problem installing graphics card

[adalgisa]

I haven't installed a graphics card before- the instructions sounded easy enough...but they didn't work.
I have an asus a7v8x-la board with amd athlon +3000 cpu & onboard graphics & an 8x AGP slot, 512MB RAM, 250 watt power supply, winXP.
The graphics card is this one: (Powercolor Radeon 9600 pro 128)
I uninstalled the current display adapter and video drivers by device manager and add/remove programs, installed the card, and reconnected everything. The power goes on but there's no communication with the monitor (an LCD) and it doesn't seem to be booting up.
Is the card not compatible? Or am I doing something wrong? According to the motherboard manual, there isn't a jumper to disable onboard video.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
adalgisa

[Tebone1]

Hmmm I may be wrong but I don't think your 250w power supply is enough to run it.

[archangel72189]

Quick question, but how do you check the amount of watts your PC has?

[kram 2.0]

Originally Posted by Tebone1 Hmmm I may be wrong but I don't think your 250w power supply is enough to run it.

Actually, that is most likely the case - 250W is probably walking on the edge. I'd say bring that up to a good quality 350W ish Power Supply Unit given that you do not have a pre-built system.

Originally Posted by archangel72189 Quick question, but how do you check the amount of watts your PC has?

Check the label on the power supply - it should say something on it.

kram

[adalgisa]

I couldn't find any specification in the card manual or the company website for power supply needed for the card. Is there a site that has this information?
Can you suggest a card that would work with this system? (It is actually a pre-built system.)

[kram 2.0]

Who is it pre-built by? Just the sheer reason that you are adding on a AGP graphics card will consume enough power to make 250W questionable.

kram

[adalgisa]

It's a Compaq Presario. I emailed Powercolor's tech support & they didn't say the power supply was inadequate.

[macampbell]

Hope this will help

http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/

mac

[mactarkus]

I've got the same thing happening to me with the ASUS A7V8X-LA but with a 6600GT AGP card. System worked fine with a 5900SE. Now it doesn't seem to do a normal start and I get no video, no BIOS, no video signal whatsoever. In a normal boot sequence, the system fan spins up then slows then spins again during which the monitor gets a signal and the BIOS screen comes up. With the 6600GT installed, the fan spins up and stays up. I then have to hold the power button down for about 5 seconds to get it to power off. I have a 400W ps installed so I don't think it is a power problem. I even removed all other PCI cards and disconnected the optical drives to be sure. Running the latest 3.09 BIOS too. I even reverted to original ram stick and also tried a CMOS erase. I know the 6600GT works because I tried it another PC.

What could be the culprit??

Thanks!

Originally Posted by adalgisa I haven't installed a graphics card before- the instructions sounded easy enough...but they didn't work. I have an asus a7v8x-la board with amd athlon +3000 cpu & onboard graphics & an 8x AGP slot, 512MB RAM, 250 watt power supply, winXP. The graphics card is this one: (Powercolor Radeon 9600 pro 128) I uninstalled the current display adapter and video drivers by device manager and add/remove programs, installed the card, and reconnected everything. The power goes on but there's no communication with the monitor (an LCD) and it doesn't seem to be booting up. Is the card not compatible? Or am I doing something wrong? According to the motherboard manual, there isn't a jumper to disable onboard video. Any help is greatly appreciated. adalgisa

[mactarkus]

Here's the power supply I got from newegg:

Coolmax 400W CX-400B

It runs my 5900SE with no problem. I took the optical drives and other PCI cards off the PS and I still had the same problem with the 6600GT. Does it sound like the PS can't handle the 6600GT??

Originally Posted by mactarkus I've got the same thing happening to me with the ASUS A7V8X-LA but with a 6600GT AGP card. System worked fine with a 5900SE. Now it doesn't seem to do a normal start and I get no video, no BIOS, no video signal whatsoever. In a normal boot sequence, the system fan spins up then slows then spins again during which the monitor gets a signal and the BIOS screen comes up. With the 6600GT installed, the fan spins up and stays up. I then have to hold the power button down for about 5 seconds to get it to power off. I have a 400W ps installed so I don't think it is a power problem. I even removed all other PCI cards and disconnected the optical drives to be sure. Running the latest 3.09 BIOS too. I even reverted to original ram stick and also tried a CMOS erase. I know the 6600GT works because I tried it another PC. What could be the culprit?? Thanks!

[shadowbreaker513]

Coolmax doesn't make good PSUs. Pick up a Thermaltake 420w for about the same price that was and you should be fine.

[mactarkus]

I thought I had the problem solved. I deduced that perhaps my PS wasn't providing the necessary power during POST. I borrowed a brand new Antec true 480W PS and hooked it up. Nothing. Same as before. Even in my communications with HP, they thought this would be the fix. My last hope is to try and disable the onboard video, but I've been unable to do this in BIOS and there doesn't appear to be jumpers on the mobo to do so. I've asked HP how to do this. If that doesn't work, I admit defeat!

[adalgisa]

The power supply calculator is a great link- thank you!
To James, from what I've read one shouldn't have to disable the onboard video in bios, on this mobo-there's no jumper either- it should just recognize the card in the agp slot.
I tried the following procedure, without success-- this is from the ViaArena forums, a post by someone who has almost the same computer as mine. This procedure gave me hope because "ktr" has a 250watt psu, the same mobo, more RAM (I have 1 stick of 512), a CD & a DVD drive, a larger hd (I have 80gig), & a 21" display (mine is 15"FP) so his power requirements should be the same, or greater, than my system's.
I updated the bios from HP's site, downloaded the 4in1 drivers & installed them, uninstalled the S3/unichrome graphics drivers, plugged in the ati radeon 9600pro card, reconnected, and...black screen, monitor on standby, no boot.
A couple of other people reported success with this technique.
HP tech support directed me to order one of the cards from their website, but as I see other users with the same mobo and a variety of cards, I'm not ready to give up on the Powercolor 9600 pro yet.

(snipped from ViaArena forums)
--------------
Date Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 21:48
Posted By: ktr (Member)

I got my 9600xt to work perfectly with my comp.

See the specs below.

These are my steps.

1) install latest system bios. Make sure you have Windows XP SP1 or SP2 installed.
2) download 4 in 1 drivers (v4.49) from ASUS website. http://www.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS/misc/utils/4in1_449.zip

3) install the drivers.
4) uninstall all unichrome software and anything that say “S3” or “UNICHROME” (S3gamma…etc) using add/remove program. Then shutdown.
6) PLUG IN CARD
7) Turn on comp, and let windows boot up. Cancel all drivers installing.
8) Install CAT 4.8 or latest. Right now the CAT 4.8 is the latest but sooner or later this thread is gonna get old. Make sure you check ATI's website. (FORGOT TO SAY...BUT DOWNLOAD THIS AT THE SAME TIME YOU DOWNLOAD THE 4 IN 1). Restart your comp.
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/wxp-w2k-...3a-016701c.exe

9) the res will be @ 800 x 600
10) Set the res to ur likings.
11) Goto display props...settings...advance...smartgart...and click on retest.
12) Download and install the latest directX. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.aspx
13) install ur games.

ENJOY...WORKED FOR ME!!!

-------------------------
HP pavilion a420n
Asus A7V8X-LA w/VIA KM400 chipset
3000+ AMD Athlon XP Barton
1024mb DDR pc2700
160gb 7200rpm Ultra DMA
CD-RW 48x24x48x
DVD-ROM 16x
ATI RADEON 9600XT (128mb) --- Replace the VIA/S3 igp --- Works Great!!!
250w Factory psu <--- VERY LOW
And to top it off: a 21in. Sony Trinitron Mulitscan 520GS Monitor

[mactarkus]

My last attempt was to borrow an Antec true-480W PS just in case my 400W couldn't handle the startup. No dice. I decided to sell it to a friend. I installed it in his Compaq, which happened to have the identical mobo as my HP. I had it installed in 5 minutes. I spent over 4 days on mine with no success. His even worked with the stock 250W PS. It's back to living with my nVidia 5900SE -- it will have to do.