Graphics Card and Monitors not cooperating.

[Kyzer]

Hey everyone.

I just got a new computer today, and it has a 8800gts 512mb graphics card in it.

Nothing is installed on the computer.

When i connected my new monitor, Samsung 226BW, it shows it searching for analog and digital, then it just stops and goes to sleep. Tried my old monitor, and just went to sleep after 10 seconds.

Anyone had this problem, or know how to fix it. I tried analog and digital connectors, neither work.

thanks, ky

 

[Kyzer]

no bios screen comes up...no beeps...but all the motherboard leds come on. All my fans come on, including my Graphics card...

I can't install windows because i can't see my screen.....

 

[MattC]

The more info, the better. As it stands, we can only throw out some guesses.

First, I take it this new computer has not yet successfully booted up once. The monitor is likely fine, especially since you tried with both analog and digital wires. Does the monitor have both ports, or did you use an adapter? Are you plugging the cable into the vga/dvi port on the graphics card itself, or onto a port built into the motherboard? When you boot up, do you hear any odd beeping? If so, have you searched online to figure out what the beep code is telling you?

Here's what I would do, given no more information:
I would open up the computer case (even if you're a novice) while the computer is plugged in but turned off. Frequently touch the metal parts of the computer and especially the power supply, and make absolutely sure that you are not shifting your feet around or rubbing anything at all (if you build up a static charge and fry your computer, you may not even notice that you have done so). If you are a novice, ever so carefully check to ensure that all visible cables are firmly plugged in. Do not press too hard on any cables (such as the cable running from the hard drives or CD drives) where they plug into the motherboard, but do a visual inspection to ensure they are plugged in fully and not at an angle. If you're not a novice, check to ensure that the CPU fan is operating properly and check to ensure that the GPU is seated properly. If there is an audio card, make sure it's properly seated as well. With your GPU, there should be a power cable plugged into it. If you have SATA HDD's, the power cables should be doublechecked, as those are a little easier to have partially unplugged than the older style.

If nothing seems amiss, make sure your video cable is properly connected and screwed into the video card. Carefully check the video cable, dvi or d-sub, where it plugs into the back of your monitor. On many LCDs, the cable comes in at a bit of an odd angle and because the cable is very stiff it is easy have it improperly plugged in, at least if you don't screw everything in completely. Even then, you may have issues, but with two monitors to test with you are not likely to have a problem in that department.

 

[Kyzer]

I've tried allllll of that before I posted. I've checked pretty much EVERYTHING.

The computer turns on, the fans start spinning, the motherboard led's turn on, the gpu fan it running, the cpu fan is running, everything seems fine except for when i plug in my monitors, they just don't recognize anything...i guess i'll try again, just for safe measure.

 

[Kyzer]

nope, tried again...nothing...grrrr...this is really making me mad...

 

[fiber]

have 3 vp2130b and they each came with a DVI-I and a VGA cable. I then ordered the DVI-D Dual Link cables online at pacificcable.com as I wanted pure digital signal. Just a heads-up on the monitor setup, I didn't realize I had one monitor setup (in the monitor onscreen setup menu) with the input priority set as "Auto Search", so what happened was on boot the 2 vedeo cards initialized and 2 monitors lit, but the 1 monitor set as Auto Search would not. First I thought I had a Catalyst software settings issue and I could force the 3rd monitor from CCC, but on reboot the Auto Search monitor didn't have enough time to search for the signal, in time for loaded desktop. After all 3 set to DVI-D all is well and 3 monitors are lit for logon. Pics here: http://mysite.verizon.net/fibre/PC/PC.htm

 

[GuyAmI]

I'm just throwing this out here but have you tried both of the DVI ports on the video card?

I recently built two systems for some cousins recently and both are running the Samsung 226BW and when I plug them into the graphics card I always plug them into the left most DVI port (when looking head on at the back of the case.

If you can get your hand on another computer then one other thing you could try would be to hook the Samsung monitor up to it to see if it'll even display an image.