[R640] NVIDIA 285 graphics card failure

Moderator: ModTeam

kjb
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 3:05
Product(s): R640 , R650, R550, M450

[R640] NVIDIA 285 graphics card failure

Postby kjb » Fri May 08, 2009 3:29

I have two R640 Workstations, both of whose graphics cards seem to have failed within minutes of each other!
Both are fitted with single NVIDIA Quadro 285, 128MB, PCIx16, Dual DVI out. [quad core Xeon, Windows XP SP2]

One was working normally and suddenly failed (screen went blank).
The second was plugged into the same monitor, and about 30 minutes later it too failed; after a restart of of the machine there was no graphics displayed. Both machines are working otherwise. The monitor is a delI and works fine on VGA input from other machines. I have not yet tried to input DVI from another source. I have also tried another monitor on the failed machines with no result. (the monitor displays "No DVI cable"). I have been using the first machine via remote desktop since, but the other not because remote desktop is not enabled. Both have been restarted several times with no restoration of graphics. Via remote desktop i checked the NVIDIA settings and no fault was identified. However, it does not seem to be able to detect the attached monitor.

Two Questions:
1. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing happening before? (Possible solutions to try?)
2. Whats the cheapest single monitor VGA graphics card i can use to replace - I would like to get both machines working asap.

Many thanks for any assistance.

kjb
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 3:05
Product(s): R640 , R650, R550, M450

Re: R640 - NVIDIA 285 graphics card failure

Postby kjb » Fri May 15, 2009 7:45

Ok so I replaced one Quadro 285 with a GeForce 9600 GSO. This worked quite well - For a while...(ill get to what happened in a sec)
A week later the 9600 graphics card was working fine, so i bought a GeForce 8400 to replace the other Quadro285.
Installed it and rebooted the machine - Nothing, the new 8400 seemed not to be working.

Just to be sure i borrowed the monitor cable from the working machine, just to double check. The 8400 card did not work with this cable either. So i put the cable back on the working machine (with the 9600 card) and it too now stopped working!!

So it now seems as if these two R640's have broken 3 or 4 Graphics cards between them. Within a few weeks. Either that or its some other issue like a conflict but due to the varying nature of the failure circumstances im not sure. I have no idea what could possible cause any physical damage to them as i have not changed anything else internally.

Does anyone know if Hot-swapping a DVI cable could cause damage to a Graphics card? Its the only thing i could think of.


Return to “CELSIUS Workstations”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest