Graphics Card

[bod]

Hi help needed from any of you boffins out there.

Got a week off so decided to buy a new PC game, as usuall my PC is now out of date ,so another 512mb of memory and a new graphics card a Radeon 9600 are purchased,memory no problem but the graphics card.........

I have a gigabyte GA-7VA and uninstalled previous drivers,slotted in new card (after modifing case slighly'bent it a bit'),and powered up.
The screen is all hazy and pictulated phone up the shop and graphics card swapped.

The second one worked better and acutually showed something on the screen,also allowing to install the drivers from disc,then.......same happens again pictulated fuzzy screen.

If I swop back to my old card all is fine and even starting up in same mode with the new card gives same fuzzy screen.

I have checked it is an 8x 4x compatable board but are now stumpped!

Am I frying the cards? when I 1st took card back they checked it and said it was faulty,but when I called back reporting same problems with replacement card,they said they were giving the card a workover in the PC and to call back tomorrow afternoon?

Anybody any ideas PLEASE:)

[sadbiker]

First check your motherboard uses the correct AGP voltage to the card. Secondly before pulling out the old car uninstall the graphic card drivers for this. When you switch on the computer with the grahics card, hopefully you should be able to follow the procedure as per instructions or when it has fully booted up and states new hardware detected insert the driver cd.

[stef]

is your monitor up to the job ?
arent you asking too much resolution from your system ?
(start at 1024x768.. is this working ?)

[bod]

Sadbiker-How would I check the voltage,di I look in the Bios?

Stef-Forgot to mention that even even starting up PC in safe mode gives same result(fuzzy screen)etc

Keep the tips coming guys I had more ideas here, than all morning of surfing!

[sadbiker]

It should state it in the motherboards manual, from what I remember the slot is slightly different so only if you force the card in will it fit.

The fussiness tends to be caused by running at the wrong refresh rate. Once you have installed the correct drivers, right click the mouse button somewhere in the middle of the desktop. On the box's that appear select the following in this sequence.

Properties / Settings / Advanced / Monitor /

You should see a setting for "Screen Refresh rate" for best quality should be set to 85, but this depends on whether your monitor can handle it. 60 hz is a very slow refresh rate and can give a flicker effect from the side of your eyes. see what you can set it to between 70 and 85. Any newer monitor which is plug and play should select the best refresh rate, older monitors need to be tweaked. If you still have a manual for monitor have a look see what it shows.

[bod]

Monitor is only a few years old and is 'plug and play' the refresh rate is set at 60hz.
Looking in M-board manual AGP slot is 8x/4x/2xmode(1.5v) & AGP 3.0 compliant.

Graphics card manual reads-AGP8x(0.8v), 4x(1.5)bus.

Does anybody know if they are compatable?

When I say the screen is a bit fuzzy,I mean I can't even see which box to click on!

Thought I just got it sussed! for a minuite it looked like the jumper on the board was set for NTSC and not PAL....untill I turned the card around the correct way:worried:

Any more clues before I admit defeat and take it to a shop££££

[sadbiker]

Voltages line up, change refresh rate up at this will give a crisper response, 60 is from the days of interlacing monitors and is very bad for the eyesite. What resolution is monitor set for, what is the monitor size, if smaller than 17 inches then suggest 800x 600, for 17 use 1024 by 768. When you install a new card the setting tend to default to the initial windows settings.
Have you booted up in safe mode to see what its like as this uses the default windows VGA driver, if all looks ok here I would suggest downloading the newest drivers from the video cards website.

[bod]

Its a 19" CRT I will play with resolution later,but even when booting up in safe mode the screen is that fuzzy you can't make out anything on the screen,to load drivers that came with card or go onto net to install any new ones.

Its looking like the card to me in my limited knowledge but it's the 2nd new one in 2 days?

[Bodybag]

Have you checked that you haven't bent any of the pins on the socket? If you have two crossed and have forced them into the same hole you'll get a duff response from the monitor. Then again I could be completely wrong.

[sadbiker]

http://geek.pandemonium.de/2003/10/08/problems-with-ati-radeon-9600-pro-solved/comment-page-5/

Looking at the web, seems have been a few problems, take it your card doesn't have a extra power connector which needs connecting up, it may be worth going into the bios and seeing if you are able to change to x4 as this seems to have solved problems for some people.

Also check you in Frequency control menu that all the Overvoltage controls are set to default, I would hate to think you have been overclocking the system and burning out your new graphics card..

[bod]

http://geek.pandemonium.de/2003/10/08/problems-with-ati-radeon-9600-pro-solved/comment-page-5/

Looking at the web, seems have been a few problems, take it your card doesn't have a extra power connector which needs connecting up, it may be worth going into the bios and seeing if you are able to change to x4 as this seems to have solved problems for some people.

Also check you in Frequency control menu that all the Overvoltage controls are set to default, I would hate to think you have been overclocking the system and burning out your new graphics card..

1.Additional power connector -yup checked that already(but good thought)!

2.Been in the bios and tried all settings 4x/8x/and auto

3.No bent pins as the old one works ok when refitted.


4.FINALY THE FIX

Turns out I wasn't doing anything wrong it was the PSU?
Only had a 300W supply fitted upgraded to a 550W and now all is well,suspect my previous PSU was just about upto the job and the new graphics card sent it over the top.

So from walking past the magazine stall in ASDA last week and picking up a copmuter mag at £5.50 and been unsucesfull to get the demo disc to work I am now £160 worse off,but with a PC that is state of the art powerhouse(well untill next week anyway:biggrin:

Finaly a BIG thanks to all who took the time to reply quickly and put there colective thinking caps on!

At least it saved me spending money on taking it to a shop to be fixed,just cost me a day and a half of my week booked off work.

Here's to gaming then....Unless anybody wants help fixing a Vauxhall?