Power issue? Hauppauge 1600 only works when I disconect my video card

[John32118]

I mounted a 1600 tv card yesterday, started my pc and got the HP logo for a second and the screen went blank. The blank screen prevented me from a proper shutdown so I i unplugged the pc and restarted. Then I could not even get the HP logo/startup screen.

I unplugged my nvida geforce card and used the on-board video to successfully complete the 1600 installation and it works perfectly.

Before re-connecting the nvidea video card, I have researched the issue and think it probably is a power supply issue or possibly a pci type conflict.

I have a year-old HP a6710t with:
vista sp2 media center editon
250w power supply
1 empty pci for the 1600 tv card (no dial up modem installed)
1 pci x16 for graphics card (i believe the nvida card is installed here)
2 pci x1 (one is empty and one contains a soundblaster card)

I just discovered at the HP support site, a document describing how to add pci cards clearly states:
"IMPORTANT: Due to the small computer size, you can only install a small, low-profile PCI
card of the same approximate size of the modem card. HP recommends that you install a card with power consumption of 5 watts or less."

I can not find the detailed specs for the 1600 tv card power consumption but I can almost guarantee it uses much more than 5 watts. I did not know when i purchased the computer and tv card that I had what appears to be a insufficent power supply.

Is this probably a power issue?

If so, I would rather use my nvida video card than the soundblaster card so would it free up sufficent power if I unplug the soundblaster card?

Thanks in advance for the advice...I don't want to start unplugging modules and experimenting as this often leads to more problems and my system restore often does not work properly.

Detailed specs for HP 6710
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01657224&tmp_task=prodinfoCategor...roduct=3911779
Motherboard specs
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01357119&tmp_task=prodinfoCategor...roduct=3911779

[jagabo]

250 watts is really anemic. That's probably the root of your problem.

SB probably uses next to nothing. Getting rid of it probably won't help. Even it does get you up and running you're gonna be working at the borderline. One day you'll plug in a flash thumb drive an it will bring down your system. Or your PSU will give out because it's been running at 99 percent capacity for too long.

[redwudz]

Have you tried the 1600 card in a different slot? Video cards can be problematic in certain slots. While your power supply seems minimal, I'm not so sure it's the problem here. Especially if the problem didn't surface till you added the drivers for the new card. That makes me think it a setting or driver problem, not a PS problem.

With the PS, check the temperature of the fan exhaust. If it's really hot, like a hair blow dryer, it may be overloaded when all cards are added. If so, you might see if it's possible to upgrade the PS to a ~400W unit. Some PS's are proprietary and aren't easily upgraded. You may be able to research this on the net by putting your computer model number along with 'upgrade power supply' in a internet search.

When you say the display 'went blank', did the audio still work? The display may have been blanked out by the settings but may have still been operating. With all the cards installed, see if you get a boot up screen and see if you can get into BIOS. (Usually by clicking the 'Delete' key board key during power on.) The BIOS screen doesn't use the installed drivers. If you get to BIOS, look for video display settings. You may be able to change the default display there. It may be set at auto and changed the default when the new card was added.

You may also be able to download the full motherboard manual from the manufacturer if you don't already have it. That may give you better info on adding cards. If the Foxconn site doesn't list it, then put ' Foxconn MCP73M01H1 ' into a internet search and you may find some info related to your problem. That's likely a custom MB, but there should be lots of info on it on the net as it appears to be a MB commonly used by HP.

[classfour]

Watch the Nvidia drivers that windows installs - the latest updates flat kills my machine.

[John32118]

Thanks very much

redwudz:

My fan exhaust is very cool now...i will check that when everything is plugged in.

I can not try the cards in different slots. The tv card is pci and I only have one pci slot. The nvidia card is pci express and I only have one pci express slot.

I did not try the audio as I had a black screen and could not do anything.

I just realized that HP sells the machine with the nvidia AND the tv card installed at the factory so maybe the power supply isn't the main problem.

I checked the BIOS and am puzzled by the settings. Currently, the tv card works fine using on-board video and the Nvidia card is unplugged. However, the BIOS says "Primary Video Adapter is PCI" The choices are pci, pci ex and integrated. Shouldn't it be saying integrated since I am using the onboard video... unless the tv card set it to pci cause it is a pci card?

What happened when I installed the card is this: For safety, I unplugged the computer AC power but only unplugged the monitor from the computer. I installed the tv card and the nvidia card was already installed. I turned on my computer and then plugged the monitor rgb cable to the computer. I saw the HP startup screen for a second and then the screen went blank. After that point I was "flying blind". I pressed power to restart and after that point I couldn't even get the HP startup screen. This happened several times so I unplugged the nvidia card and everything worked normal.

What is the correct BIOS setting when I am using the onboard video and the tv card plugged into the pci slot??? Currently it is set to pci and everything works fine without the nvidia video card.

What is the correct BIOS setting when I plug the nvidia card back in? Shouldn't it be pci ex cause the card uses that slot.

Maybe this probelm is because of the incorrect BIOS settings. Hopefully I will be able to see the BIOS setup when I plug the nvidia card in.