Desktop shows black screen after installing PCI-E graphics card in HP Pavilion desktop SOLVED!

[Rodion15]

Hi: I'm installing a PCI express 2GB graphics card (Gigabyte GT 730 GV-N730-2GI) on a desktop (HP PAVILION P6-2002.es).
I changed the original power supply (300w) for one 500w because with the 300w PSU nothing shows on the screen, not even POST. Now with the 500w PSU I can enter BIOS but after that the screen goes black.

I've tried another PCIe card I have and it works fine with this PC.
I've tried this graphics card on another desktop that uses PCI express and it works fine.
So: the graphics card works in another PC and a different graphics card works in this PC, so this seems a compatibility issue. This is a PCI express 2.0 graphics card.

Both the VGA and the DVI outputs (using a DVI to VGA adapter) give the same result.
The same happens using any of the two video outputs (integrated and video card vga).

I'm trying to set up the BIOS and I can see that "integrated graphics" is disabled, which should be the correct setting I think.

I cannot see any option in Bios to use the PCIx16 slot.

 

[Thelps]

You are probably experiencing a Power Supply (PSU) issue. The Graphics Card is not receiving enough power.

If I'm not mistaken, your HP Pavilion rig has a PSU of 300w. Gigabyte specify a minimum PSU requirement for the GT 730 GV-N730-2GI of 350w.

Source: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5114#ov

I believe these are your current rig's specifications:

http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Product.aspx?pdetail=P281718

The indication those specs give me is that your PSU is underpowered and that you aren't using an ideal PCI-E x16 slot for that generation of Graphics Card (although the card will run very well in that slot). You'd ideally want a PCI-E x16 2.0 slot rather than the 1.0 slot you're currently using.

Your priority is to get a 400w or higher PSU for your rig. That will entail rewiring your PC's power-cable infrastructure, which isn't as difficult as it sounds.

For future reference here's a rough guide as to the power-requirements of all current GPUs:

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

Note, however, that the Gigabyte GPU you're using consumes slightly more power than that table recommends - possibly because Gigabyte install custom coolers on their cards to make them run in a more stable manner.

Hope that helps.

 

[Rodion15]

Thanks Thelps:
I installed a 500w PSU and the problem remains (well, now the POST at least shows up and the BIOS is accessible now, with the 300w stock PSU the PC seemed dead). I've updated the thread. Sorry I didn't tell you the PSU change issue. Both the desktop and the card seem to be OK because I tried the card on another (older) desktop and it worked fine. Then I tried another PCI-express card on this PC and it worked as well.

Thanks for the link to http://www.realhardtechx.com, I'll use it in the future for reference.

 

[Thelps]

Try enabling Integrated Graphics. Alternatively, leave it disabled and boot the PC without the discrete Graphics Card installed.

I believe that by default Integrated Graphics should always be enabled, unless there's something physically wrong with the IGC itself.

You could also try booting your computer without the Graphics Card installed, changing the default resolution of your desktop to something safe like 800 x 600 and rebooting with the Graphics Card installed. It's possible either your monitor or GPU don't like the current resolution setting.

Check Device Manager > Display Adapters and ensure your Graphics Card is listed there.

If you can give me the exact model number of your desktop I can do a search online for a manual and see if there's a something like a Primary Video Adapter setting in the BIOS that toggles between PCI-E x16 and Integrated.

 

[Saberus]

Question, did you install the drivers before installing the card? I know you tried the card in another machine, but it may have already had the right drivers.

 

[Rodion15]

I'll try those and let you know, thanks a lot.

 

[Rodion15]

Try enabling Integrated Graphics. Alternatively, leave it disabled and boot the PC without the discrete Graphics Card installed.

I believe that by default Integrated Graphics should always be enabled, unless there's something physically wrong with the IGC itself.

You could also try booting your computer without the Graphics Card installed, changing the default resolution of your desktop to something safe like 800 x 600 and rebooting with the Graphics Card installed. It's possible either your monitor or GPU don't like the current resolution setting.

Check Device Manager > Display Adapters and ensure your Graphics Card is listed there.

If you can give me the exact model number of your desktop I can do a search online for a manual and see if there's a something like a Primary Video Adapter setting in the BIOS that toggles between PCI-E x16 and Integrated.

Thanks Thelps, you're a master! I did as you said: I removed the card, connected the monitor to the integrated graphics VGA connector, set the resolution to 800x600, reinstalled the card and it worked! (the card driver was already installed because I had installed it in a previous attempt), then I set the monitor native resolution without problem.
Before this I tried to enable integrated graphics in the CMOS settings, but when I checked again I saw that the integrated graphics were disabled, perhaps because the BIOS automatically disables them when it detects a discrete videocard.

Thanks Saberus, you were right as well.

 

[Rodion15]

Try enabling Integrated Graphics. Alternatively, leave it disabled and boot the PC without the discrete Graphics Card installed.

I believe that by default Integrated Graphics should always be enabled, unless there's something physically wrong with the IGC itself.

You could also try booting your computer without the Graphics Card installed, changing the default resolution of your desktop to something safe like 800 x 600 and rebooting with the Graphics Card installed. It's possible either your monitor or GPU don't like the current resolution setting.

Check Device Manager > Display Adapters and ensure your Graphics Card is listed there.

If you can give me the exact model number of your desktop I can do a search online for a manual and see if there's a something like a Primary Video Adapter setting in the BIOS that toggles between PCI-E x16 and Integrated.

Another strange issue with this video card is that, while the problem remained, after starting the PC you could see the hard disk light turned on, but after passing the POST, the hard disk light turned off completely and the screen turned black, as if the motherboard turned off the system when it couldn't churn out video.

 

[Thelps]

Try enabling Integrated Graphics. Alternatively, leave it disabled and boot the PC without the discrete Graphics Card installed.

I believe that by default Integrated Graphics should always be enabled, unless there's something physically wrong with the IGC itself.

You could also try booting your computer without the Graphics Card installed, changing the default resolution of your desktop to something safe like 800 x 600 and rebooting with the Graphics Card installed. It's possible either your monitor or GPU don't like the current resolution setting.

Check Device Manager > Display Adapters and ensure your Graphics Card is listed there.

If you can give me the exact model number of your desktop I can do a search online for a manual and see if there's a something like a Primary Video Adapter setting in the BIOS that toggles between PCI-E x16 and Integrated.

Another strange issue with this video card is that, while the problem remained, after starting the PC you could see the hard disk light turned on, but after passing the POST, the hard disk light turned off completely and the screen turned black, as if the motherboard turned off the system when it couldn't churn out video.

Most Motherboards won't let the system boot if there's a Graphics Card present in the PCI-E x16 slot that isn't verifying output. For instance, if you start the system with no PSU cables running to the Graphics Card you should get a specific 'Power Off and Attach Graphics Card Power Connectors' type of warning.

I'm surprised an incompatible resolution results in an aborted boot sequence, however. The Graphics Card must be reporting an incompatible resolution to the Motherboard.