"No Signal" after installing an 8800 GT OC into a Dell Inspiron 530

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
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Hello all,

Having a bit of a technical problem. Actually, to add to the complexity it isn't even me who's having it, it's my brother. Of course with his computer out of commission he can't browse the forums so I thought I'd post on his behalf.

He bought a brand-new Dell Inspiron 530, and upgraded to 3 gigs of memory & the 24" LCD flatscreen monitor. He bought a BFG 8800 GT OC and a Logisys 575w power supply. The power supply was installed at a computer store after the computer arrived, as was the graphics card.

Here's where his troubles began:

He is not the best computer guy out there, he knows some basics but more enough to get himself into trouble then anything else, I'm not hugely better myself.

He originally attempted to install the card while using the base 300w (350w?) powersupply the Dell 530 ships with. He believes he did so correctly, but the computer wouldn't start. While taking the card out he managed to knock off the two small, blue bridges on his motherboard.

After taking the computer to a shop and having the new 575w Logisys powersupply installed and the BFG re-seated, the guy was not sure where the bridges should be placed. By contacting Dell he was able to find the correct positions and reposition them. I even looked up photos from people doing their own installs to see if his was matching the location of other Dell 530's, I think they are on there correctly.

So now as far as we can tell everything is hooked up & seated correctly. The power supply should be sufficient to run the machine.

However when he goes to start the computer he has two issues right away : first, the monitor defaults to the "No Signal / Color test" message, both in Analog & Digital modes. This pretty much stops us cold, but he's also found that the power button on the front of the computer won't turn it off. It occurs to me this may mean he's not holding it down for long enough, but I like to think he's smarter then that.

So I'm trying to compile a list of things he can do to find out where the problem lies. I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have. From other forums of people having a similar problem I only have these two suggestions:

A) Restart and listen for the POST boot "beep" to make sure it's even starting up.
B) take out the memory & reseat just 1 stick instead of both
C) hold down "DEL" and see if he can access the BIOS (seems unlikely as he gets no signal at all)

Anything else? It's days like this I wish I were a tech guru. Poor kid's at the end of his rope trying to get this to work.
 

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
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I should mention that, before installing the new power supply & graphics card the system did boot & load windows properly just using the intergrated graphics.
 

Harvey

Administrator<br>Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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The machine has onboard graphics. Did you set the CMOS to look for the vid card, first? Your manual should tell you if that setting is available.

If not, unplug the vid card, reboot using the onboard graphics, and set the CMOS to look for your card.

Good luck. :)
 

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
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At the moment even with the new graphics card removed & the monitor hooked up to the intergrated graphics card, we still get "no signal/ color test".

I'll ask him to try it again and see if he even gets a POST beep when the new graphics card is removed, he does not get a POST beep when it is installed, although he was at work so maybe he just didn't listen too hard.

My gut is telling me that, since it could boot before we put the card/power supply in and now it does not boot after wards, even with the new card removed, sometime during the installation/bridge/powersupply fiasco he managed to destroy the motherboard or at least damage it.

I mean, all the fans come on, lights come on, etc....just seems to be nobody home at the motherboard/cpu.

Which makes me wonder what Dell's return policy is.
 

robisbell

Banned
Oct 27, 2007
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I'd check to make sure the PSU you bought is installed 1st, and then I'd take it to someone more dependable and have the test the PSU.
 

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
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I'm assuming the power supply is correctly hooked up, as the CPU & graphics card fans come on as does the disk drive. If we take the PSU to get tested for being defective, what is it we need to ask them to test for? I'd like to make sure it gets done right, there aren't many people to choose from and we have some concerns the only guy nearby might not go the extra mile without some prodding.
 

RebateMonger

Elite Member
Dec 24, 2005
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Originally posted by: BegbyJ
12 & 13, since replaced in what we believe to be the correct position.
Make sure those are in the right position, since the BIOS won't come up if they are wrong. Those jumpers will clear the CMOS settings of the PC and will shut down everything if left in the wrong position.

Record your current jumper settings and just REMOVE the jumpers and, if that's the problem, things will work again.
 

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
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From how he has described it to me, both 12 & 13 are actually columns of 4 pins each (pic shows what looks like 3). If we call the power supply the "top" end of the computer, then jumpers 12 & 13 were both placed at the "top" end of their respective 4-prong row.

i.e.

12 (X=jumper, O=unused pin)
X
X
O
O

13
X
X
O
O

At least that is what he has described to me. I will tell him to try removing them and try booting again. Should we do this with or without the graphics card installed? And, if he can boot this way....what do we do with the jumpers at that point? Leave them out?

PS: Assuming they were in the wrong position the last few times he's powered the system on, would this irreversibly ruin the motherboard?

Thanks again for your help thus far.
 

RebateMonger

Elite Member
Dec 24, 2005
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Originally posted by: BegbyJ
From how he has described it to me, both 12 & 13 are actually columns of 4 pins each (pic shows what looks like 3).
This Dell manual says there are 3 pins. That's what virtually ALL motherboards have as CMOS jumpers. Four pins???

If you've jumpered Pins One and Two of Jumper #12, then you are shorting the CMOS and the board won't boot until the jumper is removed.
 

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
12
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Thank you, I will ask him to double check how he has it installed and find out if that is the case, it sounds like a good possibility.
 

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
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Turns out he described it to me wrong:

It was:

CMOS
OXX
123

PWD
OXX
123

Which matches what the documentation says it should be normally. To be safe, we followed the guidelines to reset the CMOS (changing the CMOS jumper from 2-3 to 1-2 for 5 seconds and then back to 2-3)

I'm not sure if we've missed anything but I think we have this part correct.

My next best guess is the memory. His computer has 4 slots, and came with 3 gigs of memory. He got 2 paired sets of 500mb & 1gig sticks.

I want to be sure we have these installed correctly. The manual say to install them in the order DIMM1, DIMM3, DIMM2, DIMM4.

However, after that it says to install them in matched pairs with the first pair in DIMM1 & DIMM2, and the second pair in DIMM3 & DIMM4.

That would indicate to me I need to install like so:

1st: DIMM1, 500mb
2nd: DIMM3, 1gig
3rd: DIMM2, 500mb
4th: DIMM 4, 1gig

So I installed them into DIMM1, 3, 2, 4 and have matched pairs in DIMM1 & 2, and DIMM3 & 4.

Is this correct?
 

BegbyJ

Junior Member
Jun 13, 2008
12
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Another issue:

As I mentioned (I think?) he cannot turn off his computer using the power button on the front. However, the problem is that he also cannot turn it on using the power button on the front. As soon as he toggles the switch on the back of the computer from "Off" to "On", the computer immediately turns on, without the front power switch having to be pushed. I'm not sure if this is an issue or not.
 

robisbell

Banned
Oct 27, 2007
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it's the PSU, plain and simple. either it's not the one bought, or it was improperly handled and installed.