Vista not detecting Radeon HD 5450

[rebel12340]

Hello, I'm having an problem installing a Radeon HD 5450 into my Vista pc. I put the card in properly and have gone into the BIOS and set it from onboard to PCI-E x16, but the computer will still use the onboard graphics. Any help in figuring out why would be greatly appreciated. The computer specs can be found here: Compaq Presario SR5250NX Desktop PC Product Specifications Compaq Presario SR5250NX Desktop PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)
The only changes I have made have been replacing the RAM with two 1GB RAM sticks, and replacing the power supply with one from my other computer that originally had this card in it.

And I'm also wondering, and this may be a stupid question but I'm curious, if an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 is better than the onboard graphics on this pc.

Thank you.

EDIT: This computer IS my computer, but since I got a new computer I let my neighbor borrow this one, so if you suggest that I download anything onto the computer it could take some time before it actually gets on the computer (whenever my neighbor decides he wants to download and install whatever it is)

 

[townsbg]

nVidia versus integrated intel graphics? IMO yes, most definitely especially on older machines. You might have a bad card or a bad slot. I would start by returning the card. Unfortunately you don't have a very powerful PSU which might be part of the problem nor do you have a lot of ram. Your processor isn't very powerful either. If I where you I'd save for a better pc rather than invest in a more powerful PSU, a new card, and more ram.

 

[rebel12340]

I did get a better pc and gave this one to my friend. I'm actually looking at upgrading my motherboard in my pc so I can upgrade the processor to an AMD FX quad core lol. And I thought the nvidia would be better (even though it's a pci card) but it actually appears to run games slower. And I upgraded the ram to 2GB in this pc and the PSU to the one that came with the pc that had the radeon card in it, so that shouldn't be the problem. Unfortunately I have no way of testing the slot or the card, because I don't have an extra card and in not taking the HD 6950 out of my case to put the 5450 in because that's just more work than its worth.

 

[wither 3]

You shouldn't need to change the BIOS when you insert a video card. Personally, I would change it back. You would want to have the integrated graphics if, for some reason, you couldn't boot into Windows.

Have you installed the latest driver for the card.

Do you have the latest version of Catalyst installed?

 

[rebel12340]

If I don't change it in the BIOS then It will use the Integrated and wont use any add on video cards. I went to the AMD website and downloaded the latest version of Catalyst, but after it installs and I go to the folder it installed to on the hard drive the only thing in there is a folder labeled hydravision. I thought it might be because Windows can't detect the card or what.

 

[townsbg]

I'm confused. You aren't using the computer you posted? Have you plugged your monitor into the new card? Is the card a pci or pci-x16? There is a difference.

 

[rebel12340]

Yep.

 

[townsbg]

Yep.

Which part? For the most part we're not phycic or mind readers just computer geeks. Well some of us.

 

[rebel12340]

Oh whoops, when I loaded the page it only loaded some of your message I guess lol. And no, I'm not using the computer that I'm trying to install the card into, I let my neighbor use it because his XP wont let him log in. The Radeon HD 5450 is a pci Express x16 card. And I did plug the monitor into the card when I was trying to see if it would work, but no picture appeared.

 

[rebel12340]

Well it is supported by windows Vista, but now that you said that I looked into it more and it turns out that it needs atleast Windows Vista Service Pack 1. I'm going to make sure the computer is up to date tomorrow and see if that's the problem.​

 

[townsbg]

You should have service pack 2 installed. Support for SP 1 was discontinued in July last year. Windows lifecycle fact sheet - Microsoft Windows

That means that if you don't have service pack 2 you haven't been receiving any new updates for over a year.

 

[rebel12340]

Well I've done a system recover to the computer a few times because whenever I update it it slows WAY down.

 

[townsbg]

Don't automatically blame windows updates and certainly don't ignore them. http://www.vistax64.com/general-discussion/293284-my-computer-very-slow.html#post1350651 IMO the service packs made vista better.

Keep in mind that you don't have a computer built for performance but more so for economics. The big drawl back is the 1 gb of memory but you also have a slow processor and crappy graphics. Also I'm still confused about the computer that you are trying to put the graphics card in. Is it or is it not the one mentioned in your original post? Testing the card in another desktop is a good idea.

 

[rebel12340]

The computer in the original post is the computer I'm trying to put the video card into. And it's not that I don't keep it updated, it's that the person using it doesnt keep it updated.

 

[wither 3]

I'd be mighty surprised if Vista doesn't have a generic driver for the card. Some people are using it in Win 7. However, when he installs the card, Vista should say it's loading the software for the device. From what I can tell, this card doesn't need a connection from the power supply.

Hydravision is for using the card with two monitors. Where did you get the Catalyst download?

If you go to Device Manager, Display Adapters, what is shown as the graphics device?

 

[rebel12340]

I got the Catalys download from http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownlo...1.3.42;2.4.1.3.44&lang=us&rev=&ostype=Windows Vista - 32-Bit Edition

Under Device Manager it lists only the Intel onboard and GeForce PCI graphics.

 

[wither 3]

Why is the GeForce PCI listed?

I assume you didn't download the Beta version of the software.

 

[rebel12340]

The GeForce card is listed because I left it in the case so my friend could try it out and see if the game hes playing will run any better.

I downloaded the Catalyst Software Suite.

 

[wither 3]

Now I'm totally confused. We need to get back to using the same computer that you're experiencing a problem with when the Radeon card is installed.

Bedtime.

 

[rebel12340]

Sorry for the confusion lol. The computer that I'm trying to install the Radeon HD 5450 512MB graphics card into is my old windows vista pc that I gave to my neighbor. The product code for it is sr5250nx. I installed a GeForce PCI card from an older computer so that he could see if it would help with gaming any. As of right, both the Radeon 5450 and the GeForce are both connected to the motherboard. He can switch to the GeForce in the BIOS without a problem, but if he tries to switch to the Radeon it doesn't work.

I hope that helped clear things up a bit.