New machine fails POST (1 long 2 short beeps)

[btarunr]

I'm in a fix. I'm installing a machine, relevant details:

ASUS M2N-SLI (Initial BIOS)
Brisbane 5200+ DO (Supported by the initial BIOS of the board)
G-Skill 5-5-5-15 1.8v 2x 1GB kit.
XpertVision GeForce 8800 GT
Corsair VX450 PSU (calculated, should suffice for the setup)


Everything properly installed, I'm greeted with a blank screen, the beep sounds like: 1 long beep followed by 2 short beeps. Google tells me that's an error caused due to bad video-card or if the monitor isn't properly connected. Screwup: both mine and this new monitor connect using D-Sub, the card includes a DVI to D-Sub dongle. I have no clue if the beep code is caused due to a bad dongle. I have an older 6800 GT that has a D-Sub dongle of its own but I gave that card and all its accessories away. What are my options now?

1. Should I insert the card in the second (black) PCI-E slot? Will a card boot from the secondary PCI-E slot in SLI/CF boards?

2. DVI male-to-male cables aren't found here, I've to get them from another city, takes a week.

3. Bad dongle?

4. Dead card? Pray it not be this?

5. I tried using the 2x molex to PCI-E power adapter, no luck.

6. Something else?

 

[ShadowFold]

Try a different video card? Then try taking the ram out 1 at a time. ram always does this kinda thing.. I would know lol

 

[btarunr]

Tried playing with the memory. No luck. I gave away the only working card I had, a 6800 GT.

Tried that card on my machine too. I bought 1 XVi 8800 GT, thought I'd find it good and buy three in all.

 

[alexp999]

If google says those beeps mean graphics error. Then that is what its gotta be.
Bad ram or cpu normally means no beeps at all. (a "lights on, no-one home moment").
Have you got no way of testing another gfx card or that gfx card in another machine??
Does it boot with no monitor plugged in. (i.e you will only hear one beep to say it posted successfully)

 

[btarunr]

With the monitor disconnected I still get this error. Unfortunately I have no other PCI-E card. And this card on another machine returns the same error. I'm not able to make out if it's a bad card or bad DVI to D-Sub converter dongle. On a side note, are PCI-E 2.0 cards supposed to work on any board with PCI-E 1.1 slot ? Both my machines are PCI-E 1.1

 

[allen337]

90% of the time its memory error. Reset cmos,pull battery and all power supply connections. Or try different memory. ALLEN

 

[alexp999]

90% of the time its memory error. Reset cmos,pull battery and all power supply connections. Or try different memory. ALLEN

bad ram usually results in no beeps at all.
When a computer gives you a coded beep it means it has effectively "half" posted. The mobo is happy with the cpu, ram. And in this case it gets to the point where it wants to initialize the gfx card and it cant so is setting there giving a beep error cus it obviously cant show one on screen.

If it does it in two machines with no dongle or monitor plugged in then I'm afraid it has to be the Gfx card. Unless The psu cant physically give it enough power to even boot. (which is unlikely).

@ btarunr

Have you ever had the gfx card working??

 

[btarunr]

No, it's new out of the box.

 

[alexp999]

No, it's new out of the box.

Okay well based on what you have said and the fact you have a 700w PSu in your system specs looks like your one of a minority who has a DOA Gfx card. Soz mate.

BTW;
I take it when you said other machine, you put it in a fully working system where the only thing you changed was that gfx card right??

And you have tried it with nothing plugged into the back of it (no dongle or monitor)

Also, is there a power connector on the gfx card??

And like you said might be wirth trying the other PCI-e slot, although I'm pretty sure it is dead if you have done everything right and it doesnt work in two machines

 

[btarunr]

PSU isn't an issue, like I said, I tried it on the Tagan PSU of my machine, and the Corsair VX450 on this one. I got just one card so if I liked it I could buy more of those for both my machine and this one, in SLI. I doesn't seem to work on both. The Corsair PSU does suffice for this setup.

My situation: two machines, one card that doesn't seem to work on either machines, all old cards sold, don't know if its a bad card or the dongle.

 

[alexp999]

PSU isn't an issue, like I said, I tried it on the Tagan PSU of my machine, and the Corsair VX450 on this one. I got just one card so if I liked it I could buy more of those for both my machine and this one, in SLI. I doesn't seem to work on both. The Corsair PSU does suffice for this setup.

My situation: two machines, one card that doesn't seem to work on either machines, all old cards sold, don't know if its a bad card or the dongle.

What happens if you boot the machine with no dongle attached??

 

[btarunr]

What happens if you boot the machine with no dongle attached??

Same error. No dongle = no display. Monitors connect using D-Sub.

 

[alexp999]

Same error. No dongle = no display. Monitors connect using D-Sub.

If it does it without the dongle then you got a dead gfx card.

Computers will boot with no monitor plugged.

 

[btarunr]

I opened a can of RMA, replaced the video card with a Gigabyte 8800 GT. Same error. It seems like we've got a bad motherboard here. It might not be bad memory because if there's a memory error, we should get the familiar bad memory beep. Interestingly, I started the machine with no modules installed and I get the same bad VGA beep (1 long 2 short) so should I fool with the memory? Should I RMA the board?

 

[DaedalusHelios]

RMA the board for sure..... After you made sure that the clear CMOS didn't work though.

 

[sneekypeet]

I have a quick question....is the power to the 8800 plugged in ?
To answer a question in your first post...yes you can test a card in any slot!

 

[btarunr]

Yes, of course the 6-pin PCI-E power is connected. I've tried the card on both the blue primary and black secondary solt, same error.

Yes, I cleared the CMOS, no luck.

It's moving towards the memory now. I start the machine with no memory installed, I get the same bad VGA error beep and not the bad RAM beep

 

[erocker]

I had a 8800GTS (G80) that did the same thing in two different machines. I'm quite sure you got a bad card. Hope the RMA is fast for you. For the memory's sake, just try one stick then the other to see if anything changes. But the beeps and the fact it did it in another machine adds up to be the card.

 

[btarunr]

I had a 8800GTS (G80) that did the same thing in two different machines. I'm quite sure you got a bad card. Hope the RMA is fast for you. For the memory's sake, just try one stick then the other to see if anything changes. But the beeps and the fact it did it in another machine adds up to be the card.

I finished the RMA, replaced the XpertVision with a Gigabyte card. This card works on my machine. My situation is "two guys, a girl and a pizza place" aka "two machines a card and a PIA error" I gave away a brilliant and durable 6800 GT I had. Lesson learnt: when buying new stuff, never give away old stuff until you're real sure your new stuff works.

Indian for RMA: Take the product with the store's invoice, go to the store, fling the box at the storekeeper, praise his mother, pick another product, pay the difference in price (if any), have a fresh invoice made, go back home with your new product.