New video card and system won't boot

[coolzero16]

System #1 (sister's)
E5200
500W Antec PSU
Intel dg965wh motherboard
4GB A-Data memory
Sapphire 3870 video card replacing old ATI 800 pro card

System #2 (mine)
E6300
550W Antech PSU
Asus P5q-pro turbo
4GB Gskill memory
X1900XTX


Ok so when I pop the 3870 into System #1 and hook up the power the system will not make it past the Intel splash screen. If I put the old ATI card back in it boots up fine.

Now initially I thought the PSU might be too weak so I put the card into System #2 to see if it would work. When I do this I get the same issue.

So at this point I thought the video card was dead. I returned the video card to newegg and got a replacement 3870. It's still doing the same thing in both systems which makes me think it is something on my end unless I am just really unlucky.


What do you guys think? Am I missing something? I've done plenty of system builds, but I'm really stumped here. Any tips/advice would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[jackschmittusa]

Have a power connector on the vid card? Hooking it up?

 

[coolzero16]

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
Have a power connector on the vid card? Hooking it up?

Yes. It's the 6pin power connector and it is connected.


I found another clue, but I'm still unsure of the solution. I just pulled off all the components and put the CMOS jumper into maintenance mode (swapped the jumper one pin over like you normally would to clear CMOS) and then booted it up. I was able to get into the BIOS this way!

Unfortunately, as soon as I put the jumpers back into normal position and reboot it freezes at the splash screen again.

So then I pulled out the hard drive and dvdrw (both SATA) and the system made it past post but then told me no media detected!

Plugging the hdd back in causes the system not to post, but using just the dvdrw the system WILL post. I've tried every sata port with the hdd.

So to recap: new video card + existing sata hdd = no post......how can these 2 devices be related?

 

[jackschmittusa]

Usually the jumper positions are: "clear CMOS" and "normal". Don't know that I've ever seen a mb boot with the jumper in the "clear" position (some manufacturers had lots of returns because people didn't RTFM and see that the boards were shipped with the jumper in the "clear" position to preserve battery life).

Usual guess is that the psu won't power a vid card and spool up a hd at the same time, but your psu should be adequate. Even if it is filled with dust bunnies it should do a cold start. Has the psu ever been subjected to overheating, near lightning strike, etc.? HD make any noise? Get really hot?

 

[coolzero16]

I tried a 750w bfg psu and it didn't work. I don't think it's a power issue.
Also swapped in a different HD and it's still doing the same thing.


I stopped by a pc boutique shop and the lady at the counter said she had the same issues with an ATI card last week. What she did to fix it was load up on the integrated graphics and then install the ATI drivers. She then shut down the system, put in the new card and it booted right up. This doesn't make any sense to me because drivers don't load until windows starts and I'm not even making it past post....

 

[jackschmittusa]

I agree it is not a driver issue.

Have the latest bios installed? (Though it would be odd for 2 mbs from different manufacturers to have the same problem.)

I'm running a Sapphire 3850 in an MSI mb (AMD) with an Antec 650 and sata hd and ran into no issues.

The only thing I can think of that the vid card and hd have in common during boot is power draw, and that shouldn't be a problem.

I'm stumped on this one.

 

[coolzero16]

Found it: It was a bios issue. I should have thought of this earlier, but the motherboard I ACTUALLY tried the card on was an intel 965wh not the asus p5q. I forgot that I swapped out mobos shortly after trying this card in System #2. SOOOOOOO both boards that this card was tried on were originally bought within a year of each other and they're both older intel chipsets. Updating the bios on system #1 fixed the issue.

Thanks for your help jack. Cheers!

 

[jackschmittusa]

Glad it's running now.