Bad 9800 Pro problem!

  • Thread starter Thread starter elziko
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elziko

Have have just bought a Connect3D 9800 Pro (256Bit).

I have an Asus K8N-E Deluxe motherboard and when I boot the machine I
just get strange square blocks on the screen. Initially I get this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem1.jpg

then this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem2.jpg

I have tried my old graphics card in the machine (Geforce2 MX400) and
the machien works just fine.

I have tried unpluging everything from the machine (so that all it could
do was POST) leaving only the following to be powered: MoBo, processor
and the 9800Pro. I have a good quality Zalman 300W powersupply and it
still does not work.

I have tried resetting the machien after booting. No help.

I have tried using the DVI output with the DVI-VGA adapter. No help.

I have checked the card is seated OK. No help.

I have updated the MoBo's BIOS. No help.

I am at my wits end, I can;t think of anything else to try!

Please help! TIA
 
elziko said:
Have have just bought a Connect3D 9800 Pro (256Bit).

I have an Asus K8N-E Deluxe motherboard and when I boot the machine I
just get strange square blocks on the screen. Initially I get this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem1.jpg

then this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem2.jpg

I have tried my old graphics card in the machine (Geforce2 MX400) and
the machien works just fine.

I have tried unpluging everything from the machine (so that all it
could do was POST) leaving only the following to be powered: MoBo,
processor and the 9800Pro. I have a good quality Zalman 300W
powersupply and it still does not work.

I have tried resetting the machien after booting. No help.

I have tried using the DVI output with the DVI-VGA adapter. No help.

I have checked the card is seated OK. No help.

I have updated the MoBo's BIOS. No help.

I am at my wits end, I can;t think of anything else to try!

Please help! TIA
Click to expand...


1) The card is 256MB, not 256bit.

2) You haven't done the obvious and replaced the PSU. 300W is probably
underpowered for this card as it requires power directly from the PSU, a
crappy MX does not. I have a 9800XT and a Tagan 500W and it works fine. I
would recommend upgrading the PSU. I, personally, don't think much of Zalman
PSUs, having had three die on me within three months. A Tagan 380W (which
may be enough for your setup) can be had for between £45 and £50.

Replace the PSU with something more powerful and I reckon the problem will
vanish.
 
elziko said:
Have have just bought a Connect3D 9800 Pro (256Bit).

I have an Asus K8N-E Deluxe motherboard and when I boot the machine I
just get strange square blocks on the screen. Initially I get this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem1.jpg

then this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem2.jpg
Click to expand...

Aight are you sure that wasn't space invaders?

I actually had that happen to me with the 6800GT that requires 1 molex.
Upped the PSU by 100W and the problem went away. That is, if you've checked
all the things you listed + you're sure the pinout of the 9800 jack isn't
screwed.

Try the card on another computer with a better psu if you're still not sure
and not ready to get the psu yet. :)
 
Or..You might wanne try putting the card (9800 pro) in a friends computer
and see if it works ok there...
Boldy
 
Thanks for your card!
1) The card is 256MB, not 256bit.
Click to expand...
My card is 128 Mb 256 Bit!! The reason I mentioned this in the first
pace is because there is a 128Bit (I'm talking memory bandwidth here!)
version and I didn;t wantr my card to get conmfused with that.
2) You haven't done the obvious and replaced the PSU.
Click to expand...

I did replace it with another power supply of similar power and it
didn't help (I had read about people with a similar problem who had a
550W Antec or something and then tried a genric 250W and it worked
fine!). I'm surprised since ATI said the card should work fine with a
good quality 300W PSU just fine, maybe theyre wrong. There were no
harddrives, CD ROMS etc requiring any power. I even removed the CPU fan
to make sure the 9800 Pro could have as much power as needed. Thanks for
your advice though, I will try and sourec another supply to give it a
go. I'm hoping it may be some other problem though since I only just
bought that supply!
 
elziko said:
Have have just bought a Connect3D 9800 Pro (256Bit).

I have an Asus K8N-E Deluxe motherboard and when I boot the machine I
just get strange square blocks on the screen. Initially I get this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem1.jpg

then this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem2.jpg

I have tried my old graphics card in the machine (Geforce2 MX400) and
the machien works just fine.

I have tried unpluging everything from the machine (so that all it could
do was POST) leaving only the following to be powered: MoBo, processor
and the 9800Pro. I have a good quality Zalman 300W powersupply and it
still does not work.

I have tried resetting the machien after booting. No help.

I have tried using the DVI output with the DVI-VGA adapter. No help.

I have checked the card is seated OK. No help.

I have updated the MoBo's BIOS. No help.

I am at my wits end, I can;t think of anything else to try!

Please help! TIA
Click to expand...
If this is not a hardware failure, your card seems to start with wrong
timings. Delete old drivers, clean your registry.

Niclass
 
Niclaas said:
If this is not a hardware failure, your card seems to start with wrong
timings. Delete old drivers, clean your registry.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply but this occurs even with no harddrive plugged in.
It therefore can have nothing to do with drivers or the registry.
 
Bronney said:
Aight are you sure that wasn't space invaders?
:-)

Try the card on another computer with a better psu if you're still not sure
and not ready to get the psu yet. :)
Click to expand...

I've just found that I can get hold of a new 380W Antec for testing...
thats pretty much the best I can do! I'll see how that goes.
 
elziko said:
Thanks for your reply but this occurs even with no harddrive plugged in.
It therefore can have nothing to do with drivers or the registry.
Click to expand...
In this case, your machine isn`t the problem. The card should powerup
with any psu.
 
I have been given a few MoBo BIOS seetings to try from ATI. Does the
BIOS do anything at this stabge in the process? Do the BIOS settings
have anything to do with the graphics card before the BIOS itself POSTs?
I think these strage blocks are happening before the POSTs.

TIA
 
As others have suggested, try the card in another computer. If the video
card is at fault not even the best or most powerful psu will make it right.
 
I hate to tell you this but that is a sign of a bad video card.
However because of all the different drivers and such, it could be the power
supply.
Try the card in another system if it fails there then you will know for
sure.
 
Miss Perspicacia Tick said:
1) The card is 256MB, not 256bit.
Click to expand...

How do you know its not a 128MB 256bit card?
2) You haven't done the obvious and replaced the PSU. 300W is probably
underpowered for this card as it requires power directly from the PSU, a
crappy MX does not. I have a 9800XT and a Tagan 500W and it works fine. I
would recommend upgrading the PSU. I, personally, don't think much of Zalman
PSUs, having had three die on me within three months. A Tagan 380W (which
may be enough for your setup) can be had for between £45 and £50.
Click to expand...

With only the mb/chip/1 HD/ Radeon/ Ram in it should boot. That looks
fusked to me. You could try it in another machine. I don't think a bigger
PSU is going to make any difference in this case.

I run a 2100+, 512 DDR x2, 1 HD, 2 DVD, all PCI slots full (5 of them) and
the 9800pro off a 300W PSU and would get the occasional lockup. Funny
graphics and such, but the system would boot and run 2d stuff fine.
Upgraded to a 400W and all stable. This seems a little different to what
you are experiencing.
 
elziko said:
I have been given a few MoBo BIOS seetings to try from ATI. Does the
BIOS do anything at this stabge in the process? Do the BIOS settings
have anything to do with the graphics card before the BIOS itself POSTs?
I think these strage blocks are happening before the POSTs.

TIA
Click to expand...

There are a few MB bios settings that make a difference, particularly those
that affect AGP timings, driving strengths etc

However usually even if these are way out the card will still run for simple
2D or text mode (like the POST) and lockup or run badly in 3D.

The BIOS is talking to the card during POST at the very lowest level if that
isn't working then I would suggest it is a bad card.

The same is true for most Power Supply related problems as well. The card
will generally function fine until you ask it to do some real work.

In order of likelyhood I would say

1. Borked card, send it back
2. Strange chipset/card/bios incompatibility
3. Bad PSU

2 is number 2 because usually if the chipset or BIOS aren't playing the same
game as the card then you will get a bleep error code and no display at
all. To me this looks like you are getting past the POST as if everything
is ok but you just have garbage from the cards output.

As other posters have suggested I'd try the card in another machine.
 
elziko said:
Have have just bought a Connect3D 9800 Pro (256Bit).

I have an Asus K8N-E Deluxe motherboard and when I boot the machine I
just get strange square blocks on the screen. Initially I get this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem1.jpg

then this:

http://www.justinelzik.dsl.pipex.com/linked/9800pro_problem2.jpg

I have tried my old graphics card in the machine (Geforce2 MX400) and
the machien works just fine.
Click to expand...

Odds are that it's a bad video board. But in addition to what others have
suggested try clearing your CMOS. There's a remote chance that something
got hosed up there in a way that is causing problems with that particular
model of board. It's cheap to check so worth doing.
 
elziko said:
I have now tried the card with a 380W Antec and also on an Abit KG7
motherboard with the same results although my old grpahics card works fine
on both.

I guess this is the point that I point a definite finger at the new 9800!
Time to RMA it yes?

Should I get the same card again or avoid ATI.... I have a horrible
feeling the new card will have the same problem!
Click to expand...

If it does then see if you can get a refund and get an ATI-brand or a
Sapphire board next time. I've never heard of Connect3D.
 
elziko said:
I have now tried the card with a 380W Antec and also on an Abit KG7
motherboard with the same results although my old grpahics card works
fine on both.

I guess this is the point that I point a definite finger at the new
9800! Time to RMA it yes?

Should I get the same card again or avoid ATI.... I have a horrible
feeling the new card will have the same problem!

Thanks to all those who have helped
Click to expand...

Give another card a go. You will not be disappointed with its performance
when youo get it running. There are bound to be faulty cards out there in
this day of high through put through the production line. You just got
unlucky this time.
 
elziko said:
I have now tried the card with a 380W Antec and also on an Abit KG7
motherboard with the same results although my old grpahics card works fine
on both.

I guess this is the point that I point a definite finger at the new 9800!
Time to RMA it yes?

Should I get the same card again or avoid ATI.... I have a horrible feeling
the new card will have the same problem!

Thanks to all those who have helped
Click to expand...
The 9800pro is reliable card and a good buy, just rma it.

Niclaas
 
J. Clarke said:
If it does then see if you can get a refund and get an ATI-brand or a
Sapphire board next time. I've never heard of Connect3D.
Click to expand...

FYI I have been led to believe that Connect3D is the badge that ATI use
for its 'ATI brand' stuff i the UK. I think it may be better to try a
Sapphire instead, just in case.
 
J. Clarke said:
Odds are that it's a bad video board. But in addition to what others have
suggested try clearing your CMOS. There's a remote chance that something
got hosed up there in a way that is causing problems with that particular
model of board. It's cheap to check so worth doing.
Click to expand...

The problem occured before and after I reflashed the BIOS anyway, and on
a different MoBo. Must be the card. I hvae RMAd it now.

Cheers!
 
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