Why can't I get video...

[Hapless]

I've got a Gainward Geforce 4 Ti4200 and it's been giving me the strangest problems. I can't get any video when it's in my computer, but if I try to use the card in another computer it works perfectly. Other video cards work fine in my computer, and I'm sure the monitor is fine. What the heck is going on?

System specs:
Epox 8k3a+
Athlon 1.33ghz
256MB of Crucial PC2100
Win2k SP2

 

[spp]

ps?? i know that my enermax 350w works perfectly with my voodoo3500... but all my voltage rail dropped to below standard with my gainward 4400 in..........

 

[Souka]

yeah, that was along the lines what I was thinking.....your MB may not be able to provide the power to the AGP slot.

A bigger PS may not fix the problem however....

 

[Hapless]

I've got a 300w Antec, could that be the problem? I find it hard to believe that the motherboard wouldnt be able to supply enough power, its brand new and lots of people run it with Ti4600's and such...

 

[spp]

300w antec should be good enough, but you never know if the ps is failing. make sure that the fans are spinning on the ps, and maybe try a different ps.

 

[Hapless]

Ok, things are getting a little wierder. I was basing the not getting video part off the fact the monitor wouldnt wake up from sleep mode, but when I turn the monitor on i get an image, but its like the signal is out of sync or something and everything's garbled, and the monitor bitches about it not getting a connection even though its displaying a garbled version of Windows booting etc. Does this make any sense at all?

 

[Hapless]

^bump please help!!!

 

[Hapless]

^bump again

 

[edblor]

I think Souka hit the nail on the proverbial head

Sounds like the AGP is not getting quite enough juice. Try a bigger PSU (if possible).

Or......the MB is just not doing its' job.

G/L!

 

[Whitney]

There's a bios update to improve AGP compatability for your board here.

 

[spanky]

its like the signal is out of sync or something and everything's garbled, and the monitor bitches about it not getting a connection even though its displaying a garbled version of Windows booting etc

the out of sync part.... u get that in windows? if so... it sounds like a refresh rate problem.... maybe u monitor can't handle that refresh rate? the problem with garbled display... that happened with a gf3 i bought from someone off fs/ft... it was fixed by reseating the video card in the agp slot.

 

[Pederv]

So your HD LED does it's flashing thing and the bios does it's single beep thing but you don't get video? A friend has the 8K3A+ with a Gainward 4600 in it so the board can deliver the power, if it has a good power supply backing it. He's using an Antec 400W and he's thinking of going for a bit more power, because he thinks his overclocking is limited by his power supply.
The scrambled video you get when you have the monitor off and then turn it on sometime during the boot process could be caused by the low voltage throwing the video card clock off frequency