nvidia card problem

Q

qwertyu

Weaksauce
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
94
Ok, here is a real challenge for you hardforum experts.

I bought a while back a nvidia 6800XT agp 256mb for my older computer to replace it's even older radeon 9200se 128mb. I was so thrilled when I received in the mail the card, and proceeded inmediately to install it, and when i turned the pc on, nothing was on screen. As if the monitor hadnt been plugged to the card. Very annoyed, I tried a different monitor, and nothing. The same result. I thought that the card had errors, so i had it RMA'd.

XFX was very kind, they accepted my request, took the card, ran some tests on it, and they didnt find any problems with it. Damn. But they agreed to send me a new card. The new card arrived soon, and still, the same problems. I bought a new PSU for the new card, and still nothing, that wasnt the problem. I changed the AGP aperture size in the BIOS, and no show. It couldnt be the mobo that has the problem, since that mobo (865dperl) accepts 8X AGP and on the manufacturer (intel) site it said that it supported that card.

After tearing my hair for a while, and thinking out loud curse words, I came to the conclusion that the problem might be that the card has only two DVI connectors, and the monitors I tried only have VGA receivers. I tried the DVI-to-VGA adapter that came with the card, and it didnt work, I even bought 3 more adapters, and none worked. Seems that for some reason, the VGA monitors cannot or will not accept the digital signals that the card is sending. So , does anyone have a solution for this? I have that new card collecting dust, since I dont have anymore AGP systems left, and I would like to use it before it dies out.

Thanks in advanced
 
Welcome to the internet.

Just an FYI so you're not wondering why you'll get no responses...

Format your message so it is multiple lines and paragraphs. Right now it's 1 huge block of incoherency that makes it a chore to read. No one will read it (I didn't).
 
When you first boot up the machine, do you even see the starting process? Did you try putting back your old videocard?
 
qwertyu said:
... the card has only two DVI connectors, and the monitors I tried only have VGA receivers. I tried the DVI-to-VGA adapter that came with the card, and it didnt work, I even bought 3 more adapters, and none worked...
Click to expand...
Wait, so you didn't try the adapters until later? How did you plug the monitor in the first time (with or without adapter)?

Also, a bit more information on your system would be useful.
 
Ok, I edited my post.

When you first boot up the machine, do you even see the starting process? Did you try putting back your old videocard?
Click to expand...

No, I dont see anything, the monitor light just flicks like when it is turned off. When I put back the old videocard it works just ok.

Wait, so you didn't try the adapters until later? How did you plug the monitor in the first time (with or without adapter)?

Also, a bit more information on your system would be useful.
Click to expand...

I tried the adapters since the first day, of course, there's no other way to connect that videocard with its DVI connectors to the monitors, which are VGA. I just didnt suspect about the digital signals not getting to the analog monitor until later. Hmm, it's an older p4, 3ghz, it has ddr 1.5gb ram single channel, this mobo , dunno what else. I tried updating the latest BIOS for this pc, didnt help.
 
The DVI ports on the 6800 are sending out digital and analogue signals at the same time via different pins (there are many more than normally get used, if you look at the ports and the various cables) so it's not an issue of a digital signal and a pure analog device. Do you have someone who'd let you borrow an LCD for a day or two, though? Or another CRT you could test with? Maybe the monitor you're using is just... well, picky.
 
I tried 2 CRT monitors, none worked. Can they both be picky? I can't be this unlucky. :mad: I already tried an LCD, which also has a VGA connector, didnt work either. The only displays that seem to have native DVI connectors are the more expensive 19"+ LCDs, and i dont know anyone who'd borrow theirs for me to try. I would like to get one, if that's what it takes to get this card working, but my budget doesnt allow me to.
 
does the card require a power connector?
if so, is it plugged in?
 
Yes, the card requires a power connector, it's plugged in. The card turns on, I can see it's lights flashing, and its fan spinning when i turn on the pc, but nothing shows on screen.
 
Yea, i think so. Well, at some times, when I placed the card in, and it turned on the pc, the card wouldnt light up, so i turned it off, moved the card a little in its place, and when turning the pc back on, the card would start. I dont think i can press the card more firmly without breaking the mobo.
 
What PSU do you have?

I admit, this issue has me confounded. The video card should give you a picture, regardless of drivers, so I doubt it's a software issue. It could be the AGB bus that's dying, but then I would expect the same issues to happen with the 9200, which you say it doesn't. If your BIOS has an option for changing the AGP bus speed, try changing it to 4x.
 
Yea, it has me confounded too. I'm starting to believe this computer or the card hate me. The only option in BIOS that remotely resembles anything video is an option for AGP aperture size, from 64mb to 256mb. I tried all combinations, and none worked. I bought a new psu for the pc, thinking the new card wasnt getting enough power, a 550W Hec winpower. I'll try finding that option in BIOS. Is there a way to change it to 4X by other means? The agp bus must be working, since the 9200se works ok.

Btw, that card is old as shit, even when i bought it, but it's been working great, played lots of recent games with it, with no problems, f.e.a.r., far cry, UT, etc. But now I'd like to try those games with the new one.
 
The packaging should say so, but I'm guessing you propably got rid of that many years ago (if you ever had it). The reason I'm asking is that the AGP slot may be damaged or dusty in such a manner as to render the last 4 lanes useless. That would make it incompatible with any x8 video card, but a x4 video card should run fine. It's a very long shot, but odd issues call for odd measures, right :confused: Maybe it would help to remove any dust in the slot.
 
Yea, youre right, about the odd measures and the not having the card packaging anymore. The computer itself is not very old, dusty maybe, but not that old, roughly 5 years old. Would I need a special device to clean the dust from that slot? I can't just grab piece of paper and just slide it the slot right? Adjusting it to 4X might be the solution, i hadnt thought of that, i'll try to see if theres a way to change the agp from 8x to 4x. Any suggestions welcomed.
 
Personally I'd just take a vacuum cleaner and slide it over the slot if there's space (after removing the card obviously), otherwise a piece of paper should be fine. Just be careful not to damage anything, and drain the static electricity before touching anything inside (by touching the metal frame of the case for example).
 
OK, will try that, the piece of paper, i dont have a vacuum cleaner that would fit in there. I'll post back after i try.
 
well, i tried the piece of paper thing, and it didnt work. I guess i wont know why this card wont work in this pc.
 
didn't some of the agp slots mb have difrent voltage agp slots older had higher voltage i think, and newer agp cards would not work in them.
i do remember i had to change a mb to get the voltage right for my last agp card and was about 5 years ago
 
but if the problem is about voltage, then the card would not even power up, wouldnt it? And it does, it's lights turn on and its fan spins around, its just that nothing shows on screen.
 
No, it could start up the card, but just not give it enough power to display anything.
 
if i remember right my card came with a red tag to not use in a (3volt ?? ) agp slot and was 1.8 v, i think voltages maybe wrong,but you could be over or under volt and get fan and maybe lights
 
Ok, ill look it up, but I have an even more powerful gfx card, a radeon x1950pro 512mb, in another computer, which is powered by a completely exact PSU as the older one with the nvidia card that wont work. If the more powerful card is working ok with that exact psu, shouldnt the 6800XT work ok too?
 
OK, from what i gathered in that wikipedia entry you mentioned, is that the 3.3V cards slots are the older ones, and the 1.5V ones are the newer ones. And that 3.3V cards wont fit into 1.5V slots and viceversa. How do I find out which slot is the one in my mobo, and in my new video card? From that article, and the card being a geforce 6 series, I might guess it's the newer 1.5V. I know the mobo doesnt have a universal slot, since it has room for 2 separate stubs. Both the old and the new card fit nicely in the slot, so I would guess theyre the same volt number.
 
update: I looked up my mobo in intel's website (d865perl) and it has the video specs as follows:

AGP 3.0 (4X & 8X Speed at 1.5 and 0.8 Volt Only)

So it has the newer 1.5V and i'm assuming so does the 6800XT i bought. So I guess it's the right volt number. Then the question remains, WTF it wont work?????:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::eek::eek::(:(
 
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