Dual Graphics card - 280X - one not being recognised after working for 3 months.

[rwillett]

Hi,

Just come back to my computer and found that one of my dual 280X cards is not being recognised and found by OS X/Windows 7 anymore.

Its been working perfectly well for the last three months, I recall kicking the case (by accident) as I left and when I came back one of the cards isn't displaying.

One card is close to the CPU (top) and the other further away (bottom).

I've removed both 280X cards and swapped them over and the new top/old bottom card works fine in the top slot but the old top and now new bottom isn't working. I have dual monitors on the bottom card and the monitors are NOT complaining about the lack of DVI input, which they do if I unplug the cables.

Both cards are powered and both cards have a blue LED highlighting the Vapour-X logo on them.

Both cards are plugged in correctly, I reseated them both twice and swapped them over. I have the same effect with whichever card is in the top PCIe slot working. So the cards are working.

If I look in the System Report, only one card is being reported. if I do the same in Windows, only one card is being reported by the AMD Catalyst software.

This appears to show that the graphics cards are working as both work in the top slot. It looks as if the bottom or lower PCIe slot isn't working (whatever that means).

Any clever suggestions as to how to test this any further? There is nothing in the BIOS to test and nothing is reported which is what I would expect.

Thanks (as I keep thinking of what could be wrong). The kick was an accidental kick and not hard, it was just as I swung out of my chair.

Rob

 

[P1LGRIM]

Hi,

Just come back to my computer and found that one of my dual 280X cards is not being recognised and found by OS X/Windows 7 anymore.

Its been working perfectly well for the last three months, I recall kicking the case (by accident) as I left and when I came back one of the cards isn't displaying.

One card is close to the CPU (top) and the other further away (bottom).

I've removed both 280X cards and swapped them over and the new top/old bottom card works fine in the top slot but the old top and now new bottom isn't working. I have dual monitors on the bottom card and the monitors are NOT complaining about the lack of DVI input, which they do if I unplug the cables.

Both cards are powered and both cards have a blue LED highlighting the Vapour-X logo on them.

Both cards are plugged in correctly, I reseated them both twice and swapped them over. I have the same effect with whichever card is in the top PCIe slot working. So the cards are working.

If I look in the System Report, only one card is being reported. if I do the same in Windows, only one card is being reported by the AMD Catalyst software.

This appears to show that the graphics cards are working as both work in the top slot. It looks as if the bottom or lower PCIe slot isn't working (whatever that means).

Any clever suggestions as to how to test this any further? There is nothing in the BIOS to test and nothing is reported which is what I would expect.

Thanks (as I keep thinking of what could be wrong). The kick was an accidental kick and not hard, it was just as I swung out of my chair.

Rob

Sorry to hear that Rob, it really sounds like a problem with the PCI slot.

One thing you might try is a CMOS reset.
you may have induced a power spike that corrupted the stored settings - Worth a try anyway.

Good Luck

 

[rwillett]

Sorry to hear that Rob, it really sounds like a problem with the PCI slot.

One thing you might try is a CMOS reset.
you may have induced a power spike that corrupted the stored settings - Worth a try anyway.

Good Luck

Will try that.

Have left it unplugged for last 30 mins.

Am also going to try setting the GPU's to the second PCIe slot.

Really annoying if if I have screwed the slot

 

[rwillett]

Will try that.

Have left it unplugged for last 30 mins.

Am also going to try setting the GPU's to the second PCIe slot.

Really annoying if if I have screwed the slot

Got it going. It looks as if the motherboard and case are very slightly out of alignment and thats pulling the graphics card out of its slot by a very small amount, BUT enough for it to lose some of the contacts. I suspect my knock with the foot was enough.

The solution is either to:

1. Pull the motherboard out and raise the back of the motherboard by a mm or so with a plastic spacer to bring it more into alignment.

2. Try and use the sodding slips on the PCIe slot to lock the card in place. The problem with that is that its more or less impossible to release them if I do want to pull the graphics boards out at any time. Whoever designed those clips should be taken and beaten to a pulp.

Of course I only got it going after dismantling half the sodding machine, resetting the CMOS and reconfiguring the BIOS.

Oh well, chalk one to experience.

Rob