A Confounding Computer Issue

[Amaris]

Hey everyone,

I am stumped by this issue. Let me explain:

I installed an nVidia GeForce 7300LE PCI-e 16x video card and when I start up the computer, the light blinks several times and the system sounds like it restarts a few times every couple of seconds, and then it starts up and the screen stays blank. I thought it might have been the power supply, so I purchased and installed an Antec 550 Watt Trio power supply with 3 12+v rails. I started up the computer and it did the same exact thing as before. When I pulled out the video card and hooked the monitor back up to the onboard, things went back to normal. I have no AGP slot, so it has to be PCI-e for the graphics adapter.

Gateway GT5618E
Specs:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
2 GB DDR2 Memory
320 GB Hard Drive
18X SuperMulti DVD Burner
15-in-1 Media Reader Drive
Windows Vista Home Premium


Your help is appreciated. I can't figure out why it's not working!

J.

 

[backstept]

you're sure you seated the card all the way?
do you have other PCI slots you can try?

does the computer make any beeps?

 

[Carpe Occasio]

Does the graphics card require it own power input? If so, is it hooked up?

 

[Amaris]

you're sure you seated the card all the way?
do you have other PCI slots you can try?

does the computer make any beeps?

The computer does not beep, it only shuts down and restarts several times before coming back on and loading, while the monitor stays dark. If I switch the cable over to my onboard graphics connection, the monitor powers on.


J.

Does the graphics card require it own power input? If so, is it hooked up?

I looked all over the card. It doesn't have any extra power connections. I also used this card in my previous computer, an AMD 2800+, without power connections.

J.

 

[137th Gebirg]

If it doesn't have its own power socket, it's drawing power from the motherboard. If it's drawing more power from the motherboard than the on-board video does, it's possible that it's drawing too much power for either A) the motherboard, card or other components to operate or B) too much power that the power supply can't keep up and hit its wattage limit. Either of these things can happen, as this very thing happened to me about 3 years ago when I tried upgrading my video card. The first thing I would do is triple-check that there aren't any power sockets on the board. IIRC, there are 3 or 4 different types they could be, not just the big horkin' plugs - some of them are quite small. If that doesn't work, I would put in a bigger power supply, but make sure it's compatible with the main lead to the motherboard. If your new video card has an onboard fan/heatsink, I find it hard to believe it doesn't have its own dedicated power socket somewhere.

 

[Brent]

Mostly likely the problem is that you need to disable the onboard video in your BIOS.

When you have the new video card plugged into the PCIe slot, are you able to see the POST screen and enter the BIOS? If so, go in, check for options to changing the primary displaly to start up on the PCIe slot and disable the onboard video.

If you can't get into the BIOS with the card installed, then try to get in with the onboard video connected, go in, try to find the same options to disable onboard video or set primary display boot to PCIe instead of onboard VGA.

 

[Brent]

Mostly likely the problem is that you need to disable the onboard video in your BIOS.

When you have the new video card plugged into the PCIe slot, are you able to see the POST screen and enter the BIOS? If so, go in, check for options to changing the primary displaly to start up on the PCIe slot and disable the onboard video.

If you can't get into the BIOS with the card installed, then try to get in with the onboard video connected, go in, try to find the same options to disable onboard video or set primary display boot to PCIe instead of onboard VGA.

I don't know how my post ended up being way up there lol

 

[Brent]

sorry, dbl post

 

[Carpe Occasio]

If you put the card in but leave the monitor hooked up to the onboard video, can you log in when it eventually starts up? If so, what is the state of the new card in Device Manager?

 

[Amaris]

If it doesn't have its own power socket, it's drawing power from the motherboard. If it's drawing more power from the motherboard than the on-board video does, it's possible that it's drawing too much power for either A) the motherboard, card or other components to operate or B) too much power that the power supply can't keep up and hit its wattage limit. Either of these things can happen, as this very thing happened to me about 3 years ago when I tried upgrading my video card. The first thing I would do is triple-check that there aren't any power sockets on the board. IIRC, there are 3 or 4 different types they could be, not just the big horkin' plugs - some of them are quite small. If that doesn't work, I would put in a bigger power supply, but make sure it's compatible with the main lead to the motherboard. If your new video card has an onboard fan/heatsink, I find it hard to believe it doesn't have its own dedicated power socket somewhere.

I've went and put the power supply in my old system, added the nVidia card and powered it up. It loaded up without a problem. My old system's power supply was a 450 watt single rail generic power supply. The new one I just put into my new dual core is a 550 watt Antec with triple rails. I'm getting more and more concerned that it's the PCI-e slot.



J.

 

[Amaris]

If you put the card in but leave the monitor hooked up to the onboard video, can you log in when it eventually starts up? If so, what is the state of the new card in Device Manager?

I'll try that and let you all know.



J.

 

[backstept]

so you only have one PCI slot?

 

[137th Gebirg]

If it doesn't have its own power socket, it's drawing power from the motherboard. If it's drawing more power from the motherboard than the on-board video does, it's possible that it's drawing too much power for either A) the motherboard, card or other components to operate or B) too much power that the power supply can't keep up and hit its wattage limit. Either of these things can happen, as this very thing happened to me about 3 years ago when I tried upgrading my video card. The first thing I would do is triple-check that there aren't any power sockets on the board. IIRC, there are 3 or 4 different types they could be, not just the big horkin' plugs - some of them are quite small. If that doesn't work, I would put in a bigger power supply, but make sure it's compatible with the main lead to the motherboard. If your new video card has an onboard fan/heatsink, I find it hard to believe it doesn't have its own dedicated power socket somewhere.

I've went and put the power supply in my old system, added the nVidia card and powered it up. It loaded up without a problem. My old system's power supply was a 450 watt single rail generic power supply. The new one I just put into my new dual core is a 550 watt Antec with triple rails. I'm getting more and more concerned that it's the PCI-e slot.



J.

That could be too, yes. Perhaps if you had a sound or NIC card to put in that slot to see if it operates properly, run some diagnostics to see if it's actually making the proper connections. You might want to also spray lead cleaner fluid and/or compressed air to see if the slot just needs cleaning.

 

[Amaris]

so you only have one PCI slot?

Yep. One PCI-express slot.

That could be too, yes. Perhaps if you had a sound or NIC card to put in that slot to see if it operates properly, run some diagnostics to see if it's actually making the proper connections. You might want to also spray lead cleaner fluid and/or compressed air to see if the slot just needs cleaning.

That's a good idea, too! I forgot that PCI-e is backward compatible. I'm looking around to see what I can find.



J.

 

[Meredith]

You could also buy a really cheap ass PCI-E Video Card to test the slot. I read somewhere you can put 16X card in a 1X slot, the card won't beable to do anything except reg graphics.

It is often not possible to place a physically larger PCIe card (e.g. a 16x sized card) into a smaller slot, even though the two would be signal-compatible if it were possible. Some motherboards have open-ended PCIe slots which allow for a physically larger card to be inserted in a smaller PCIe slot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#Hardware_protocol_summary


http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/247979-28-express-video-cards

This may be a great way to test if it is the slot that is the problem, if the card works in the 1X slot and can at least boot to windows, then your 16X MB slot is bad.

 

[Amaris]

Tried the PCI card thing, but PCI-e slots prevent a regular PCI card from being used, so I couldn't try that.

You could also buy a really cheap ass PCI-E Video Card to test the slot. I read somewhere you can put 16X card in a 1X slot, the card won't beable to do anything except reg graphics.

It is often not possible to place a physically larger PCIe card (e.g. a 16x sized card) into a smaller slot, even though the two would be signal-compatible if it were possible. Some motherboards have open-ended PCIe slots which allow for a physically larger card to be inserted in a smaller PCIe slot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#Hardware_protocol_summary


http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/247979-28-express-video-cards

This may be a great way to test if it is the slot that is the problem, if the card works in the 1X slot and can at least boot to windows, then your 16X MB slot is bad.

I only have a 16x PCI slot. No 1X available. Sorry, Meredith.


J.

 

[farmkid]

Tried the PCI card thing, but PCI-e slots prevent a regular PCI card from being used, so I couldn't try that.

You could also buy a really cheap ass PCI-E Video Card to test the slot. I read somewhere you can put 16X card in a 1X slot, the card won't beable to do anything except reg graphics.

It is often not possible to place a physically larger PCIe card (e.g. a 16x sized card) into a smaller slot, even though the two would be signal-compatible if it were possible. Some motherboards have open-ended PCIe slots which allow for a physically larger card to be inserted in a smaller PCIe slot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#Hardware_protocol_summary


http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/247979-28-express-video-cards

This may be a great way to test if it is the slot that is the problem, if the card works in the 1X slot and can at least boot to windows, then your 16X MB slot is bad.

I only have a 16x PCI slot. No 1X available. Sorry, Meredith.


J.

Yeah, PCI-Express and PCI are nothing alike and not compatible at all, despite the name similarity. If you have any other PCI-Express cards of any type, eg. video, NIC, TV tuner, sound, (doesn't have to be 16X) you could test the slot with them. However, it's unlikely you would have one laying around since those aren't nearly as common as the regular PCI variants.

Even without testing, it sounds to me like the slot is bad. If it was just a primary display setting in the BIOS, it should still start up just fine with something in the slot. The fact that it has difficulty with a known good card in the slot suggests that there is something wrong with the slot. It may be time to RMA the motherboard.

 

[Amaris]

Tried the PCI card thing, but PCI-e slots prevent a regular PCI card from being used, so I couldn't try that.

You could also buy a really cheap ass PCI-E Video Card to test the slot. I read somewhere you can put 16X card in a 1X slot, the card won't beable to do anything except reg graphics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#Hardware_protocol_summary


http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/247979-28-express-video-cards

This may be a great way to test if it is the slot that is the problem, if the card works in the 1X slot and can at least boot to windows, then your 16X MB slot is bad.

I only have a 16x PCI slot. No 1X available. Sorry, Meredith.


J.

Yeah, PCI-Express and PCI are nothing alike and not compatible at all, despite the name similarity. If you have any other PCI-Express cards of any type, eg. video, NIC, TV tuner, sound, (doesn't have to be 16X) you could test the slot with them. However, it's unlikely you would have one laying around since those aren't nearly as common as the regular PCI variants.

Even without testing, it sounds to me like the slot is bad. If it was just a primary display setting in the BIOS, it should still start up just fine with something in the slot. The fact that it has difficulty with a known good card in the slot suggests that there is something wrong with the slot. It may be time to RMA the motherboard.

Yep. More and more this is what it sounds like. *sigh*

I'll probably wait until Gateway tech support gets back with me, but I don't know what they can do. I bought it refurbished, and usually that's not an issue. I'll also check with Newegg and see what they can do.

Regardless, thank you to everyone for your help and advice. I appreciate it.

J.

 

[Amaris]

Newegg won't do RMA, and I'm having trouble with Gateway listening. I explain exactly what is going on, tell them I am following their instructions to the letter, I was able to get a PCI-e graphics card to test in the system and it still doesn't work, and I've tested the 7300LE on other systems and it works flawlessly. I've been reading around that a lot of the GT series have bad PCI-e slots.

J.

 

[Michael Chris]

I know this is going to sound strange, but similar things have happened to me. Is the monitor connected when you hit the power button? Also what sort of connector is it using? DVI I assume?