cannot install graphics card!???!?!!

[dilly dally]

ok so i got my Albatron 8600GT this morning and when trying to install it through the disc it says there is no compatible device???

i have pluged it in properly to the pci-e x16 slot and i can see that it has 256mb of memory at boot up. so what the **** is wrong?? it says it has found new hardware but then it goes on and tells me to insert xp 64bit disc? and im using a 32bit version of windows xp

[Tharpe]

what does it say on the box? does it mention anything about it being 64bit compatible?

also, whats your power supply voltage? how many watts?

[dilly dally]

Don't worrie i fixed it!! what i had to do was disable the onboard because everytime i installed it, it was installing the onboard!

[Tharpe]

oh ok lol, glad you got it fixed! :)

[dilly dally]

this is really wierd. after a while when im on the computer all of a sudden everthing freezes and a conversation from msn keeps flashing! its soooo wierd. my mouse freezes and i have to press CTRL+ALT+DEL to actually be able to move the mouse

[Tharpe]

it may be overheating and causing it to freeze up.

where is your PC, is it in a ventilated area?

[dilly dally]

Well not really.

it used to be on top of my computer desk but now its in a shelf just above the floor

[Tharpe]

hmm. ok is there anyway you can pull it back from the wall? (that is if there is a wall lol)

yeah its overheating. check your fan speed,
what fan you have, the ventilation, the power supply.
350w min for pci-e (though you knew this!)

also is the inside of your case dusty? like around the fans?

if you've done all this and the fan speeds increased etc... and its still freezing, update your drivers again and if its still now working its a faulty G card.

anyone else got anything to add? :)

[dilly dally]

i have a 400w power supply. it only does it sometimes.

Its so wierd though because my friend is using a P4 3ghz with a 7600GT graphics card and mine is a 8600GT and he gets exactly the same frame rates as what i do on counterstrike source! i couldnt believe it. Its almost as though amd wasnt worth the effort if a normal P4 can deliver the same performance...

[Jonny2Bad]

css only utilizes 1 core and is very much cpu dependant thats why he gets the same fps as you!!

[dilly dally]

OH thanks for the reply! i see.... so what games these days use both cores BF2142? DiRT? Battlefield 2?

[JDowdall]

yeah pretty much any new game does

[Jonny2Bad]

But hardly any use 4 cores yet if any come to think of it lol. Crysis will and im sure cod4 will not sure about others though any1 else think of a game that uses 4 cores yet?

[Lustral]

UT3 will ;)

Lusty

[Jonny2Bad]

Yeah played the demo the other day!!

[dav72]

Don't worrie i fixed it!! what i had to do was disable the onboard because everytime i installed it, it was installing the onboard!

How exactly did you disable the onboard video? I have the exact motherboard. According to the Manual, set Memory Sharing to [AUTO] and set the primary video to PCI-E (that's where the video card is). The computer still doesnt even recognize the card.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[fynn]

you will need to go into the bios settings, and change the settings in there. when you boot the comp up, there should be a message letting you know what key to hit to enter bios. it be something like DEL or F2 or somthing like that

[dav72]

The options that I mentioned above are in the BIOS settings, in the Chipset options.

[system7]

dav72, what is the card you are trying to install here?

And is it PCI or PCI Express X16?

To uninstall onboard you go into device manager and right click on the onboard graphics. Device Manager is found by right clicking on "My Computer" and going "Manage" in XP. You do this before installing the new card.

Then you SHUT DOWN and unplug.

Now you add your new video card, connect the monitor to it and run the drivers install disk once it has booted. Completely ignore Windows messages at that point.

The bios will usually detect a new video card automatically, and display on it.

[dav72]

The graphics card is a connect3d brand, radeon X1600 pro, pci-e w/ 512mb ram, dual dvi-i and super vhs out.

I'll try disabling the on-board video first in windows as you mention. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks.