Horrible Geforce 5200 Problem

I just purchased a Geforce 5200 128mb ddr video card. Now, when I try to hook up my s-video out on the video card to my TV, this is when it all becomes a disaster.

My TV does not have any s-video or rca hookups, so I'm routing it through my vcr. My vcr has three rca (r,w,y) hookups.

Now what i did was I bought an s-video to rca(yellow) adapter. So I'm basically running an s-video out from my video card to an rca(yellow) in on my vcr.

The second that I plug in the rca cable from my vcr into the rca to s-video converter(already connected into the video card out), this is when the computer is on, the fuse in my room blows and I lose all power for the enitre circuit in by bedroom. I have to go in the basement and reset all the circuit breakers!!

Now I think that is crazy, that a the circuit breaker would get blown if I just plug in my video card to a vcr. The circuit in my room is by no means overloaded. I am 100% sure it only goes out when I try to connect the video card to my VCR.


I don't believe I'm doing anything wrong in the hookups, what is going on??

My Rig-

Athlon xp 2800+ 333fsb
256mb drr
biostar M7NCD Pro
Windows xp pro (service pack1)
Direct x 9
All current nvidia display drivers and the nvidia control panel

i dont think that the vid card was the problem. i couldnt see how just hooking it up to your vcr would do that.

Yeah, it's really strange and extremely frustrating. I've had to reset the circuit breakers 4 times so far.

did u do the hook up when the pc was on? if it was on, chances r u fucked up ur card. plugging the svideo thingy in and out when the power is on is fatal to ur pc

It was off. But the second I turned it on, the power died.

Where is atiVidia?

He claims to be knowlegable in vidcard probs....

Video Card --> S-Video to RCA -->RCA Cable -->INPUT ON VCR --->Cable/RCA Going To TV

DO ALL THIS WITH YOUR PC OFF

THEN, turn on your pc, and have your tv set to channel 3 or wat ever you use...you might see the boot screen then it goes to moniter only...

post more if you need more

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Video Card --> S-Video to RCA -->RCA Cable -->INPUT ON VCR --->Cable/RCA Going To TV

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This is what I have connection wise. Computer is off when I am connecting the above connections. The second I hit the power button on the computer, power goes off and I have to reset the circuit breaker.

I've searched on google and I have not found anyone with any similiar problems. I just don't see how that a rca cable &s-video cables between the vcr and video card can create enough power to have a circuit breaker shut off... :(

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Originally posted by lightshow@6 December 2003 - 01:35

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Video Card --> S-Video to RCA -->RCA Cable -->INPUT ON VCR --->Cable/RCA Going To TV

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This is what I have connection wise. Computer is off when I am connecting the above connections. The second I hit the power button on the computer, power goes off and I have to reset the circuit breaker.

I've searched on google and I have not found anyone with any similiar problems. I just don't see how that a rca cable &s-video cables between the vcr and video card can create enough power to have a circuit breaker shut off... :(

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Could be a short circuit, not sure how it is happening though.

I think the best thing would be to return the card as you have recently purchased it and see if they will test it for you.

Circuit breakers normanly blow through a bad earth my friend as a problem with his everytime he uses his drill the wife as to hold the button down to stop it cutting the drill out,now he as been told its because of the "damp" bricks earthing the end of the drill bit.

Yeah, I think I might return it. Ha, my hard drive that I bought around the same time has been since rma'd. I guess I just have bad luck..

Off to the post office

By the way, when returning items, where do you get a new anti-static bag? I've seen them on ebay, but is there a place where you can just buy one or two?

I suspect that one or more of the devices are pluged into non polarized plugs. That makes it so that the live and common are being connected causing a short.

http://www.cityofyonkers.com/dhb/images/plug.jpg

Are your wall plugs polarized? Do you have matching plugs on the appliances that have one wide blade and one narrow blade?

http://www.dakotaelectric.com/images/plug.jpg
is it that hard to plug in psu cable??

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Originally posted by TheFilePirater@5 December 2003 - 23:07
http://www.dakotaelectric.com/images/plug.jpg
is it that hard to plug in psu cable??

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No, it's not. But his TV or VCR may not have polarized plugs with a ground prong like that.

My plugs arn't polarized, it's an older house. Do you think installing new wall sockets would help? The only problem is if I did, wouldn't I have to run a ground line to my circuit breaker?

Ok this is very strange :blink:

Does it blow when you plug anything else in the VCR or just the PC ??

BTW doesnt the 5200 have a ViVo connector ??

No. I wouldn't change the wall socket yet. Try unplugging your VCR and TV and reverse the plugs so that the blades end up in the opposite slots.

It that works as a solution then I would change the wall socket being sure to get the polarity right.

I hope this makes sense to you.

how many things do u have in ur room?

a 5200 does not take up so much power to crap this the way u sed it is so i want to kno just how much power ur room is using

GCN had the same issue when he got his radeon so...

his breaker was errored.

ok, how big is ur TV?

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Originally posted by lightshow@6 December 2003 - 07:36
My plugs arn't polarized, it's an older house.  Do you think installing new wall sockets would help?  The only problem is if I did, wouldn't I have to run a ground line to my circuit breaker?

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Yes do it, your pc must be grounded.
I had the same problem, only with my tv card, when i hooked up the cable the power in my room went down.
After that i installed a new wall socket.
And it fixed my problem.

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Yes do it, your pc must be grounded

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So do you think this is causing the power outtage, the computer not being grounded?

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how many things do u have in ur room?

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Not many, I've tried doing the connection when nothing else in my room is plugged in and the same thing happens, so it isn't a typical overload probelm

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No. I wouldn't change the wall socket yet. Try unplugging your VCR and TV and reverse the plugs so that the blades end up in the opposite slots

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It is all basically in one surge protector, and the surge protector is made in a way so that the blades only fit one way

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Does it blow when you plug anything else in the VCR or just the PC ??

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Only when the computer video card is connected to the rca in on the vcr.

I've taken another look at my wall socket and I believe it is polarized because one hole is larger than the other and the plug only fits in one way

well not sure if this has been said but try this, make sure the computer alone boots and works without and overload, then hook up the vcr, boot and see if it blows and the the tv, and maybe you can pinpoint what blows the circuit, then see whats causeing it and see if you can hook up another tv or another vcr to see iff its the actual tv or vcr causing the problem.

I've pinpointed the exact problem that causes the overload. It is either of two cases:

1) Computer is off, Vcr is either on or off (doesn't matter), and the cord between the vid card and vcr is connected (s-video to [s-video to composte adapter] to composite in on the vcr. When I hit the power button the computer, it overloads.

2) Computer is on, Vcr is on and the second the connection between the video card and computer is established it overloads.

I'm thinking that the lack of ground in the outlet (it's two prong not three) may be what is causing this. If other people agree this may be the case, I'm going to go to home depot and buy some grounding wire and run it to the fuse box. The install new wall outlet (three prong).

Since finals are due on monday, I'm not going to be able to due any modifications until later this week.

Any other suggestions/comments are welcome.

well can you bring your rig somewhere with grounded 3 prong outlets and see if thats the problem before you start laying cables and stuff

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well can you bring your rig somewhere with grounded 3 prong outlets

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Nope, my entire house is like that, and the only other place I could plug it in is Georgia State, but I don't really want to carry that much stuff out there, or to my parents house, just too much carrying and moving.

well try making a grounded outlet only a a few feet from the circuit breaker, anything to avoid laying cables

I dont understand how not having a ground would cause this problem.

Hey, sorry for the long wait, but I went on a trip to Ocala Florida to windsurf and dirt bike.

Anyways, I have found what the real culprit was!

I tried a different VCR to hook it up and it worked! :lol: When I was looking at the VCR, I noticed that the cable (Comcast Cable) wasn't connected to the VCR.

I left it out for a little while and everything worked. When I connected the cable (Comcast), that was when it short circuits.

I'm about to call Comcast and complain until they fix it.

Hope that works. :rolleyes:

Is comcast your cable company?

Yeah

well thats just fucked