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Video Card problems... help me before my head asplodes
Kryogenic
Member Posts: 663
Ok so here's the story:
I bought a Compaq Presario SR2030NX. I then bought a NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200. I realized it was a downgrade so I took that back and traded in for a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS. I installed it and I can load up games, but I keep getting graphic anomalies.
I went into bios and set it to PCI-E as that's what the new card is. I couldn't find anyway to disable the onboard card which is a NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE.
I've been using Vanguard and Tribes: Vengeance as my test games. With Tribes the game looks fine, but it's all faded like there's a white sheet over the screen. Vanguard loads up fine and I more than doubled my FPS, but the interface blacks in and out.
I was having the same problems when I reinstalled the on board card, but I fixed it before I went to bed. It worked fine and now I can't get this damn new card to work right.
Any help besides suggesting that I reformat as I really would like to fix this without having to reinstall and redownload all my stuff.
Comments
Water, the best medicine!
Just a few suggestions I can't promise they'll help.
1. when you put the new card in did you fully remove all drivers to the onboard and ensure the onboard is turned off by checking your Mycomputer - control panel - system (system should have a selection that'll show you everything) the onboard needs to be disabled.
2. Have you tried calling Compaq? There could be compaq setting that is interfering. I really wouldn't put it past them.
Please Refer to Doom Cat with all conspiracies & evil corporation complaints. He'll give you the simple explination of..WE"RE ALL DOOMED!
2. Restart PC
3. Install 7300 Graphics card (make sure it is not on the PC at the very beginning of this method)
4, Power up
5. Install 7300 drivers
6. Reboot
7. Have fun
i~ku~ra
You've obviously never seen that episode of Strong Bad email.
Go to homestarrunner.com and find SBemails and watch a few of them... they're hilarious.
You've obviously never seen that episode of Strong Bad email.
Go to homestarrunner.com and find SBemails and watch a few of them... they're hilarious.
I don't find them very funny.Water, the best medicine!
Ok I did that twice and it still does the same thing.
What the hell is going on? This sucks.
The Compaq tech support sucks. The phone support I called connected me to this chick that barely spoke english and the english she did speak was hard to understand. She didn't know anything about computers, she didn't help me with my problem and then on top of that she tried to sell me McFee stuff at the end of the phone call.
Anyone got anything for me?
I chated live with a tech support guy and he said that my mother board and power supplies are compatible. The 6150LE is an onboard card. I installed the 7300GS today.
What are artifacts?
I'm starting to think that my power supply mught be inadequate. I'm on a Compaq Presario SR2030NX.
Also in DXdiag it says the card has 512 MB and it's supposed to be a 256 MB. I know that it can use system RAM to get upto 512MB.
Do you think the problem might be that the card is using too much RAM?
I only have 1 gig.
If so how do I make the card use less RAM?
But how many W's does your power supply give you?
1. The card is not seated correctly, or the fan has quit working and it's overheating.
2. The Power Supply unit is either not connected, or is insufficient for the amount of power that your card requires. This is most likely the culprit if you have not upgraded your PSU. I, too bought a Compaq and they come from the factory with either 180w or 250w PSU(generally speaking). So look into upgrading your power supply. It's not a huge undertaking, just disconnect all the wires(be gentle with the Mobo connections) and four screws later, you can pop your old one right out and drop in a new one. The new one needs to be no less than 350w, preferably 400.
3. You have bought a defective card.
I work on computers every day, so keep me posted.
Had the same problem myself....here's what you do
1. Completely remove new card and it's drivers from pc, plus check add/remove programs for any other drivers other than your factory installed drivers and remove them also...I believe your pc uses an onboard intel graphics chipset..leave them there...
2. Reboot as usual....right click my computer>properties>hardware>device manager...look for display adapters..you will see intel chipset there..if you see any other than that, they need to go too
3. Rightclick intel chipset and disable
4. Turnoff PC and install new graphics card..make sure your display is now connected to your card, not the old connector..
5. Start it up, when the new device manager screen pops up..click 'no'.....the PC will now be using default drivers , so it will look funky..
6. Insert the drivers disc and follow installiation instructions, make sur you go to the product website for new driver updates
Good Luck....!!!!!
To check if the card is seated correctly(that is, inserted into it's slot correctly), simply pull the card out, and re-insert it. This almost always solves that issue.
To check the wattage on your PSU, you can pop off the side cover and read the label on the PSU inside the case(or it could be on the back outside the case). The PSU is the box located at the very top left of the case(has a lot of wires coming out and a fan inside).
What baffles me is, if this card is a PCI-E, then theoretically it should work with no power problems. It leads me to believe that Compaq is once again cutting corners and installing crap PSUs that will cover just what is inside the computer and nothing more.
As a rule of thumb, you need at LEAST 350w to get the best(and safest) performance out of your system with an after-market video card.
Also, you DO NOT have to uninstall your on-board graphics card. In fact, this is next to impossible on a Windows XP machine. You simply need to plug the new card into your board, and plug your monitor into the card and you're good to go. The computer will determine that you have installed a secondary graphics unit, and will switch to the card in the slot.
I think my power supply is insufficient. It's 250W Max.
How much is a 400W power supply gonna cost me and will I be able to install it with minmal hassle?
I sure hope it works, as I said, it solved a problem for me..if not you have other problems...I've even seen old driver registry entries conflict with newer cards, so..you never know...good luck..
P.S. Next step..overclocking..(just kidding)
As far as the installation goes - if you can install a new video card, you can install a new PSU. Simply follow the connectors from the PSU box to their point of connection and disconnect them. Then unscrew the PSU from the case(four or five screws in the back of the case, at the top around the fan), and pop the old one out. Install the new one and reconnect all your peripherals(double check to make sure all your devices are connected before powering up). The motherboard power connector is going to be the most aggravating of the bunch, as it's in a bit of a precarious spot. Take your time, and be sure to pull as straight up as possible to avoid bending any pins on the mobo.
All in all, it's a very easy process. And while I won't say it's failproof, you most likely will not make any mistakes that will damage your computer. The jumble of wires may look intimidating. But once you get the old one out, you're home free.
Newegg.com has brand new CoolMax PSUs in the 500w range for around 60 USD. While I am partial to CoolMax, you may find another that better tickles your fancy.
Here's an example.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817159054
This is really pissing me off.
I bought a new power supply and put it in and then reinstalled the card and it's doing the same thing.
wtf?
Maybe the card is faulty. How can I tell for sure?
I sympathise with you mate. Was just gonna tell ya the machine u got comes standard with a 250w psu which frankly is ridiculous for modern standards however as youve already bought another already you will already know this. ive come across a couple of posts form time to time on the technet forums with people with the same woes as yours and to be honest they were struggling to find any pci-e cards that actually work satisfactorily with that motherboard which does as youve already found out - suck to high heaven in terms of compatability. As fgar as i can see you have doen everything correctly so can only presume it is a compatability issue if you have already rtb the card and had a replacement or tried it on another pc
good luck
Greatness is difficult to appreciate from close up. The great mountain on the horizon is only the ground when you are standing on it.
Have you gone to NVidia.com and downloaded/installed the newest drivers yet? Try that. If you still have the issue, exchange the video card for a new one. If after putting in the new card (don't forget the latest video drivers from NVidia.com), you still have the same problems, your computer just isn't able to handle the kind of graphics you want it to.
Ky.. I totally understand your frustration. I have been in your shoes, trust me.
Your Compaq computer obviously has a PCI-E slot inside it on the motherboard, so it should certainly be able to be upgraded. They would not have given you that PCI-E slot if it was unusable.
- Are you sure that you are plugging your monitor into the NEW video card instead of the old spot on the back of your tower?
- Also be sure that you are supplying the new 7300 card with enough power to run. It might have a spot where a power cord from your power supply needs to be directly plugged into the video card itself.
- If all else fails, take the card back and either exchange it and/or see if the place where you purchased it can check it to make sure it is a good video card.
Report back when you can. I can help you resolve this issue. I will just need plenty of information from you.
- Zaxx