What does the user's manual say about settings in the BIOS? And look and see if there is a jumper on the motherboard that needs to be changed. It the BIOS has an auto setting there may be other setting specific to the two different graphics.

I should have mentioned, if I take the PCI card out and re-start the machine the onboard video works fine. The documentation says I should be able to change the grayed out bios items if I disable the fast boot mode, but when I try that the Onboard PCI VGA option is still grayed out and it will not let me change it. There is a jumper (JP1) that looks like it has 3 pins. It is set to 1-2. The document says it is set to VGA and it says reserved. It does not say what the 2-3 option would be.

If you can give me the model or that Acer I will download the user's manual and see what I can find out for you. I won't be able to get back to you till this evening...I have to go earn my keep.

It's an Acer Aspire Desktop, model 5133LK. It is close to the 5166SR. The motherboard is the V50LA-N.

Here is a good site:

http://www.acersupport.com/desktop/a..._articles.html

OK, here is the latest thing I tried. With just the onboard video installed I changed the drivers to the Standard VGA drivers. Then I turned the machine off and installed the PCI video card. When I turned on the machine nothing ever showed on the monitor. It looks like it hung initializing the video card. See part of the bootlog below. Notice it tries to load the Mach64 driver, which is the wrong ATI driver:
[00165995] Enumerated CMD PCI-0646 Bus Master PCI to IDE Controller (PCI\VEN_1095&DEV_0646&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_01\BUS_00&DEV_03&FUNC_00)
[00165996] Loading PNP drivers of ATI mach64 (macxw4) (DirectDraw) (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4354&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_09\BUS_00&DEV_04&FUNC_00)
[00165998] Loading PNP drivers of F5D5000, PCI Card/Desktop Network PCI Card (PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8139&SUBSYS_813910EC&REV_10\BUS_00&DEV_0E&FUNC_00)
[0016599A] Loading PNP drivers of IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ03)
[0016599B] Dynamic load device PCI.VxD
[0016599D] Dynamic init device PCI
[0016599F] Dynamic init success PCI
[001659A0] Dynamic load success PCI.VxD
[001659A2] Loaded PNP drivers of IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ03)
[001659A3] Starting IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ03)
[001659A5] Started IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ03)
[001659A6] Enumerating IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ03)
[001659A8] Enumerated IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ03)
[001659AA] Loading PNP drivers of IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ09)
[001659AB] Dynamic load device PCI.VxD
[001659AD] Dynamic init device PCI
[001659AF] Dynamic init success PCI
[001659B0] Dynamic load success PCI.VxD
[001659B2] Loaded PNP drivers of IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ09)
[001659B3] Starting IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ09)
[001659B5] Started IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ09)
[001659B6] Enumerating IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ09)
[001659B8] Enumerated IRQ Holder for PCI Steering (PCI\IRQHOLDER\IRQ09)
[001659BA] Loading PNP drivers of Primary IDE controller (single fifo) (MF\CHILD0000\PCI&VEN_1095&DEV_0646&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_01&BUS_00&DEV_03&FUNC_00)
[001659BB] Loading PNP drivers of Secondary IDE controller (single fifo) (MF\CHILD0001\PCI&VEN_1095&DEV_0646&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_01&BUS_00&DEV_03&FUNC_00)
[001659BD] DEVICEINIT = VCDFSD
[001659BE] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = VCDFSD
[001659C0] DEVICEINIT = IOS
[001659C7] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\apix.vxd
[001659CB] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\apix.vxd
[001659CC] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdfs.vxd
[001659CF] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdfs.vxd
[001659D1] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdtsd.vxd
[001659D4] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdtsd.vxd
[001659D5] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdvsd.vxd
[001659D9] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdvsd.vxd
[001659DA] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\disktsd.vxd
[001659DC] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\disktsd.vxd
[001659DD] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\diskvsd.vxd
[001659DF] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\diskvsd.vxd
[001659E1] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvspacx.vxd
[001659E3] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvspacx.vxd
[001659E4] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\smartvsd.vxd
[001659E9] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\smartvsd.vxd
[001659EB] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\necatapi.vxd
[001659EE] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\necatapi.vxd
[001659EF] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\scsi1hlp.vxd
[001659F2] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\scsi1hlp.vxd
[001659F3] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\voltrack.vxd
[001659F6] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\voltrack.vxd
[001659F8] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\atapchng.vxd
[001659FA] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\atapchng.vxd
[001659FB] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\torisan3.vxd
[001659FD] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\torisan3.vxd
[001659FF] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdralvsd.vxd
[00165A02] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdralvsd.vxd
[00165A03] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvwcdb.vxd
[00165A07] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvwcdb.vxd
[00165A08] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvwppqt.vxd
[00165A0C] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvwppqt.vxd
[00165A0D] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvwq117.vxd
[00165A10] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\drvwq117.vxd
[00165A11] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdr4vsd.vxd
[00165A15] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\cdr4vsd.vxd
[00165A16] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\acbhlpr.vxd
[00165A19] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\acbhlpr.vxd
[00165A1B] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\rmm.pdr
[00165A1E] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\rmm.pdr
[00165A1F] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\bigmem.drv
[00165A22] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\IOSUBSYS\bigmem.drv
[00165A24] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\MRCI.VXD
[00165A29] Dynamic load failed C:\WINDOWS\system\MRCI.VXD : [00165A2B] File not found
[00165A2C] Dynamic load device C:\WINDOWS\system\VMM32\MRCI2.VXD
[00165A2F] Dynamic init device MRCI2
[00165A30] Dynamic init success MRCI2
[00165A32] Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\VMM32\MRCI2.VXD
[00165A33] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = IOS
[00165A35] DEVICEINIT = PAGEFILE
[00165A36] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = PAGEFILE
[00165A37] DEVICEINIT = PAGESWAP
[00165A39] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = PAGESWAP
[00165A3A] DEVICEINIT = PARITY
[00165A3C] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = PARITY
[00165A3D] DEVICEINIT = REBOOT
[00165A3F] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = REBOOT
[00165A40] DEVICEINIT = EBIOS
[00165A42] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = EBIOS
[00165A43] DEVICEINIT = VDD

What is the wattage of the PSU in your Acer? The recommended wattage for that card is 338W.

Can you get back to your onboard graphics?

I am not sure about the PSU. Where would I find that info?

If I take the pci card out the onboard video works fine. It will not work with the pci card in.

You can google the make and model, or you can look at the information printed on the PSU.