Graphics cards with built-in sockets

OK apologies in advance - this isn't *specifically* an SL question, but given that a lot of people on here know about such things, I hope it's OK to ask.

I got a new PC recently and went for a spec that would enhance my SL. I'm very happy with it - it's an Acer Veriton M464 with lots of memory, and I got the shop to install a GeForce9800 graphics card with 1Gb of memory in it.

The PC itself has a VGA socket (sorry - is that the right term? I mean the thing sticking out the back of the PC near the bottom with the holes in that I screw the cable from the monitor into), and a DVI socket. The GeForce card itself also has a VGA socket and a DVI socket.

My monitor is a Dell 24" flat screen monitor, with one VGA and two DVI sockets.

If I plug the DVI cable from my monitor into the DVI socket on the back of the GeForce card, it doesn't work - the screen doesn't display anything. If I plug it into the DVI socket on the back of the main part of the PC instead, it works fine. SL reports that I'm using a GeForce card, and the graphics are brilliant. Device manager reports that I'm using a plug and play monitor on a GeForce9800 GT.

I've also tried plugging a friend's very old VGA monitor into the VGA socket on the back of the graphics card - again, nothing, but if I plug the VGA monitor into the VGA socket on the back of the PC itself, it works fine.

So I really have two questions:

1. My SL experience seems fine with my monitor plugged into the built-in DVI socket on the back of my PC (as opposed to the socket on the back of the card itself). Is there a good reason why I should ideally use the socket on the card rather than the socket on the PC?

2. If the answer to 1 is "yes there is a good reason", is there something obvious I can try before taking the PC back to the shop?

Make sure your 9800 is well seated into its slot. You may have to deactivate the built-in motherboard graphics before you can use your 9800. It all depends on your particular motherboard. Read you computer's manual on how to do this, it's usually through the BIOS control (the first screen when you switch on your machine).
Lastly, the 9800 needs extra power. I believe it has a connection at the end where you must plug in the correct electricity connection from your computer's power supply.
It should work right from the boot up, if it's not giving you any image at all, my guess is it's not receiving any power and/or it's not properly set into its slot.

If I'm reading correctly the product description for this model, it comes with an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7050, which is what I think you're seeing when a monitor is plugged in to the bulkhead DVI or VGA ports. I don't think there's any way the output of the add-in card could be getting routed through those bulkhead ports.

In that case the 9800 shouldn't really be doing anything, but what's puzzling about that is "Device manager reports that I'm using a plug and play monitor on a GeForce9800 GT." So the OS recognizes the card as present and operational.

I guess I'd second Calveen's suggestion to examine the BIOS settings very closely. (I'm just puzzled that the OS is seeing the card if the BIOS isn't set to use it.)

Without knowing specific details of what you've got, I'll see if I can point you in the right direction.

Your video card SEEMS set up properly since the os is seeing it. I'd go to the display settings with both monitors you mentioned plugged in and see if you get an option to use an second monitor. There's an "identify monitor" button that should flash a number on the screen if the monitor is capable of displaying anything at all.

If you IM me in game we can try a few things and see if we can get anything to stick.

Sounds like whoever installed the addon graphics card DIDN'T deactivate the integrated video chip and set graphics init to 'pci-e first' in bios. Also sounds like they had the WRONG geforce chip selected when they had installer probs and decided to force a manual driver install (from the cd). That would effectively give your OLD integrated chip a new name (9800gt) using the new driver. Anyone who's done hurryup driver installs and screwed it up will tell you it's pretty easy to force the wrong driver on an older chip of the same family. Take it back to the shop and bitch! If not you'll need to uninstal the new driver, go into BIOS and deactivate the onboard video, set the graphics init to PCI-E FIRST, save the settings and reboot using the new hardware.. then install the new driver off the cd.
EDIT- be careful not to uninstall the drivers for the motherboard chipset by mistake, they may be nVidia as well so make sure.

Thanks for all the responses - I think maybe I'd be better off taking it back to the shop and checking as it does sound like there could be a problem.

The reason I assumed it *is* using the GeForce 9800 is simply that the graphics are so good and everything is fast - I have it set to "Ultra" in SL, and can have 3 avs with a draw distance of 512m without any problems.

I don't feel confident about messing about with the BIOS or taking out and configuring the card - that's why I got the shop where I bought it from to do it!

I asked the Resident Geek and he looked up from configuring my new laptop long enough to say:

That's the right approach, Maxi. If you feel clueless talking with the techs, take them a printout of this thread.

Until your monitor works with the DVI cable connected to the connector on the card, you are not actually using that card, no matter what the OS or the techs tell you.

That's a good idea! To be fair, I haven't been told anything different or been fobbed off - I haven't mentioned it to the shop yet.