Trouble adding discrete video card to Dell Inspiron 620

rockyonekc

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Jul 24, 2014
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I replaced the stock psu on my Dell Inspiron 620 i5 with a 600w power supply, and I updated the BIOS to the latest version available from Dell. The computer boots and runs fine with the new psu using the existing integrated graphics vga port. There are no video options anywhere in the BIOS.

I bought a XFX R7 260x so we can run some games. It fits the 620 tower fine, and the psu has 6 pin PCIe. The problem is the computer won't boot with the new graphics card installed. It never even gets to BIOS. I have tried 3 different monitors including one with a DVI input. Nothing seems to be working.

I've read hundreds of threads here, and also at the Dell Support site but have not found much in terms of solutions. I am starting to think it's a compatibility issue. Any thoughts on what else to try?
 
Solution
some models of store bought computers [dell.hp,acer,ect..] may come with a ''locked or fixed'' bios and may not allow you to change certain hardware as a video card.. this is done to protect them from undue warranty claims and refunds .this is not done to hurt you but to protect them. you really need to see if that upgrade has been proven to work in your model first before you invest money in it .. there are a lot of these threads here at toms to look at some models will allow upgrades and some dont.. and a lot of guys here say ya ya ya when is really no no no...it would be sad you spent $200 on a card that wount post after you installed it as most find out. then get told its your psu and you spend more and end up right back where you...
I second that, you really need to check your card in another computer. DOA's are fairly rare, but they do happen.

One thing you may want to try as well. See if there is a new BIOS for Inspiron 620 on Dell's support site. Sometimes incompatibilities are fixed with BIOS updates.

Also have a poke around in the BIOS, see if there is a setting for what graphics are available. Usually there's one to tell the computer what to initialize first, integrated versus add-in card.
 

rockyonekc

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Jul 24, 2014
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Thanks for the suggestions.

I called Dell last night before I posted here. Since I am out of warranty, they weren't willing to answer any of my questions. I can't find a compatibility list from Dell either.

As I pointed out in my original message, I already updated to the latest BIOS available from Dell, and there are no BIOS settings that deal with the on-board video. That was the 1st thing I tried. The Microcenter that sold me the computer also picked the video card, so hopefully they will be willing to exchange it for something else.
 
some models of store bought computers [dell.hp,acer,ect..] may come with a ''locked or fixed'' bios and may not allow you to change certain hardware as a video card.. this is done to protect them from undue warranty claims and refunds .this is not done to hurt you but to protect them. you really need to see if that upgrade has been proven to work in your model first before you invest money in it .. there are a lot of these threads here at toms to look at some models will allow upgrades and some dont.. and a lot of guys here say ya ya ya when is really no no no...it would be sad you spent $200 on a card that wount post after you installed it as most find out. then get told its your psu and you spend more and end up right back where you are now, but its up to you good luck..


you got to know the the boards in these computers are not like the ones we use to do custom builds witch are open to upgrading with in the boards compatibly . the bios is custom made for there design and just for the parts they authorize to be used on there computers

dell wount respond and say something bad on there product and all blame is shifted on you and they know what the deal is
 
Solution

rockyonekc

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Jul 24, 2014
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Thanks junkeymonkey. That's a pretty good summary of where I am at. I ended up finding a list of video cards for sale at the Dell website for my Inspiron 620. I took the list to Microcenter over lunch and exchanged my XFX R7 260x for a EVGA geforce GTX 750. I'll follow up later with the result.
 

rockyonekc

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Jul 24, 2014
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One of the other things I tried the last few days was to pull both sticks of ram, but that didn't help.

Thanks for the link. That was some interesting reading. I have definitely learned something about buying a basic box and upgrading vs. building from scratch.

So tonight we intstalled the Geforce GTX 750 and it worked like a charm. Computer booted, we inserted the driver disc and were set. 10 minutes tops. One thing I didn't expect was that the new card didn't have it's own 6-pin power connection. It's getting it's power through the PCIe 16X slot.

This was a project I was sharing with my 15yo son. He's been wanting to get into mods and PC gaming. I let (made) him do all the work. He did everything except seat the video card in the PCIe slot. He saved up his money for the video card, so that was the one thing he didn't feel comfortable doing. He didn't want to mess it up since it was his first time installing any kind of card to a motherboard. I was actually proud that he had the sense to know his limits and where to draw the line. I must be doing something right. Ha.

Thanks again.
 
Well it's good that you got it all sorted out. It's too bad that it had to come by a card exchange.

As for the 750 not having a PCI-E power connector, the new Maxwell GPU's from nVidia are very power efficient. If you'd gotten the 750Ti, it would have had one 6 pin.

In my particular experience, I've never run into a graphics card that wouldn't work in a OEM box. Maybe I've just been luck. Personally I've only owned one OEM box (1994), but I've helped friends and relatives to upgrade their computers and not once have I had an issue with putting any graphics card into a system. Now of course one thing that you have to be careful of is the power requirements. Most OEM boxes have very little left over to power additional hardware. They're all about cost cutting and using a PSU that has more capacity than what's needed isn't cost effective for them.
 

rockyonekc

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Jul 24, 2014
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@techgeek - it's my own fault for not doing a better job confirming compatibility prior to buying the card. Usually it's just plug and play more or less. Next time I'll spend a few minutes searching for issues with my specific computer in addition to my normal ratings and spec research.

@junkeymonkey - that's why I buy from the Microcenter 7 miles from my office. They take things back within 30 days- no questions asked. Not always the cheapest, but they usually offer some good sale pricess, and they have a great in store selection.