Installed new PSU and GPU on studio XPS 8100 but monitor is black *Please Help*

[cryohydrates]

Hi,

I installed my new AMD Radeon 6950 and my Corsair HK750w power unit into my studio XPS 8100, the tower runs and everything is powered, but the monitor is black and just isn't picking up the graphics card no matter what, the monitor is just black. I really have no idea what I could be as I feel as if I've tried everything. Please help me as I just don't know what to do anymore.

 

[junkeymonkey]

some models of store bought computers [dell.hp,acer,ect..] may come with a ''locked or fixed'' bios and may not allow you to change certain hardware as a video card.. this is done to protect them from undue warranty claims and refunds .this is not done to hurt you but to protect them. you really need to see if that upgrade has been proven to work in your model first before you invest money in it .. there are a lot of these threads here at toms to look at some models will allow upgrades and some dont.. and a lot of guys here say ya ya ya when is really no no no...it would be sad you spent $200 on a card that wount post after you installed it as most find out. then get told its your psu and you spend more and end up right back where you are now, but its up to you good luck..


you got to know the the boards in these computers are not like the ones we use to do custom builds witch are open to upgrading with in the boards compatibly . the bios is custom made for there design and just for the parts they authorize to be used on there computers there only guaranteed to work as is out of the box as you bought it ,..

you buy you try and hope it don't make you cry --but lets hope you find the work around and get things going

good luck

 

[cryohydrates]

some models of store bought computers [dell.hp,acer,ect..] may come with a ''locked or fixed'' bios and may not allow you to change certain hardware as a video card.. this is done to protect them from undue warranty claims and refunds .this is not done to hurt you but to protect them. you really need to see if that upgrade has been proven to work in your model first before you invest money in it .. there are a lot of these threads here at toms to look at some models will allow upgrades and some dont.. and a lot of guys here say ya ya ya when is really no no no...it would be sad you spent $200 on a card that wount post after you installed it as most find out. then get told its your psu and you spend more and end up right back where you are now, but its up to you good luck..


you got to know the the boards in these computers are not like the ones we use to do custom builds witch are open to upgrading with in the boards compatibly . the bios is custom made for there design and just for the parts they authorize to be used on there computers there only guaranteed to work as is out of the box as you bought it ,..

you buy you try and hope it don't make you cry --but lets hope you find the work around and get things going

good luck

So what your saying is…. I spent half my day trying to get this to work, spent 350$ on these parts, read about these components for at least a month and making sure they would work in my computer, and finding multiple confirmations that they will, but there is nothing I can do and I have to buy a completely new computer to do any sort of upgrading…. Thanks for the response man, it does mean a lot to me. But is there seriously anything I can do? Anything else?

 

[junkeymonkey]

not to discorage you but some cards may work and some do not its a funny thing with prebuilts

worked in it
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19602847/20685695#20685695

donrt seem to work in it

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/t/19602920

don't work and guy also looked at bios issue

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/p/19598758/20674718#20674718

like I said its the homework on these computers to fine what works and what don't

 

[cryohydrates]

not to discorage you but some cards may work and some do not its a funny thing with prebuilts

worked in it
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19602847/20685695#20685695

donrt seem to work in it

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/t/19602920

don't work and guy also looked at bios issue

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/p/19598758/20674718#20674718

like I said its the homework on these computers to fine what works and what don't

The thing is its on, the tower is powered up but my monitor just isn't displaying anything, its just a black screen. Do you know how to check the bios? I really am appreciating your helping me in this problem of mine.

 

[junkeymonkey]

heres the catch [ note this part '' The highest performance '''guaranteed''' upgrades '']


However, NVIDIA® and ATI® provide upgrades with upto 1 GB memory. The highest performance guaranteed upgrades are the NVIDIA® GeForce GTS240 and ultimately the ATI® Radeon HD 5770

http://supportfordell.iyogi.com/studio-xps-8100/video-card-11.html

 

[junkeymonkey]

don't know - I assume if you put all the old parts [card] back in it all's good and goes back to working fine , right ???

 

[cryohydrates]

Can my monitor just not be compatible with my radeon 6950? Can that be the problem? The card is on as well, the fan is spinning.

 

[junkeymonkey]

one thing I think is this part under power -- I think the card needs to kick up the slot power to the 75w but weather its dells bios or what ever the case is certain cards cant do this and your where your at with it ??? or the card don't require the full 75w and may work fine ??? with dell and prebuilts you got to remember they use a proprietary bios wrote for what the board is speced for there parts sold on it and is only guaranteed to work with what on it as sold to you anything over that is at your risk .. look at dells upgrade advisor for your model all they got for it is the low end about the same gpu's for it

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=04&s=bsd&category_id=7729&mfgpid=205143&tab=Accessories&~ck=anav&p=1

and then do they really stand behind them to work 100%??

 

[junkeymonkey]

forgot the link -- read the power part

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

 

[junkeymonkey]

I was looking over threads on the xps 8100 to see who black screens and got solved ?? its late here but will check back in the A.M and see what you may of found

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/all.html?refine=xps+8100

see heres another one with a 6950 card

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1856132/dell-xps-8100-psu-gpu-6950-system-crashing.html

maybe private message the guy to se if he ever got his going??

 

[junkeymonkey]

dell don't seem to list the 8100 anymore on this page so I cant look at any support ??

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/Products/desktop/xps_desktop

well found it dang jump through hoops

only one bios from 2010 so its more like the one you may all ready got

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=R275042&fileId=2731114656&osCode=W764&productCode=studio-xps-8100&languageCode=EN&categoryId=BI

 

[cryohydrates]

dell don't seem to list the 8100 anymore on this page so I cant look at any support ??

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/Products/desktop/xps_desktop

well found it dang jump through hoops

only one bios from 2010 so its more like the one you may all ready got

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=R275042&fileId=2731114656&osCode=W764&productCode=studio-xps-8100&languageCode=EN&categoryId=BI

Thank you for all the help you've been bringing me, I still don't really know what to do as this is my first computer upgrade, but you helping me has made it easier.

 

[junkeymonkey]

try this and see -- called dell support and a suggestion was to re-seat the RAM. So pulled both sticks and then re-installed.

works now.
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2010279/dell-inspiron-660-graphics-card-pick-psu-fit-mintower-hep.html

 

[junkeymonkey]

well maybe it good to go on that card ??? does look kinda positive ??

 

[cryohydrates]

Hey I got it to work! I just uninstalled my i7 Intel drivers, and everything turned on!

 

[junkeymonkey]

good deal on that -- I assume it was just the intel graphics driver??

 

[cryohydrates]

good deal on that -- I assume it was just the intel graphics driver??

It was exactly that!

 

[junkeymonkey]

well if it work it worked but its good to know to suggest to the next guy ?? seems like all you should of done was switch from onboard to pci-e and been just fine ??