Supposed Video card issues, but suspect not a video card problem

[Mr.Si]

Hi all,

I'm resurrecting an older computer of mine and trying to make a gaming machine (I have a couple of cards which I can SLI together).

It used to run on an ASUS-P5N-E-SLI board but now an abit fatality 9 board.

I was getting PSU beep codes so I changed the PSU to a new one (corsair CX 750 from coolermaster 600 silent series)
Changing the PSU stopped that code but then I was getting the video card error post beeps on boot (1 long and 2 short).

I tried multiple video cards, different monitor cables etc but to no avail

So I tried a different mobo, the abit fatality board mentioned above (was known to be working).

But still it was not giving me any luck.

So I tried changing the CPU from a q6600 to an e8500 but again to no luck, still getting the same 1 long and 2 short beeps.

Is there a possibility that it's the RAM causing the video card errors?

The ram sticks are just DDR2, but the ones I had to hand (I pinched the original sticks for building a pfsense firewall box) were just some standard dell ones (a pair of 512MB 1Rx8 PC2-4200).

I tried swapping the ram and using just one stick but to no avail.


I'd really appreciate some advice!

 

[Alaric]

The first thing I can think of is try a different PCIe slot. After that, maybe more than 1 GB of RAM?

 

[Mr.Si]

The first thing I can think of is try a different PCIe slot. After that, maybe more than 1 GB of RAM?

Hiya,

Thanks for the reply, I should have said I tried the other pcie 1x16 slot.

I've just bought some barely used (but known working) OCZ Reaper (2x 2GB) sticks, which is what I used to have, so will give that a go and report back.

 

[JrClocker]

I'll ask a couple of probably silly questions:

1. Did you try without the SLI bridge installed?
2. Did you try with just 1 video card?
3. Are you sure you connected the video card power cable?
4. Do you have all of the motherboard power cables connected?

 

[Mr.Si]

I'll ask a couple of probably silly questions:

1. Did you try without the SLI bridge installed?
2. Did you try with just 1 video card?
3. Are you sure you connected the video card power cable?
4. Do you have all of the motherboard power cables connected?

Hi,

Thanks for the questions.

1 & 2. I'm actually only trying with one card at the moment, so no SLI Bridge, just the selector card on the Mobo
3. Yep, video card power cables are attached, each card requires 2x 6pin PCI-E power cables in to it
4. As far as I can see, all power cables are connected, the main one and the 8pin 12v one.

Thanks,
Si

 

[JrClocker]

OK cool.

I'll ask another silly question (because I did this once)...are you sure that the monitor is plugged into the video output on the video card?

I spent about 15 minutes debugging a system build because I plugged the monitor into the motherboard video connector, and not the video card one. I was using a processor that did not have integrated graphics in a motherboard that supported processors with integrated graphics.

After I found this I was like "doh".


Are you sure that the graphics card is seated all of the way into the PCIe slot?

Do you have the RAM installed properly (i.e. is it seated all the way)?

 

[Alaric]

I spent about 15 minutes debugging a system build because I plugged the monitor into the motherboard video connector, and not the video card one.

That is my all time favorite WTF. I can tell it's my favorite by the number of times I've done it.