MSI R9 290 not even being recognised by w8.1

[CB07]

Hello all,

I recently purchased an MSI R9 290, it arrived today and I thought I'd install it.

My old card was a GTX 275 (lol), which I uninstalled the drivers of and then shut down the PC, plugged in the 290 and restarted.

I was receiving no signal on my monitor for any of the slots (1x HDMI, 2x DVI). It was definitely powered (fan was running).

I tried installing the drivers etc, however it uses the (quite poor) catalyst software to determine your card and drivers. However, the PC is not even recognizing that the GPU is there, which means that no drivers are installed.

I've been running off the MOBO graphics to try and find out what's wrong with no success.

I've looked around and ran into the BIOS switch and 'fiddled around' with it but neither seemed to work.

Specs:
FX 4100 Quad 3.6ghz Processor
8GB Ram.
W8 64 bit.

MOBO: ASrock N68C-GS FX.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[OldWorld]

Are you sure it's Windows 8.1 that's the problem? Does the graphics card have the connect pins to slot into it?

 

[CB07]

Are you sure it's Windows 8.1 that's the problem? Does the graphics card have the connect pins to slot into it?

The GPU has two slots, one for 8 pin one for 6 pin (I assume that's what you're referring to). The card came with an adapter into a 6 pin plug, but I already had one in the wiring.

I don't think that's the problem as I can clearly hear the fan operating, which suggests it is receiving power/running.

 

[OldWorld]

The GPU will still turn on, but it won't work effectively (or in your case, at all). The same happened for my card, I had an 8 pin and a 6 pin, and the 8 pin wouldn't slot in properly. I tried two 6 pins, and my screen appeared but I got a message telling me to ensure the right wires were connected.

Does your power supply have slots that you can insert wires into? My new one does, fortunately, but my old one didn't. The way I alleviated that problem was to buy a connector that will convert the 6 pin into an 8 pin. Maplin does them, got mine from there.

Here's an example of one, it's cheap too:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Startech-Express-Power-Adapter-Cable/dp/B001TK3TJY

 

[CB07]

The GPU will still turn on, but it won't work effectively (or in your case, at all). The same happened for my card, I had an 8 pin and a 6 pin, and the 8 pin wouldn't slot in properly. I tried two 6 pins, and my screen appeared but I got a message telling me to ensure the right wires were connected.

Does your power supply have slots that you can insert wires into? My new one does, fortunately, but my old one didn't. The way I alleviated that problem was to buy a connector that will convert the 6 pin into an 8 pin. Maplin does them, got mine from there.

Here's an example of one, it's cheap too:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Startech-Express-Power-Adapter-Cable/dp/B001TK3TJY

No it doesn't, the wires are directly wired into the PSU box.

What confuses me is that the adapter inside the box was 6 pin - Surely if it needed an 8 pin plug it would had one inside?

 

[OldWorld]

Manufacturers make foolish decisions. Google which pins that card needs. My GPU came with a 6 and 8 pin, and the 8 pin wouldn't bloody fit. I actually almost broke it I tried forcing it so hard. You definitely need an 8 pin if there's a slot for it. Definitely buy an adapter like the one I linked.

 

[GreenBeard]

This is a really late response, but I think it's the motherboard that's incompatible with the card. I have the same motherboard and when I boot up I get no signal from my card. After I tested the card in a different motherboard, all else equal, the card showed an image and properly booted up. Pcpartpicker claims our boards to be compatible with r9 290 but from what I've experienced it doesn't work. I upgraded from a r9 270, clean uninstall, and that one worked with the n68c-gs fx. If you found a way to fix it could you inform me?

 

[CB07]

Greenbeard,

The problem was my PSU. The R9 290 is a beastly card, and regardless of how efficient they claim to be, they also require a beastly PSU.

I was running a 650w PSU and that wasn't enough. Pushed up to an 850w PSU and bobs your teapot we were good to go.

Make sure that the PSU you buy (if you do buy one, you can get some cheap chinese ones on ebay for £50ish - not great on noise or energy consumption but will keep you going for a few months) has the right cables, you'll need a 6pin and a 6+2pin GPU connector, forgotten what the actual name was.

Hope this helps.

 

[CB07]

This is a really late response, but I think it's the motherboard that's incompatible with the card. I have the same motherboard and when I boot up I get no signal from my card. After I tested the card in a different motherboard, all else equal, the card showed an image and properly booted up. Pcpartpicker claims our boards to be compatible with r9 290 but from what I've experienced it doesn't work. I upgraded from a r9 270, clean uninstall, and that one worked with the n68c-gs fx. If you found a way to fix it could you inform me?

big derp moment.... just realised I forgot to quote you, see above