Help with mobo video problem...

[Preacher]

I just got an Abit VA6 mobo from a friend of mine. Plugged it into a spare case I had, and hooked evrything up. Prob is, the PCI vidcard I got don't work in it. The system appears to boot up, but the screen is black and the monitor's LED flashes, which usually indicates a prob w/ the vidcard and/or monitor. Thing is, this same PCI card & monitor work fine in another system I have. This mobo has an AGP slot, but I don't see a reference to setting any jumpers to steer video to an PCI slot inst. of AGP. Nor is there any discernable reference to it in the BIOS part of the manual. A quick Google search on the net yielded no clues.

Does anyone have any clues why a good PCI card wouldn't work in an otherwise well-working mobo? I'm hoping to build a WC machine with it. Any help appreciated. Thx.

 

[cff]

Originally posted by Preacher
This mobo has an AGP slot, but I don't see a reference to setting any jumpers to steer video to an PCI slot inst. of AGP.

The thing you want to look for is in the BIOS and is called video initialisation order or somesuch. But as long as no AGP card is in it has to pick the PCI one anyhow. No clue what is going wrong I am afraid. Do you have any on board graphics card?

 

[Preacher]

Re: Re: Help with mobo video problem...

Originally posted by cff
...Do you have any on board graphics card?

Sadly, no. If I did, there prolly WOULD be some sorta dip switch/jumper deal I could fiddle with. Tried it today w/ an AGP card I just bought from a local 2nd hand store: Same result--Nada. ::frowns::

 

[Preacher]

Update: Turns out I just had to re-seat the PII chip in its slot (the retainer that came w/ it is kinda flimsy, and the chip won't "snap" (lock) into place). Problem solved.

Next step: Get a better CPU - turns out this PII is only a 233 Mhz!. Anyone know where I can get a Slot 1 PIII (with a decent retainer clip) cheap?...

 

[Happy]

forget a slot1 p3, they r too expensive.
u need to look for a slocket.
i recommend the asus slocket it is very nice, i ran one in my linux box for years with no problems, they also are clear of capsitors for it is easy to get a good heat sink on it.
here is a review
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=387
u can probably find one on ebay, pricewatch, or ur local store.

once u have a slocket, u can get a p3 that runs on the 100mhz bus, if ur mobo supports 133, u can get one of those.

as for retentsion brackets, ur pretty much stuck with what u've got. u can look around on ebay.

here is an all-in-one solution:
http://www.powerleap.com/Products/iP3T.htm