Help... Physically installing a Graphics Card!

[tentakelbitte]

The PC: HP Pavilion 590-p0055qe
The card: AMD Radeon HD 6570

https://imgur.com/a/UGopzM8

https://imgur.com/a/4qdUvSm

I've tried slipping it in from the outside (obviously wrong & doesn't fit by 1/8" anyway), sliding straight down into case (waaay off, thanks to the card's bracket), and angling it in once it's in the case so that the bracket goes through (hooks halfway; see second picture).

With the bracket hooked through and the card slid down to the pc's slot, it pushes away towards the bottom and no longer matches up with the slot properly. It also doesn't look quite right from outside of the case.

The last time I installed this card was in a different pc and it slid into place no problem...
Is this just me being too chicken to pop it in all the way?

There's just the one open slot and I can't afford a new card for a good while, so really, really don't want to risk damaging either... OR driving 2 hours out to the nearest shop and paying them $50 to click it into place for me!

 

[Eximo]

Wait, I'm blind. Are you trying to install a low-profile card into a full height slot. Just take the bracket off. Should be two screws on the bottom of the card holding it on. Not ideal, as there is nothing now holding the card in except the PCIe slot itself.

Low profile cards tend to come with full height brackets that are then replaced for installation into low-profile cases, so if you bought the card second had, not much to tell you. You could try to find one, but no guarantee that it would line up with the outputs on the card (They typically also offer a VGA port via cable to the card)

Can you provide a picture of it failing to be installed?

At this angle there is not much to say and the second picture just shows what a typical expansion slot bracket looks like. What is actually interfering?

Is there not enough space under the drive cages?

Not a solid recommendation without understanding the actual problem, but the bracket can be bent a little, by hand, if it doesn't want to fit 100%. The goal is just to hold it in place, as long as the card's pins are all in contact with the socket, all you need to be able to do is put a screw in that bracket to hold it in place. (And even that is semi-optional if the computer won't receive much in the way of vibration or force)

 

[tentakelbitte]

-SNIP-

It's a PCI-E, if that helps any?
I don't believe it's a low profile, but the box & receipts are long since misplaced, so I can't be sure.
There aren't any screws either; it appears to be welded together, no extenders or anything.

Another picture won't help much I'm afraid.
Imagine it correctly placed, nothing crooked or in the way, but the case is just 1/8" too far out.
Too close to cram the card inside it, but too far to correctly set it.

I'm just about ready to take some pliers to the case and just widen the out slot...
There's nothing obviously interfering that I can see, which is why I posted about it. I was honestly hoping someone would point out something super dumb/obvious, like I was installing to the wrong port or something, because it seriously feels like that lol.

 

[Eximo]

Oh, the DVI port's screw holes, those come off. Basically just hex stand-offs. And I think I see a screw above the HDMI port. That should be all that is holding it on if it isn't held on the bottom.

That will let you install the card at least. Though, again, that bracket is for support. If you can't locate a compatible expansion slot full height bracket it is possible you might damage it with movement while it is running. Worst case get some clear silicone (mastic, or whatever Brits call it) and goop it up so it can't move once you have it installed.

 

[tentakelbitte]

That was it! I didn't realize those weren't permanently bolted in.

Unfortunately, the computer won't boot with this card, so it may have been fried when the last pc died. Everything spins to life and appears to be getting power, so it's probably a bad card. BUT! that's a different issue! I was able to physically install the card finally, so no longer feel like a crazy person lol

Thanks, Eximo!

 

[cbrocks06]

That was it! I didn't realize those weren't permanently bolted in.

Unfortunately, the computer won't boot with this card, so it may have been fried when the last pc died. Everything spins to life and appears to be getting power, so it's probably a bad card. BUT! that's a different issue! I was able to physically install the card finally, so no longer feel like a crazy person lol

Thanks, Eximo!

well it does require 400w psu, your psu may say 400w but probably isn't

 

[tentakelbitte]

well it does require 400w psu, your psu may say 400w but probably isn't

Nah, looks like it's only 310...
The PC it came from was a major POS all-in-one thing, so that never even crossed my mind.

Unfortunately, I'm not comfortable replacing the PSU myself, so I'll have to ask the shop about it later.
Unless it's literally plug & play, I just don't have the guts to dig around in expensive hardware. :E

 

[Eximo]

PSU swap is quite easy. You just unplug all the cables and take a few screws out that hold it in. Just take a few pictures first so you can be sure to plug all the cables in that you need.

Typical: Large 24-28 pin ATX connector to the motherboard. 4-pin or 8-pin for direct CPU power. PCIe to the graphics card. And SATA power to any SSDs, Hard drives, or optical drives. Maybe a connector or two to the front panel, and potentially some older style Molex 4-pin power. And that is pretty much it.

Though if you are targeting lower power graphics cards, you shouldn't need to worry about it.