Will GeForce 7600 GS work with Dimension 4600?

One more thing Stargorger....

Proper way to install a video card linked below:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=965852

Step # 1

Download the most current driver for the video card, and have it placed on the desktop for later install. Try not to use the video card driver from the CD that comes with the card, since they are somewhat out of date. You still may if you wish to.

If it’s an nVidia card, go to www.nvidia.com

Advisory..

If you are going from an ATI video card to a NVIDIA or vs. versa, one should uninstall the old driver first, from Add/Remove program, than use a driver cleaner, to get all the old driver code completely off the system. Use the driver cleaner twice. If you are going from an nVidia card to another nVidia card (Same for the ATI card), you may not have to use the driver cleaner, but I do to be on the safe side, but many, including me, have not seen any issues with this procedure. Others may have.


1. Turn off the system, unplug the power cord, and push in on the systems power button for about 5 seconds to discharge the system further.

2. Remove the old card, and install the new card, firmly.

3. Now if required attach, any power cable to the card and the other end to a power input, to get the video card to work. Your systems power supply may have this extra power 4 pin connector to connect to the card. 

Some retail video card manufactures include the molex Y power cable and some do not. If not, they do not cost more than a couple of bucks.

http://www.drivercleaner.net/  Driver Cleaner Pro download site.


(Now they are charging $10 for the program, where it was free before. You can try to manually clean out the old driver if you wish, but this is still a good program to have around)


Driver Cleaner 1.5 free edition linked below...

http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/Other-DRIVERS-TOOLS/Others/Driver-Cleaner-Professional-15.shtml


4. Now disable your Anti Virus software, and disconnect the modem at this time.


5. Install the newer video card driver from where you downloaded it, than if necessary, go into the Display Properties to reset the monitor resolution after it reboots. You are almost done. Now restart the Anti Virus program, and connect the modem.

Haven't been here in awhile.  Can't say as I like this new forum so much; extremely hard to navigate.  But, oh, well.

So, this card will function in the Dimension 4600 - mine is the P4 flavor, 2.8Ghz, 2.5 gigs ram, brand new 400 watt PSU w/20A on the +12v rail. 

I have a problem with my factory fresh Asus version of the 7600GS/ 256 megs, which I bought to replace a GeForce 6200/128 meg card because I need more card ram.  The 6200 worked perfectly and has taken up residence in a homebuilt system.

I took the 7600GS for a test run in the homebuilt system first, just to be safe as I've never seen a video card that required power from the power supply.  Kinda scared me a little. 

It worked like a charm.  Practically installed itself. And I didn't uninstall the existing ATI Radeon 9200 drivers, which was the only video card ever in that system.

Put the 7600GS in the Dimension - NO VIDEO SIGNAL.  Yes, I attached the molex power to it  and watched the card's fan spin up (Man!  It's dead quiet!)

Pulled the 7600 out of the Dimension.

Tried the onboard video - I have video.

Went into the BIOS; AUTO detect is selected for the video source, right where I'd set it when I got the 6200 for it. 

Put the 6200 back in the Dell; I have video.

Pulled the CMOS battery.

Reattached the onboard; booted up, checked the BIOS again, left the video at AUTO detect.  Video is present.

Back to the 7600.

Switched some molex connectors around so the 7600 would be on one by itself.

No video.

I didn't uninstall the previous Nvidia drivers because they're the same as the 6200's. Besides, I get no video in the POST screen even.

The homebuilt system that will run the 7600 has the same brand power supply, but it's 350 watts.

My internet service is wireless - I connect through a router via ethernet so no modem or other add-in cards.

The only difference I see between the 6200 and the 7600 is the AGP keys.  The 6200 has both the 3.3v and the 1.5v while the 7600GS has just the 1.5v key, up next to the card's hook.  My 7600 is definitely AGP as there is no PCI-Express slot in my testbed homebuilt system - it's an MSI K7N2 motherboard.

The 6200 is the only video card I'd ever installed in the Dimension; used the onboard before that.

Running XP Pro SP3, current on all updates.

What am I missing?

New discovery. 

My Dimension's new PSU is the switching type.  After I shut down any computer, I ALWAYS turn off the PSU (if it's a switching supply), then unplug the power cord from the wall and wait until the motherboard's green light goes dark before I open up the box to work inside it.

With this Dimension and the 7600 installed, I plug it back into the wall, flip the PSU switch to ON, and the Dell immediately starts to boot on its own.  I do not touch the front panel power switch.

With the 6200 card installed in the Dimension, I have to press the front panel power button to start the machine.

Both cards have fans, but the 6200 does not require an additional power source.

The homebuilt system also has a switching power supply, and I go through the same power off/on steps with it.  With the 7600 in the homebuilt system, it waits until I hit the front panel power switch to fire up.

So how is it others with Dimensions and this 7600GS AGP don't have this problem?

Lacyt

I am having the same exact problem.  I  have a Dell Dimension 8300 and I'm trying to install an Asus 7600GS HTD 256mb card.  (Asus N7600GS/HTD/256mb)

On startup I get no signal to my monitor, but the hard drive spins and the fan on the card turns and eventually I hear the Windows startup music.  The 4 diagnostic lights in the back of the case are green (normal).  

This card replaced the original GeForce4 MX 440 64mb card which also has the 3.3v AND 1.5v key slots like your 6200, which still works fine. 

Using PC Wizard 2008, under the Hardware tab with Mainboard selected it shows:

Slots Information :     
Slot PCI :    Available (32-bit) 5.0v, 3.3v
Slot PCI :    Available (32-bit) 5.0v, 3.3v
Slot PCI :    Available (32-bit) 5.0v, 3.3v
Slot PCI :    Available (32-bit) 5.0v, 3.3v
Slot AGP 8X :    In Use (32-bit) 3.3v

That may or may not mean anything, PC Wizard could be detecting both the 1.5v and 3.3v key and maybe can display only one.  Or maybe Dell does something "non-standard" with the voltage on the AGP slot. It seems that Dell likes to do a lot of things in a "non-standard" way.

I have found several discussions online about this problem or similar problems.

http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/18240778/18363764.aspx#18363764

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/212082-33-asus-n7600gs-signal

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/680710.html

http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/18125205/18248191.aspx#18248191

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=22697

In the last one, someone posted that BFG solved his problem through flashing the BIOS of his card with a Dell compatible version.

If you figure out a solution, please let me know and I'll do the same.

Hey, clifwilliam:

No, I never got this problem solved, and from the links you so graciously provided, it seems no one else has either - or ever will!  So the 7600 resides happily in my MSI homebuilt system, and the Radeon that came out of the MSI went to live in my little neighbor kid's first computer - he went from a 32meg card to 128megs.  Happiness all round.

I'm going to guess it's the Dell's AGP slot and the fact this card has just the 1.5v key resulting in some sort of conflict which apparently has yet to be resolved.  Certainly, Asus doesn't seem to give a flip.

The 128meg 6200 is back in the Dimension while I continue to search for a 256meg replacement for it.

Thanks for your efforts!

I'll buy Asus motherboards, but NEVER again anything else they make!