GPU Install Help!
 

Okay, so I just got my new GTX 460 with 768MB built in GDDR5. Last night I tried to swap with my ATI card and...it failed. There are a couple things I thought might have been causing the errors, so I thought I'd see if anyone can talk me through this (in layman's terms).
I swapped cards out of the PCI-Express slot (googled the name) and put the GPU in. It does have a large fan attached, so it was larger than the other, but no big problems with that. My PSU is only rated for 460W, so that might need replaced? (Pent D 940 CPU) The BIOS hasn't been updated since 2006, which is when we got the computer. The motherboard is a HP something-or-other, so I suppose their website should have the updates? I read somewhere that I might have to "flash BIOS"? How do I do this/do I need to? When I replug everything and turn the PC back on, the LED flashes red and the mobo beeps like 5 or 6 times (will edit once sure). Also, the PSU connectors have 4 female slots, but the male ends that came with the GPU only has 3 pins (same configuration/size though)
Please Advise!

After you do what kladner says below, remember that you are replacing an ATI card with an Nvidia card. I would check the graphics drivers. Put the old card back in and uninstall the ATI drivers. Then put the new card and see if it shows you a 640x480 resolution screen.

I think I can chip away at some of this. Error beep codes do vary, but in some cases a long string of beeps indicates video card, or more precisely, the lack thereof. Make sure the card is properly seated in its slot. That is, take it out and put it back in, making sure that it goes straight in all the way.

I take it that you are using adapters for the PCIe aux power connects. The 4 pin Molex connectors from the PSU carry both 12v and 5v lines, but the video card only needs the 12v, I think. So only three connections on the adapters should be OK.

I'm not sure what to say on the BIOS flash. I wouldn't have expected it to be necessary for swapping video cards. But you would obtain an update from the manufacturer's site, for sure. There should also be instructions for flashing there. But try the other stuff first. There can be some risk in flashing.

It may turn out that the PSU is not up to the task. 460w is borderline. My initial efforts would be on proper seating and making sure of the power connections.

In line with what garo said, you might even put in borh video cards at once, so you can at least have video on the one while trying to work out the video on the other.

Might be worth a live install disk from xubuntu, to separate out OS issues from hardware ones.

480W is indeed borderline, especially for GIMPs use.

The other problem might be the PCIe slot itself. GTX 460's typically require at least PCIe 2.0, but that wasn't even specified until early 2007, much less put into use. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#PCI_Express_2.0[/url]

Any motherboard made in 2006 I highly doubt has PCIe 2.0. Could you post a link to exactly which card you got?

In other words, you're trying to put 2010 hardware into 2005/2006 hardware. I'm slightly shocked it even fits.

(And yes the PSU is borderline at best; I have a 95W TDP with a 460 and a 600W PSU.)

@Dubslow: Good catch. That had not occurred to me. However, from the link does come this paragraph-[INDENT]PCIe 2.0 motherboard slots are fully backward compatible with PCIe v1.x cards. PCIe 2.0 cards are also generally backward compatible with PCIe 1.x motherboards, using the available bandwidth of PCI Express 1.1. Overall, graphic cards or motherboards designed for v2.0 will work with the other being v1.1 or v1.0.
[/INDENT]Of course, there is the qualifier "generally" in there. The main thing seems to be that communication is substantially slower.

That CPU does show TDP 130w.
[url]http://ark.intel.com/products/27519/Intel-Pentium-D-Processor-940-%284M-Cache-3_20-GHz-800-MHz-FSB%29[/url]

That does throw it back in the direction of PSU questions.

c10ck3r: Is there any chance you know anyone with a spare power supply with a higher rating?

Alternatively, some stores have fairly liberal return policies if you wanted to try that out. I only recommend this if it's a local purchase as shipped orders get more complicated and costly on returns. Microcenter, at least, is pretty much minimal questions on returns in the first 30 days. Just hang onto every bit of packaging and contents, and handle things carefully. I don't know about other chains.

Motherboard beeping during bootup when all you've changed is video card is that the video card doesn't have enough power to complete it's boot process.

A gtx460 requires 2x 6-pin PCIe power cables to be plugged in.

When you say 3/4pin connectors I think you're talking about the molex-to-PCIe connectors. It's unlikely that the power that supplies your molex connectors is enough to run a GTX460 on it's own.

I'm assuming when you say 'hp motherboard' you're talking about HP PC that you've bought as a complete system.

The power supplies in PCs I think you have, generally aren't suited for GPU upgrades such as the 460GTX.

I think you need to speak to someone 'in the flesh' that can see your setup and suggest a solution.

If we suggest to buy a PSU and you have a HP PC I think you do it's unlikely it will fit. HP PCs are famous for having custom PSU shapes.

-- Craig

Quote nucleon: If we suggest to buy a PSU and you have a HP PC I think you do it's unlikely it will fit. HP PCs are famous for having custom PSU shapes.

Ow Ow OW! That's an unpleasant situation.

[QUOTE=kladner;281464]Quote nucleon: If we suggest to buy a PSU and you have a HP PC I think you do it's unlikely it will fit. HP PCs are famous for having custom PSU shapes.

Ow Ow OW! That's an unpleasant situation.[/QUOTE]

Yep - that's what happened to me.

All I could do to accommodate it, was to buy a GT430 video card. GT430 or GT440 cards do not anything special as far as power goes.

-- Craig

Might depend on the age of the HP, I bought a generic 600W psu for my HP and it swapped out fine (though I did have to remove the fan from the CPU heatsink to get it done).