Optiplex 320 - Graphics Issue

Question

Hi,

I have an optiplex 320 with win7 64b.

I am trying to install a new graphics card on it (ATI HD6450 512MB) without formatting!

What I've done so far is log on to windows, remove all the onboard drivers and shutdown. I then installed the new card and changed the Video Option to Auto on BIOS. When trying to boot, I cannot get pass the first loading screen. The screen truns black and there is no activity on the HDD either.

Any ideas?

tedmanowar · Answer

I tried the first steps of formatting to make sure there was no combatibility issues and it seems that there are. Windows wouldn't boot even out of the installation CD... HELP !!!!!!!!!! :emotion-1:

DELL-Chris M · Answer

The video card is a PCIe x16? Does the video card have a power connector on the rear of it needing a power supply lead?

tedmanowar · Answer

No, there is no extra power connector on the card. Furthermore, I discovered that i cannot even boot through the Win7 installation disk. I tried it with the WinXP disk and it did work.

DELL-Chris M · Answer

I doubt that the PCIe x16 slot is bad. This sounds more like the power supply is not enough to run that video card. The Optiplex 320 only came with the 305w or 280w power supplies.

tedmanowar · Answer

How do you explain that the card works with Windows XP then ?

rdunnill · Answer

I doubt that the PCIe x16 slot is bad. This sounds more like the power supply is not enough to run that video card. The Optiplex 320 only came with the 305w or 280w power supplies.

My Core i5 quad-core is equipped with a 6570 and it makes do with a 300-watt power supply.

I sincerely doubt this issue is due to an inadequate power supply. I did have a problem once with XP and a 2350 where XP defaulted to the onboard video, which did not have a monitor attached. The solution was to connect the onboard video to the DSUB input of the monitor, switch to it, and then configure the onboard video as the secondary display.

tedmanowar · Answer

That's what I did and I couldn't even get  windows 7 to boot out of the installation disk.

speedstep · Answer

The 320 can only use a 25W card. Since ATI X300 video is integrated I would recommend an ATI HD6350.

rdunnill · Answer

That's what I did and I couldn't even get windows 7 to boot out of the installation disk.

I've had problems with 5XXX and 6XXX cards; for example, one brand new Biostar mainboard required a BIOS update to boot up with 5450 cards. In another case, an older Socket 939 design would not resume from S3 model. And just last night, I replaced a 5670 card (powered by a 550-watt gamer power supply) with a 4670 because of driver issues with HDMI connections. (Fortunately, I had a spare card I could swap in.) And I had to flash the BIOS just to get the 5676 to display any output at all.

Does your 320 have the latest BIOS?

rdunnill · Answer

The 320 can only use a 25W card.

Since ATI X300 video is integrated I would recommend an ATI HD6350.

Per Wikipedia: "PCI Express cards are allowed a maximum power consumption of 25W (×1: 10W for power-up). Low profile cards are limited to 10W (×16 to 25W). PCI Express Graphics (PEG) cards may increase power (from slot) to 75W after configuration (3.3V/3A + 12V/5.5A). Optional connectors add 75W (6-pin) or 150W (8-pin) power for up to 300W total."

speedstep · Answer

The 25W Maximum is in the DELL SPEC for the 320 unlike previous generations the new systems have LESS THAN 300W power supplies.  Older Towers Like the Optiplex 755 actually say 75W on the X16 video slot.

Locked Topics – Desktops General

Optiplex 320 - Graphics Issue

Was this post helpful?