New graphics card causes PC not to boot

[altitude2k]

Hi all,

Got a problem with one of our machines at work that's been bugging me no end. Have searched high and low on Google for a solution, and while I can find similar symptoms I can't find a solution that has helped.

Basically, as a company we generally run laptops - Dell Precision 6500's and the like. We do have one workstation in the office that was built a couple of years ago specifically for benchmarking graphics card performance, but I'm in quite an urgent need to get this machine up and running for a training course in the office next week.

Up until recently we've had a ATI FireGL V7600 installed in the machine, which worked beautifully. We've since given that away to a customer, which means we were temporarily sans graphics card.

We have recently received from AMD two new graphics cards to use and test in this machine, a FirePro V5800 and a FirePro V7800.

With either of these cards installed, the machine will not boot. The hard disk activity light is fixed on, there is no beep, no visual output, the DVD drive will not eject - no noticeable activity whatsoever. If you take the card out and boot, you get the familiar beep of the BIOS, along with hard drive activity. Bear in mind we haven't got another card to test it out with, although this is reasonably conclusive evidence that the problem lies with the graphics cards.

The motherboard in the machine is an ASUS A8R32-MVP Deluxe and the PCI-E slot is rated for speeds up to x16. I have tried removing the CMOS battery and swapping the pins to reset the CMOS, but that hasn't helped. The V7800 is the only one that required a direct line from the power supply (learned that via a piercing audible alert when attempting to boot without the power plugged in - since which it hasn't complained in that way). The only thing I can think that may be an issue is the power supply itself, an Enermax Liberty ELT400AWT, which is only 400W. Is this likely to cause the symptoms above, bearing in mind that the V7600 worked ok?

Thanks all.

[Domestic_Ginger]

So you've gone from effectively a 4870 to a 5850 or 5770..... The second set of cards should both be more energy efficient imo.

As you've said PSU the other things are either the mobo bios. The PSU is a good one and should be more than enough. Both of the new cards work? Can you try a third card?

No help I'm afraid I cqn only suggest process of elimination. some chap at toms had a similar problem and it seems he changed his mobo, at a glance something about 1gb of Vmemory being to much.

[altitude2k]

The cards definitely work, I watched one of the AMD chaps test it in their machine.

So you reckon the PSU is likely not to be an issue, even at only 400w?

[Domestic_Ginger]

The cards can draw a max of 150W with the power plug. The one without a power plug will draw 75W.

There seems to be problems with compatatbility of the 5 series cards (PCIe 2.1) and older 1.0a PCIe slots. Your two newer cards are effectively the 5k series from ATI/AMD. Its not only teh 5850 and 5770 but the 5459 and 5750 too from posters. It appears only a more up to date (newer bios as the last for your board is from 2007) mobo will fix the problem. I do not know much more than I have read into on the net.

AMD forums

[The Fish]

Ginger is spot on with the psu - should be fine. I liked his thought on the PCIe slots.

Given the AMD test guys a ring? Ask them about the PCIe thing? Worth a pop I would have thought. Testing engineers normally really know their onions...

[altitude2k]

Yeah I'll make sure to do that, thanks for the advice. I'll check out what BIOS updates there are available for the mobo, but in my experience ASUS are pretty poor on releasing anything significant.

Sounds like a new motherboard is on the cards - at least it's not my money!

[Domestic_Ginger]

You may have o pick one up second hand and they should be quite cheap. No more than £30 for a top of the line one.

I woul dmake sure its compatable too!

[altitude2k]

Yeah, been a long time since the Socket 939 processors were commonplace.

[The Fish]

According to Wiki, ASrock released a new 939 board in 2009. Which I think is this one:

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=939A790GMH

As its not your mobo tokens either, get a new one if you can lol.