Boot problems

[imported_Eriol]

After installing my Sapphire x1950 Pro AGP, I've had problems booting my machine. I'm about 50/50 for it booting upon cold startup. I press the button, I hear things spin up, but the screen remains blank, and none of the fans inside spin down to near-idle levels (as they usually do about 5-10 seconds after starting). I turn it off, and I USUALLY need to unplug it for 5-10 seconds, and then after that, it will "usually" boot on the first time.


I'm thinking my power supply isn't beefy enough for this power-hog graphics card. I have a 430W Antec that's a couple of years old driving an athlon 64 3200+ w/ a DFI Lanparty mobo, two HDDs, an audigy 2, and 2 optical drives. With the two power inputs to the graphics card, I'm guessing that's it, but I really don't want to get a new PSU. If I have to, fine, but I'm hoping it's something else. But I'd rather replace it than fry something serious, like my mobo or something.

 

[meltdown75]

Your setup deserves more power.

You can sometimes verify this if you temporarily unplug your non-boot HDD and one of your optical drives and see stable performance.

Either free up some juice or get a beefier PSU.

 

[imported_Eriol]

Originally posted by: meltdown75Either free up some juice or get a beefier PSU.

I went with the beefier PSU route. An Antec 650W. And unfortunately, same BS happening.

Now I'm really worried.

 

[sieistganzfett]

Antec 650W is not a power supply to that card, its a POS to that card. The three +12V rails it has are of no value. most power supplies out there are going to be multiple rails for the 12V because its cheap to do. pc power and cooling makes a single 12V rails that can handle anything, such as the silencer 610. compare the outputs between your old power supply, that antec, and the 12V is probably the same or about it per rail, the silencer 610 is 49A on the single 12V rail. now thats power, and you don't have to even worry much about using multiple "different lines" from the power supply since its all one rail.

the Sapphire x1950 Pro AGP you installed was purchased from zipzoomfly? if so hurry up and rma it through them before your stuck with sapphire after the 30days from invoice date. sapphire will charge you for processing an rma, so you pay ship there, and pay processing which basically is their cost to ship back to you. another thing about this card is that the 3 main problems it has is Power (the box isnt for agp, but assume that 30A on the 12v rail for single pci-express card is the equiv) the second problem is heat (cooler fan at 40%, the thermal pads that are white with yellow pads on the ram don't even seem to absorb heat to me, but maybe it does. ::shrug:: so even though you, and others will say your power supply is enough, its probably not since its not all on a single rail 12V rail, but spead across multiple rails where combined, its less than 30A since they can't simply be added together. also, the sapphire x1950 agp has 2 power connectors that need to be connected to it, (must use from different rails which is essentially impossible, best to use a single rail power supply)

so essentially, i believe your card is shot by now and you need to return or rma/exchange it. will your prior video card work with you pc without problems at least. hopefully the rest of your hardware is fine still. using more power than a power supply can give will cause hardware to get damaged. its also possible your card was just bad right of the bat. (all of this is very common for that sapphire x1950 agp if you google it)