Help: Video card woes...

[Osk]

Hi all. I bought a new video card last week and try as I might, I can not get it to work properly in my system. Windows runs just fine.. but when I try to play games it shuts the computer down hard. My monitor blackscreens and I have to reboot. Then I can load up windows again just fine. I've tried all the games I played with no success at all. I even reinstalled the games but that didnt work either. I play WoW, SWG and Guild Wars.

My system as it stands now has 1g of memory, Athalon xp 2800 Barton cpu, GeForce TI4200, 1 250gig hdd, 1 DvD player and a sound card. Runs all these games just great.. if a little slow on the FPS..

The card I bought is a XFX Geforce 6600GT 128MB GDDR3 AGP

I have the latest video drivers and bios updates.

I've narrowed it down to either a bad video card ... or my pu isn't good enough to handle the load with the new card. (its a 460 watt though!).

Any help, tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Davetronz]

Is your power supply a name brand PSU (Antec, Thermaltake) or is it a generic (Sparkle, etc)... ? This may have something to do with it...

Can you tell if the card/system case is getting hot at all?

[RC-Cola]

Originally posted by FastDak318
Is your power supply a name brand PSU (Antec, Thermaltake) or is it a generic (Sparkle, etc)... ? This may have something to do with it...

Can you tell if the card/system case is getting hot at all?

I would agree with Fastdak, look to your power supply first. Your probably exceeding the PS capabilities. Look at it and see that it is at least a 350w supply.

[eblend]

if its a cheap power supply that came with a case they may be rated at 460 but really only deliver 200, so like been said, make sure you got a name brand psu

[Milk2%]

cards overheating

[Davetronz]

Originally posted by Milk2%
cards overheating
With the card overheating he would MOST LIKELY be getting video disortion and break up before the shutdown.
Since he hasn't had this I put money on the PSU.

[old&slow]

Does that card come with extra power connector?

[Osk]

Thanks for the feedback.

I used to have a problem with over heating. I fixed that though by installing three good fans. I haven't had that problem since. Also, this is happening like minutes after I turn on the system. Can it overheat that fast?

Sorry I can't tell you just now what make/model the PU I have is, I am at work. I think I'll pick up a new PU and some new fans. Problem is I can't do that till next pay -) I hope that fixes it. Also I'll post later today about the specs on my PU.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by Osk
Thanks for the feedback.

I used to have a problem with over heating. I fixed that though by installing three good fans. I haven't had that problem since. Also, this is happening like minutes after I turn on the system. Can it overheat that fast?

Sorry I can't tell you just now what make/model the PU I have is, I am at work. I think I'll pick up a new PU and some new fans. Problem is I can't do that till next pay -) I hope that fixes it. Also I'll post later today about the specs on my PU. Try giving your pooter a good vacuuming. Dust = overheat.

[Chiggles]

Unlikely, but not an impossible chance that your mobo's just picky with your card. I've seen it every now and then where a card will work just fine on one system that's running the exact same specs as another except for the mobo differences and it won't work on the other board. Perhaps in your case, your mobo either just doesn't like Nvidia chip sets, or it could be that the board doesn't like the make of the card. Try to find a different manufacturer that uses the Ti4200 chipset and if that doesn't work, you may have to consider going to an ATI chipset of some sort instead. Good luck.

[hampstor]

im pretty sure i know where that card came from...

take the card back to where you got it from and then ask them to do a test on it to see if it works on one of their test machines. A test like that should not take a horribly long time. If it is bad, there should be no problem getting a replacement card.

[driz6]

Originally posted by old&slow
Does that card come with extra power connector?

Ok. First, thanks everyone for your tips and suggestions.

Second...I feel really stupid. This is the first card I've had that needed extra power connected to it. Indeed, that was all that was wrong. I had another look at it last night and found where to connect a power cord to it and now it works just great.

[Osk]

The above was posted by me. I am at work and someone else was logged. sorry...

[MerfBall]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
Try giving your pooter a good vacuuming. Dust = overheat.

Just for those looking to take Jeff up on his suggestion, make sure you don't vacuum your computer with a belt driven vacuum cleaner (i.e. any household vacuum cleaner).

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by MerfBall


Just for those looking to take Jeff up on his suggestion, make sure you don't vacuum your computer with a belt driven vacuum cleaner (i.e. any household vacuum cleaner). Why?

[qaxaz]

Yeah, vacuuming a pc is a big no no. That much moving air causes a buildup of static at the tip of the vacuum, and if you get too close or touch any of your components you can do some serious damage. Buy a can of copressed air and use that. Way safer

[jsawicki]

Ok a crappy psu will do it.. Its not about watts necicerely... a 300-350 watt power supply WILL be adiquate for that system. Its quality that matters. If you've got a 10 dollar no name psu in there its not that uncommon for the thing to poop out. Anotherthing is the voltages may suck on it too.

EDIT: i missed the post where he said he didnt have it plugged in.. sorry.