Graphics card - yargh burble splut :(

[Sminty]

Ok, I really messed up somewhere.
First off, the system:
motherboard: Extreme KV2, 4 PCI slots and 1 AGP slot
graphics card Trinity GeForce 6800 (AGP)
CPU: AMD3000 64

The problem:
I was experiencing intermittent freezing of my system. I learned that this often happens if the graphics card isn't seated properly so I re-seated my graphics card previously...well not exactly reseated, I switched off, opened up and wiggled it a bit...this seemed to do the trick....later I installed a sata hard drive (which I subsequently took out) and must have moved the board again because the problem returned. So yesterday I decided that I would reseat it properly...I dutifully switchd off the machine,unplugged the card, gave everything a good dusting and then plugged it back in....but when I switch on everything seems to work fine,with one exception....the monitor doesn't get a signal (and yes its plugged in proper).

What I have tried to doto fix it:
I hooked up a second PC and plugged the card in there...it works fine there, so its not the card.
I have put two other graphics cards in the machine...one is agp the other was a pci card....niether have worked at all.
I started the machine up with no graphics cards installed at all and it seems to start up no problems (without any visual of course)....this is the wierd bit really because the m/b does not have a integrated graphics card and in my experience a m/b with no graphics on board and no graphics card will beep like mad and refuse to even bootstrap nevermind start loading the operating system and appear normal in all respects.
I have reset the BIOS...nothing changes.
I don't think its the AGP slot itself because if it was damaged the m/b would complain and I know its not the card.....I am thinking its somwhere the m/b thinks it has a graphics card and is essentially using that part but of course I don't have a monitor plugged into where ever the m/b thinks the monitor should be plugged into....so um....any ideas?

I don't really want to take it into a shop cause they will just recommend a new m/b and while those aren't usually expensive it was just Christmas and a church mouse would regard me as a charity case.

[Askari]

Ive had similar probs before. Altho I cant give you a technical answer all I can say is until someone does: keep wiggling and fiddling and try switiching your monitor off properly.

[Tyrin]

I had the same issue with my old 6800 (leadtek)
I updated the Video card bios, and updated the Mobo bios.
Once that was done it worked like a charm.

Try running and old PCI card in your system (remove agp card) to allow you to update the bios. Then use the AGP card in another system to update the bios.

Let me know if you don't come right.

(Discharge the bios before putting in the agp card it can cause CAPS to spike)

[Sminty]

Well the old PCI card doesn't work either...that's the wierd bit...no graphics card works in it and when I switch it on without a graphics card in it doens't complain at all...as if I have an integrated card but I don't have one....I have reset the BIOS via the jumper but without a screen to look at I doubt I would be able to flash my BIOS or anything like that.

[Tyrin]

Discharge the bios, ie reset cmos via jumper, unplug P/S, remove cmos battery, connect pins for + - 10 mins. Then re-try. Also switch your memory to different slots.

[Sminty]

done all that :( only wish it worked

[Tyrin]

hmmm sounds like a dry joint .... do you have a multimeter?

[Sminty]

a dry joint? well I do have gout does that count? dang, you're getting complicated for me....and nope a multimeter is what people who understand this have....ie not me.

[Tyrin]

okay. I understand :) have you tried a process of elimination? added one part at a time. especially memory? (sorry if i get too technical, I am a certified system engineer, going for my degree shortly) I used to design & assemble mobos in college :)

[Sminty]

cool, then at least I am talking to the right person and you may even enjoy this challenge....I've removed any 'extra' hardware ie CD-ROMS, Hard drives etc....only things connected at the moment are the graphics card, cpu, the main hard drive and the RAM and that's it. I've removed the battery, switched the jumper to reset the BIOS and switched slots for the RAM.

I think the wierdest part of it all is that the motherboard doesn't sound any warnings if I remove the graphics card also...which means it somehow thinks there is one connected and since it doesn't have an integrated card I have no idea how this could happen.

[doobiwan]

Does the motherboard have onboard graphics? If so they might be taking priority.

[Sminty]

nope, no onboard graphics...I wish it did, it would make things very easy.

[Tyrin]

try this, remove your memory, leave graphics card & cpu in. Let me know if the machine beeps .... if it doesn't beep remove grahpics card & reseat the cpu.

Unplug the HDD as it's not needed at this time.

[Sminty]

argh...ok I give up! I unplugged the RAM....and nothing not a single beep. I re-seated the CPU and still no beeps...I then reconnected everything just to check and still no reponse...but when the HDD is connnected it does access the drive during start up...so *something* happens....me thinks the mother-board is poked....guess its time to go shopping for a new one...as soon as I convince the wife to allow me to sell my other kidney.

[Tyrin]

Hmmm, it could be just the drive caching itself, if no beeps when memory is out then CPU or Mobo is the culprit here

[Tyrin]

I once had bent pins on a socket 478, which i sorted out with tin foil ....

[Sminty]

I checked the pins here...beside the fact that the CPU is sitting rock solid, the pins are straight....if anything is wrong is was probably a short or a static charge that blew something...if its the CPU I am going to cry great big tears....the m/b is going to cost about R540 for a replacement so its not *that* bad...but still something that will have to wait until after january...in fact mid-february.

[stoke]

oooh .. bad time of the year to break something.
Baaaaaaaaad.

[sss]

try another power supply
if that dont work then
smints... rebuild the whole machine.. take everything out .. even power supply!

[gus]

My mom's PC had the same symptoms and I know you do not want to hear this, but a replacement motherboard sorted her out.

[Bass]

Yup - certainly sounds like the MB Sminty ... esp if there are no beeps at all ! :(

[Darnit696]

Okay in the face of all the techie advice available. I want to suggest that you make sure that the contacts on your mobo are properly clean. Switch off all power. I dunno if there is a better way but I had a similar problem with a graphics card at one stage. I cleaned the contacts on the card with meths (used an earbud) and as best I could the contacts on the mobo. There must have been a speck of something on one of them cause after that my card worked.
The lack of beeps could also be cause the speaker is not plugged in? :) Also not all mobos use a standard set of error signals anymore. My mobo beeps now on startup to tell me how many usb devices are connected to the machine.

[Sminty]

Ironically Darnit, I do believe this is the best advice so far, and probably the lowest-tech ;) being a believer in the simplest answer is generally the best kind of person I'm going to try that before I do anything drastic.....and as for the PC speaker not being connected, um, that is entirely possible.

[SosmanSA]

Like Darnit said...
But I would, just to be sure, connect M\board to alternate power supply. Have had numerous "dead machines" and most frequent causes
1.) Dud Power Supply- sometimes the drives might even spin up depending on if 5V or 12V rail is dead.
2.) Dud motherboard- best test is to try swop out everything (if you have spares)... so test CPU, mem, HD etc. elsewhere... then check if system boots if connected to alternate supply (if you don'r have enough visit one of the Geeks near you with at least same slot CPU.
2.a) Board could be dud or acting dud for number of reasons- had one machine playing up because the BIOS battery was shorting, so had to replace batter and voila ... all working again (check contacts...make sure properly powered and all cables fixed properly.... actually best is to take chassis plate, that motherboard is seated to, our of case and start plugging things in and out... makes for easier testing)

Anyways... good luck !! I guess I won't be hiding from you in BF over the next few days?

[Sminty]

Well I have pretty much done all I can to test and I have come to the conclusion that the problem is either:
a) I didn't connect something properly and this is causing the machine not to boot or
b) the mobo is well and truly buggered.

Since I am really not qualified in the hardware side of things and never really had any real interest in that side of things beyind what I really *must* know as a software developer I am going to take this into the 'puter shoppe up the road and make it their headache.

[Noodle]

Since I am really not qualified in the hardware side of things and never really had any real interest in that side of things beyind what I really *must* know as a software developer I am going to take this into the 'puter shoppe up the road and make it their headache.
The only thing more dangerous than a techie with code is a programer with a soldering iron. ;)

[Sminty]

ah...I forgot about that...time to pull my soldering iron out the cupbord, I still have a full roll of resin solder err...'burning' a hole in my pocket...<looks around for two arb pieces of metal to stick together>

[Darnit696]

You tried the meths?








How does it taste? :p

[Sminty]

Yup darnit, pretty much soaked it an let it dry and nuffin

[Darnit696]

My next guess would be the power supply then. Power supplies dont always go "dead" they will still supply power but not correctly.

Try another power supply.

After that you will have spent enough time and effort, that if costed, would be enough to buy a new system... now if only someone would pay you for all this.... :D