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July 14th, 2025 05:16
Dell Precision T5400 Repeat GPU Failure (Diagnostic LEDs 2 + 4)
Hi,
I have a Dell Precision T5400 that I cannot seem to change the GPU on at all; It came stock with a GeForce 8400GS 512MB and I have attempted to upgrade this without success. First, I tried a Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 Vapor-X, and was met with no display output at all and the front diagnostic LEDs 2 and 4 (GPU failure), continuously lit.
I assumed I was missing drivers and attempted to install the appropriate Catalyst Software suite, but the installation failed and the GPU still did not work. I then tried another GPU, an Nvidia Quadro FX 4800 1.5gb, that supposedly was perfectly suited to workstations of this nature, but which gave the exact same results with and without drivers installed from the Dell website for my specific OS, in both pcle slots.
Can anyone see what i’m doing wrong? Both these gpus were supposed to be in working order, why wont they produce any output at all?
Any input is appreciated, thank you!!
anne_droid
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1.2K Posts
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July 14th, 2025 10:49
Hi
I don't know if you are doing anything wrong.
Considerations...
The T5400 has dual native PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots, allowing for high-performance graphics cards and even dual GPU setups via SLI (NVIDIA) or Crossfire (AMD), but these cannot be mixed. The power supply and connectors are limited: the system typically has two 6-pin PCIe power connectors, and higher-end cards requiring more power or an 8-pin connector may need adapters or a PSU upgrade (probably 300 watts more).
For gaming or more modern graphics performance, NVIDIA GTX 900 series or AMD R9 200/300 series cards are recommended budget-friendly options. Cards like the GTX 1060 or GTX 1070 can work with some power adapter modifications, but the GTX 1080 or higher may be limited by power and BIOS compatibility.
Older workstation cards such as NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 or Quadro 4000/5000 are supported and were offered by Dell for this model, but they are less suited for gaming.
NVIDIA GTX 900 series or GTX 1060/1070 for gaming and general use, with attention to power connectors and PSU capacity.
Avoid very high-end modern cards like GTX 1080 unless you are prepared to handle power and compatibility challenges.
Just for the record, I know less than nothing about gaming and graphics.