Be Excellent To Each Other

I just got myself a new graphics card, a Radeon 4890.

I am having some trouble setting it up.

I uninstalled my old NVidia drivers, removed the old card. Then put the new card in, connected the power cables, and then booted her up. I got no video, and have not been able to get any video out of the new card since.

I switched to onboard video out, to see if I could install drivers that way and get it to work, but nothing....

The fan is spinning fine, but that's it.

Perhaps I am missing something very obvious: This is my first time installing a graphics card other than ones by the same manufacturer.

Any ideas?

Also, I am getting quite wound up by my PC troubles, I'd probably appreciate it if you lot save the joke answers for when I have got it working.

So you have no video from either offboard or onboard now? Is it just the 4890 being an asshole?

What PSU have you got?

It could be one of a few scenarios.

1. Your board's bios does not support the 4890 (Abit are known for not liking certain manus cards)

2. The PSU ain't pushin' enough juice.

3. The card is simply DOA.

4. Your board needs a new bios, see 1. Mine refused to do anything with a 5770 in until the board had a new bios.

5. And the most unthinkable you have caused a static short and caused some damage widespread.

Infact ignore 5, because whilst your post is ever so slightly murky it seems you are getting lifeage with onboard. So see 1-4.

If you need help give me the manu/model of your mobo and psu and I will do some digging for you.

Got a brand new 600w OCZ thingymabob

How do I find out what my mobo is?

Edit: You are a superstar btw

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Did you remember to connect the power supply to the card?

If so, your card is properly broke, jsut get it replaced?

Have you tried fucking off

Yeah, did this.

I'd have thought unless you simply weren't giving it any power, you'd at least get something from the board, at least while it posts.

I'm no hardware expert, but I'd send it back. See if anybody can suggest anything that doesn't involve flashing your BIOS etc though.

Well first we need to decipher if there's anything wrong with it..

The board should have the manu's name on it somewhere. It should also sport the model number.

Infact fuck that. Load the app I attach (it's freeware so no laws broken) and go to the mainboard tab at the top. Then Alt PRT SCRN me a piccy paste it in paint and attach here as a JPG.

By all accounts it should look like this and be AKA P6NGM. I shall do some digging.

Looks exactly like that, except with other components in it, and more dust. Thanks!

OK, you are running the most recent bios. It's basically this one.

BIOS Type AMI BIOS File Size 649KB
Version 3.6 Update Date 2009-05-07

So you're a bit screwed if the board doesn't support the card given that you are running the latest bios.

Which 4890 is it, who makes it, where did you get it etc? Again, make and model if poss I need to know so I can see if it has a diagnostic LED or even a OK LED.

It is this one, from these peoples:
http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/Oth ... ctId=37323

Also and I know this sounds really daft but have you pressed the card in vewwy wuffly?

You need to press it in rather firmly. Not with hulk hogan board bowing pressure but you do need to press it down quite hard.

Only thing I find odd is you're not getting any beeping coming from the mobo.

'Nother daft Q. Have you tried putting the monitor into other 'heads' on the card? With my radeons the second monitor sometimes doesn't come on until post post.

wouldn't the fan not spin if it wasn't in enough?

It is in at least as far as my previous working card.

Well the fan is being powered by the aux power plugs.

It seems your card requires both a 6 pin and 8 pin PCIE power connector in them. However, here's where you could have it wrong. There is also an 8 pin motherboard power connector that's very similar but not the same as an 8 pin PCIE power connector.

You do have two plugged in yes? A 6 pin and an 8 pin? If you do check that the 8 pin is the correct 8 pin plug as there could be two. The dumb 8 pin ones are not available on very many psus on account of being utterly fucking dumb and a way for Nvidia to con people into buying another new PSU.

You can get 6-8 pin converters because my psu doesn't have any 8 pin pcie.

I would hazard a guess this is where you're going wrong, unless the card was brown bread from the get go.

Infact it seems they can either be dual 6 pin PCIE connectors or 1 8 pin and 1 6 pin like my old 280.

Make sure you have two plugged in at the end.

It has two 6 pin adaptors.

K, then sadly the only possible things left are.

1. It's not in firmly enough to make contact.

2. It's fucked.

PCIE ports like AGP ports are utterly wank really. All it takes is a tiny bit not in right and it won't fire. Granted PCIE are better than AGP, but nowhere near as good as ye olde PCI.

EEP.

Thanks a lot for the help.

I'll try fiddling with it tomorrow, and then phone the shop.