Help! My PC won't detect my graphics card!

[treesmacker]

Hi everyone,

 

 

I recently bought a new graphics card (Asus Radeon 7770 HD 1GB) and placed it in the PCIe slot. But when I start my computer it doesn't detect that it's there so I can't install drivers or use the card. Under Device Manager, the only display card that shows up is the on-board one. All I get when I plug in the monitor to the graphics card is a blank screen. When the PC boots I hear the card whir a few times then it settles down to a silent spin. I'm a bit of a PC noob and this is the first time I've tried to replace components myself. What can I do to sort it out?

 

 

Background:

 

 

The computer was a custom built PC made by a friend 5 or 6 years ago. He'd put an Inno3D GF 7600 GT in at the time, which had been working fine til a few weeks ago when I stopped getting a display from it. I took it to a computer shop who checked it and said my graphics card had gone but that the motherboard had an onboard card which I could use instead. That's what I've been doing but I missed gaming and decided to try and install a new graphics card myself.

 

 

Computer specs:

 

 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-M55plus-53g

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+

PSU: Cooler Master Real Power 550w

RAM: 4GB

Operating System: Windows 7 64bit

 

 

So far I've tried:

1 - Reseating the card 3 or 4 times. I'm pretty sure it's in right.

2 - Trying different 6 pin cables directly from the PSU

3 - Updating BIOS

4 - Setting BIOS to boot from PCI not on-board graphics

5 - Disabling on-board graphics in safe mode and then restarting.

6 - Making sure old drivers are removed (which they were, presumably by the computer shop that took out the old graphics card)

 

 

I'm really stuck and don't know what to try next. I'm hoping that it's not going to be a case of the motherboard not working any more.

 

 

Is there anything I've missed or is also worth trying?

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[KenB]

Hi and welcome.

 

I suspect that the card needs to be returned.

It does happen that they are dead on arrival.

 

If nothing else - Windows should detect new hardware when the card is on the slot.

[treesmacker]

Thanks for the fast reply KenB! I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. Someone has suggested to me that as my graphics card requires 500W that maybe my PSU can't supply it properly. Do you think I should try and get a better PSU or just cut my losses and return this card?

[KenB]

Someone has suggested to me that as my graphics card requires 500W that maybe my PSU can't supply it properly. Do you think I should try and get a better PSU or just cut my losses and return this card?

 

I had considered that and checked out the PSU requirements of the card itself.

 

The card requires 500 Watts.

Whilst PSUs are inefficient and you are unlikely to get anything like 550 Watts --you will have enough to get graphics on screen and boot up.

To get "No Signal" implies a problem with the card not the PSU.

 

I would return the card.

If the supplier is reputable there will be no problem.

 

There is another possibility .......... the PCIe x 16 slot on the motherboard may have died.

 

Another option - try the card in a friend's system.

[treesmacker]

Haha! So much could have gone wrong! I knew there was a reason I hadn't tried anything like this before. OK, so the most logical way to tackle it would be to try it in a friends PC that has enough power then if it works, I'll need a new motherboard and if it doesn't, I send the card back to the retailer.

 

Thanks for your help! I'll see how it goes!

[KenB]

try it in a friends PC that has enough power

 

Even if your friend's PSU is under 500Watt you should still see something on screen.

The Video Card will only draw its maximum power when under full load - playing graphics intensive games for instance.

 

I know of somebody who had been using a video card for over a year that - technically - was over 100 Watts underpowered.

 

Yes - give it a try in your friend's system.

 

If it doesn't work there you have evidence from two systems that it needs returning and replacing :)