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Troubleshooting conflicts caused by new video card

1K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  jwolfkill 
#1 ·
I've added a EVGA geForce FX5200 128 MB PCI video card to my old Compaq Presario 7594 (500 mHz Celeron, 512 MB PC133 RAM, Win98) and am having trouble with freezes and lock-ups. Here's what I've done so far:

-Disabled the onboard video in the BIOS setup
-Uninstalled the drivers for the onboard video
-Updated the drivers for the onboard sound
-Updated miscellaneous other drivers (USB adapter, HDD controller, etc.) as I've found new ones available.

I assume this is a hardware conflict. Can anyone suggest some diagnostic strategies or tools (utilities, etc.) to figure out what devices are conflict and what settings to change to avoid the conflict?

Would upgrading to XP resolve this problem?

Thanks!

Jason
 
#3 ·
This is the only component that you changed? Does it freeze when just sitting at the desktop or just while in games?

I have not tinkered with systems using integrated video before but this is the method i would use when adding a video card to a system using onboard video:

1. Uninstall existing graphics drivers.
2. Shut down and install new graphics card.
3. Boot into the bios. Check for an option on disabling on board video. You might consult the manual. If you can't find it check on the manufacturer site of your system or motherboard. Make any changes if necessary.
4. Power up and click cancel to any prompts by the hardware detection wizard. Do not automatically install any drivers. The image at this point will likely be ugly. It's ok.
5. Download the lates driverst for your video card from nVidia's website(don't use the ones that came with it on disc)
6. Install and reboot.

Also keep an eye on video card temps. Your cards temp sensor will probably be read by a utility such as :http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

Anything below 70C is acceptable. I would question heat as an issue if it gets close to or above that temp. If the card is passively(no cooling fan) cooled then i would make sure you have adequate case ventilation.

All games should be running the latest patches as well as make sure your version of Direct X 9 is up to date. Check microsofts website.

Power could also be an issue. I wouldn't find it likely though as the 5200 does not require a higher end power supply.
 
#4 ·
The 5200 does not have a temp sensor on it so forget that.

You also need to back up to MUCH older drivers, I would say two years ago.

You can not make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and the 5200 was lucky to be a sow's ear on release. I had one, still have it. The card just sucked 3 years ago. I can just imagine what it is like now.
 
#5 ·
Skivvywaver,

Do I understand you correctly that I should try an older driver for this vid card? If the 5200 really sucks on ice like you say, maybe I should take it back and put the $50 toward a new machine. Even that much $ will go a long way toward a new system that will beat the pants off the six-year-old Compaq.


GripS,

I followed that procedure almost to a T when installing this card. I don't think temp is an issue because all of the slot covers for the PCI slots are out of the case and the case sits in the open footwell of a desk, so there should be plenty of good airflow.

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
#7 ·
Supernukes,

After I installed the card, turned on the machine, and installed the drivers, then rebooted, then rebooted again, I hit F10 to enter the BIOS setup. The BIOS setup had some extra options that did not appear before the card was installed. One of them allowed me to select whether the onboard video or the card would be the boot device. It was already set for the card to be the boot device and the onboard video to be a non-boot device, so technically, I didn't do anything to disable the onboard video in the BIOS - it just happened on its own.

Good luck!!

Jason
 
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