Trouble with first time GPU install - 6850

SMed · 21 Feb 2012 at 18:16

I may just RMA it first then before trying to get another PSU. I'm sure this PSU is fine.

SMed · 21 Feb 2012 at 18:21

cmndr_andi said:
Hi there,

If everything is working as it should then that Corsair CX 430W PSU should be fine with an i5 2500K system and the HD 6850 graphics card.

Also, even with no drivers the card should display stuff (including POST and the BIOS screens) and get you into windows using the built-in OS drivers. If you can't see any of these things when all the power connections are installed then it sounds like you have a faulty card.

Are you able to test the other video outputs on the 6850? Hopefully a DVI-I to VGA adapter will come with the box and your Dell monitor has a DVI and Displayport input?(though you will need a mini-DP to DP adapter/cable to use displayport with that monitor)

DO you have another molex to PCIE 6pin power cable to hand?

My monitor only has DVI-D and VGA input. I was initially using an HDMI->DVId cable from the mobo to the monitor and it was fine. Used the same cable from the HDMI on the GPU and no signal. I then used just a normal DVI-D cable and that also didn't have a signal.

I've also got a DVI-I (VGA?) cable with the adapter, which I guess I can try, but it doesn't seem likely. I'm getting no display whatsoever during post/bios, nothing.

I bought a molex to PCIE 6pin power cable with this order, even though the GPU came with one (I didn't know). I tried the one that I bought from OcUK, but haven't tried the one supplied with the GPU. The GPU fans still run at max speed even with just 1 PCIE 6pin attached in either socket. Still no display signal whatsoever.

Sounding like the GPU is faulty.

cmndr_andi · 21 Feb 2012 at 18:26

Before you do send it off, I would just check one thing in the BIOS.

Go into the BIOS main page using the onboard graphics and go into the "Advanced BIOS Features" page. Then go to the option "Init Display First" and ensure it is set to "PCIE x16". Then save any changes and shutdown the computer.

Then I would recommend re-seating the graphics card and double checking the power connections are solid (I would suggest using the molex to PCIE power cable that came with the graphics card - since it is made to work with it). Then connect the video connection into the graphics card (HDMI to DVI cable will be fine) and see if the PC boots with the graphics card working.

MartynB85 · 21 Feb 2012 at 18:28

Drivers installed or not, you should still get a signal from it. Sounds faulty to me. Doubt it's a power issue, it won't draw much power while it's booting.
Have you tried going into the bios and setting pcie as main graphics?

SMed · 21 Feb 2012 at 18:38

Thanks for the help guys. I will try later and let you know. I really should not be messing with it right now; exams and all. It may be Thursday before I get back to this.

cmndr_andi · 21 Feb 2012 at 18:40

Fair enough.

Good luck with the exams

phill9800 · 21 Feb 2012 at 18:57

Good luck with the exams mate and I'm sure the card will work, one way or another

Borsch · 21 Feb 2012 at 19:00

I have the same motherboard and I did not need to change any settings for it to work with my card. My money is on problem being with the card itself.

SMed · 21 Feb 2012 at 19:01

The thing is, I can't remember if I fiddled around in the bios when I first built it. Maybe I changed something? I'll check later. As for now, the card is in the pci slot, but the 2x6pins are not connected. I simply cannot live with that fan going like that.

cmndr_andi · 21 Feb 2012 at 19:14

In that case It may be worth turning off the power supply (at the wall or on the PSU itself), resetting the CMOS (short the two CLR_CMOS pins at the bottom right of the board), plugging in the graphics card power connectors (using the molex to 6pin that came with the GPU), turn it on and see if it works.

SMed · 21 Feb 2012 at 19:25

cmndr_andi said:
In that case It may be worth turning off the power supply (at the wall or on the PSU itself), resetting the CMOS (short the two CLR_CMOS pins at the bottom right of the board), plugging in the graphics card power connectors (using the molex to 6pin that came with the GPU), turn it on and see if it works.

Will I 'lose' anything by doing that? I haven't overclocked or anything. But I mean like for settings with the SSD or anything like that?

cmndr_andi · 21 Feb 2012 at 19:32

If you reset the CMOS then the BIOS settings go back to their defaults. So you will need to go in and make sure that AHCI mode is enabled for best SSD performance and the boot order is correct. Apart from that you shouldn't need to change anything else (though I would check on the Initial Display output option I mentioned earlier and check it is set to PCIE x16). Your windows install on your SSD and any other data on attached storage drives will be unaffected.

The full clear CMOS procedure is on page 25 of the motherboard manual.

SMed · 21 Feb 2012 at 21:10

I checked "Init Display First" and it was set to 'PCI' so I changed it to 'PCIE x16' and saved it. No difference. Still no display, and the fans still set to max rpm.

I'll try the CMOS on Thursday.

MOOGLEYS · 21 Feb 2012 at 21:51

A CX430 will power a single 6850 I used one with a 6950 for a short while.

If I power my 6950 without the 6 pin connectors connected I get a message in Red telling me to check power connections.

My bet is the card is borked unfortunately. Re-set the cmos and see what happens or best still is to try the card in a different system.

ALXAndy · 21 Feb 2012 at 22:09

Honestly man, that PSU is terrible. Really, truly awful. It only has 28 amps total to give to the 12v rail and you have a load of enthusiast parts running from it.

The only thing Corsair about that power supply is the name "CORSAIR" written on the side. The rest of it is absolutely appalling.

The CX 430 is designed to run like a Sempron single core with one stick of memory and a hard drive and dvdrom.

Why oh why do people skimp on power supplies? I truly don't get that. They buy a pile of lovely gear and then risk blowing the lot of it sky high by feeding it with a trashy PSU just to save £20.

MOOGLEYS · 21 Feb 2012 at 22:16

Johhnyguru disagree's with you... The CX430 is not a bad PSU for a budget unit, maybe yours was bad as it receives good reviews from everywhere and I certainly had no issues with the one I had even running it well over spec...

CX430 Review

cmndr_andi · 21 Feb 2012 at 22:17

The Corsair CX 430W isn't that bad, it's not as good as the CX 400W - so many people (myself included) were dissapointed with it when it first came out, but in the scheme of things it's a pretty decent budget unit. If you only plan to run a i5 2500K system + 6850 then it will handle it fine.

Here is a review on JonnyGuru that gives it an overall "9/10".

ALXAndy · 21 Feb 2012 at 22:19

Mine was garbage. 80+ on the box yet wasn't really 80+ and so on.

cmndr_andi · 21 Feb 2012 at 22:21

Yea, it's not too efficient (not 80 plus certified with the V1), but in terms of stability and delivering the advertised power it does well.

MOOGLEYS · 21 Feb 2012 at 22:21

ALXAndy said:
Mine was garbage. 80+ on the box yet wasn't really 80+ and so on.

The V1 was not 80+ but the V2 is 80+ certified if I remember....

Edit - here is the corsair link V2 is 80+ certified but I have never really understood the point of worrying about a few quids worth of electric saving when building a high end gaming system....

Corsair cx430 range