View Full Version : Graphics card strangeness...
Hi chaps
I've just picked up a cheap-ish nVidia GeForce2 MX to replace the even cheaper nVidia Vanta in my PC. The machine works fine with the current card, but plugging the new one in just results in a POST error message (1 long beep, two short) that is telling me there is a video error, and the machine doesn't boot. :(
The new card works fine in an older system, so it isn't broken. It just seems that the new PC and the new graphics card will not work together. Anybody have any ideas what could be wrong, and what I can do about it?
Cheers :)
tony draper
4th Nov 2001, 14:09
Go to www.nvidia.co (http://www.nvidia.co) and download the latest drivers, Nvidia seems to bring out new and updated drivers on a weekly basis.
hope this helps. ;)
spannersatcx
4th Nov 2001, 14:57
Doesn't sound like drivers if the pc won't boot. It sounds like an AGP port problem (assuming it is an AGP card). What you may need to do is check the voltage for I/O. You should be able to do this in the BIOS. So the problem lies with the motherboard. What make is it? Have you checked for a BIOS update? The BIOS update may address the problem, failing that you will have to change the motherboard. The problem is 2 fold the newer AGP cards are extremely power hungry and sensitive if it's not right ot won't work. Although the MOB says it is AGP compliant what happened is the MOB manufacturers only just met the specs and unfortunately this isn't good enough for the newer power hungry cards. You can get around this by replacing power regulators on the MOB, not recommended.
Hope that helps. :)
ps the above url should be www.nvidia.com (http://www.nvidia.com)
Booting up gets nowhere at all - the monitor doesn't even switch off standby.
The nVidia is an AGP 4x card. The machine is a brand new (arrived yesterday) IBM Netvista A22p, with an Intel 845 chipset and a Pentium 4 CPU. 1 Gig of memory, FWIW. Not sure who actually makes the motherboard - maybe IBM, maybe outsourced.
The video BIOS options seem very limited. I've taken a quick look, but didn't find anything hopefull to adjust.
The nVidia card works fine with an old Abit BP6, which has AGPx2 and a pair of Celeron 400's in it. However, as that doesn't have AGPx4 i'm not really comparing like with like, although it does show that I haven't zapped the graphics card somehow.
I've not had any luck searching for info online, other that confirming that the POST beeps were telling me the video system was ******ed. I kind of figured that one out for myself. I will ring IBM in the morning, but I'm betting they'll tell me to ring the card maker, who'll tell me to ring IBM, who'll....
:(
tony draper
4th Nov 2001, 21:17
Daft question I suppose but it doesn't have a on board graphics card does it?, did it have another card in the agp or pci slot.
What it might pay you to do is put the original card back in the machine, go into instal new hardware and select bog standard vga graphic card, then try and see if it will boot with the new graphics card.
No onboard graphics - just a crappy nVidia Vanta AGP card. That works fine but is very slow. Problem is that with the new card in the machine doesn't get anywhere near booting the operating system - just hangs solid.
:(
tony draper
4th Nov 2001, 22:05
Try doing what I said above, select bog standard vga card, delete all the drivers associated with the Vanta, stick your new card in then load the drivers that came with the disk, in you don't have a disk with the card download drivers for your card from the manufacturors site, once you have it up and running you can always look for better/faster drivers later.
They are a pain in the arse to install are graphics cards, there is half a dozen different way of doing it, had half a dozen different ones in my kit, I think the only ones that are a doddle are the Matrox cards, stick it in shove in the driver cd and its all done for you.
Good luck. ;)
Case closed: Duff card. Swapped it for a new one and that works fine.
<fx: wanders off into sunset>
Superpilot
10th Nov 2001, 02:12
Glad you got it working Evo. Is your new GeForce 2 the same make and model as your first one? because there is a major incompatibility issue with the i845 chipset and some AGP graphics card. Full article here:
Severe Interoperability Problems with Intel Chipsets: How to Fry Your i845 Motherboard (http://www.vanshardware.com/articles/2001/october/011029_i845_AGP/011029_i845_AGP.htm)
It was a straight swap - I've no idea why one card would fail and another one work, but the shop wanted to try that and it worked. I got a call from them saying they had tested it and it was duff, but I've got no idea why it worked - or seemed to work - in an older system.
As for the i845 frying thing, I guess I got lucky. Had no idea that sort of thing could happen. Thanks for the link :eek: