Dell Optiplex 745 Monitor Signal

[Lucius_2]

So I have a few Dell Optiplex 745's and I'm trying to get one working at a time, I have gone and fitted a new HDD, with no operating system installed and am attempting to get a signal on my monitor, however I am getting error code on the back lights 123 which I looked into and discovered something about no output via vga? However I cannot find another way of connecting it due to the fact after buying a female to male vga finding that the vga look alike output is actually two rows of pins instead of three making it not fit.

Is the DVI thing true? And what is the vga lookalike called? Or am I looking in the wrong place for the problem?

 

[Lucius_2]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from Lucius_2 : "Optiplex Cannot Get screen output"

So I got a few optiplexes currently, and I am unable to get them to output on the screen, I read something about the dvi not working for output however the so called vga isn't on the back, its an optiplex 745 does anyone know what the actual connector is called or am I looking at the wrong answer to the issue?

 

[popatim]

I don't know much about dells but the port you have is probably an old serial port, not an old db9 vga port.

 

[Lucius_2]

I don't know much about dells but the port you have is probably an old serial port, not an old db9 vga port.

Hi yes I just looked online on google and discovered it is a serial port so thank you very much, can I run a display via serial port? And I'm guessing I need a display that supports it or a adapter to change it from serial port to vga or hdmi or something?

Another quick question when I look at serial ports on amazon it brings up a bunch of usb ones and stuff, is that just for routers I assume?

Thank you for finding out what the port was.

 

[popatim]

Serial ports were used in old low bandwidth peripherals like old printers, external modems & faxes, and dumb terminals. I do not know of any serial port graphics cards.

Your Tech Spec's for the Dell says you have a 15 pin VGA port on the back that may work.

Your other option would be to install a graphics card into the pcie x16 slot that it has inside it, if there isn't on there already.

 

[Lucius_2]

Serial ports were used in old low bandwidth peripherals like old printers, external modems & faxes, and dumb terminals. I do not know of any serial port graphics cards.

Your Tech Spec's for the Dell says you have a 15 pin VGA port on the back that may work.

Your other option would be to install a graphics card into the pcie x16 slot that it has inside it, if there isn't on there already.

Hi this is the same mistake I made, it turns out that the ultra small form factor the one I have just has DVI-i out from what I'm getting there.

However I will see about getting my hands on a cheap graphics card and will see if that gives me a screen output.

Thank you for the information about the serial ports aswell!

 

[Lucius_2]

I just went and checked the back of my Optiplex, their appears no room for a GPU.

Shall I just sell them for parts?

 

[Lucius_2]

I just relieased there is a scart cable on the back shall I try it using SCART?

 

[popatim]

Sounds like you just need a cheap dvi-i to vga adapter like This one. You may even have one in a drawer somewhere. I know I have at least two. LoL

 

[Lucius_2]

I have three of them actually haha, I tried them all however it still no output? I'm assuming motherboard fault or something?

 

[popatim]

Could be not enabled due to a prior owner having a dedicated GPU installed. You might need to browse the manual to see if its a jumper or maybe a clear cmos jumper.