GusB
Established Member
I've recently purchased a graphics card to install in my PC. The computer, a Dell Vostro 260, is one that I bought for work purposes a few years back. While it's getting on a bit, a memory upgrade (8 from 4GB), a new solid state drive and a fresh installation of Windows 10 has more or less given me a brand new computer.
The problem is that the on-board Intel graphics chip doesn't really cut it as far as some newer games are concerned. I'm not looking to run the most up-to-date titles, but it'd be nice to get better performance with some of those that I already own (Trainsim being one - the version I bought in 2015 was fine, but the updated version of this is absolutely awful).
I purchased a Saplos card (AMD Radeon HD6570), having googled to find a suitable one from around the same era as the computer itself. The problem is that the computer does not seem to recognise it at all. Plugging it in to the PCI-slot seems to result in the on-board graphics being disabled, but there's no output from the new card. As far as I can tell, the it should take power directly from the motherboard - there's no socket on it to take a feed from the power supply. Someone suggested that the power supply itself may not have enough oomph, and a visit to the shop at my local computer recycling centre resulted in them lending me a reconditioned power supply to see if that would solve the issue, but no joy so far.
I've checked the BIOS to see if there's any way to toggle the PCI-e slot on or off, but there's no such setting. As far as I'm aware I have the most up-to-date BIOS possible.
If I can't get it to work I'm still within the return period for sending the GPU back, so I won't be out of pocket. I'll go back to the recycling place and pay them for the new power supply because it's a hell of a lot quieter than the old one (and I can't be bothered with having to remove it again!) I'm beginning to realise that I'm going to have to resign myself to the fact that I'm simply dealing with old technology and the whole thing will need replacing. It has served me well and I'll be sad to have to retire it!
Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can get this GPU to work? Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I can't help feeling that there's something simply that I've overlooked.
The problem is that the on-board Intel graphics chip doesn't really cut it as far as some newer games are concerned. I'm not looking to run the most up-to-date titles, but it'd be nice to get better performance with some of those that I already own (Trainsim being one - the version I bought in 2015 was fine, but the updated version of this is absolutely awful).
I purchased a Saplos card (AMD Radeon HD6570), having googled to find a suitable one from around the same era as the computer itself. The problem is that the computer does not seem to recognise it at all. Plugging it in to the PCI-slot seems to result in the on-board graphics being disabled, but there's no output from the new card. As far as I can tell, the it should take power directly from the motherboard - there's no socket on it to take a feed from the power supply. Someone suggested that the power supply itself may not have enough oomph, and a visit to the shop at my local computer recycling centre resulted in them lending me a reconditioned power supply to see if that would solve the issue, but no joy so far.
I've checked the BIOS to see if there's any way to toggle the PCI-e slot on or off, but there's no such setting. As far as I'm aware I have the most up-to-date BIOS possible.
If I can't get it to work I'm still within the return period for sending the GPU back, so I won't be out of pocket. I'll go back to the recycling place and pay them for the new power supply because it's a hell of a lot quieter than the old one (and I can't be bothered with having to remove it again!) I'm beginning to realise that I'm going to have to resign myself to the fact that I'm simply dealing with old technology and the whole thing will need replacing. It has served me well and I'll be sad to have to retire it!
Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can get this GPU to work? Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I can't help feeling that there's something simply that I've overlooked.
