Problems with installing my Geforce FX5500 pci graphics card

Hello people.. Im kinda a newbie at this. I have a dell dimension 3000, OS XP, P4, processor 2.8 ghz, 16 kb cache and 1024 secondary cache, 500 gig harddrive and 1.25 gig ram. With a 250 watt power supply. Well heres the scoop. Ive started out disabling the original Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller [Display adapter]. Then going in bios, Integrated devises and switching video controller to auto. Then i shut pc off and installed the geforce fx5500 and plugged the monitor into the pci card and rebooted. Then had no video at all and could not get video even when i plugged monitor back into original port. I had too take the geforce out of mt pc to get a picture back on. Now too add i tried to download the drivers recommended for the pci card been through scenario after scenario with this thing and its driving me crazy. Should not be having these problems.
It almost seems like the computer dont want to set the pci as primary graphics but only setting I have on my video control is onboard and auto.
I just dont get it. Sombody plzz help a bro out???

 

Hi and welcome to the BBS,

The graphics card might have the same IRQ (resource) settings as the onboard graphics and they conflict.

When you say PCI, do you actually mean a PCI graphics card or an AGP graphics adapter card? Check the motherboard manual and graphics card's User Guide. One might be AGP 4X and the other AGP 8X (not backwards compatible). There is also PCIe x16 graphics, but your system is probably pre-PCIe.

If it is an actual PCI graphics card, read carefully in the User Guide about set up.

What other options are available in the BIOS apart from Auto? You might need to disable the onboard graphics, BUT if the adapter card doesn't work, you will need to use the Clear CMOS jumper on the motherboard.

If you are stuck, try searching or ask at the Dell Community Forums.

Matt

 

Hi BigJ
I have the same card as you it is an AGP card, as Matt said re-set your bios have a look in the user manual & it will show you the required method for doing this, if you have no manual, on the board you should find 2 pins to the lower front of the M/Board near the front panel connectors,
with the power disconnected, place a jumper on these to pins then remove, this should clear the bios follow the prompts once powered up again, I would not disable the onboard graphics
If you are not to sure about playing with your bios settings go to re-set default settings
Power down & insert the AGP card (FX5500) if not already inserted
Power up with the video connected to the card not the on-board
Xp should recognise the card & Install drivers automatically for it, you can search NVidia for drivers to use if you wish to?
I have run this card on XP, Vista & Win7 with-out any drama, at 256mb these days it is at the lower end of it all, but still a good card

regards Jac

 

Alright Jack n Matt thank you for your time. Heres what I done and know..
Now the only options on my bios under integrated devices/ video control is either auto or onboard and i set to auto and i did plug monitor direct to the graphics card which is PCI not AGP or PCI express just PCI and I get no graphics at all if I disabled the onboard graphics. If I leave the onboard graphics enabled I get picture but not untill windows welcome screen appears. When it comes to CMOS jumper I have none on this motherboard no jumpers at all. Just so u all know I also just reformated and Im wondering if there was a glitch or somthing whilre installing drivers Idk this is becoming a pain. These dell dimension 3000 are very limited to what your options are in bios and settings I miss the Windows 98 days
Thanks for ur time Bigj

 

Im thinkin about reformattin again. Maybe I installed somthing in wrong order or somthing

 

Another way to reset the bios is to remove the cmos battery.
Make sure you have the power off and then hit the power button to make sure there is no residual power in the capacitors.
Hold the case chassis with one hand (to earth yourself) and remove the battery.
Leave it out for a couple of minutes then pop it back in.

 

I already tried that bro a couple of hours ago

 

I think you might be fighting an up-hill (impossible?) battle. If it has an AGP slot on the motherboard you might only have the option of AGP or onboard graphics. Motherboards don't seem to have the option of actually disabling the onboard graphics any more and as I said, there might be a resource conflict. Windows can reallocate resources, the BIOS can't (automatically).

Have a look here
http://www.sparkle.com.tw/images/manual/PCI_Guide.pdf
They talk about an option of onboard or PCI (the old days).

Is that on the PCI card? If so, can you run like that? You won't need to see the startup screens unless you have a problem, in that situation you can change back to the onboard VGA connector. If you could run like that, you could reduce the RAM allocation for the onboard graphics down to minimal (check in the BIOS), which will divert more RAM to the system.

Matt

 

Take the card out. bios change to auto then go to the device manager/display adapters/Intel/properties then disable it reboot the machine. then shut it down install the video card. restart. I just went through this with same machine. Hope this helps.

 

The nvidia FX 5500 as far as I know is only available in AGP 8 or in PCI Express according to nvidia.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/fx_desktop.html