Graphics card VGA

ekweb · 09-14-2009, 10:13 PM

I just built a new PC and i turned it on today. When i plug in my monitor into my graphics card, nothing happens and there's no screen on the monitor. However when i plug it into the motherboard VGA, the monitor works and there's a screen and it goes to bios. Why do you think so? Is it because i haven't put in the graphics card CD yet or something? So do i have to install an OS and then plug into the graphics card?

GFX = Radeon HD 4870

95BlackGA · 09-14-2009, 10:28 PM

Make sure your onboard graphics are disabled via the BIOS, and make sure the PCI-E power connector is plugged into the graphics card.

ekweb · 09-14-2009, 10:40 PM

ooo i see, i forgot to disable via BIOS...

also, in my first attempts, the computer didn't turn on for a while. so i replugged everything and took out the battery and put it back in. but this time, i forgot to plug in the pci-e power to the graphics card and when i turned the computer on, there was a small spark and sound by the GFX i didn't really see. Do you think i might've blown the GFX just by not plugging in the PSU pci-e cord into it? I checked the GFX nothing looks wrong with it or with the motherboard...

could it have been an unharmful spark and sound?

95BlackGA · 09-14-2009, 10:45 PM

Well a spark near computer parts is never good. This is not saying that the spark caused damage, but there was a reason as to why it sparked. I would expect the power supply to be more likely to having caused the spark. Grounding out somewhere, possibly.

ekweb · 09-14-2009, 10:49 PM

so what do i have to do to see if it caused damage? because i checked the gfx and mobo, nothing seems wrong. the comp still works and i will install an OS tomorrow since i'm very busy today.

95BlackGA · 09-14-2009, 11:15 PM

If you get video and are stable with the graphics card you should be good to go. Run benchmark/stress/stability tests after the OS is done. This includes CPU, Memory, Video, Hard drive, Network, everything you can think of.

ekweb · 09-15-2009, 09:48 AM

how about when i disable the onboard on the bios and plug the VGA on the GFX, what if it doesn't work? then how i will i enable the onboard again when i have no screen?

95BlackGA · 09-15-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ekweb

how about when i disable the onboard on the bios and plug the VGA on the GFX, what if it doesn't work? then how i will i enable the onboard again when i have no screen?

You'll have to reset the CMOS, there should be a jumper and/or a battery on the motherboard. This will set your BIOS to default, so you'll have to set it back up.

ekweb · 09-15-2009, 04:59 PM

wow.. i got my OS cd ready and all and now the computer doesn't turn on at all again like last time. I tried last time's solution again by taking out the bios battery waiting for 1 min and putting it back in but that doesn't work either this time.

The difference is that, now, the lights and fans come on for a half second when i try to power on. I realized that my GFX has 2 PCI-E power slots so i put it one more power cord into that thinking that it would solve the problem, it didn't. Every now and then when i try to power the lights and fans work for half second.

Anyone?

also my PSU came with 4 power things. the 20 pin one, an 8 pin one, a 4 pin one, and a PCI-E power thing. I plugged the 20 and 8 into the mobo and the pci-e into the GFX but there's no slot for my 4 pin power cord on the mobo.

95BlackGA · 09-15-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ekweb

wow.. i got my OS cd ready and all and now the computer doesn't turn on at all again like last time. I tried last time's solution again by taking out the bios battery waiting for 1 min and putting it back in but that doesn't work either this time.

The difference is that, now, the lights and fans come on for a half second when i try to power on. I realized that my GFX has 2 PCI-E power slots so i put it one more power cord into that thinking that it would solve the problem, it didn't. Every now and then when i try to power the lights and fans work for half second.

Anyone?

also my PSU came with 4 power things. the 20 pin one, an 8 pin one, a 4 pin one, and a PCI-E power thing. I plugged the 20 and 8 into the mobo and the pci-e into the GFX but there's no slot for my 4 pin power cord on the mobo.

The 8 and 4 pin are for the motherboard, since all motherboards are not the same some take the 4 pin and some the 8 pin. I would test the power supply. Do you have another computer you can put the power supply into to check it?

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