Er....help! PC won't switch on after installation of new graphics card

Participant · 14 Jan 2008 at 20:00

Hi all.

Got my 8800GT delivered today. It started up fine and I breathed a sigh of relief, apparently a moment too soon.

After I installed the drivers it rebooted, but then shut itself down on the Windows splash screen and I can't get it to even switch on now. I took the card out and replaced it with the old 7600GT but it still won't switch on. Something makes a *tiny* screech when I press the on button, but nothing else.

The PSU is an Akasa PaxPower 460W, which I gather should be ok with my setup. I connected the single PCI-E connector to the card before I fired it up for the first time.

The mobo lights are on when the I / O button on the PSU is switched on, but there's no other signs of life. Is this a new PSU job? This is so lame I should be playing high detail CoD4 now!

shauncr91 · 14 Jan 2008 at 20:02

Sounds an awful lot like a PSU issue to me.

Participant · 14 Jan 2008 at 20:07

There are 3 hard drives so maybe it "just can't take it captain" - just hope it hasn't taken anything else with it if it has gone a.o.t..

shauncr91 · 14 Jan 2008 at 20:34

Try booting with just:
1 RAM Module
Motherboard
VGA plugged into the PSU

But it sounds weird that it wouldnt boot with the old card..

swinnie · 14 Jan 2008 at 20:38

Sounds a PSU issue, but when you say it wont boot with old card it sounds like a driver issue or bad video RAM.

The 'screech' is it a beep or literally a screech?

Participant · 14 Jan 2008 at 20:45

swinnie said:
Sounds a PSU issue, but when you say it wont boot with old card it sounds like a driver issue or bad video RAM.

The 'screech' is it a beep or literally a screech?

It's a hardware screech, and very small, definitely not a PC speaker beep. Not only will it not boot, it won't post at all. The fans don't even spin.

Surely a b0rked PSU, and if so, would a Corsair 520W be sufficient?

swinnie · 14 Jan 2008 at 20:58

The 520W Should be good. I Know people running that card with the 520W. But if you have a spare that is higher, it might be worth trying it.

IAmATeaf · 14 Jan 2008 at 21:51

You could try bump starting the PSU, see this link for more info http://freespace.virgin.net/matt.waite/resource/psu/atxpsu.htm

Participant · 15 Jan 2008 at 13:23

Ordered a HX520, thanks for the advice. I tried troubleshooting it but the end result was always that nothing happened apart from a slight blue light from the PSU for half a second and a small squeal, then nothing. Dead as a dodo. Don't fancy that jump-starting business but thanks for the tip anyway.

Hopefully the PSU hasn't taken anything with it is all I can say :eek:

Participant · 17 Jan 2008 at 22:50

Ok. Back online with Lazarus aka my PC. The Corsair's in and there are zero issues so far. Everything seems very quiet!

Thanks for the help all, much appreciated. Off to try some games now with my spanking new 8800GT. Guess I've learned my lesson with trying to stay with cheaper PSUs, even though the paxpower should have been able to cope.