M6500 Precision Work Station loses all graphics display

Question

I've had the subject system new since 2010. It has a FX 3800 graphics card and, apparently, a separate graphics chipset (I've never been able to find out what it is). Since the beginning, the graphics card would frequently blue screen and the blue screen was/is always caused by the NVIDIA .sys file. The pros at Dell told me that, when this happens, do a factory reset. Doing so did clear the blue screen but only temporarily. I questioned the pros about the driver and they said they had to modify the card to fit it in the case so I couldn't update the driver past the one provided.

As a result of the above, I would run using the onboard graphics unless I needed the graphics card for things like encoding video. I have disabled/enabled the driver probably a couple of hundred times with no issues.

Recently, I was using it with the graphics card disabled but I needed to enable it. When I did, I lost all graphics. There are none when I boot or when I insert a CD to try to modify the system (Win 7). When booting, there is a brief flicker of the display when it gets to the memory test but, but after it boots, the screen is back lit and that's it. Hitting any of the know function keys (primarily f8 and f12) when booting has no effect.

I tried connecting it to a separate monitor using a d-sub cable but to no avail. I have an HP with Win 7 and when I connect it to the monitor using the d-sub cable, I can see it's screen. As a result, I can only assume that there's no graphics signal from the available graphics chips, be it the discreet or onboard chip on the Dell.

Does anyone one have any ideas on how to remedy this? I thought I might disconnect the graphics card connection but I don't really have the knowledge to do that. There are a number of videos on You Tube on how to disassemble this computer but they're not specific enough for me to get to that point.

I would hate to throw away a $4000 system.

.

Wither 1 · Answer

Would someone tell me how the graphics are provided when the driver for the graphics card is disabled. Is there somewhere I can get the driver for whatever is providing the graphics in that situation.

shuma66 · Answer

I solved the black screen problem on the Dell M6500!!! 5/28/2014.
After reading all the Dell support customer forum posts (50 pages) under “M6500 freeze”, the black screen problemappears to be the 230 watt AC adapter is providing a false overheating signal to the video card that causes a videocard overheating shut off. This only happens when plugged in, no black outs when on battery power.
A. Plug in AC and charge battery 100%
B. Unplug AC
C. Boot up on battery power only.
Solution: Based on Dell forum info, I Google
searched
and downloaded NVIDIA power
mizer
manager software andinstalled it. Run
software
. There are three settings.
1.
selected
medium range,
2.
select medium
range,
3.
Disable overheat power shut off
4.
Save and reboot.
No more screen
black outs
after this fi x.
Safe to plug in AC now.

shuma66 · Answer

Nvidia doesn't seem to be developing or supporting this software anymore. I found a link through a gaming forum tothis download site. Little concerned about downloading from a site other than the developer. I used Avast on thedownload and it didn't detect anything but who knows.
Mediafi re Link
View solution in original post

shuma66 · Answer

https://www.mediafire.com/file/g1nil1f9ypddee2/NVPMManagerUni-1.01.zip/file

Wither 1 · Answer

Thank you for your input. Booting on battery power doesn't correct it for me. However, I think there's something to what you surmised as the cause.

Norman Diamond · Answer

The reason why booting on battery power worked for some people including me is that the Nvidia driver will not attempt to boost the voltage of the chip. After running PowerMizer Manager to set registry entries to prevent the driver from altering the voltage of the chip, it becomes OK to use AC power.

Maybe there is something different about your system that attempts to boost the voltage of the chip anyway, when the chip cannot handle it (due to inadequate design and testing) even though the Windows driver isn't running yet.

Or maybe there is something different about your system, for example that the chip already overheated and can't be repaired.

In the latter case, you can try replacing the video card, for example:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166308369967?itmmeta=01HPZ6NHEEN4KYG10R8TGDP499&hash=item26b8c0562f:g:RaAAAOSwCzdk8Out&itmprp=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0PMcEhPOeg9XAMSbwKPeTaogWvB%2BR767Zv7G6jHJHk4emLeg0N9Zs%2Fv%2FPUYQwCMDABC28XGOhZkLuM258SoK1zsHA0kCQtylgPItz8mbnBhda0eV1MJ4MtIKWNCSEoLpfzN1aI4c1iJ9%2BgyaYhu7iJxdhLu9jmWqfYxProdiUynnW%2BmE2iiC%2Bc2DIYHCo71BvJy8IJXOTnjezLwpXbVsPYcAARC8zhuE0Q0ntG774EN1w8q8N5QqjMj869iiwUrRgwVyohp0jyEkNSPe9zR7Z8k%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6SX1ua3Yw

And use PowerMizer Manager to disable Nvidia's defective PowerMizer functionality in their defective driver so that your defective chip won't get ruined by it.

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M6500 Precision Work Station loses all graphics display

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