3 duff cards in a row? BFG Nvidia issues

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PCaphobe

New Member
A couple of years back I bought a BFG nvidia 6800 GT 256mb AGP card mostly because they offered a lifetime warranty.

When it went failed a month or 2 back I was glad I did... was being the operative word!

To cut a very long story short, their solution to a problem is simply say "send it back for replacement" - I did, and received not only a replacement, but an upgrade to a 7800 GT 256. Unfortunately it didn't work, sent back, got new one, didn't work. Thinking that was a bit odd, I borrowed an old 64mb card off a friend, tried that - it works absolutely find, so yet again sent back, got replacement... this afternoon received the latest replacement - which doesn't work.

Symptoms are exactly the same with every replacement card - after plugging the card in and pressing the start button, the hard drive light flashes 3 times then stops, nothing happens from then on.

I've tried a new PSU (450w) which made no difference, and given that the 64mb spare card works fine (it's in there at the moment so I can post this!), what am I missing? Could I really have got 3 replacement cards that are all duff? Is there anything I can test on the Mobo? The 64mb card has no digital output, and obviously no auxiliary power is needed, but other than that it's there and working :confused:

Completely at a loss so appreciate any advice!
 
is your computer so old it cannot run on anything more then 64/128 mb's? or maybe your AGP slot, 4x or 8x? hmmmm
 
as I say, it was running a 6800 256mb fine for a couple of years, so can definitely take the mb's. As to the AGP slot being 4x/8x... well that's a good question. I downloaded a bit of diagnostic software which says it's 4x max support (no markings on the Mobo so was the only thing I could think to do), but reading up on the graphics card BFG state it's "8x/4x compatible" - which is what the 6800 said as well.
 
The PSU you were using.. was it's Current sufficient? A 7800gt requires about 20 amperes on the +12v line, check the side of the PSU to see if you check up.
 
yeah, can't remember exactly what it is rated at, but when my friend lent me it to test with he chose one from the selection that was "plenty big enough" based on the 7800 specs
 
When people say "plenty big enough" they are usually talking about wattage, in fact many people don't know there is many, many other specifications and considerations to judge when using, or buying a PSU.

But back to the original question.. your situation is indictive of either, faulty cards, insufficient PSU, physical hardware incompatibility (or simple fault lines therein). If you still have the 78, try it in a friends computer you know can run it, it could just be busted, as unlikely as three in a row appears. :)
 
Yeah know what you mean about the PSU, but it's been checked out, can't remember off the top of my head but I think it's 24A on the 12V1

I contacted BFG yet again last night - asked some seriously basic (IMO) questions to check on compatibility - I know my Mobo is max 4x on AGP, the 7800 they sent me says 8x /4x compliant but it's been suggested elsewhere that the problems sound typical of a 8x in a 4x slot. Their answer? Send it back we'll do a replacement...

So, I spent the night trying to do POST tests with the Mobo stripped down bare, which got me absolutely no-where as the beeps I get do not corrolate to anything I can find on the Bios Beep codes! I'll take the 7800 round a mates at the weekend and try it in their PC - if it works in there the PC is definitely taking a long walk off a short pier.

Spec wise... not near it at the mo but again from memory:

"Dell Dimension 8200" branded AGP Mobo with no other markings (helpful)
running Phoenix Bios Plus V1.1 rev A07
P4 2.4ghz,
think it's an intel i850e chipset
4GB DDR2 ram - 400mhz

ETA: Just been doing a lot of googling, have turned up lots of people looking for help trying to get a 7800gs running on Dell computers! Seems there are two distinct groups - those who have no trouble at all, they work from the offset, then there are those that never get them working at all :(
 
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Just received a 7600 GS from BFG europe to try, at least to rule out problems with the PC / PSU etc (lower wattage but still has the "12v 20A" requirement)

Plugged it in, worked first time, no faffing, nothing! Guess it looks like the 7800 just isn't compatible with my PC!
 
It sounds like your dell is screwing up the graphics card, not the other way around. I mean what's the chances that you get three bad cards in a row...
 
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