pci video card

[Hunter]

I have on board video and am upgrading to 128mb pci card. Is it necessary to
disable the on board before installing the new card. Didn't know if windows
did this and automatically picked up on the new card or not. System is win
xp home. Thanks

 

[paulmd]

I have on board video and am upgrading to 128mb pci card. Is it necessary to
disable the on board before installing the new card. Didn't know if windows
did this and automatically picked up on the new card or not. System is win
xp home. Thanks

Nyes.

Meaning it depends on your motherboard, Windows has little to do with
it.

Sometimes just the fact that you put in another video card will disable
the onboard for you. This is true for nearly all machines that have
both onbard video and an AGP slot. For machines with only PCI slots,
this is iffier, sometimes the onboard can't be disabled. The only
machine I've seen this on is crappy Gateway Micro-desktops.

If you tell us more about your machine (Make/model/motherboard), you
may get a more definitive answer. It would also help to know if your
new card is PCI or the newer PCI-e.

 

[kony]

I have on board video and am upgrading to 128mb pci card. Is it necessary to
disable the on board before installing the new card. Didn't know if windows
did this and automatically picked up on the new card or not. System is win
xp home. Thanks

With any system new enough to have AGP or PCI Express video
support (even if it doesn't have the slot, it can be a
northbridge-integral or discrete chip (more common on server
boards) which generally means anything from around '97-98
till today, it depends on what the bios default setting is
for which video card (type) to consider the primary display.

Often the bios is set by default to consider PCI the default
to reduce customer support issues, with the idea that it
would be more likely to have someone install a new card to
replace their AGP (or PCI Express) rather than be a
supplimentary 2nd display.

So install the PCI card and plug the monitor into it. When
you turn the system on if you don't see the video on the
monitor as usual, within a second or two, turn off the
system, reconnect monitor to the other video port, and when
you power on, enter the bios menu to change the primary
display adapter setting.

 

[Hunter]

Heres a little more info on computer
VIA/S3 UniChrome Video Adapter
Motherboard Name Abit VA-20 / ECS KM400-M Deluxe / KM400-M2 / KM400A-M2 /
V7-
Motherboard Chipset VIA UniChrome KM266 Pro / KM400(A) / KN400(A
Award BIOS Type Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG

 

[paulmd]

Heres a little more info on computer
VIA/S3 UniChrome Video Adapter
Motherboard Name Abit VA-20 / ECS KM400-M Deluxe / KM400-M2 / KM400A-M2 /
V7-
Motherboard Chipset VIA UniChrome KM266 Pro / KM400(A) / KN400(A
Award BIOS Type Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG

The onboard video should automatically disable itself.

 

[kony]

The onboard video should automatically disable itself.

Are you sure? That's an AGP northbridge video
implementation, with the insertion of an AGP card it would
be expected to automatically disable itself but with a PCI?
I'd always presumed it depended on the default bios setting
for which (AGP or PCI) was initialized first.

 

[paulmd]

Are you sure? That's an AGP northbridge video
implementation, with the insertion of an AGP card it would
be expected to automatically disable itself but with a PCI?
I'd always presumed it depended on the default bios setting
for which (AGP or PCI) was initialized first.

What I've seen is that setting usually makes very little difference in
the case of a single video card besides the onboard. It might make a
difference with multiple video cards. Theres only been one motherboard
I've ever seen that adding a PCI video card won't automagically disable
the onboard. Irregardless of that setting. At most, you have to clear
the BIOS.


I do wonder why OP bought a PCI card, with the option of AGP. I hope he
didn't acciedently buy a PCI-e.

 

[kony]

I do wonder why OP bought a PCI card, with the option of AGP. I hope he
didn't acciedently buy a PCI-e.

KM266 wasn't all that great, with DDR memory it was
sufficient for video playback and general
office/surfing/etc, but maybe he wanted DVI, S-Video I/O or
at least a little bit of (older) gaming ability. Something
like a PCI FX5700 would be multiple times faster at gaming.

 

[Hunter]

Back again, still trying to get video card to work. Card is a pci g-force
mx-4000. Install card but get one long beep, but no video. Have 2 other
computers and get same results , no video. Card is good and guess there is a
change I need to make in bios but not sure what. I don't see anything for
primary display. If anyone can help me get this working, it will be
appreciated.

Field Value
Motherboard Name Abit VA-20 / ECS KM400-M Deluxe / KM400-M2 / V7-2
Field Value
Award BIOS Message KM400-M2 04/21/2005
Field Value
North Bridge VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Pro / VT8378(A) UniChrome KM400(A)
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome Video Adapter
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome 3D Accelerator

 

[kony]

Back again, still trying to get video card to work. Card is a pci g-force
mx-4000. Install card but get one long beep, but no video.

This would seem to suggest the card is either defective in
some way, your case (or motherboard itself) mounting isn't
seating the card quite right, or there is a rare
motherboard-card incompatibility. You might check for a
bios update for the board.

Have 2 other
computers and get same results , no video. Card is good

This suggests card is not "good", in what configuration
(system, test) does the card work for certain?

and guess there is a
change I need to make in bios but not sure what. I don't see anything for
primary display. If anyone can help me get this working, it will be
appreciated.

You might try resetting the bios (clear CMOS) with AC power
off, and first time you turn system on, have the card
installed already.

Field Value
Motherboard Name Abit VA-20 / ECS KM400-M Deluxe / KM400-M2 / V7-2
Field Value
Award BIOS Message KM400-M2 04/21/2005
Field Value
North Bridge VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Pro / VT8378(A) UniChrome KM400(A)
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome Video Adapter
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome 3D Accelerator

I know of no particular issuse with your board, AFAIK it
should have worked already.

 

[Paul]

Back again, still trying to get video card to work. Card is a pci g-force
mx-4000. Install card but get one long beep, but no video. Have 2 other
computers and get same results , no video. Card is good and guess there is a
change I need to make in bios but not sure what. I don't see anything for
primary display. If anyone can help me get this working, it will be
appreciated.

Field Value
Motherboard Name Abit VA-20 / ECS KM400-M Deluxe / KM400-M2 / V7-2
Field Value
Award BIOS Message KM400-M2 04/21/2005
Field Value
North Bridge VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Pro / VT8378(A) UniChrome KM400(A)
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome Video Adapter
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome 3D Accelerator

If I download an Abit VA-20 manual, in "Integrated Peripherals"
there is "Init Display First" [PCI slot]. Maybe that is the
Primary adapter setting ?

Is the motherboard a VA-20 ? Is something printed on the motherboard
in white letters ? Knowing which model, makes it easier to dig
up the most like suspects in the BIOS settings.

Paul

 

[pen]

message

"Hunter"

Back again, still trying to get video
card to work. Card is a pci g-force
mx-4000. Install card but get one
long beep, but no video. Have 2 other
computers and get same results , no
video. Card is good and guess there
is a
change I need to make in bios but not
sure what. I don't see anything for
primary display. If anyone can help
me get this working, it will be
appreciated.

Field Value
Motherboard Name Abit VA-20 / ECS
KM400-M Deluxe / KM400-M2 / V7-2
Field Value
Award BIOS Message KM400-M2
04/21/2005
Field Value
North Bridge VIA ProSavageDDR KM266
Pro / VT8378(A) UniChrome KM400(A)
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome Video Adapter
Device Description Device Type
VIA/S3 UniChrome 3D Accelerator

If I download an Abit VA-20 manual, in
"Integrated Peripherals"
there is "Init Display First" [PCI
slot]. Maybe that is the
Primary adapter setting ?

Is the motherboard a VA-20 ? Is
something printed on the motherboard
in white letters ? Knowing which
model, makes it easier to dig
up the most like suspects in the BIOS
settings.

Paul

The Init Display First is the place
where you pick what
display source to use.