Video card help needed...
Discussion
Hi folks.
Latest installment in the saga of upgrading my olding PC.
Having sourced a new video card, just installed it but it's failing on the self test - according to the manual the LED code is "Processor Initialisation". No problems on restoring the original vid card.
Motherboard is an MSI K7T Turbo Limited Edition
www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=25
New video card is an XFX GeForce 6600GT.
Only thing I can think of is that the video card is AGP 8x and my board supports 4x max but I was told that this wouldn't be a problem, it would just run slower...
Latest installment in the saga of upgrading my olding PC.
Having sourced a new video card, just installed it but it's failing on the self test - according to the manual the LED code is "Processor Initialisation". No problems on restoring the original vid card.
Motherboard is an MSI K7T Turbo Limited Edition
www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=25
New video card is an XFX GeForce 6600GT.
Only thing I can think of is that the video card is AGP 8x and my board supports 4x max but I was told that this wouldn't be a problem, it would just run slower...
Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Friday 1st September 18:18
Just checked the requirements of the card:
Athlon - check
>=64MB - check
50MB HD space free - check
300W min PSU - check
XP - check
AGP 4x/8x slot - check
spare HD power dongle = check
CD/DVD - check
Bizarrely after freezing in the "CPU Init" LED state, after a few seconds it tries again but stops again at the same phase. All fans (including the one on the video card) are powering up, but no system beep or output to the monitor.
Athlon - check
>=64MB - check
50MB HD space free - check
300W min PSU - check
XP - check
AGP 4x/8x slot - check
spare HD power dongle = check
CD/DVD - check
Bizarrely after freezing in the "CPU Init" LED state, after a few seconds it tries again but stops again at the same phase. All fans (including the one on the video card) are powering up, but no system beep or output to the monitor.
Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Friday 1st September 18:31
Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as that, there are differences between 1x/2x/4x/8x other than speed. One of which is the signalling voltage (i.e. the voltage it communicates over the bus at) 4x operates at 1.5v, and 8x operates at 0.8v.
If the card were 4x/8x capable then there should be no problem, but if the card is 8x only and the motherboard only goes up to 4x, then it won't work. I know there is a system of keys and slots (in the socket and card respectively) that is supposed to make insertion impossible between incompatible systems, but how reliable this is, I don't know.
If the card were 4x/8x capable then there should be no problem, but if the card is 8x only and the motherboard only goes up to 4x, then it won't work. I know there is a system of keys and slots (in the socket and card respectively) that is supposed to make insertion impossible between incompatible systems, but how reliable this is, I don't know.
Yep, it should (how many times have we heard that word applied to computers?) be compatible then. I suspect the "cpu check" light is on because the cpu has passed the check, but it can't get any further due to the lack of a graphics card. Might it need an extra power cable directly plugged into the card?
Any more suggestions on this guys?
Been away for the weekend so haven't had time to play. Reseating and generally playing around hasn't helped. Have just swapped in a new processor as well as part of the "upgrade" but no difference.
A bit of googling has shown up people using Radeon 9000s with the motherboard and they're AGP 8x cards I think...
Any of the AGP options in the BIOS worth changing?
Been away for the weekend so haven't had time to play. Reseating and generally playing around hasn't helped. Have just swapped in a new processor as well as part of the "upgrade" but no difference.
A bit of googling has shown up people using Radeon 9000s with the motherboard and they're AGP 8x cards I think...
Any of the AGP options in the BIOS worth changing?
According to the installation process for a ATI AGP card the latest drivers need to be installed before the AGP card on "non intel" chipsets, as windows will not be able to "see" the video card's memory (blank screen syndrome) . Have you tried installing the drivers first? As yours isn't an ATI card this might be nonsense, but a similar issue could be causing the problem.
NiceCupOfTea said:
The video card says it requires an "AGP 8x/4x slot" - presumably either will do.
Not necessarily
See: www.neoseeker.com/Hardware/faqs/kb/10,63.html
nicecupoftea said:
Surely the machine would at least start to boot - it hangs before even beeping - no disk access, no display, not even the system beep...
TBH I have no idea but
ATi website said:
To ensure a successful installation of your ATI Graphics
Accelerator card, you MUST do the following
BEFORE replacing your current graphics card with your
new ATI card:
Install AGP Drivers for non-Intel Chipset Based
Motherboards. Several AGP motherboard
manufacturers use non-Intel AGP chipsets. Chipsets
include those made by Acer Laboratories (ALI),
Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS), and VIA
Technologies, Inc. Each non-Intel chipset requires
the installation of a custom Virtual GART (AGP)
Driver. This driver is required by your new ATI card
to function correctly with your motherboard. It is
very important that the correct AGP driver be
installed before installing an AGP video card in your
system.
Accelerator card, you MUST do the following
BEFORE replacing your current graphics card with your
new ATI card:
Install AGP Drivers for non-Intel Chipset Based
Motherboards. Several AGP motherboard
manufacturers use non-Intel AGP chipsets. Chipsets
include those made by Acer Laboratories (ALI),
Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS), and VIA
Technologies, Inc. Each non-Intel chipset requires
the installation of a custom Virtual GART (AGP)
Driver. This driver is required by your new ATI card
to function correctly with your motherboard. It is
very important that the correct AGP driver be
installed before installing an AGP video card in your
system.
thepassenger said:
The text from the ATi website is to do with Windows.
If the machine isn't even getting in to Windows then whilst it's handy to know for the next stage... it's not applicable to the problem at the momment.
If the machine isn't even getting in to Windows then whilst it's handy to know for the next stage... it's not applicable to the problem at the momment.
The Ati site insisted the lastest drivers needed to be installed before the original graphics card/on board graphics were removed/deactivated. So may have some relevence.
OK.
Just built myself another machine from bits with a bona fide 8x AGP slot. Exactly the same problem - not even a system beep from the video card (although the fan spins).
I have also acquired an Asus FX5700 which works fine - and funnily enough also works fine in my old 4x AGP PC - suggesting that the XFX 6600GT should work fine too.
So I guess it is duff
Is there anything else I have missed? The XFX card has 2 sockets on the back - sort of weird 24 pin Ds with a + at one end with 4 pins in between the bits of the +. Comes with a converter to standard VGA. This should work OK with a standard VGA monitors shouldn't it?
So I guess the 2 avenues left to me are pursuing the seller through ebay (was a month ago now though) or trying to get XFX to have a look at it (any kind of warranty on it?)
Just built myself another machine from bits with a bona fide 8x AGP slot. Exactly the same problem - not even a system beep from the video card (although the fan spins).
I have also acquired an Asus FX5700 which works fine - and funnily enough also works fine in my old 4x AGP PC - suggesting that the XFX 6600GT should work fine too.
So I guess it is duff
Is there anything else I have missed? The XFX card has 2 sockets on the back - sort of weird 24 pin Ds with a + at one end with 4 pins in between the bits of the +. Comes with a converter to standard VGA. This should work OK with a standard VGA monitors shouldn't it?
So I guess the 2 avenues left to me are pursuing the seller through ebay (was a month ago now though
) or trying to get XFX to have a look at it (any kind of warranty on it?)nicecupoftea said:
Duff card.
The 24pin jobbie is a DVI connector and other than needing a wiggle occasionally I've had no issues with an ancient All-in-Wonder using a convertor dongle. So I'd suggest it's not that.
It might well be worth checking the manufacturer to see if the card can be RMA'd to them for repair/replacement. If they ask claim the shop your brought it at has ceased trading or something
Yeah that's what I figured.
Just fired off emails to the seller (hoping he has a conscience, but probably not if he sold a dead card), and another to tech support at XFX - their warranty info is US/Asia though
Bu99er.
O/T, but how much less good is a FX5700 128MB than a 6600GT 128MB?
Just fired off emails to the seller (hoping he has a conscience, but probably not if he sold a dead card
), and another to tech support at XFX - their warranty info is US/Asia though Bu99er.
O/T, but how much less good is a FX5700 128MB than a 6600GT 128MB?
Edited by nicecupoftea on Saturday 23 September 21:43
nicecupoftea said:
Yeah that's what I figured.
Just fired off emails to the seller (hoping he has a conscience, but probably not if he sold a dead card), and another to tech support at XFX - their warranty info is US/Asia though
Bu99er.
O/T, but how much less good is a FX5700 128MB than a 6600GT 128MB?
Just fired off emails to the seller (hoping he has a conscience, but probably not if he sold a dead card
), and another to tech support at XFX - their warranty info is US/Asia though Bu99er.
O/T, but how much less good is a FX5700 128MB than a 6600GT 128MB?
It's one complete generation behind the 6600. I'd say that in it's time the 5700 would have been the 6600 of it's day (i.e. middle of the range, not flashy, casual gamer). However Nvidia pulled a major 'wow' off between the performance of the 5000 series and the 6000 series, so it's kinda crappy but should games just with even more goodies turned off.
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