Install motherboard chipset driver. Then install display driver (downloaded from NMVidia, not from elsewhere.)

If that doesn't work then wipe the system and start over.

Sorry to say that, but...

Starting from scratch sounds like the best option. I wouldn't bother trying to upgarde a Compaq, because they're not designed to be upgraded. BIOS usually prevents you even from using processors...

Most of the A7V8X motherboards require a BIOS update for AGP 8X compatibility to be improved, from what I can see. I can't find reference to an A7V8X-LA on the Asus website. Perhaps the BIOS update...

Okay. Thanks for that because it's clarified what you are discussing. It seems apparent that somehow device drivers have not installed correctly. Perhaps its the drivers being used, perhaps its...

The fact that you've just performed a format/clean install means little if you've loaded software since or been using the internet. Having Norton installed does not protect you against all forms of...

Visit www.nvidia.com

Choose 'Download drivers'

Choose 'Graphics driver' then 'GeForce' then your operating system version. Click 'Go'.

In the menu at left of screen you will see the entry...

On the Nvidia website, when you're choosing the driver select 'Driver archive'. For an MX420 card use no later than a 4x.xx driver ;)

Hiya. That 'unavailable' bit in display properties has me intrigued. Are the options 'greyed out'? If so, visit our Viruses, spyware and Nasties section and get some help with cleaning up your...

Disagree with the power requirements claim there. A 350 watt unit should be fine, if the power unit is of a suitable quality. Cheap generic units often deliver unstable voltage levels and...

From www.pcguide.com



It is possible that an inadequate or failing power supply is creating the problem, but interference is a much more likely cause.

The refresh rate changes shouldn't be...

Hey, wow!

Seems you've gone to great lengths unnecessarily, especially in relation to BIOS settings. Here's the steps which need to be taken:

* Uninstall the old card (or onboard graphics)...

Motherboard manual, bottom of page 13:
http://www.asrock.com/Drivers/Manual/K7S8XE+_UM.pdf

Power off, switch off at outlet, remove the ATX power connector from the motherboard and short the...

Did you reset CMOS and try?

Okeys.

Did you have power turned off at the power outlet, or remove the power cord when you changed cards? If you simply shut down windows, opened the case and changed cards you may have damaged...

Visit www.nvidia.com and download the latest drivers from there. Put them on a CD. (Use another PC to do the job, of course)

Boot into 'Safe mode'. Uninstall all display drivers you can find. ...

I'd like to point out, TechMaster, that quite a few of the display cards listed in that guide can no longer be purchased, in most places, as they are discontinued items.

It is also not up to date...

Great to hear. Thanks for letting us know :D

Be better to follow the instructions given earlier. Right click My Computer and choose Properties.

In Windows XP 'Device Manager' will be accessed via a button on the 'Hardware' tab. In Windows...

When you get the new card do this:

* Right-click My computer and choose properties. On the Hardware tab choose Device Manager. Locate the entry for the display card, right click it and choose...

Wrong, Bhstickman. The extra graphics memory does not make the card twice as good, and in fact could actually make it SLOWER. Often, when extra RAM is included on a low end display card the RAM chips...

For starters, running those monitors at 160Hz is too high, and I'm surprised they never generated an "Out of range" error.

Take the monitor(s) to a technician. A TV repair shop would be quite OK....

Perhaps you could check the video options for the games and check that they are not setting display resolution and screen refresh rate which is beyond the native settings for your laptop's display...

If that system accomodates an Athlon64 3200+ processor, it is most definitely NOT limited to AGP 4X. It will run AGP 8X cards at full bandwidth also, and should be adjustable for that in BIOS setup....

With the release of the 7800GTX it seems that proces are already dropping a tad for earlier cards. Might be time I upgraded myself :)

That sounds like a good deal belama.

Maniaco, if you can't get a 6600GT or perhaps even an X700 Pro for under $200 I'd suggest you wait longer and save more. The cards you listed are really...

You sure it doesn'y say 384Mb of RAM?

Sounds like that SiS graphics is onboard video, and that 128Mb of system memory is being allocated for use of the display circuitry.

It's a very...

I'd open up the case, remove your display card, clean the comnnectors and the slot, and replace the card in its slot ensuring that it is firmly seated. All that wiggling up and down might have...

Agreed. Some ATi Radeon cards do not handle running at AGP 8X very well in some motherboards. Stick to AGP 4X

Performance difference? A few percentage points at best ;) For a 'full HL2...

The problem is obviously in your PC system case. When you've changed the power supply unit you've obviously not connected everything up correctly, or perhaps knocked some connection(s) loose and now...

Should be able to get a 6600GT for somewhere in the vicinity of $US200 I'd imagine.

That would depend on where you live. I'm in Australia, and my own favourite shopping places might not suit you :D

You should be looking at an NVidia based 6600GT card at minimum if 3D games are the object of the exercise. Although you can purchase cheaper, they provide really good performance at an affordable...

OK, that was enough. It has an AGP 8X slot, so any recent AGP card will be fine.

Now could you tell us what purposes you want to use the PC for, so an appropriately capable card can be advised.

Tell us the HP model name then please. A quick check of specifications should do the trick. It will be something like 'HP Pavilion somenumber' or somesuch,

There's no way to be certain if your PC has an AGP slot for AGP display cards other than to open the case and look. Motherboards can have an AGP bus without having an aAGP slot, if the onboard video...

Right-click My Computer and choose Properties. Locate Device Manager (on the Hardware Tab) and then select the entry for your display card. Right-click it and choose Uninstall.

Do not reboot if...

I would recommend a 6600GT or better, and you should be able to get one quite easily for $US200

Definitely no advantage having dual channel enabled on an Athlon XP system. For Pentium 4 and Athlon64 systems, simply ensure that the RAM modules used are identical and dual channel should give no...

RGPHNX, lotta words there simply to say that SOME AGP 8X cards might not work on earlier motherboards.

In reality, just about ANY AGP 8X card will be fine in an AGP 2.0 capable motherboard, as...

Oh heck! Please don't think I was trying to 'win an argument' with belama there. I was merely making the point that megabytes doesn't really matter much.

The X700 Pro is still an admirable mid...