Old monitor won't work with new motherboard/cpu. Do I need a video card or should the onboard video work?

Question

I have a new PCChips motherboard with an AM2 dual core CPU. It has onboard Geforce 6100, but when I hook up my monitor I get nothing but an amber light. Do I need a video card along with the onboard video? Or could there be compatibility issues with the monitor? It's an old monitor (very) but before I get another one, I need to know if it will work off the motherboard or if I'll have to get a video card. Without a monitor, I don't even know there aren't problems with the new board. Also, even though everything else seems to work, the HD, which is also new, the cd & floppy drives, at least they come on and spin up, and I get no red light, but I also get no beeps or anything. Is this a problem? Thanks for any input you could give me

Answer 1

No you don't need a video card.



There are two things you should check. One is the onboard video which may not be enabled. On most Motherboards you have to specify which video system you will be using, onboard or a video card. This is usually set with a jumper switch that is on the motherboard itself. Go to the installation and configuration instructions that came with the motherboard and make sure the onboard video is enabled and set as the default.



Second, every piece of hardware attached to the motherbord needs a driver. You need to obtain a driver for that specific monitor which is designed to work on the particular operating system you are currently running. Go to the manufactures' website, download the most current driver for that monitor/os and install.



No beeps could mean that your sound card is having issues or your on board sound is not enabled/configured properly or you don't have any speakers connected. Generally, you will hear only one beep on startup unless there has been a problem with the POST (power-on self-test). However you should hear the windows tune if starup was successful and windows loaded even without the monitor on.

Answer 2

No beeps means no POST means probably dead motherboard or something isn't installed right (CPU/Memory most likely). PC Chips motherboards are the bain of the computer builders existance. They are absolutely the worst company to buy a motherboard from. More than half of the ones I purchased (all 6 of them) in the last 5 years were dead on arrival, the rest died shortly after. JUNK.



As for the monitor, VGA is VGA is VGA. If it plugs in to the port, it should at least show the BIOS startup screen. Might freak out when the resolution changes if its a resolution the monitor can't handle, but the BIOS screen would show up.



Big clue - no beeps. Check then double check everything, and even if you find the problem, return the board and get something else. Even an ECS board would be better (not by much, but...).



Hope that helps.



Jason



http://www.onestoptechnologyshop.com



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Answer 3

I think the problem is with the mainboard and/or CPU but not the monitor. If something is wrong with the MB, CPU or RAM there is no beep, no signal to the monitor, no HDD LED, no drive spin.

This problem is mainly related with wrong FSB speed, not supported frequency or clock ratio of CPU and RAM. Read carefully the motherboard manual whether it supports your AM2 CPU with specified speed. Then check the DDR RAM, whether it's correct type or not.

Sometimes the problem is even in smallest things. For example: you connected the HDD and CDROM incorrectly, check the cable, check the power, check the jumpers. If HDD and CDROM connected via same cable, one should be MASTER and the other SLAVE. If both are same then it will not power on.

It seems that you replaced your old mainboard and CPU yourself. Have you replaced RAM too? It should be replaced with RAM of correct type of voltage and frequency.

Answer 4

You first has to be certain if the monitor is working at all. Or plug in a another monitor to confirm that your system is fine.

Answer 5

i believe its compatobility problem.. an old monitor u said???



also geforce 6100 is good i dont think u need new video card... i believe u need new monitor



about the cd hd and all that stuff idk