Dimension 2400 installing 8500GT PCI problem - help?

[2-J]

Hi guys,

short backstory: my dad wants to play some slightly older games like Oblivion, Half Life 2 on his dimension 2400 (P4 3.06ghz, 2gb ram) this only has PCI slots (no AGP or PCI-e). Am using windows XP. I have installed graphics cards on PCs before okay.

Cheapest way to do this I thought was to get a decent PCI graphics card. Opted for the Sparkle 8500GT PCI card.

Problem is the system doesn't seem to be detecting the card. The 2400 has integrated graphics and I followed these instructions exactly http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_video&message.id=93965 no joy, no output from the card at all.

XP seems to pick up the card as a 'PCI to PCI bridge' only. Can't install the nvidia drivers because the installer says there's no drivers for the hardware I have (i.e. it's not detecting the card). Card bought from ebay from a seller with 100s of good feedback and said it's been tested and guaranteed for 6 months.

I did a search on here and found a user jives11 who has one of these cards in his 2350 ( http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_video&message.id=172023&query.... ) so it seems like it should work with the 2400? Anybody got any ideas at all as to why it might not be detecting the PCI card, ... very frustrated here... thanks!

[SR45]

Try this

How to disable your integrated video as posted by the Moderator

2200, 2300, 2350, 2400, 3000, 3100, E310, B110/1100

* Right click the My Computer icon
* Click Properties
* Click the Hardware tab and/or the Device Manager button
* Open the Display Adaptors. You should see the Intel video card
* Double click the listing for Intel whatever
* At the bottom under "Device Usage", click the down arrow and change this to "Do not use this device, disable"
* Click OK- Apply- OK
* Close all boxes when done
* Click Start- Turn Off Computer- Restart
* Press F2 at the blue Dell logo screen
* Down arrow to either:
Onboard Devices- Primary Video
Primary Video
Integrated Devices- Primary Video Controller
* Change yours to AUTO or PCI (whatever is listed)
* Press ESC several times to Exit and Save your changes
* As the system starts to restart, power the system off
* Open the case cover and add the PCI video card
* Connect the monitor to the added PCI video card
* Power on your computer
* Let the computer boot up and load the drivers off of the CD provided with the card

[2-J]

Thanks for replying SR45 but as I posted above I did already try following those instructions exactly.

The issue appears to be that XP only picks up the device as a 'PCI to PCI Bridge' not a graphics card, and so (consequently) the nvidia drivers won't install (they can't detect a graphics card either).

Any ideas anyone?

[SR45]

That card by the way is something that just came out, is a directx 10 card and you have a directx 9 system so the card being that and being very low ended anyway, perhaps its time just to use a directx 9 card instead linked below and start saving for a good system costing about $360.00 with all the newer technology instead.  That basic system you have is far too old and slow for fair gaming.

6200 pci card. Both DVI and Analog inputs

http://www.amazon.com/Geforce-6200-Pci-512MB-DDR2/dp/tech-data/B0016B5WI2/ref=de_a_smtd/105-6668270-...  

[2-J]

I don't think the fact that it's Direct X 10 capable is what's causing this issue? And Directx10 cards can be used with Direct X 9, right?

(as an aside, I know from having read up about this card from people with similar spec systems online, that it will play slightly older games like Half Life 2 absolutely fine if I can get it working. As for the cost, the card cost about $100, much less than even the cheapest new system. My dad doesn't want to play the latest games so buying a PCI card was the cheapest solution available).

But thanks for the link to the other card, looks quite good, as a last resort if I can't get this one working I will go for that.

[electromagnetic]

Try this 2-J then go to the other link I put.

http://mr-ives.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-not-to-build-gaming-pc-from-dell.html

http://74.55.96.66/vb/topic51437-32.html

Have you got the latest

Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856EACB-4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5&displaylang=en

I post on that thread as well ;).

Message Edited by electromagnetic on 06-02-2008 04:51 PM

Message Edited by electromagnetic on 06-02-2008 06:42 PM

Message Edited by electromagnetic on 06-02-2008 06:42 PM

[2-J]

thanks for the reply electromagnetic, I have all the latest .NET drivers installed already.

I will head on over the other forum.

I guess this is a very particular issue! No solutions on the web it seems, and even the guy whose blog you linked to, installing the same card in a dell 2350, apparently in device manager his card still came up as a card (not, as mine does, simply a PCI to PCI Bridge. Weird.