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Digital (DVI) output went dead on nVidia GeForce FX 5200
I am using a new Dell Ultrasharp Flat Panel Display with a new Dell-supplied nVidia GeForce FX 5200 video card in a Dimension running XP Pro. The video card has both analog and digital video (DVI) outputs and the display can take either an analog or DVI input. I'd been using it in DVI mode (after all, I paid extra to have this capability) when, poof, suddenly after rebooting I had no video at all (completely black screen).
Nothing, including changing to an analog connection made any difference, and it's hard to know what's going on when you have no video. After a fruitless call to Dell Tech Support, during which they pretty much ignored my comments about the capability for analog and digital connections, I discovered on my own that the display does not auto-sense which input is active -- you have to push a button to switch from digital to analog mode. Once I did that, connecting to the analog output of the video card worked fine.
I called Dell Tech Support back to report this progress, hoping they would now be able to guide me through getting the DVI working again. Instead they said that (a) it sounded like a BIOS problem, (b) they knew about such a problem when using the Dell flat panel displays, (c) that they were working on a BIOS update, and (d) that there was no estimated release date.
Does anyone else have this problem? Can anyone confirm or refute any of what Dell said about needing to wait for a BIOS update that's in the works? I find it strange that it was working fine for 2 weeks and then suddenly decided to quit.
Message Edited by ajgmisc on 02-10-2004 05:11 PM
Message Edited by ajgmisc on 02-10-2004 05:13 PM
JDre
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February 10th, 2004 03:00
Message Edited by JDre on 02-09-2004 11:06 PM
ajgmisc
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February 10th, 2004 11:00
From my laptop, I am familiar with the type of monitor-choice settings you are referring to (although my laptop is running Windows 2000 Pro). However, I cannot find this sort of selection of "primary monitor" in the Display properties for the desktop machine with XP Pro. I believe this is because it doesn't have the dual-display-capable video hardware that laptop's do (and not because it's XP rather than 2K); with laptops, it's common to sometimes use the built-in flat panel and sometimes to connect an external display.
It's possible, of course, that the type of settings you describe do exist for my video card and that they're just buried somewhere I haven't looked. If you have any further thoughts, please don't hesitate.
ajgmisc
JDre
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February 10th, 2004 16:00
ajgmisc
7 Posts
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February 10th, 2004 17:00
I'm not sure I know how to answer your question "What model is your 5200?" I've already mentioned that it's an nVidia GeForce FX 5200, so that's obviously not what you're looking for. There are lots of numbers on little stickers on the card itself, but none of them appear to be a model number.
The device manager shows the following information for the video hardware:
BIOS 4.34.20.22.BC
Drivers version 6.14.10.4502
The latest drivers on the Dell website are the same version number.
So, if dual display is supported, I don't know how to access those capabilities.
ajgmisc
JDre
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February 10th, 2004 20:00
Message Edited by JDre on 02-10-2004 04:23 PM
ajgmisc
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February 10th, 2004 21:00
Yes, nVidia only sells to OEMs, I think, and this card came in the Dimension. Despite Dell's claim that this is probably the BIOS problem they know about, I too had come to the conclusion that I should try to convince them to send me another card (the one I've got is only 2 weeks old). Thanks for your input.
ajgmisc
JDre
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February 11th, 2004 16:00
njr999
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February 11th, 2004 17:00
I had this problem on Monday, called Dell support, and they're sending me a replacement monitor. If you look in the Monitor forum you'll see that this is a not uncommon problem and it is a monitor problem, not a video card problem
Check out this 28-page thread!
Message Edited by Neil999 on 02-11-2004 01:56 PM
Message Edited by Neil999 on 02-11-2004 01:59 PM
Message Edited by Neil999 on 02-11-2004 02:02 PM
ajgmisc
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February 11th, 2004 19:00
Thanks for the heads up. All the people with messages in the thread you pointed out are having EXACTLY the same problem as I am.
I'm going to defer to that thread and consider this thread closed.
ajgmisc
njr999
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February 11th, 2004 20:00