Problem installing a new Video Card on HP Pavilion HPE h8-1100it Desktop PC, please HELP!

[DesperateGuy]

Hi everyone! First of all, I apologize for my english if it is not perfect but I'm not english, so I hope you don't mind too much. I'll try to explain the problem the best that I can.

PC
So, I have bought this preassembled PC about 2 years ago and it must be said that it IS a very good machine, but the Video Card, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, which is now a bit obsolete, so I wanted to change it and I bought an Asus GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II. I've also bought a new Power Supply of course, a B700 from Cooler Master, because the original one wasn't powerful enough for the new Graphics Card.
Even if it is not that hard to replace a Video Card and a Power Supply I left the task to a more competent person.

So, here is the problem, when we turn on the PC, the HP blue screen appears on monitor but it doesn't seem to leave the display. The PC is stuck at that blue screen even though the fans on the Video Card start to run as well as all the others of the machine. After a few seconds the Graphics Card emits a beep, a short one, and just one, but nothing appear on display, the blue screen remains there, and it is not going to disappear. We waited a little more and after about 15-20 seconds the Video Card emits another beep, identical to the previous one, but nothing happens. Then we turn off the machine.

So we put the GTX 550 Ti back, and we uninstalled the main driver of the Video Card. Then we've replaced the Card, but the problem still there.

It seems like the PC is unable to read the Video Card properly.

What can I do ? Am I doing something wrong ? Any ideas ?

[DesperateGuy]

Can anybody help me ? 😞

[FattysGoneWild]

I have a HP H9-110t Phoenix that has the same mobo as you. And it originally came with a 550 Ti as well. I am reading and finding out. The newer 700 series are not running on our boards. Its a UEFI bios issue. We have older bios that HP has failed to update and these newer cards have full UEFI compatibility. Where as our mobo's only have partial. Hence the boot up issue. How I know and can prove this. I have a EVGA GTX 660 Superclocked card in my pc. The factory bios it came with. The card works fine. But, when I updated to the latest bios.

That included UEFI compatibility. It would not boot. Thankfully I had backed up my previous bios. As I had a bad feeling about it and was able to flash back. And its working fine again. I still like my pc. Just hit the 2 year mark myself and custom ordered it the first day it came out. But, HP has had poor bios and driver support for it. Its not just my machine. It seems very common with HP desktops. After a year. They move on and support is basically non existent regarding bios/driver updates.

All in all and to sum things up as a whole. There is a bios compatibility issue between the mobo and the card. Not so much the card. But, the mobo as its using older bios. HP needs to update them. Furthermore. Which I forgot to mention. My sister has a newer custom built Ivy bridge system from HP. When I updated the bios on my EVGA card. Remember when I said it would not boot in my system? Well with those new bios. It booted just fine in my sisters new HP custom built system. That proves even more so as I said before. Bios compatibility issue.

[DesperateGuy]

So, you're telling me it's not just about updating the mobo and/or the bios, because it won't fix the problem, but I LITERALLY need to change the mobo (the motherboard) to let it work fine ? I get it right ?

Thank you for replying, btw!

[FattysGoneWild]

If you cannot get a bios update from HP for your mobo. Which they do not have and will not give you. You are sol and the only fix is a whole new mobo. You could drop down to a 600 series card and it MIGHT work. Depending on the bios of the card. I am sure by now. Most vendors have updated their cards to FULL UEFI bios compatibility during production. Since our mobo is only partial. That is why it may or may not work even with the 600 series. I bet you if you tested that new card with a fully compatible UEFI bios mobo. It would fire right up. Easier way to tell is if it supports secure boot.

It all goes back to HP. They are BAD about not updating their bios. Other mobo vendors like Gigabyte, Asus, MSI etc do not have this issue. I myself would love upgrading to a 700 series card. Even to the new 800 series around the corner. But, I know this mobo will give compatibility issues. No boot up like you are seeing. Apparently even some of the newer HP's have problems. Hunt for some other threads and you will see.

[DesperateGuy]

So, can I recieve help from HP operators in this forum, at least to confirm what FattysGoneWild said ? Is there a real incompatibility between my Motherboard and the GTX 760 ? Buying a new mobo would be a real pain in b***!

Thanks FattysGoneWild, anyway, for your help. Do you know where can I download the latest update for the BIOS (even though it won't help much).

So, just to be totally clear. The only way to make the GPU work is to find an update for the BIOS which I should ask to HP (how and where can I contact HP ?). Most likely there won't be any useful update for the BIOS and I'll need to change my Mobo entirely, right ? Or (but I'm not going to do it) I can buy a new GPU (600 or lower), another one, and use that instead of the GTX 760, right ?

[goldencrow]

I have the same problem, how can i fix it?

[Big_Dave]

Hi,

You really need a HP version 8 bios level that has UEFI 2.3.1 support.  You might try HP Support and see if a version 8 bios can be created for your PC. It's doubtful that HP will produce a UEFI bios update for this motherboard. 

I suggest that you contact the video card maufacturer for a remedy. Possible remedies might be:

1. Exchange the video card for another that does not require full UEFI support
2. Send the card in and have it flashed to a video bios level that will work
3. Refund
4. Exchange the card for another if ASUS claims that the 760 will run on PCs that don't have full UEFI support.

If you want to try a version 8 bios that was produced for a different model HP PC with the formosa motherboard then the bios levels posted for the HP ENVY h8-1417 may work but then it might just brick your motherboard.  You will probably need to extract the rom update and do a manual flash per suggestions on this site. WARNING you may brick the motherboard.  I don't know if this site is still active.: http://www.bios-mods.com/bios-update/

[DesperateGuy]

So, the only thing I can do is to upgrade my mobo with a most likely incompatible Bios to make the Video Card work ?
Otherwise, I can (must ?) replace my current mobo with a new more compatible one ?

Is that so ? Sorry if asked many times, but I want to be sure before I ruin my motherboard or decide to spend other money.

Anyway, my PC is no longer under warranty. Can I still ask the help that you suggest ? I think the HP site won't let me contact HP support if my System is no longer under warranty, am I wrong (I hope so) ?

[DesperateGuy]

I forgot to mention, the Video Card comes with a CD, should I install the content of the CD before putting in the Video Card or vice versa, first I put the Video Card in the machine and then install the CD ? The guy who helped me said that you can't install the content of that CD if the Video Card isn't in, because it can't find the device during the installation... Is it true ?