Dell Dimension E520 - graphics card upgrade

quidsinquentin

If anyone out there bought the recent Dell Dimension 5150 offer (a few months ago from HotUkDeals), and upgraded the graphics card - could they tell me how they did it?

The system has an integrated graphics card, and no matter what I've tried I can't seem to get the system to (a) disable the integrated one and (b) recognise the new one.

If anyone did it, I'd really appreciate a few pointers.

Cheers all - back tomorrow (exhausted now from trying!)

GoofyGAT

See the reply by SR45 in this thread: 5150 Onboard Graphics Question. Turn them off when installing a new PCI-E Card?

If necessary, also see Disabling the onboard/integrated video card & a related search.

Installing the new card - make sure to...
* Connect a power cable from the PSU if required
* Use the latest drivers from nVidia / ATi as the case may be

These links may be helpful too:
Installation instructions for the Ati video card driver
Installation instructions for the Nvidia video card driver

G

quidsinquentin

Cheers matey!

quidsinquentin

Thanks - but did all that and got a black/blank screen.

This is why I asked if anyone else had done it. There must be something I'm doing/not doing/different about this model or else this should have worked.

ormus

dont know your dell model, but in most bios you can turn off the integrated video/sound etc...

espresso

quidsinquentin wrote: »

Thanks - but did all that and got a black/blank screen.

Did you move the monitor cable?

quidsinquentin

I did - but the stress must be getting to me! I've posted about a 5150 and I'm actually working on an E520!!!

We've got three, 5100, 5150 and E520. God alone knows how I got them mixed up.

Apologies to all.

Has anyone changed the card in an E520?????

GoofyGAT

If not attempted before.....with BIOS settings at Auto, disable in Device Manager & clean out+uninstall the old drivers as they're nVidia (for cleaning instructions see the last link in my 1st post). Next shutdown, slot-in new card, connect VGA & PSU cables (latter if required), boot up & install the downloaded ATi drivers.

[This person managed it without disabling (it happened automatically I'd assume), & incidentally the integrated & upgrade were both nVidia]

If all you try comes to nought, get another X1550 if you can (to confirm the original isn't faulty), or a completely different one. If the replacement/different one doesn't work either, then the graphics slot may be faulty.

Eventually a PCI graphics card (<---eBay search) would be the one remaining thing you could try - unfortunately choice & performance is limited, but may meet your needs depending on usage. Any particular reason for wanting to install a dedicated graphics card in the first place? G

quidsinquentin

GoofyGAT wrote: »

If not attempted before.....with BIOS settings at Auto, disable in Device Manager & clean out+uninstall the old drivers as they're nVidia (for cleaning instructions see the last link in my 1st post). Next shutdown, slot-in new card, connect VGA & PSU cables (latter if required), boot up & install the downloaded ATi drivers.

[This person managed it without disabling (it happened automatically I'd assume), & incidentally the integrated & upgrade were both nVidia]

If all you try comes to nought, get another X1550 if you can (to confirm the original isn't faulty), or a completely different one. If the replacement/different one doesn't work either, then the graphics slot may be faulty.

Eventually a PCI graphics card (<---eBay search) would be the one remaining thing you could try - unfortunately choice & performance is limited, but may meet your needs depending on usage. Any particular reason for wanting to install a dedicated graphics card in the first place? G

Many thanks for reply GoofyGAT.

The BIOS settings were at AUTO.

Integrated card was disabled in Device Manager. Drivers uninstalled.

Not sure what VGA cables are??? and where to connect (unless you mean the monitor?) New card didn't require - apparently anyway - any connection to cables etc.

New card for E520 is ATI, but so is one on machine 5100, currently typing on (RADEON X600 256MB).

Am going to swop cards in 5100 and E520 shortly to test new card. If it works in 5100 I have suspicion that E520 machine has 'something wrong' with it, as this should be straightforward procedure (any guesses?).

BTW, contacted DELL tekkies over this issue, who sent me an email talking about 'AGP slots in E520'. No idea what they're on about as the only slots are PCIe. Concerned that they don't know - even the manual states PCIe - what's in machine.

Integrated card was only option on the offer that I bought at the price I paid (sub £300). It was the big DELL offer a few months ago. Great machine for price. But no-one else has had this problem that I'm aware of.
Cheers anyway.

quidsinquentin

Hi all.

Many, many, many thanks to all who helped with this issue.

It turns out that the graphics card that I picked - out of the earlier list I posted - is the ONLY one that the Dimension E520 doesn't support or recognise!!!!

Can't believe it!!

I changed around the graphics cards as mentioned above in #9 and they both worked straight away.

What are the chances that of all the b$*&#? graphics cards I#d pick the only one that doesn't work in that particular machine?

Cheers all.