Solved Problems installing a AMD low profile card

[andrew129260]

Ok everyone, I appreciate any help in advance.


Details:

I have recently purchased a $25 low profile card for my fiance's crappy acer AM1610-u1201A with a
250 watt PSU.

The card is a ASUS Radeon HD 5450.

See link for specs: Newegg.com - Refurbished: ASUS EAH5450 SILENT/DI/1GD3(LP) Radeon HD 5450 1GB 64-Bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card

Anyways, before purchasing I researched and found this card should work no problems. Even though the power supply is weak in the acer, this graphics card is supposed to work as its low profile and other sites said it would work just fine with even this low wattage.

Anyways, My fiance's pc has 1 dvd drive and thats it. Nothing else hooked up to it that would suck a lot of power. So anyway, her integrated graphics stink worse then any I have ever seen so I wanted to install this card so we could stream netflix onto the 32inch tv we have.


The problem:


Installed the card in the computer. PC won't turn on. Take the card out, pc turns on. Install the card, pc won't turn on. Here is where it gets weird: Uninstall the card from the pc, PC still won't turn on. Next 4 hours, pc will not turn on. Pushed power button another 30 minutes later, pc turns on with card. Starts loading windows. Pc shuts off.

Uninstall card, pc will not turn on. Waited another 2 hours, pc now turns on.

What the heck is going on?


Power supply can't power it, I know what your saying. But the psu is supposed to be able to power this card, and the weird thing is it did not power on again with the card removed for a few times there. Does that make any sense? Am I having a senior moment?


What am I doing wrong?


PS: Computer has been running fine for the last week (no card), no power issues. And she shuts it down when she is done with it, and then turns it back on.

 

[carwiz]

The original specs of the PS may have been able to power it but they do tend to degrade over time as the capacitors weaken. Make sure you're putting the card into the correct slot also. The fact that the card is a referb instantly begs the question of whether it works. Do you have another system to try the card in?

 

[andrew129260]

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately I do not currently, thing is if the card is bad how would that prevent the computer from turning on? The pc only has 1 pci e slot so I am positive I am putting it in the right slot.

Wouldn't it just power on and the card wouldn't work? At least that has always been my experience...

 

[carwiz]

The card may have burned or defective circuits or a short. You might also check the pins in the PCI slot and the connections on the card for obvious damage. If the MB slot has been open since new, make sure it's clean. Also try inserting and removing a few times to clean the connections. There's several power pins in a PCI slot and they all have to make a connection.

 

[carwiz]

I still think it may be a weak PS. If you're having to wait some period before the PC will turn on, it indicates the PS is over heating and shutting down.

Added: Also check the specs on the PS for each rail. Just because "200W" may power the card, that is the total output of all the rails. The 5v and 12v rails are rated individually.

 

[andrew129260]

Okay, It's just weird that others have gotten it to work on this wattage. I guess first ill find a spare pc and test the video card there first.

Thanks, I will look into maybe getting a cheap psu for the acer. I don't want to spend big on this crappy thing.

I was going to do all that, I mainly posted to see if anyone had an idea as to why the computer would behave with the weird thing stated here:

Installed the card in the computer. PC won't turn on. Take the card out, pc turns on. Install the card, pc won't turn on. Here is where it gets weird: Uninstall the card from the pc, PC still won't turn on. Next 4 hours, pc will not turn on. Pushed power button another 30 minutes later, pc turns on with card. Starts loading windows. Pc shuts off.

Uninstall card, pc will not turn on. Waited another 2 hours, pc now turns on.

Power supply can't power it, I know what your saying. But the psu is supposed to be able to power this card, and the weird thing is it did not power on again with the card removed for a few times there. Does that make any sense? Am I having a senior moment?

Low wattage would cause that behavior? In my experience it was always if you have a weak psu it won't turn on at all, not turn on then off then not turn on for any reason and then suddenly start working. Just seemed very strange to me. Maybe the psu is going out on it....

 

[carwiz]

There's usually temp sensors in a PS that will shut it down. It sounds like the PS is over heating. As I mentioned, if you have to wait, the PS may be hot. But if the card has a short, it could cause the PS to over heat. You need to isolate the card and make sure it works. Do you get any beeps on start up (boot)? Does it show up in the BIOS?

 

[Solarstarshines]

I read About this card and the Minimal PSU was 350W Now 400W is the actually power needed for that card all AMD cards especially lower level cards need atleast a 400w PSU 250w will only power your system

Sorry but the power supply needs to be at least a 450w to properly power everything even though it doesn't have it own power connection it draws a lot of system power from the PCI -E slot

 

[carwiz]

Thanks Tommy. I was busy on a few other threads and didn't look at the card specs.

 

[Solarstarshines]

Thanks Tommy. I was busy on a few other threads and didn't look at the card specs.

No worries glad i could help

 

[andrew129260]

Ok thanks guys. Ya There was no beeps, just nothing. I will buy a cheap 450 watt psu. Thanks.

 

[Lava King]

Ok thanks guys. Ya There was no beeps, just nothing. I will buy a cheap 450 watt psu. Thanks.

Please let us know how this works out.

Many years ago I worked in a computer shop and saw this problem (or some variation of it) multiple times. It always turned out to be the motherboard. Never did find out what the definitive answer was, we always assumed that it was stressed components or an intermittent connection.

Of course, in your case the cause of the problem could be something completely different, only with the same symptom.

 

[andrew129260]

Will do thank you. She is using the pc fine right now without the card in it, and its been running well since last week.

Looking at cheap power supplies to add to hers so that this card will run, and I have come across the following:

LOGISYS Computer PS480E12 480W ATX12V Power Supply - Newegg.com <---cheapo but decent reviews

hec HP485D 485W ATX12V Power Supply - No Power Cord - Newegg.com <---cheapo but decent reviews

Newegg.com - EVGA 100-W1-0430-KR 430W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC 3 Year Warranty Power Supply Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready


I just want something to get the job done, nothing more.


Thoughts?

Appreciate the assistance

 

[matts6887]

I still think it may be a weak PS. If you're having to wait some period before the PC will turn on, it indicates the PS is over heating and shutting down.

Added: Also check the specs on the PS for each rail. Just because "200W" may power the card, that is the total output of all the rails. The 5v and 12v rails are rated individually.

I concur here. This sounds like a weak power supply to me as well. Depending on how old your system and power supply are; it may be time to look into a new power supply. You could also test the ps if you have a voltage meter.

 

[matts6887]

Will do thank you. She is using the pc fine right now without the card in it, and its been running well since last week.

Looking at cheap power supplies to add to hers so that this card will run, and I have come across the following:

LOGISYS Computer PS480E12 480W ATX12V Power Supply - Newegg.com <---cheapo but decent reviews

hec HP485D 485W ATX12V Power Supply - No Power Cord - Newegg.com <---cheapo but decent reviews

Newegg.com - EVGA 100-W1-0430-KR 430W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC 3 Year Warranty Power Supply Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready


I just want something to get the job done, nothing more.


Thoughts?

Appreciate the assistance

Those units look like viable possibilities. It also depends on how much total wattage, etc you think your system may need. It could be that your system may need a little more or less wattage depending on how many hard drives, etc are in the system; so make sure you try and count how much your system uses etc.

 

[andrew129260]

@ matts6887

I don't mean this to sound rude, but your posts there are wasted space. From the first post you posted, you clearly did not even read the thread. Her computer is running fine now. Her current PSU is fine.
"I agree" does not help me. As for the second post, yes I am aware of this. Instead of giving me opinions based on a power supply, I have 2 wasted posts here on my thread. Do you have a opinion on one of those power supplies I offered, or a better power supply then what I have chosen/looked at for the pc? If so great!

I know you are trying to help, and I appreciate that. But you seem to just be repeating things.

Or it might be that I am being to harsh, in which case I apologize. (I am very tired)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

It looks like whatever I read on a few sites was wrong about the wattage needed, so I am grateful that carwiz and Solarstarshines informed me of this.

I just though the weirdness in the way of it not starting up without the card in after sitting for a long time was strange. Thanks to carwiz explanation I now understand why. It looks like I was wrong about what hardware acts like when it doesn't have a proper psu to power it. Normally if it didn't do that weird thing I would have thought right away that something was up and the psu could not handle it, but since I read around on some places and people stated it ran on a psu of that wattage, I thought to myself that could not be the case. But it looks like it was.

 

[carwiz]

I normally don't suggest hardware but you can scratch door 1 & 2 since they provide less than 200W on the 12v rail. As I mentioned before, you need to look at more than total rated power. Look at the specs for the EVGA PS. While it appears smaller, it actually supplies more power on the 12v rail than the others combined. Over 400W to be specific. If you have a choice, always go with an 80 or 80+ Certified PS and look beyond the total output.

 

[derekimo]

@ matts6887

I don't mean this to sound rude, but your posts there are wasted space. From the first post you posted, you clearly did not even read the thread. Her computer is running fine now. Her current PSU is fine.
"I agree" does not help me. As for the second post, yes I am aware of this. Instead of giving me opinions based on a power supply, I have 2 wasted posts here on my thread.

I know you are trying to help, and I appreciate that. But you seem to just be repeating things.

Yet you did a good job of doing that. You could have just said thanks or nothing at all.

 

[andrew129260]

I normally don't suggest hardware but you can scratch door 1 & 2 since they provide less than 200W on the 12v rail. As I mentioned before, you need to look at more than total rated power. Look at the specs for the EVGA PS. While it appears smaller, it actually supplies more power on the 12v rail than the others combined. Over 400W to be specific. If you have a choice, always go with an 80 or 80+ Certified PS and look beyond the total output.

Ok, thank you. I will look into the Newegg.com - EVGA 100-W1-0430-KR 430W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC 3 Year Warranty Power Supply Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready then.

Do you know of a good website to learn more about this stuff with wattage's and rails? I'll search google, but didn't know if you knew of any good sites for that.

 

[andrew129260]

@ matts6887

I don't mean this to sound rude, but your posts there are wasted space. From the first post you posted, you clearly did not even read the thread. Her computer is running fine now. Her current PSU is fine.
"I agree" does not help me. As for the second post, yes I am aware of this. Instead of giving me opinions based on a power supply, I have 2 wasted posts here on my thread.

I know you are trying to help, and I appreciate that. But you seem to just be repeating things.

Yet you did a good job of doing that. You could have just said thanks or nothing at all.

Point taken. I am sorry matts6887