Upgrading graphics card

[BayGatesGuy]

In order to upgrade to Windows 10, I must upgrade my integrated video display, so I bought and installed a 2GB  NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 in the PCI Ex16 slot on the motherboard, but my system refuses to recognize it, even though I changed the Primary Video Display in the BIOS to PCI Ex16. What am I doing wrong here? I would appreciate any help. Thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

The Nvidia 730 series cards won't work in a PC that old.

The BIOS won't accept it.

If you want a nVidia card which is close to the 730, you would have to go with the GT 630.

Also there is a workaround to use the onboard graphics and upgrade to W10.

See this discussion below.  You run the DVD you make from the windows desktop, and skip the check for updates.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Video-Display-and-Touch/NVIDIA-GeForce-6150SE-nForce-430-chipse...

[TheN00bBuilder]

Thats a little odd, Paul. As long as the slot is correct on the motherboard, there's no reason it won't work. I can run any PCIE GPU in even my old socket 754 system, which is much older than the OP's computer.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

If you put a GT 730 in your old socket 754 system, I guarantee you it won't work, unless you get a specific card that has a switch for legacy/UEFI BIOS'.

A lot of these new video cards such as the GT 730 require a UEFI BIOS, which neither of your PC' s have.

It is no longer enough to know the wattage requirements of the card vs the power supply, and that the card will fit in a PCIe X16 slot.

If you search the desktop section of this forum, you will find dozens of posts of this nature, such as these...

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Video-Display-and-Touch/HP-Pavilion-6710f-work-with-GeForce-GT-...

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Gt-730-graphics-card-install-pro...

[TheN00bBuilder]

You may be right, but don't most GPUs come with both OPROMs for both UEFI and BIOS?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Not all of them, which is the problem.

[TheN00bBuilder]

And the GT730 should, so it is a little odd to me that it is not working.

[BayGatesGuy]

Thanks for the great help. This is my first use of this support group and I am impressed.

I'll try to return the graphics card I bought. I have downloaded Windows 10 to a DVD. One question: If I install from a DVD it is a clean install or does it save my existing programs?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

You will be given the option to keep your existing programs, files, and settings (if that is what you want to do).

It is important that you run the DVD from the windows desktop, so the upgrade gets successfully activated at Microsoft.

Once that is done, should you get a new hard drive, or ever want to clean install W10, you can then boot from the DVD and clean install W10.

When clean installing W10, you will be asked to enter a product key (which you don't have) but there will also be an option to check 'I don't have a product key.'

You select that option and W10 will install and automatically reactivate once you reconnect to the internet.

Since you now have the info to install W10 without the need to purchase a video card, you are good to go.

If you ever do want to upgrade the video, you also know what is required.

I take it the GT 730 you have does not have a switch on it to change it to work with a legacy BIOS.

Most of them don't, which is why so many forum members have trouble installing some of these new fangled video cards in legacy equipment.

BTW...where did you get the W10 download file from?

The Microsoft link that is posted in the other link I posted doesn't work and when I try to go directly to the W10 Media Creation Tool it, doesn't work either, so the problem is on Microsoft's end.

[BayGatesGuy]

I did as instructed in a previous post. That is, I went to the Microsoft website for updating to Windows 10, dowloaded the media creation tool and executed it, where it offered an immediate update or a burn to a DVD.  I chose the latter and it then proceeded to dowload the Windows 10 file to an .iso file in Documents. I was then able to burn that file to a DVD. The instructions for all of this were included in the website. Hope this helps.