No signal detected

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 12:36

Just bought a new PC, put it all together, turned it on & it powers up, but the monitor reads 'no signal detected'. I used another monitor and I receive the same message.

Specs -

Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3
i5 2400
MSI r6850
OCZ-ZS 650W
Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 2x4gb
BenQ 2222hdl
Barracuda 16mb 500gb

I've reinserted everything (apart from the processor, as the fan I have is quite tricky to install, so I didn't want to do that unless I absolutely have to), but still the same problem. Should I go as far as reinserting the processor?

Please help.

T345 · 13 Apr 2012 at 12:38

try without the graphics card and try each ram stick

sehcure · 13 Apr 2012 at 12:38

What are you using to connect the monitor to the PC?

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 12:41

Warecast said:
try without the graphics card and try each ram stick

There's only an HDMI input to use the onboard gfx, and I don't have an HDMI cable.

sehcure said:
What are you using to connect the monitor to the PC?

DVI-A

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 12:45

Sorry, it's not DVI-D, it's DVI-A.

RJC · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:02

You will need to insert the CPU and ensure you have the 4 or 8 pin power connected for the CPU.

dfarrall · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:12

Is the card powering on? Obviously it will use onboard graphics if the card fails so might be worth double checking its seated properly and you have your connectors in correctly.

Draeger · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:14

Rather than a CPU issue it's more likely to be a GPU one. That Gigabyte motherboard has onboard graphics, try connecting the monitor up to that. As Warecast already alluded to, if it works then your 6850 is the issue.

Surveyor · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:16

What's a DVI-A lead?

Would that be one which connects the DVI to VGA?

If that's what it is then you need to use a specific DVI connector from the GPU as, if it has 2, only one of them has an analogue signal.

Swap he DVI connector you're using on the GPU if you're connecting to the monitor with VGA.

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:20

When I turn it on, I get one short beep, which according to the motherboard manual means it has booted successfully. 1 long, 1 short means memory or motherboard error. 1 long, 2 short means monitor or gfx card error

dfarrall said:
Is the card powering on? Obviously it will use onboard graphics if the card fails so might be worth double checking its seated properly and you have your connectors in correctly.

The gfx card fan starts spinning when I turn the PC on, so I assume that means it's powering on. Is it possible that the gfx card could be busted, yet the fan still work? I would have thought so. I have reinserted the gfx card multiple times & connected the DVI input cable securely.

Draeger said:
Rather than a CPU issue it's more likely to be a GPU one. That Gigabyte motherboard has onboard graphics, try connecting the monitor up to that. As Warecast already alluded to, if it works then your 6850 is the issue.

The only input to use the onboard gfx is an HDMI input, and I don't have an HDMI cable.

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:25

Surveyor said:
What's a DVI-A lead?

Would that be one which connects the DVI to VGA?

If that's what it is then you need to use a specific DVI connector from the GPU as, if it has 2, only one of them has an analogue signal.

Swap he DVI connector you're using on the GPU if you're connecting to the monitor with VGA.

I'm using the DVI connector I received with the GPU. There's no way to connect the monitor to the PC using VGA, as there is no VGA input on the motherboard or GPU.

shadow_boxer · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:27

Even if the gpu fan spins up it doesn't mean its working. You need to get a hdmi cable, remove the 6850 and try booting from the igp.

As above try using a single ram module in every possible slot.

Surveyor · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:31

lookingaround said:
I'm using the DVI connector I received with the GPU. There's no way to connect the monitor to the PC using VGA, as there is no VGA input on the motherboard or GPU.

I'm confused.

Is the monitor connected to the graphics card with a DVI to DVI lead or are you using one of these and connecting to the monitor with a VGA cable:

If you are using one of the above (which is the only thing I can think of as a "DVI connector received with the GPU") then try it in the other DVI on the graphics card assuming it has two.

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:35

Surveyor said:

Yes, I'm using one of them and I have tried connecting it in the other slot. No luck. What I'm saying is that there's no way to connect the VGA lead directly to the motherboard (to use the onboard gfx), because there is no VGA slot.

Surveyor · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:41

lookingaround said:
Yes, I'm using one of them and I have tried connecting it in the other slot. No luck. What I'm saying is that there's no way to connect the VGA lead directly to the motherboard (to use the onboard gfx), because there is no VGA slot.

At least that clears that up.

Whatever you do from now on you need to make sure that the adapter is fitted to the DVI connector on the graphics card which supplies an analogue signal.

So:

Have you made sure to fit the 4 pin power connector from the PSU to the motherboard?
Have you connected the 6 pin power connector(s) to the graphics card?
Have you tried re-seating the graphics card in the PCI-E slot?
Did you make sure to fit the motherboard standoffs to the case before installing the motherboard?
Is the RAM installed in the white slots? Try just one stick.

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:49

Surveyor said:
Have you made sure to fit the 4 pin power connector from the PSU to the motherboard?

ATX 12v? Yes, done.

Surveyor said:
Have you connected the 6 pin power connector(s) to the graphics card?

Done.

Surveyor said:
Have you tried re-seating the graphics card in the PCI-E slot?

Several times.

Surveyor said:
Did you make sure to fit the motherboard standoffs to the case before installing the motherboard?

Yes. Can I ask how that would make a difference?

Surveyor · 13 Apr 2012 at 13:51

lookingaround said:
Yes. Can I ask how that would make a difference?

If you didn't it would likely be shorting.

See my edit above re the RAM.

lookingaround · 13 Apr 2012 at 15:48

Well, I hope it isn't the motherboard that's broken, because one of the screws has lost its thread, so I can't take the screw out now. lol can't even get angry, much prefer to chuck the ****ing thing out the window.

I've tried both ram sticks in all the slots. No luck.

Hagar · 13 Apr 2012 at 16:52

Reset the Cmos.

lookingaround · 20 Apr 2012 at 22:44

Received the HDMI cable, plugged it into the motherboard to use onboard graphics. It worked fine. Then I tried plugging it into the GPU, and it didn't work. I thought it must be because the GPU was broken. Anyway, I decided I was going to send it back, but after messing up the install of my operating system (didn't partition my HDD properly), I was trying to reinstall XP from startup (rather than in desktop, if that makes sense). It wouldn't work, because my keyboard wasn't working (when it says 'press any key to boot from CD'). Figured out that I had to get into the BIOS to enable USB... and because of that, I came across an option 'enable onboard GPU even if GPU is in PEG slot'... or words to that effect). I thought 'hmmmmm' when I saw that, and thought why not try changing that option so if a GPU is in the PEG slot, the onboard graphics won't be enabled. Then I put the GPU in and it worked.

So because of my messing up the partitioning of the HDD, that enabled me to eventually come across this option to enable the GPU to be used. lol