XFX GeForce FX 5200 Start Up Problems

[James C]

Hi, I recently (Tuesday) got a XFX GeForce FX 5200 256MB PCI card, and at first it was running OK, but yesterday and today when the computer has started up, the card has been messing about, not showing Windows, and asking to start it up in Safe mode instead. When I get into windows, it says that the card or drivers are faulty, but the card is in OK, and I have the latest drivers from the Nvidia website. However, I just downloaded them straight away instead of from the CD, and when I went to the XFX website, the drivers it said were newest were of a different version when I clicked on my card (v67.03, compared to on the Nvidia site where they were v71.84), so could it be I downloaded the wrong drivers? The Nvidia site seemed to just ask for Type of product (GFX card) >Make (Geforce, etc) > Operating System (WinXP), so not specific to the card. When I go to my Card settings in Windows, and click 'Update Drivers' it takes me to the Nvidia driver webpage however, so I'm sure they must be the correct Drivers (the ones from the Nvidia site, which I have installed).
The card is locking up for seemingly no reason as well when playing a game, and I have to restart. It restarts fine then though, no problems with it not loading windows or screen going blank. Sometimes it locks up then just crashes to desktop, and seems fine, but obviosuly now the game has shutdown. Just loads up fine and runs smoothly until it next locks up or crashes to desktop.

In short: Help!

My computer is:
Dell Dimension 2350
Pentium 4
512MB RAM
2.5Ghz

When it crashes to desktop, I get this error (see attached). I looked at memory, and I still have 7GB left out of 60GB however, so I doubt it can be low memory as the error seems to suggest.

 

[vnf4ultra]

Graphics drivers are "unified" and work with most cards by that maker. So your drivers should work. Did you disable the integrated graphics on your computer? In the bios(press f2 when after you see the dell logo when you boot up to access bios) there's a setting for graphics that has options like: integrated, or auto. Chose auto(or pci if that's listed). You may have to uninstall your integrated graphics drivers.

 

[James C]

Thanks for reply, but so far no luck in finding the option to switch to auto or PCI. I got the Bios, but from there couldn't find anything. Yesterday, I was playing a game (with new GFX card after getting it to work), and after a while it slowed down ALOT, it was unplayeable, and i just had to restart the game. When i started it up again it was OK?! Before it was just locking up. Restarting computer everynow and again seems to help stop it slowing down.
Also, i think i have found a way this morning to get it to start up first time ( showing the stuff on screen and not just blank), and not having to spend half hour or more each day switching cables around by taking the Power cord out of computer, putting it back in, and then plugging the monitor into new GFX card after the computer has started up (after Dell logo and Windows start up screen). I sent an email to the support at XFX yesterday too, so hopefully they will help out.

EDIT: OK, that last idea didn't work a second time, it must have been a fluke. Turned off computer, and later tried to turn it on using that method above, but no luck, HOWEVER, i did manage to find the PCI/Integrated option in BIOS. I turned Video Adaptor FROM Integrated, TO PCI, Saved and then it loaded up OK.
Thanks for the idea vnf4ultra, you were right all along, i just didn't look hard enough in BIOS I'm yet to see if this fixes the lockups and crashes i have been getting, but it should at least stop the messing around each time i want to turn the computer on.

 

[wiscountryboy]

i had a smilar problem and i bought a fan for it off of newegg.com it helps a lot and might solve the gaming issue but i dont know about the startup issue

 

[James C]

OK, thanks, i'll see if that will help (so long as they dont cost too much). Start up issue is now fixed however after changing Video Adaptor from Integrated to PCI in BIOS.

 

[wiscountryboy]

i got mine from newegg.com for $8 i think, heres the url
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-116-003&depa=0

 

[James C]

Thanks, not as expensive as i thought they would be.
I was looking around, and think i've solved the problem with the lockups and crashes though. Someone had the saem problems as me, and Nvidia card the same, and by using older drivers, it fixed the problem. I just installed older drivers, and so far no crashes ingame, so looks like that may have fixed the problem.

 

[wiscountryboy]

alright glad you got it fixed :giddy: