that means anything. I don't have a spare hard drive but I'll try booting up with a windows XP cd.

Yes, the new card needs a power plug and yes, I plug it in.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Oh sorry for that last post, I didn't notice there were posts on the next page.

Nice recap UncleMacro. I'm pretty sure I plug the card in right because I can continually plug my old card back in and have it work. I also push the new card down hard even after the lock clicks. I know I put the power connector in because without it my keyboard doesn't function. I don't have any extra devices or coolers in my computer.

I don't think I have a DVI-I to VGA adapter but I'll try to get one. I'll try flashing my BIOs and resetting my CMOS and trying again, and post back with results.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

linderman said:


> forget the fresh windows install! I am  you cant even see a bios screen with the new card installed ! *DOH* for me! :4-hit:
> 
> 
> can you get us some close up digital pictures of your video card on both side of the card?
> ...


Oh my god. I just read that entire thread hoping eventually he would explain what happened with his 6800XT but after the first 10 or so posts it was just 100 long long posts of arguing and nothing about what happened when he got his 6800XT card. Hehe, just wanted to share that. :grin:


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

My point to referencing that thread was; I dont think there EVER was a conclusion!


I now believe you have a hardware incompatability between your motherboard and the video card.


I would try an *ATI 1600 Pro AGP *and try to return that one!


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102678


cheaper

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102073


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hey guys,

I just flashed my BIOS, unplugged my comp after turning it off, left it for about half an hour, took out the battery to reset CMOS and put it back in after about a half an hour, turned on the computer, set the time and stuff that was cleared, uninstalled my GeForce FX5200 from the Device Manager, ran DriverCleanerPro, turned off my computer, put in the new card, made sure it was completely seated, plugged in the power into it, booted up my computer, and everything was the same.

That's possibly the longest sentence I've written in my entire life. 

That card looks nice, I'll probably get that if I ever give up on the 6800XT.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Brief recap:
The PSU has enough power to supply to the card.
The card is seated properly, and has power plugged in.
The old card drivers are removed and drivercleanerpro is run before putting the new card in.
All drivers are updated (monitor, chipset, etc.)
The computer has the latest BIOS.
The CMOS has been resetted.
The card is not defective.
The monitor isn't the problem, tried it on other LCD and CRT monitors.

Now what?

By the way I was looking at getting a x1650pro if the 6800XT never worked and there are several here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=0&Submit=ENE&Nty=1&Description=x1650&Ntk=all

Which of those would you recommend getting? And would it be able to run on the 450 watt psu? I'd like to return the pricey 600 watt one if it isn't necessary.


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Chow:



if I were in your shoes, and I have been plenty of times. I would get any of those 1650 pro cards, maybe read most of the reviews to see if the attached coolers run any better on one version than another ?????


as for the PSU I strongly advise you stick with the 600 watt FSP! I would sell of your old one on ebay to recoup some cash, but a 450 watt PSU is just not up the the task any more these days, back in the day when the 5200 video card was in, yeah but no longer! especially with more than a years capacitor aging on the unit, I would advise against it. 

my two cents worth!


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hey,

So I'm still seeing if I can return the 6800xt since its been over 30 days since I got it, but when I do and I get the new x1650pro I'll post back with results.

Thanks for all your continuous support.


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I cant wait to hear the out come! ray:


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

twajetmech 
Mod. aircraft tech/Instr




I would offer that he has either not plugged in the aux power to the videocard....the 6800gt has 2 molex connectors ! and/or the new card is much heavier than the old one and may be flexing the mobo and causing a short or grounding issue
__________________


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hey,

I was having trouble deciding what card to get but now I'm getting a 7600GT.

I found a pretty nice deal on Newegg for an XfX one but its out of stock at the moment so I have to wait a little.


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

dont overlook tigerdirect.com


----------



## Ralck (Dec 10, 2004)

Hi, sorry for jumping in late on this thread.

I think what twajetmech was trying to say is that the card might be too heavy. I've actually seen this before with the 6800's. One thing you could try, if you haven't already ordered the 7600, is to put something underneath it to help hold it up. I've seen CD cases work really well in this situation. Make sure it's not blocking the fan or anything, and try to start up the computer. If it starts up and you can get video, then it was a weight issue.

One other thing to try is, after you reset the CMOS, try booting up on the old video card, going into the BIOS, and making sure the primary display adapter is set to AGP. That way the computer knows exactly where the 6800 will be.


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi Ralck,

I've already ordered the 7600GT and it should be coming early next week. I never thought of or tried the first thing you said, but I did make sure the display adapter was AGP when I reset my CMOS.

Thanks for the suggestion, if I do have problems with the 7600GT as well, (I'm REALLY hoping I don't) I'll keep that in mind.


----------



## Ralck (Dec 10, 2004)

No worries. A friend of mine has the 7600GT and it's a great card. You'll be very happy with it!


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Hey everyone,

the card just came in today and I just stuck it in and it works! 

It is amazing. On my old fx5200 I got an aquamark benchmark score of 7462 and on my new 7600GT I get a 50112. Everything is much smoother and looks much better.

Thank you all very much for all the help, especially Dai and linderman, and thank you for never giving up on the problem. I guess it was just a motherboard - video card incompatibility.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

good news


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

CHOW: we are very happy for you and what an impressive bench mark improvement! WOW

Was a pleasure to help with someone that would try things suggested! you have no idea! ray: 

dont be a stranger and visit us often, maybe you can help others now that you have seen the gates of hell! :laugh:


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

How would I learn how to fix problems and stuff so I could try helping others?


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

you have learned alot already, just read the threads, when you see one that you feel confident you have a solution or input >>>> then post it :wave: 



enjoy; it fun to help others!


----------



## Chow (Nov 30, 2006)

Okies


----------

