Plugging in graphics card while computer is on?

runevirage · Sep 13, 2010

As a point of interest, what would happen if you plugged in the PCIe 2.0 connectors to a graphics card while the computer is on (assuming that there is an onboard GPU or another graphics card already running the OS in normal mode)? Thanks.

slyfox2151 · Sep 13, 2010

option A.. nothing happens..

Option B... you blowup the video card AND/OR the motherboard as well.

CDdude55 · Sep 13, 2010

I definitely wouldn't recommend doing that, but i doubt much would happen.

overclocking101 · Sep 13, 2010

if your system is new it will simply freeze, older systems you run a risk of killing a part or all of it. but I have done it not thinking and it simply froze up.

mlee49 · Sep 13, 2010

Couple things could happen:

A) Power surge to the card and blows the card

B) Power drop from the card could cause unstability to the rest of the powered components.

C) Power supply blows from large power difference.

D) Nothing, card powers on and windows needs a reboot to recognize it.

Wanna try and tell us how it goes?

erocker · Sep 13, 2010

First and foremost you would probably be ridiculed by those who know better and exercise common sense. It can cause several issues as far as your hadware is concerned. Freeze up, blown capacitors, transistors, HDD corruption and other permanent hardware failure. I've accidentally done it with RAM before and nothing bad happened.

sneekypeet · Sep 13, 2010

As a point of interest, what is so important you cant wait the extra 2-3 minutes to shut it down and reboot. Its going to need the reboot anyways to work.

AltecV1 · Sep 13, 2010

your computer would froze and thats it

DaMulta · Sep 13, 2010

It would power up, and if you go into device manager you can turn it on.

I have plugged in cards/removed cards while the machine is on a TON of times.

I use to flip people out in the old server room when I would pull/plug in cards without shutting down.

Of course you are going to have to have another card ON and plugged in while you do it.

wolf · Sep 13, 2010

Nothing good will come of this, possibly nothing bad either, but definitely nothing good.

but hey, theres only two ways to find out

streetfighter 2 · Sep 13, 2010

Umm... I'm going to agree with what just about everyone said.

If you still want to try it though, for the love god get some eye protection because you'll need to read our posts making fun of you *if* it explodes.

Batou1986 · Sep 13, 2010

i bet it would be fine if i had an extra psu around id try it on the p5n-sli with an x800 and an x300

hat · Sep 13, 2010

Well, certianly nothing BETTER then doing it the old fashioned way can happen.

Kantastic · Sep 13, 2010

I tried it with RAM and my computer froze just like erocker's did. Never had the balls to try a GPU though... you go first.

angelkiller · Sep 13, 2010

mlee49 said:
C) Power supply blows from large power difference.

I've done it before and this happened.

It was an old Dell P4 machine and the card was an AGP MX 4000. I didn't realize the machine was on

shadedshu) and I put the card in the AGP slot. There was a big spark/noise from the PSU and it turned off. Didn't come back on. Got a new PSU and the machine worked fine, including the graphics card.

runevirage · Sep 13, 2010

Ok guys, well I tried it. And....

Nothing really happened other than the fan on the card went up to 100%. The card wasn't recognized in the control panel, Realtemp, or GPUZ. The fan speed went up to 100% even with only one PCIe power connector in, even though it normally requires two.

The fan speed thing was kind of interesting, why would it default to 100% upon power initiation? Possibly to prevent overheating?

angelkiller · Sep 13, 2010

runevirage said:
Ok guys, well I tried it. And....

Nothing really happened other than the fan on the card went up to 100%. The card wasn't recognized in the control panel, Realtemp, or GPUZ. The fan speed went up to 100% even with only one PCIe power connector in, even though it normally requires two.

The fan speed thing was kind of interesting, why would it default to 100% upon power initiation? Possibly to prevent overheating?

Most cards run the fan at 100% at boot then it quietens down. No idea why.

But more importantly,

YOU TRIED THIS??? Such a terrible terrible terrible idea. You could have lost several hundred dollars worth of gear in a second. Even if you were curious, that was a dumb thing to try.
:shadedshu :shadedshu :shadedshu

DaMulta · Sep 13, 2010

So you scanned for new hardware in device manager?

mlee49 · Sep 13, 2010

runevirage said:
Ok guys, well I tried it. And....

Nothing really happened other than the fan on the card went up to 100%. The card wasn't recognized in the control panel, Realtemp, or GPUZ. The fan speed went up to 100% even with only one PCIe power connector in, even though it normally requires two.

The fan speed thing was kind of interesting, why would it default to 100% upon power initiation? Possibly to prevent overheating?

Well at start up the fan ramps up until the OS can tell it to cool down. Since the OS doesn't recognize the card it can't tell it to chill.

garyinhere · Sep 13, 2010

angelkiller said:
Even if you were curious, that was a dumb thing to try.

agreed

3volvedcombat · Sep 13, 2010

runevirage said:
Ok guys, well I tried it. And....

Nothing really happened other than the fan on the card went up to 100%. The card wasn't recognized in the control panel, Realtemp, or GPUZ. The fan speed went up to 100% even with only one PCIe power connector in, even though it normally requires two.

The fan speed thing was kind of interesting, why would it default to 100% upon power initiation? Possibly to prevent overheating?

Do it again, looks like you need to, go right click on computer.

then select MANAGE.

Find device manager

Then go down to vga section, youll see the card, press activate, or enable, or turn on, because its disabled, and you should be fine! :toast:

DaMulta · Sep 13, 2010

PEOPLE in this thread need to grow some balls lol

Easy Rhino · Sep 13, 2010

setup your video camera, point it at your pc, turn on pc, plug in pci-e card. report back.

Perseid · Sep 13, 2010

There are actually people suggesting someone DO this? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Seriously. Think of how much power modern video cards use. Think of a new device suddenly asking for that power out of the blue. Now imagine the power suddenly shooting through some pins when other pins aren't connected yet because you didn't seat it 100%.

runevirage · Sep 13, 2010

Damn, you guys are right, I should've tried to detect it through device manager. I guess at the time I was just too excited. Plus the 100% fans thing was freaking me out.

As to why I tried it? Some people live for danger :cool:

Would try it again but my hands are still bruised from the last try. Damn PCIe 2.0 power connectors are so freaking hard to get out you practically need a pair of pliers. Anyway, might do this again some time, on another rainy night perhaps...

And as everyone has noted in the thread, this WAS a stupid thing to do, and I don't recommend that anyone else do it lol.

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