PCI-E Graphics Card for Dell Optiplex 755 SFF

Question

Hi All

I have an Optiplex 755 SFF with 275W PSU and PCI-E low-profile video slot. The on-board graphics on this series are awful - can't playback DVD video without stutters. I've spent a few hours trolling about the web trying to ascertain what video card will work in this 755. The general consensus of the card "guaranteed to work" is the Radeon HD 2400 PRO. So, I managed to track one done (after trying a 5570 & it not even letting the PC start up), got it shipped here, and installed it. Only to find that it too won't let the PC boot. So typical of Dell to make PCs that are unbelievably limited. What's the point of having a PC capable of running Win 7 (will take 8GB DDR2 RAM, currently has 2GB, plus currently has a Dual-core E6550 2.3Ghz CPU) when it can't take an even modestly-spec'd card? This is the last time I buy Dell.

Anyway, getting past the rant (ah, much better, thanks) - why the won't this junky 755 take the supposed "guaranteed" HD 2400 PRO? When I try to boot it up, it does that stupid pre-boot ramp up / down of the fans, then goes off, then tries again, then goes off, then on the 3rd go all the fans just go hard out & stay like that for as long as I care to leave it. If I take the HD 2400 PRO out & put back that silly DVI adapter card in the PCI-E slot, it's all good.

No modifications have been made to the 755 - it's just a stock-standard machine. If for some bizarre reason all the others using the HD 2400 PRO with the 755 SFF are telling bald-faced lies (that is, that they aren't really using a HD 2400 PRO at all), what alternative cards are there? I see that the motherboard has "25W" printed next to the PCI-E slot - but the HD 2400 PRO is rated at 25W max.

Buying the 755 was supposed to be a cheap way to make a living room desktop PC. I don't want to have to waste more money on cards that don't work. And the HD 2400 PRO was relatively expensive for such an old, obsolete card (NZD$42 - crazy when a 5570 is only NZD$65).

Any help / constructive suggestions very much appreciated.

DELL-Chris M · Accepted Answer

You can edit. Click the green pencil. But I already did it to remove the two profane words.

The 755 came in four different chassis sizes. You chose the smallest one with the smallest power supply so you limited yourself. The following are Dell validated Low Profile PCI-e 16X video cards for this chassis -
DR280 ATI Radeon X1300, 128MB, DVI, TV Out
JW592 ATI Radeon X1300, 128MB, DVI, TV Out
KT154 ATI Radeon X1300 Pro, 256MB, DMS-59
JJ461 ATI Radeon X1300 Pro, 256MB, DMS-59
XX347 ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro, 256MB, DVI-I, TV Out
YP477 ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro, 256MB, DVI-I, TV Out
CP309 ATI Radeon HD2400 XT, 256MB, DMS-59, TV Out
XX355 ATI Radeon HD2400 XT, 256MB, DMS-59, TV Out

Call Dell Spare Parts 1-800-357-3355 and ask for the part number.

IslandBoy77 · Answer

Its a shame that one cant edit what has been posted: that's pretty average.

Anyway, to correct a few typos:

- end 1st line / beginning of 2nd line should read "...can't play back DVD video without stutters"

- 1st mention of HD 2400 PRO reads HS, but should be HD

- 3rd line should read "...So, managed to track one down", not "done"

hotmaccount · Answer

Any further developments Island Boy?

I'm having a similar issue, my optiplex 755 starts up strange, will do the turn on and run fans, turn off for a second, turn on and run fans, turn off for a second and then boot and load the OS fine. Is there a way to stop this off / on behavior as it seems to run my graphics card perfectly once running. Nvidia G210 (i know its not in the list).

Thanks

Al

IslandBoy77 · Answer

Yes, despite the draconian word-police effort by Dell (and even this comment may get 'sanitized'), I did get things rolling eventually.  The only card available for a half-way-almost-decent price in NZ was an HD2400 Pro with passive heat sink, no fan.  Unfortunately, the heatsink on the one I got is quite 'fat' and pushes hard against internal structures so that it is slightly on a lean - which is not a good thing.  I've got in mind 2 do some internal 'modifications' to correct the lean (have already had 2 remove 1 of the HDD supports 2 get the card to fit at all), but that's one of those 'round-to-it' jobs I may never actually get to... :)

PuzzledUser · Answer

Hello, All

I have a Dimension c521 with Windows 7 Ultimate and the YP477 ATI Radeon HD2400, DVI-I, TV Out graphics card with the static heat sink.

I have attached a DVI to 2 VGA adapter cord, and can successfully display my desktop on my two monitors, but only as duplicate displays. I cannot extend my desktop across the two monitors. Both monitors identify as monitor "1".

What am I overlooking?

speedstep · Answer

HD2000 HD3000 HD4000 cards use a legacy driver.

Any current driver will not work.

Also Catalyst Control Center is a DOTNET application so you have to install DOTNET 2.0 3.5 via control panel and then download the DOTNET 4.6 stand alone installer and install that BEFORE installing the legacy video driver.

This AMD CatalystTM driver version features Windows® 8 support for the AMD RadeonTM HD 4000, HD 3000 and HD 2000 series. Please note that the driver is not Microsoft® logo certified and only supports WDDM 1.1 driver level features.

You also have to re enable DOTNET and Legacy Direct play.

You also need directx June 2010.

You download the file, extract to a folder and run dxsetup.exe

Download details: DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010)

directx_Jun2010_redist.exe

Any card like HD2000 3000 4000 series cant use the current driver.

Only the legacy Driver works.

http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop/legacy?product=legacy2&os=Windows%208

The HD2400 uses legacy drivers and the ATI Auto detect tool will not work with it.

AMD Catalyst 13.1 Legacy drivers

Locked Topics – Desktops General

PCI-E Graphics Card for Dell Optiplex 755 SFF

Download details: DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010)

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