Should a Radeon 7850 2GB work in Dell XPS 8300? My PC won't POST.

[ben1234]

I have this system, all stock standard from Dell:
Dell XPS 8300 i7-2600 @ 3.40GHz
8GB RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Video card: Radeon 6450
460W PSU

I just bought a HIS Radeon 7850 2GB video card which from all the research I did should work fine with this PSU despite only having 460W vs 500W recommended. Certainly it should at least start. However I cannot get the computer to boot after installing the card - or if it is, there is nothing on the monitor to tell me. When booting the system fan and also the fan on the video card spin, but no splash screen, I can't get BIOS to come up, and so no Windows either.

I have since read that the Dell XPS 8300 had some compatability issues with some other high end Nvidea cards, but I can't find if anyone has either:

a) Successfully got the Radeon 7850 to work
b) Confirmed that this is impossible

I have tried the DVI, HDMI and mini-dp outs, and none make a difference. I've also tried using the VGA port which comes from the mobo NOT the card. This VGA port works fine if I use the Radeon 6450 or if I use no card at all, but if I plug in the Radeon 7850 it won't POST. I was hoping I could use the integrated graphics to use the VGA port so I could then get into Windows and load the drivers for the card. I am unable to either install the drivers prior to installing the card, or else use the VGA method above.

I uninstalled the drivers for the old card, told Windows to not auto-update drivers and restarted, but the system keeps re-installing anyway. Could this have something to do with it? I'm able to stop it installing the old Radeon driver by restarting with no card, installing the Intel integrated driver, then disabling it (not uninstalling it). By disabling it, it doesn't try to reinstall when restarting. But this still doesn't get me a solution.

It seems the most likely source of the problem is that either:

a) the card doesn't connect properly in the PCI-E slot on this particular mobo, though it seems to click in nice and solidly.
b)the card is unrecognized by the BIOS (this goes well beyond my expertise so I don't really know what I'm talking about here)
c) the card is a dud and a replacement should work
d) the PSU is insufficient. I really doubt this is the case from all I've read. If this were the case I should at least be able to get to the BIOS screen - I get nothing.
e) The driver is not being installed / uninstalled correctly.

Oh, and yeah I did plug in the 6-plug power in the back of the card too. Since the 6450 didn't require a separate power supply, I've not used this cable before and have nothing else to test it on, so there's a possibility there is something wrong with it. But again, the fan did run, though perhaps that can be powered by the power from the PCI-e socket?

Before returning it to Newegg, I would like to know if there is anything I can do or if its a lost cause and I should swap for something else? And I know, I should have built it from scratch rather than buy a Dell, but that ship has sailed.

Thanks for you help!!!

 

[blazorthon]

Usually, when I have similar problems, I can solve them by unplugging everything and cleaning out the system and the connectors. If you only get the problem when the 7850 is installed, then that at least implies that it has a hardware problem or there is an incompatibility somewhere and that solution won't solve that. Can you test it in another system to see if the issue is specific to your system or the graphics card?

a) so long as it fits in smoothly, it should be fine- keyword being should. You could try making sure that there are no obstructions to stop it from going all the way into the PCIe slot.

b) This seems unlikely. I don't even know how something like this could happen in this situation unless the BIOS was faulty, in which case a BIOS update should fix the issue.

c) This seems like one of the most likely potential causes of the problem.

d)I agree that this is not likely the issue.

e) The driver shouldn't be an issue until you try to boot Windows. It should still get into the BIOS even if the driver was faulty.

 

[ben1234]

I don't readily have another desktop PC to try it on, but if I can find someone who's willing to let me try I think I'd like to do that prior to returning it. If it doesn't work on a different system I'd be fairly confident its the card. I don't really want to return it for another that also doesn't work though in case there is a compatibility issue.

It seems to sit fine in the slot and case, I checked the BIOS was the most up to date available (it was) so probably its a card error. Thanks for clarifying (e) for me, I didn't know that a video driver issue should not stop me accessing BIOS so I'll stop looking at that as a potential cause.

Ideally I'd still love to know if someone else has tried to put this card into this system, and if it worked.

 

[ARICH5]

its possible that the dells psu doesnt have enough amps on the 12v to run the 7850 but enough for the 6450

 

[blazorthon]

That's possible, but not likely. The Delta 460W units that Dell uses and of which OP should have one of in an XPS 8300 are pretty good PSUs.

 

[derricklq]

Did you plug in the 6 pin power connector into your 7850. the 7850 requires it besides the power from the PCI-E slot. Power draw is at 130w +/- the PCI-e will not have enough power to run it.

 

[blazorthon]

The 7850 doesn't draw anywhere near 130W, but yes, it does need a PCIe power connector. OP already said that it is plugged into the card.

 

[TinkerTailor]

One thing from your description seemed odd to me:

I've also tried using the VGA port which comes from the mobo NOT the card. This VGA port works fine if I use the Radeon 6450 or if I use no card at all, but if I plug in the Radeon 7850 it won't POST. I was hoping I could use the integrated graphics to use the VGA port so I could then get into Windows and load the drivers for the card.

I didn't think that the integrated graphics port would work once the 6450 PCI-e card was installed. So at the risk of being overly descriptive, what you have tried is removing the 6450 and replacing it with the 7850 in the same slot? You shouldn't need to use the integrated graphics port on start-up since Windows will load a generic driver for the 7850 and you can then install the real drivers.

Odds are this is exactly what you have tried and you just have a bad card. The 7850 will draw 130 watts at load but certainly not at idle, so it's not likely to be a PSU problem. You said you haven't used that 6 pin connector before. You could possibly try using a molex to 6 pin adapter (one may very well have come with your 7850) to try a different PSU connector to rule out that possibility. Good luck.

 

[ben1234]

TT, what you said is correct, I replaced the 6450 with the 7850 in the same slot. I then individually tried to get it to boot after plugging into each of the ports on the back of the card. When that didn't work, I tried the VGA port on the mobo, which also didn't work. To see if the VGA would work with a card plugged in at all (like you, I didn't think it would), I tried it with the 6450 plugged in. To my surprise that worked, and so the fact that it doesn't work with the 7850 in is weird. I'm guessing that there is something wrong with the card which is causing the whole computer to freak out on startup, affecting the VGA port.

Since I can't easily try the card in a different computer (I live in Manhattan so everyone has tiny apartments, hence laptops dominate. And IT departments don't want their work PCs tinkered with either...), I think the best solution is going to be to return it to Newegg and get a replacement 7850. If it doesn't work, I'll assume its a compatibility issue and swap (again...) for some other card. If it works then happy days. I'll post on here to give the answer.

In the meantime I'd still be interested if anyone definitively knows if it should work or not. I'm sure a lot of Dell XPS 8300s were sold, and I'm sure a lot of their owners wanted to upgrade their graphics cards. Surely I'm not the first to try the 7850?

 

[blazorthon]

TinkerTailor, no, a Radeon 7850 should never get anywhere near 130W even at load. Are you referring to it's TDP which is 130W? If so, then I have to remind everyone here that TDP has almost nothing at all to do with power consumption. The Radeon 7850 usually consumes around 85W to 100W in gaming and even stress testing shouldn't push a reference-clocked (or near reference-clocked) 7850 too far over 110W.

ben1234, I can say with confidence that it should be compatible. I've been looking around and have yet to find anyone who tried this and posted results, but I've yet to find any reason for a Radeon 7850 not to be compatible with an XPS 8300 or any other such desktop.

I did find out why some high-end Nvidia cards had issues. It was a fault in Nvidia's cards' video BIOS (basically means firmware AFAIK) that supposedly has since been fixed. AMD's cards didn't have the issue according to what I've read.

 

[karwai]

hi im experiencing the same issue as well. anybody managed to solve it? i didnt expect it to be so complicated.

Thanks~

 

[ben1234]

hi im experiencing the same issue as well. anybody managed to solve it? i didnt expect it to be so complicated.

Thanks~

No it doesn't work. I contacted the card manufacturer in Hong Kong via their website, they say the card should work with the hardware specs. However, they said that Dell have done a bad job with the BIOS in this system, so its effectively crippled the hardware. Dell have discontinued the XPS 8300 so won't be updating the BIOS, meaning that the hardware they sold me (and you) is crippled for ever.

I contacted Dell and they had some moron tell me that unless the card is one he has on his list of cards that they tested, it won't work. The problem is all the cards they tested had to have been released more than a year ago before they discontinued the system. So my choices will be limited to old technology that is less power efficient with less performance. Despite my hardware being compatible - Dell's BIOS has crippled the hardware.

Not much I can do about this except never buy a DELL desktop PC again. Thanks for nothing Dell. I've sent my second card back to Newegg (for a second lot of return postage...) and will now pick another card to buy.

 

[Kisianik]

OK this is the original power supply specs if it would be helpful

The card in question requirements: Radeon HD 7850 - 21A and a 500W psu minimum

 

[David Greenwood]

Hi, although I have had issues with Dell compatability whilst upgrading before. I have an XPS8300 with an i5 and I have just stuck in a Radeon 7850 2Gb. Was really worried that it wouldn't work but it does. Ran first time and it is running whilst I type this. my Bios must be ok then. I just posted this because someone asked if anyone had managed to successfully install a 7850 on an XPS8300

 

[Coolblue33]

@David Greenwood - Thanks for chiming in on this chain. Unfortunately I just went the same route as OP and I can't get a VisionTek Radeon HD 7850 to post on my Dell xps 8300 i7 box. Did you have to do anything in particular to get the 7850 running on your machine? Remove video drivers, etc. What brand of 7850 are you running? I'd love to get this card working but I can't for the life of me get an output!

 

[Kisianik]

@David Greenwood - Thanks for chiming in on this chain. Unfortunately I just went the same route as OP and I can't get a VisionTek Radeon HD 7850 to post on my Dell xps 8300 i7 box. Did you have to do anything in particular to get the 7850 running on your machine? Remove video drivers, etc. What brand of 7850 are you running? I'd love to get this card working but I can't for the life of me get an output!

Can you still return your Visionteck? I suspect that video card BIOS is in question. I hope David Greenwood would post, if he post different brand, this will most likely confirm my suspicion. You Lzo need to know his XPS BIOS as well.

As much as I remember, XPS 8300 and 8500 have problems with certain GPU models like GTX680, maybe now there are also certain brands problems.

 

[Coolblue33]

Can you still return your Visionteck? I suspect that video card BIOS is in question. I hope David Greenwood would post, if he post different brand, this will most likely confirm my suspicion. You Lzo need to know his XPS BIOS as well.

As much as I remember, XPS 8300 and 8500 have problems with certain GPU models like GTX680, maybe now there are also certain brands problems.

The VisionTek card just arrived from NewEgg, so I assume I can return, but with some kind of restocking fee. I had heard the 8300s were having problems with GTX6xx series. I was hoping the newer Radeon 7xxx series would be okay, but I can't seem to find a straight answer - they work for some people, and don't work for others. Dell chat representative actually suggested this specific card for an upgrade on the box, which makes this even more frustrating now that it doesn't work. It sounds like Dell abandoned the xps 8300 pretty quickly, which leaves a lot of us high and dry. So much for buying a desktop so I can upgrade! I'd really like to get this card working so I can get another year or so out of this machine. (right now I'm running an ATI Radeon HD 5670 - was looking for the best upgrade possible with the lame 460w power supply + BIOS/mb restrictions)

 

[Kisianik]

Check return, or exchange policy.
Visiontek is Dell's "house brand" - Dell is selling Visiontek as upgrades, so that where tech advises coming from.
Basically right now we need to find confirmations about certain 7850 brand which working in XPS 8500.

 

[jimgo1111]

i am having a similar problem with my xps 8300 and new R9 270x Radeon card from Gigabyte. Did you ever resolve this?

 

[chrothenbach]

i am having a similar problem with my xps 8300 and new R9 270x Radeon card from Gigabyte. Did you ever resolve this?

Same problem. XPS 8300, w updated PSU. Powercolor HD 7850 2GB won't get video output, even after receiving a second card from Newegg.

Sounds like the card is good... but the motherboard is incompatible (due to lack of UEFI/Legacy support).

Otherwise, our best bet is to replace the motherboard (but it sounds like the motherboard in the XPS 8300 has a proprietary power button module, so I may need a new case as well). And that's quite labor intensive.

Anyone had any luck with any newish video card to work on this computer?

 

[chrothenbach]

hi im experiencing the same issue as well. anybody managed to solve it? i didnt expect it to be so complicated.

Thanks~

No it doesn't work. I contacted the card manufacturer in Hong Kong via their website, they say the card should work with the hardware specs. However, they said that Dell have done a bad job with the BIOS in this system, so its effectively crippled the hardware. Dell have discontinued the XPS 8300 so won't be updating the BIOS, meaning that the hardware they sold me (and you) is crippled for ever.

I contacted Dell and they had some moron tell me that unless the card is one he has on his list of cards that they tested, it won't work. The problem is all the cards they tested had to have been released more than a year ago before they discontinued the system. So my choices will be limited to old technology that is less power efficient with less performance. Despite my hardware being compatible - Dell's BIOS has crippled the hardware.

Not much I can do about this except never buy a DELL desktop PC again. Thanks for nothing Dell. I've sent my second card back to Newegg (for a second lot of return postage...) and will now pick another card to buy.

ben, any luck getting another video card to work? Trying to decide whether to buy a whole new case/motherboard or just use a different video card.

 

[clubsoda]

Hi, I just got a 7870 for my 8300 thinking it was a great deal after the rebate and instead im having exactly the same problems. Ive been thinking its the bios as well and very few indications it might be something else instead