Graphics card help

Liquid validity said:
The PC does boot up with video display using one of your own older GFX cards yes?
I was under the impression that is the case, if so, the new card is
the most likely cause.

If the PC won't boot with video using an older card, I would hold off
buying another GFX card until you know if the MOBO or CPU have
been trashed somehow.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, both of them work.

I got the impression from the seller that this wasn't a card he had used personally. If that's the case he likely had no idea it was done for, if indeed it is.
 
YouAreNotFree said:
Oh yeah, both of them work.

I got the impression from the seller that this wasn't a card he had used personally. If that's the case he likely had no idea it was done for, if indeed it is.
Click to expand...

OK, should be fine getting a new GFX card then, maybe brand new to be sure?
BTW - always check the anti static bag before opening new card, look for damaged
or broken off components - I had that once, capacitor loose in bag, card knackered...
 
Liquid validity said:
OK, should be fine getting a new GFX card then, maybe brand new to be sure?
BTW - always check the anti static bag before opening new card, look for damaged
or broken off components - I had that once, capacitor loose in bag, card knackered...
Click to expand...

May aswell, if it turns out to be this card it would've been worth the extra few hundred or so to go new in the first place. I've learned some new stuff though, which may include : don't be a tight ass.
 
you could always buy one of these as a stop gap
Matrox MGA G200 G2QUADPPL 32 MB SGRAM PCI Graphics adapter 0790750107288 | eBay

used to be industry standard - i have a few and have worked flawlessly for a number of yrs

i had the more expensive and noisy G450s and there was no difference, so kept the G200s and sold the G450s
picked one up for £8 once - possibly the best £8 ever spent!

best used with XP
but there are drivers for Vista that are supposed to also work with Win 7
just have to google for the G450 divers and Win 7 and someone has covered it in a blog
might be useful for someone anyhow
 
Last edited:
WR1 said:
you could always buy one of these as a stop gap
Matrox MGA G200 G2QUADPPL 32 MB SGRAM PCI Graphics adapter 0790750107288 | eBay

used to be industry standard - i have a few and have worked flawlessly for a number of yrs

i had the more expensive and noisy G450s and there was no difference, so kept the G200s and sold the G450s
picked one up for £8 once - possibly the best £8 ever spent!

best used with XP
but there are drivers for Vista that are supposed to also work with Win 7
just have to google for the G450 divers and Win 7 and someone has covered it in a blog
might be useful for someone anyhow
Click to expand...

These graphic card shenanigans have broken me, so i'm going easy (and more expensive) street. Are you saying they can be used with existing pcie cards though, or is it one type or the other?
 
Well looky what I found:

New system problem. Continuous beep on startup. - Homebuilt - Systems

From that link:

''Thanks for looking into it fastx21! The video card has 2 separate power connectors, a 6pin and an 8pin. My PSU came with cables that allow me to either plug in a 6pin or an 8 pin. (There is a 6pin and a 2pin that can be either inserted together for 8pin or just use the 6pin alone.)

I tried connecting the video card with the 8pin connector first, and later tried with the 6pin and both times I had the same resulting continuous beep on startup.

I never even thought of connecting both 6pin and 8pin connectors. I guess I assumed it was one or the other. Could connecting both damage it if it isn't designed to have both connected?''



''Wow, I plugged both the 8 and 6 pin connectors in and now it works. I feel so silly for making such a simple mistake, but the instructions were a little vague and I just assumed that the video card would only need one plug like everything else.

I was almost reaching a point of despair. Thanks for your reply, it was very helpful. As I pressed the power button and heard no annoying long beep, I was so relieved and happy.

Thanks again fastx21!''

That's a 5850 card. Mine is a 5870. I'm confident the same symptoms will have the same solution however.
 
The PCI Matrox cards work very well with the PCIE - no problems at all
i use a Asus fire thingy (or whatever its called) as the main card - and also have a PCIE Nvidia GTX and also works fine

good luck, i know how annoying it can be
 
Alright, before I'm done with all things computers until Sunday:

The card is fine. It's now working. But, the thing will only display two monitors at a time.

I'm running :

2x DP-mini DP adapters
1 x passive DVI-mini DP
3 x active DVI-mini DP

I'd like to know why the damn thing won't work. When I initially plugged in one of the DVI monitors with the two DP-mini DP's I had three, but then it switched back to two.

The DP- mini DP adapters are the ones that came with the card, so they're passive. That means, I should have 5 monitors running ( can run upto two passive at once, rest have to be active but one of the DVI's came with the card and hence it is passive) UNLESS I've been sold passive DVI-mini DP adapters.

Itshould not be this difficult, even if I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to computers.

Google is a minefield when searching for a solution to this particular problem, so that can wait until Sunday.
 
Think I've solved this.

These are what I bought, sold as 'active' :

New Black Active Mini DisplayPort DP to DVI Adapter HDTV For Eyefinity | eBay



But they look suspiciously similar to the Startech passive adapters. They even have the nerve to charge more:

StarTech.com Mini DisplayPort to DVI Video Adapter Converter - Black Mini DP to | eBay




So, ordered four of these, at least I know for certain they are the real deal :


StarTech Mini DisplayPort to DVI Active Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories



I'll just open one when they arrive. If I have three monitors on fitting one, I'll know the Ebay adapters were not active. If still no luck, at least I can return three of the Startechs, then continue banging my head against a wall.
 
And so the saga continues.......

I receive my Startech adapters this morning ( I almost merrily skipped to the door with anticipation). Finished up this afternoon and fitted them. STILL only two displays. WTF!

Nearly broken, I toured some tech forums as my last hope and within minutes someone told me XP only supports a maximum of two monitors with Eyefinity technology:LOL:

Startech adapters getting returned. Windows 7 64bit coming the other way (XP support dropped next year anyways).

Someday I will have my six monitor set-up and it is going to be sweeeeeeeeeeeet.
 
1,2,3,4,5,6!.jpg
 
wackypete2 said:
(y)

Good job!

Whenever I work on computers I find it best to have a punching bag and plenty of advil on hand.

Peter
Click to expand...

Imagine my reaction when after installing Windows 7 and then the Eyefinity card, I power the system up and the high pitched beep sounds again. The same one that sounded when I only had one power supply to the card instead of two.

I check both power plugs and wtf, a couple of wires have fallen out of the plastic end plug of the adapter harness I bought. Fooking jinxed fooking computer.

It was either wait another three or four days for a replacement adapter harness, or hardwire the thing. I hard wired it obviously.

If I never see the inside of a computer again it'll be too soon!
 
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