New GeForce 460 GTX, installed, 1 beep, no video signal

[Odub]

Hello community, recently developed a problem dealing with (i think) my video card.

Just got my Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460. Now I'm no noob at hardware setup. Build quite a few computers and upgraded many more.

Im at work now so I'm not sure what my exact specs are:

OS: XP
Case: Cooler Master
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz Processor
GPU: GTX 460
Motherboard: nForce 680i SLI
RAM: ...not sure like 4gigs of DDR2
Soundcard: Creative Sound Blaster (i think)
PSU: CoolMaster 750 Watt
Monitor: Generic Dell (black and silver, sliding frame)

Now i recently installed my new videocard. I upgraded from a EVGA GeForce 8800GTS. After installed the card and everything. I boot my machine and hear a single, roughly 1 second long, medium volume beep. The screen stays black and my monitor goes into power-save mode, so no video signal. From there the computer loads normally, i can hear the opening windows sound so im positive everything is running correctly just not the card.

Now there is where it gets weird...I opened the case to experiment with some of the hardware (removing ram, sound card, etc.) and then...my machine boots up perfectly. With my case wall laying on the floor i successfully installed my video drivers and restarted my computer. Then it seemed to be working perfectly. Didnt do any extreme tests.

Then i proceed to close the case and...of course the same problem occurs. No video signal, beep, windows loads etc. Very weird in my opinion. So i start the computer with the case off. Works fine, and slowly put the case cover on while its running i slide it into place, screen goes black. Pretty sure windows is still running. Restart same no video signal.

Now there is a fan on my case side, which blows directly at the video card. Could that be the problem...? Probably not but who knows.


~Any help would be greatly appreciated
~Thanks

 

[jomofro39]

Really? You are certain that it is puttin the side panel back on the case that makes your screen go blank? But windows still runs in the background?
If you have it running, and you can see it, put the panel on, it goes black, then take it off again, you can see windows again? Or does it just turn off when you put the panel on and then even if you take it off again it is still blank?
Does the panel touch your videocard in any way? Does it hit the pci-e wires going to your graphics card?

Does your fan remained plugged into its molex while the panel is off? does the comp go blank when you plug in the fan?

Are you using dedicated pci-e connectors to your 460? Or are you using molex>6-pin adapters? Are there any other devices running off of the same molex strip if you are?

The basis of my questions are that I think it is either a grounding issue, or a power issue. It could very well be neither, but it is something to get you going. Let us know how it progresses. Very peculiar.

 

[Odub]

Ill try to answer as many questions from memory but...

-When i tested to put the side panel back the screen went black but the computer was still running. It seems that just the basic no video signal happened. Althought i couldn't see what was happening nothing sounded strange. Like a restart beep or something. So even when i take it off it stays black.

-Almost positive the panel does not touch the card. (no 100%)

-Since the 460 need 2 6-pin, one is a molex>6-pin and the other is a dedicated from my psu. From the molex strip there is another fan connected to it.

 

[Mousemonkey]

Disconnect the other fan from the molex being used for the card and recheck the clearance between the side panel and the card.

 

[jerreece]

The only way the case side panel could have anything to do with it would be if it's making contact with something it should not (wire, GPU, or something). Otherwise it should be a coincidental thing.

Unless your case has a side panel alarm switch, which is connected to the motherboard, and it's being tripped somehow and causing issues.

If you think the case could be contacting the GPU (perhaps along where the SLI bridge connection is) you could try putting some electrical tape (the thin black stuff) on the inside of the case panel, where they might touch. That should prevent a metal to metal contact, and thereby prevent any sort of ground from occuring. *shrugs* But your GPU really shouldn't be able to touch the side panel, unless you have a case that's too small.

 

[jerreece]

Disconnect the other fan from the molex being used for the card and recheck the clearance between the side panel and the card.

Because GPUs are a high power draw device, any power cables attached to them really should be dedicated (i.e. nothing else pulling power from them). Disconnect that fan like mousemonkey suggested.

 

[Mousemonkey]

Now there is a fan on my case side

I'm wondering if that is snagging or making contact with something it shouldn't. Or the molex to PCIe is pulling on something or it's a bad connection with that molex.

 

[Odub]

Well from all the suggestions you guys gave I was able to find the problem.

-Turned out one of the molex adapter had a faulty pin. This was connected to my case panel fan. When I lifted the case and slid it into place the pin would break its connection and thus kill video cards power. I noticed this when i slowly put the case on and right where the bad pin was it sparked then then the monitor went black. Which unbeknown to me doesn't shut the whole computer off haha.

Thanks the the quick help guys

...i should have known it would be a power issue -_-;

 

[Odub]

Best answer selected by Odub.

 

[jerreece]

Glad you found the problem! Hopefully everything is cool with your GPU still.