Curse

Thom Bangalter · Oct 31, 2006, 08:29 AM // 08:29

So I've been using the integrated graphics card that came with my computer. It's been running guild wars fairly well. Not "amazing" graphics by any means, but it doesn't look like utter crap.

Anyway, I got to a point in the game, and every time I zoned guild wars would error and a message would pop up saying "Guild Wars has encountered an unrecoverable graphics driver error" and then I would have to close out of the game. I can no longer continue the pve story and to be honest, I don't feel like doing pvp at the moment.

http://www.scs.fsu.edu/classroom/Dell/gx270-spec.pdf

these are basically the specs on my pc at the moment, except I don't have the small-form case, it's a regular case so I can actually upgrade.

Anyway, here's where the problem lies: knowing full well that I needed a new graphics card, I went out to best buy and picked one up earlier this evening. I plugged it in to my computer, and it fits and everything (I didn't get a pciexptress or anything like that) and I checked, and the graphics card is getting power from the motherboard (the fan on the graphics card turns on).

here's where a new problem arises: when I plug in the new graphics card and plug my monitor into the hook up on said graphic card, a crazy white screen with patterned colored dots appears. If I plug in my graphics card and keep my monitor in the existing plug in on the tower for it, I get no response (my monitor effectively looks like it's in standby mode).

Dell customer support was pretty bad, and the graphics card company's customer support isn't available until tomorrow. Any suggestions to allow me to play guild wars again?

p.s. I would up getting an ATI Radeon X1300 pro graphics card. Nothing state of the art, but certainly better than the intel extreme integrated 2 I've been using for the last 11 months.

bizarresk · Oct 31, 2006, 09:21 AM // 09:21

x1300 is not a good card. if u want to get a new one, go for x1600pro at least. not that expensive, im using it and its good

Thom Bangalter · Oct 31, 2006, 09:55 AM // 09:55

I already bought the card, it was the only one at the store in my price range. However, I can't install it QQ

vaxmor · Oct 31, 2006, 10:59 AM // 10:59

perhaps go to BIOS and disable the onboard gfx adaptor?

is the card firmly and correctly inserted into the AGP slot?

does the card require a 3pin molex to power it, too (I dont think so)?

'crazy white screen with (randomly??) coloured dots' sounds like. . .faulty VRAM (IMHO).

*shrug*

moriz · Oct 31, 2006, 01:26 PM // 13:26

the x1300 should be enough to run GW perfectly well. check your bios: is the main graphics controller set to the AGP card, and not the onboard?

also, make sure to uninstall the intel graphics before attempting to install the card.

crucifix · Oct 31, 2006, 02:51 PM // 14:51

an x1300 is more than enough. i used to run GW on a 9600 with max graphics and it did fine. and if its a driver error, maybe you shoud think about getting the updated catalyst controller for your card, that may help a bit.

Mushroom · Oct 31, 2006, 03:20 PM // 15:20

Here is going to be your problem: The OptiPlex GX270 has AGP. Unless you were very careful, you probably ended up with a PCIe X1300.

When it comes to systems with AGP, I normally reccomend the Radeon 9550. The X1300 is an awesome card, but you really need to install it in a system with PCIe in order to take advantage of everything it can do.

The problem is that the X1300 was designed with PCIe in mind. The AGP versions end up with a problem of "bus crunch", by trying to pass far to much data through the old AGP bus. This results in lags and stutters when the settings are turned up high. The 9550 may be a bit old, but it was engineered with AGP in mind (it is just a budget version of the 9800 core). It can handle the settings turn full up, and not overload the AGP bus.

(note: I make the same reccomendations with NVidia. The newer generations were simply designed with PCIe, so if you go with a AGP 7800 in AGP, you would have the same sorts of problems)

Now the GX270 came in 2 flavors, which may complicate things even more. If you got the full size version, you have no problem. If you have the "slimline", then you may have another problem. The case in these models requires the use of a "slimline card". I know that Sapphire makes one, that ships with both the standard backplate, and a "replacement" plate that converts it to slimline. Just remove the old backplate (2 philips screws), and put on the replacement one.

Thom Bangalter · Nov 01, 2006, 01:15 AM // 01:15

Well, an update that changes everything:

the X1300 requires a 350 watt power source. My GX270 has a 250 power source. So I exchanged it for a NVidia GeForce 6200 oc. When I installed it in the AGP slot, I'm getting no display on my monitor. I don't think the AGP slot is dead because I got some sort of output from the X1300, albeit the bizarre white screen with random colored dots. Is it a dead card or a motherboard problem? Is there any way to check? I assume it's a fautly card but I don't know anyone else with an AGP slot so that I could check. I'm tempted to just take back this graphic card and get a new computer, because I can get a pretty decent one of of dell's website with these specs:

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6300 (1.86GHz, 1066 FSB)
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs
250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
256MB nVidia GeForce 7900 GS

It's a Dell XPS 410. Any thoughts on those specs? Since I'm skipping the monitor (my current flatscreen is more than fine for me) I could theoretically get it for about 1200 bucks, and return my current graphics card and save $160 bucks that way.

so, in essence:
1) what's wrong with everything that my my geforce 6200 OC isn't working? dead card or bad motherboard?

2) Are those specs on the new computer worth getting if it is a mother board problem? my motherboard on the optiplex has already been replaced twice because the optiplex line is really showing it's age I think.

Das Hip · Nov 01, 2006, 02:57 AM // 02:57

Sounds to me like a BIOS issue with your motherboard.

You need to access the DELL bios for your computer by holding down the delete button during startup, or F1 or whatever it requires (it should say at startup).

From there, disable the onboard graphics, and enable the AGP slot.. There should be some sort of options in regards to this.

I avoid the Dell's and HP's and the like for these issues, -- because expandability is not always as easy as something I make myself where nothing is proprietary technology (Eg: Dell IDE to mobo cabling, etc)., but my dad owns a Dell.

Another thought, can you replace the PSU (power supply unit) on your Dell with something more hefty or is it non-replaceable? You can pick up a good 400-500 watt PSU for cheap nowadays. Check the specs on the box for it, but the 6200 (if its a recently manufactured card) should likely use little power and should function fine if your BIOS settings are correct, the on-board adapter is disabled, and the AGP slot enabled.

Das

EDIT: PS: The specs on your machine sound fine.. Hell, way better than my rig (But who's isn't?? I built mine in the beginning of 2001.).

You don't want to hear my specs, lol...

AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1100 mHz, 200FSB
1024 MB 133mhz SDRAM
A couple Optical Drives (DVD Rom, DVD+/RW writer)
A bunch of harddrives (30, 60, 160, 250 Gigs)
A bunch of PCI Cards (Wireless G, NIC, IDE ATA Card, SB Audigy 2ZS, )
ATI AIW 9800 Pro Video Card
17" CRT
And a 400 W MonsterMods Reactor PSU (replaced it a couple of years ago when I got the 9800 GPU)

I've squeezed all the life I could out of er and even more!

Suits me just great for Guildwars (besides the occasional ATI driver crash), hell, I can even run Battlefield 2 on my rig (and do!! lol)

Thom Bangalter · Nov 01, 2006, 07:16 AM // 07:16

Well, Dell is supposed to follow-up with me tomorrow after they told me the ATI card needed more wattage than my computer could provide. Hopefully they'll walk me through all the bios mumbo-jumbo (I'm computer illiterate but could tell you a lot about Literature :S--English Major ftw!) and get this resolved, otherwise I may just get a new tower, since the one online is an improvement over my current model graphics-wise, and I'm starting to run into low disc space errors for some reason. I hope it doesn't come down to that because I'd hate to drop a grand like that, but TV is boring.

Das Hip · Nov 03, 2006, 08:22 PM // 20:22

Lol, well, you could always drop in a new harddrive too if you're running low on the disk space!
It's not that hard, Really!! Accessing the BIOS settings too.. Shouldn't be too hard of a thing.. GL with it all

Thom Bangalter · Nov 03, 2006, 08:40 PM // 20:40

When I access my BIOS, and go to graphic options, it has auto and onboard. there's no option for the AGP slot, so I don't know what's going on there.

moriz · Nov 03, 2006, 08:54 PM // 20:54

try auto. it probably means that it will autodetect the card if it is there, or use the onboard if there's no card.