No post beep with video card installed

[adgarrett28]

I am getting no display to my monitor.
When I have my video card connected, I get no post beep at all.
When I disconnect my video card, I get post beep, followed by a long beep or two quick beeps, it's hard to tell if it's one long or two short.

I have been researching this problem for a few days, and have tried the usual fixes:
-monitor plugged into another computer works
-have tried 4 different sticks of RAM, double checked the connection
-all wires, including the four-pin to MOBO are secure
-I've had my CMOS battery checked, it is good
-I have reset the BIOS via jumpers

I have another video card that goes into a different slot. It fits into the white PCI slot. While that is installed, I get the post beep followed by the long beep. Still no display to monitor.

Is it safe to assume that the problem is not the MOBO since I am getting a post beep after removing the original video card?

This computer was home-built by a relative. He it out of state and cannot troubleshoot it for me until next week. I am moderately computer savvy, but I only know as much as I've read up on the issue and I seem to be stumped.
I am not sure of the BIOS version or the MOBO brand.

Thanks in advance!

[mjc]

More info about the computer, please...make/model of motherboard, CPU, video card.

If you have a standard PCI video card, you may need to manually reset the BIOS to defaults after installing it.

What it sounds like is that the video card is not being detected. If the plain PCI card can get detected, then you should lose those extra beeps.

[adgarrett28]

Old video card : GeForce FX5200 D256M SA5200T6-256D-CC86 FRAS3-306192 V4.34.20.56.01 N2DS25616BT-6K

PCI video card : e-GeForce FX5200 128mb PCI

Not exactly sure how to find make/model of MOBO or CPU

Also, I have tried 2 different PSU's

[mjc]

Well, it is an AGP card...so that somewhat dates the board to a PIII or early P4 (or AMD equivalent) motherboard...also, unfortunately, it puts it right in the era of 'bad caps'...motherboard from the late 90s through about 2004 had a tendency for the capacitors to leak.

Capacitors, the little can shaped items sticking up, near the CPU and the video slot would be the prime suspects...look for bulging tops, sticky dust covered goo on the ones in those areas.

[adgarrett28]

Not seeing any caps with sticky dust covered goo.
Also not seeing any that are really bulging anywhere on the mobo.

An update, I reseated the mobo and CPU and now i'm getting no post beep whatsoever. I'm starting to think I'm not going to be able to solve this problem without buying a new mobo, but seeing how everything else in my PC is so dated, I'm inclined to just buy a new PC all together. My monitor is only a year old, so all I need is a new tower, which is probably only twice as much as a new mobo I'm guessing. If anyone has any other suggestions before I buy one tomorrow please let me know. Thanks again for all your help mjc!

[mjc]

Take a look at these two sticky threads...

http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25482

http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=39685

The first is on bad capacitors, with pictures.

The second is a little more in depth on no POST problems.

[Cuc Tu]

what will come in the future, thanks to RoHS, is

tin whiskars

unrelated here, so carry on...

[adgarrett28]

Just wanted to post an update on my situation:

It turns out that it was bad caps on the mobo. I have installed a new mobo with PCI video card and everything is working wonderful. Thanks to everyone for their help!!!