Older Computer, No VGA Port (How to connect to monitor?!)

[cmp2993]

Ok, I have this older computer that my brothers friend custom built. He gave it to us a long time ago and I want to see what's up with it but I can't even find a monitor that can connect to it. It has some odd video ports on the back that a normal VGA monitor won't plugin to. Check out the picture and see if you guys know what the heck your supposed to connect to this! Thanks!

I also have no idea what kind of computer this even is, I've never heard of this company before.

Also, I have already tried putting a new graphics card and the computer won't send a picture at all to the monitor when I tried (I tried two different cards, including the one I use in my gaming computer right now. The computer obviously didn't recognize them or something.) This is why I need to try using the on-board video adapter but I can't find a monitor that connects to it!

 

[rolli59]

Apparently no onboard video option! Since it is so old what gaming card did you try to fit in what slot?

 

[cmp2993]

Apparently no onboard video option! Since it is so old what gaming card did you try to fit in what slot?

The only thing I figured out on my Google searching is that the 9 pin male connector in that picture was the old video ports before VGA was around. So idk if a monitor can connect to it or not.

I tried two different AGP video cards. The one that is in my higher end gaming computer now which is an ATI Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 8X AGP 512MB DDR2 and the other one was an ATI Radeon X700 Pro AGP 256MB. I have no PCI graphics cards to try and neither of these cards would send a signal to my monitor. The one card, like I said, I currently use for all my high end games so I know it works (works great actually).

 

[ko888]

Doesn't appear to be any video ports on the rear I/O panel.

Looks like there is a DB-9 serial port and a DB-25 parallel printer port.

That yellow RCA jack might look like a composite video out port but I can't make out what is stamped on the I/O panel shield in that fuzzy image.

 

[cmp2993]

Doesn't appear to be any video ports on the rear I/O panel.

Looks like there is a DB-9 serial port and a DB-25 parallel printer port.

That yellow RCA jack might look like a composite video out port but I can't make out what is stamped on the I/O panel shield in that fuzzy image.

The yellow RCA jack says by it "S/PDF Out". And yah sorry it's fuzzy, that's what you get with the crappy iPod Touch camera xD.\

Ok so the DB-25 is for old printers....I remember those now haha. What is the DB-9 serial port used for then??? That's where I thought an old monitor may have conencted, but maybe not.

 

[henydiah]

i don't see your mother board for better post pic your motherboard :
maybe ... this your VGA .. ?

u need VGA Card..!

ISA = Industry Standard Assoc, very very old (out off stock)

PCI = Peripheral Component Interconnect, very old and function for diagnosis / services (out off Stock)


AGP = Accelerated Graphic Port, (8x) this VGA generally used in PII, PIII, PIV
( just look slot in your motherboard usually brown color )

hmm AGP many kind of VGA Card support vendor but old card ( Matrox,Nvidia, ATI, S3 etc..)

 

[rolli59]

Probably has a AGP x1 or x2 which would not be compatible with those cards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port

 

[ko888]

The yellow RCA jack says by it "S/PDF Out". And yah sorry it's fuzzy, that's what you get with the crappy iPod Touch camera xD.\

Ok so the DB-25 is for old printers....I remember those now haha. What is the DB-9 serial port used for then??? That's where I thought an old monitor may have conencted, but maybe not.

S/PDIF Out is the Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format output port for carrying digital audio signals between devices and components over either optical or electrical cable.

The DB-9 serial port was used for devices like a serial mouse, but more than likely, an external telephone modem.

Is there a make and model printed on the motherboard?

 

[cmp2993]

i don't see your mother board for better post pic your motherboard :
maybe ... this your VGA .. ?

u need VGA Card..!

ISA = Industry Standard Assoc, very very old (out off stock)

PCI = Peripheral Component Interconnect, very old and function for diagnosis / services (out off Stock)


AGP = Accelerated Graphic Port, (8x) this VGA generally used in PII, PIII, PIV
( just look slot in your motherboard usually brown color )

hmm AGP many kind of VGA Card support vendor but old card ( Matrox,Nvidia, ATI, S3 etc..)

 

[cmp2993]

Probably has a AGP x1 or x2 which would not be compatible with those cards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port

Ohhh shizzz, you might be right. I don't know how I'm ever going to get a monitor hooked up to this thing.... I can't exactly work on it if I can't see what's happening.

 

[rolli59]

Well looking at the picture I do not see any ISA slots so it could be a athlon or a pIII board since I do not see a CPU power connector.

 

[cmp2993]

S/PDIF Out is the Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format output port for carrying digital audio signals between devices and components over either optical or electrical cable.

The DB-9 serial port was used for devices like a serial mouse, but more than likely, an external telephone modem.

Is there a make and model printed on the motherboard?

The only number I can come up with that are printed directly on the MOBO is the following:

A7VBX-X (printed in white on MOBO in between PCI slots 1 and 2)


There is also a lot of different companies names located on top of the various chips on the MOBO, but there all different so I don't think they are relevant here...

 

[ko888]

Its actually the ASUS A7V8X-X AGP8X and DDR400.

The chipsets are the VIA KT400(A) and VIA VT8235

 

[rolli59]

http://www.superwarehouse.com/Asus_A7V8X-X__ATX_AMD_Motherboard/A7V8X-X/ps/255804
Socket A Athlon board no video onboard.

 

[henydiah]

hmm le see just check slot :

your mobo this your slot VGA not detail ( but i think .. this VGA AGP for Assumed )

VGA PCI :

VGA AGP :

maybe can explain you..

 

[cmp2993]

Ok, so it is an AGP 8X slot so I don't know why my graphics card isn't working in that computer... I'm using it on my computer right now so I know it works.

 

[henydiah]

can you go BIOS ...? if can push F9 (default ) and than save (f10) , boot
first you go safe mode .. let your system configurated your VGA & ask driver your VGA .

 

[swifty_morgan]

By looking at the picture above it appears there's an agp slot but you have several PCI slots... ( not PCI-E ) .. They used to make video cards for those also and would be a cheaper alternative for such an old system.

 

[cmp2993]

can you go BIOS ...? if can push F9 (default ) and than save (f10) , boot
first you go safe mode .. let your system configurated your VGA & ask driver your VGA .

No, I can't get any picture at all on the screen. The computer isn't sending any signal at all out to my monitor. I need to be able to see before I can mess with BIOS at all...

 

[henydiah]

hmm this is big trouble ...! hmm
- remove your PSU from AC Check your PSU , socket connector, plug , fan PSU . (maybe your PSU not work)
- check all cable connector , include cable VGA monitor ), clean your RAM, check Fan your CPU rooling or not...?
- remove battery in motherboard let a minute, install again your battery , try power
on ! can you hear beep from CPU .. ?

 

[cmp2993]

hmm this is big trouble ...! hmm
- remove your PSU from AC Check your PSU , socket connector, plug , fan PSU . (maybe your PSU not work)
- check all cable connector , include cable VGA monitor ), clean your RAM, check Fan your CPU rooling or not...?
- remove battery in motherboard let a minute, install again your battery , try power
on ! can you hear beep from CPU .. ?

Yes I do hear one single beep from the computer when I turn it on. Is this a good thing? lol

The PSU that was in it wasn't working or something because it would only power one for literally 1 second then shut off. So I replaced with a different one and now it actually stays on.

I tried different RAM (it only had a single stick of 256MB RAM in it I put 1 gig in but that made no difference.

 

[Crashman]

Yes I do hear one single beep from the computer when I turn it on. Is this a good thing? lol

The PSU that was in it wasn't working or something because it would only power one for literally 1 second then shut off. So I replaced with a different one and now it actually stays on.

I tried different RAM (it only had a single stick of 256MB RAM in it I put 1 gig in but that made no difference.

Put the original memory in the original slot you took it from, then try another video card in the AGP slot.

 

[cmp2993]

Put the original memory in the original slot you took it from, then try another video card in the AGP slot.

I already did that, it was like the first thing I tried. I tried two different AGP graphics cards, one that I know works because I'm using it in my other computer right now for high graphic games... the other one was just taken from another computer too so we know it works as well.

 

[ko888]

Yes I do hear one single beep from the computer when I turn it on. Is this a good thing? lol

The PSU that was in it wasn't working or something because it would only power one for literally 1 second then shut off. So I replaced with a different one and now it actually stays on.

I tried different RAM (it only had a single stick of 256MB RAM in it I put 1 gig in but that made no difference.

The single beep is suppose to indicate that the video card itself has passed its own internal Power On Self Test. Usually after the beep you would see the BIOS POST screens appear.

Try the following instructions from the ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard Manual:

Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC) - this jumper is located next to the button cell battery.

These jumpers allow you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The RAM data in CMOS is powered by the onboard button cell battery.

To erase the RTC RAM:

1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Short the jumper by placing the jumper cap to pins [1-2] and replace it to pins [2-3] after 3 seconds.
4. Re-install the battery.
5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.
6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re-enter data.

 

[jedi940]

I assume that since you are getting beeps this isn't the issue and you probably unplugged it for the picture, but I noticed in your picture the 20 pin power connector is not plugged in.