Can't Get Dedicated Graphics Card To Work on G23

[RodneyK]

I know! I tried to fix it once and gave up. At least I didn't post it upside down and really confuse everyone! Thanks for fixing it!

My machines are G20s.

"but what is weird that even with the wrong amazon cable I got, if I plug into the bottom, it boots showing both screens, but then the MLD goes black and game goes to top monitor."

In this scenario when the MLD goes black and the game goes to the top screen it is because the cables needs to be switched. It thinks the top monitor is the main monitor hence why the game is displayed on the top monitor.

It should boot as follows:
AVP Splash screen on both monitors then:
AVP Advanced Video Platform Screen on main monitor, top monitor goes black
Game comes on up main monitor, top monitor displays digital glass for the game. 

I don't know if you have the right cable maybe MLD can be in the bottom port. But, all the info provided says to me it needs to be in the top.

[RB]

My main monitor displays from the top port with a 625 and the E4690. Sixcardmark has the same video card in a 660 and his is opposite. Don't know if it's the video card or cpu board that makes a difference. I even looked at my video card for a jumper or similar and found nothing. Do not know if there's any way to make that designation in the BIOS. It works so I have no reason to change it.

[Matt411]

Agree with ya Rodney. Ill see when the cable comes in and update. Honestly i could care less where it plugs in as long as it works! Haha.

Gotta wonder if maybe there are different revisions of the graphics card and the ports got switched or something in the bios that tells it which monitor is 1 and 2.

[Tilt]

Well I only saw one way to figure this one out and that was to swap my cables around, power it up, and see what happens.  I always had the black on bottom, white on top.  When I powered it up with cables reversed (white on bottom, black on top) it still booted and everything was displayed the way it's designed to.  So the video card must automatically detect the video displays when boots up and switches the video signals to the proper monitor based on what it detects on the ports.   The bottom line is it doesn't matter which way hook them up... at least with the E4690 video card.

[millionaire2k]

I have a G23, MLD plugs into bottom. 

I also had issues finding a cable that worked.  Once I got the correct one, everything worked as expected.

[sixcardmark]

Well I only saw one way to figure this one out and that was to swap my cables around, power it up, and see what happens.  I always had the black on bottom, white on top.  When I powered it up with cables reversed (white on bottom, black on top) it still booted and everything was displayed the way it's designed to.  So the video card must automatically detect the video displays when boots up and switches the video signals to the proper monitor based on what it detects on the ports.   The bottom line is it doesn't matter which way hook them up... at least with the E4690 video card.

That's good to know Cliff!

[Matt411]

UPDATE:

I'm bout to go insane lol. Got this cable: https://www.ebay.com/itm/332693748537

First there was no image at all - now when it boots up MLD is yellowish. In one image you'll see I have MLD cable plugged up top. Other image plugged on bottom. When the machine booted up, the pixelation issue was gone and my MLD games showed MLD and worked, except for the yellow screen...

What is the deal with these stupid cables? Apparently they aren't all alike... I tried jiggling the cable, securing it every which way, no luck. Plugged in the other wrong vga to dvi cable I got from amazon earlier, and image colors are correct, so it's not the monitor or graphics card. Tried auto adjusting the monitor too no luck...

I can't believe a cable is causing all of these issues.

I'm gonna try Staples today, they usually have weird cables like this. If not will have to try another from Ebay... -_-

[millionaire2k]

Really weird stuff.  Most likely you got a bad cable if colors are correct with the "wrong" cable.  I also had trouble finding this cable.  I was looking for a better working cable than the 1 I got with my machine.  I wanted to replace mine because there seemed to be interference, but the 2 cables I bought didn't work (1 was the correct pin out also).


Side note:

I was wondering where this highlighted cable goes to?  I don't have this cable in my machine.

[sixcardmark]

That cable plugs into the bottom left of backplane.

[millionaire2k]

That cable plugs into the bottom left of backplane.

What does it do?  I don't have the cable and my machine doesn't seem to be missing anything.

[Matt411]

Thanks i guess ill keep trying and returning as needed lol. Youd think the place that sold me this conversion kit would have included it.. ill never deal w em again, they didnt include so many things for this. (Ellary Gaming)

Also in general I feel like quality control of everything has gone down. My friend that owns an arcade has had his brand new Quik Drop game break 4 times... twice it was the SAME circut board that went bad...

I bought the 2nd cable RB suggested. That guy selling the gator cable has it has dvi-i but photo of port shows wrong connection so dont trust it.

[millionaire2k]

Thanks i guess ill keep trying and returning as needed lol. Youd think the place that sold me this conversion kit would have included it.. ill never deal w em again, they didnt include so many things for this. (Ellary Gaming)

Also in general I feel like quality control of everything has gone down. My friend that owns an arcade has had his brand new Quik Drop game break 4 times... twice it was the SAME circut board that went bad...

I bought the 2nd cable RB suggested. That guy selling the gator cable has it has dvi-i but photo of port shows wrong connection so dont trust it.

When I saw he was having issues with the Quick Drop again I was like WTF! lol very odd.

I was thinking same thing about that gator cable.  Title was correct, but image made it seem like the wrong cable.

Best of luck Matt.  Once everything is up and running correctly all this will be worth it.

[Matt411]

Thanks i guess ill keep trying and returning as needed lol. Youd think the place that sold me this conversion kit would have included it.. ill never deal w em again, they didnt include so many things for this. (Ellary Gaming)

Also in general I feel like quality control of everything has gone down. My friend that owns an arcade has had his brand new Quik Drop game break 4 times... twice it was the SAME circut board that went bad...

I bought the 2nd cable RB suggested. That guy selling the gator cable has it has dvi-i but photo of port shows wrong connection so dont trust it.

When I saw he was having issues with the Quick Drop again I was like WTF! lol very odd.

I was thinking same thing about that gator cable.  Title was correct, but image made it seem like the wrong cable.

Best of luck Matt.  Once everything is up and running correctly all this will be worth it.

Oh cool i didnt know you watched my videos. Lol.

The company that sold me this kit said they use adapters. Idk had no luck with an adapter plus it didnt fit securely. Had to jiggle to get image. Cross fingers for this second one on ebay..

[Matt411]

Just for the heck of it i tried that first amazon cable that was wrong but displayed the pixelated image... now im getting no images on either monitor from either port on graphics card. Integrated card works... could i have ruined the graohics card using cables that arent good? This is super weird... when it boots up both screens black but sounds can be heard...

EDIT: reseated graphics card now getting image at least with old vga to dvi-d... are these graphics cards really this touchy? I triple checked it is secure in the pci slot..  This is the cpu chris sent me with card too...

[Stayouttadabunker]

Sounds like maybe a bad connection in the PCI slot with the graphic card tabs.

Grab a white ink eraser and gently clean the gold plated tabs.

I have no idea if this will work but I used to do it for my old desktop computers to get a better connection.

Just make sure you don't drop any bits of the rubbed eraser down into the PCI slot.


Yeah...these elctronics are THAT touchy.

And always, always touch metal with your othe hands to ground yourself out.

Static electricity in the winter is the worse for delicate electronics.

If you see tiny sparks when you touch stuff...that's major enviroment for screwing up IC components.

[reactorpwr]

when looking for dvi cable (normally, white connector ones), i'd recommend getting a dual-link dvi cable.  not all dvi-d cables are dual-link compatible.

[Matt411]

I'm told I need a DVI-I 24+5 dual link cable. RB posted a photo of what it looks like above. I have 2 more coming from Ebay - the first one the guy sends a vga to vga cable with adapter, exactly what I didn't want, and caused the same issue I had before... the photo I attached. What's weird is the slots + games + ekey menu seems to be fine and not garbled... anyone ever see this before? I know it was posted 1 or 2 other times on this forum.

I notice with adapters some are very touchy, if they get moved slightly you lose the image, plus an adapter really makes the cable stick out of the brain box, really hard to shut the bottom door unless you really bend the cable so trying to avoid adapters.

I'm told this is plug & play but I don't know, seems like a software thing maybe or just finding the right cable. (But I did try starting from scratch wiping everything). Running BOC operating system. The place I got my MLD monitor from said they use PNY brand vga to DVI adapters...

[rickhunter]

Dual link cables don't make a difference on Digital to analog converters.  The Dual-DVI is only used in Digital to Digital connections for added data bandwidth.  I am just using monoprice DVI to VGA cable.  I've also used just the converters adapters and then plain vga cables. The DVI connector itself has analog lines on it, the adapters just provide the correct pinout from DVI to VGA, there's no actual logic inside the connector.  The issue you are having is probably not related to your cables.  Can you post a photo of the back of your MLD monitor to see if the jumper cable is installed in the right place?

[Matt411]

So with this adapter which I'm told is the correct one: I get the weird menu screen (and poker game cards seem squished and not as tall) - also none of the MLD games work and games that are either video or 3D don't show MLD effect - if I load an MLD only game with this adapter, machine freezes + reboots.

Also the machine doesn't seem to even recognize the MLD monitor with this adapter. It recognizes it with that wrong vga to DVI cable I got from amazon, but that caused the dimmer screen + pixelation issue: BUT games showed MLD with it.

I have multiple graphics cards, brainboxes, etc. I've tried all the swaps with same results. Hoping either tomorrow's cable or another one later this week is good. I just can't imagine what else the issue is...

[rickhunter]

You have a dual DVI cable (which is not necessary like I mentioned before).  What is that secondary cable that goes along with the thicker signal cable into the vga plug that goes into the monitor?  The way the MLD monitor works is that the screen is seen as a single screen that is really wide with each 1/2 shown on the corresponding LCD Layer, that is what the jumper cable is supposed to do.  Do you know for  a fact that the MLD monitor was working before you go it?  Have you tried removing the video card and just using the built-in video to drive the monitor.  You do not need the video card for MLD games.  The video card is useful for the newer titles that have a lot of motion video on it like CSI.