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HP Recommended
EliteDesk 800 G3 TWR
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

Hello at all,

 

I have an issue with a graphics card and the M.2 slot (combination).
I have two PCs with the same setup (EliteDesk 800 G3 TWR).

 

I try to start at the beginning without getting to wild in my explenations.

We have 8 PCs (all HP all with Matrox C680 graphics cards). 2 of them are giving me a  headache right now...
I'm not sure wether the card is supported or not, but it works fine in 6 HP computers (all the same model, some slightly newer, some older), so I hope to get it working in those two machines two (One has already worked and is now broken).

 

I tried to install the Matrox graphics cards in one of the HP desktop PCs today. As soon as I installed the graphics card, the M.2 SSD was gone. BIOS couldn't detect it anymore. I haven't changed any settings in BIOS whatsoever. When I take the graphics card out of the PC, the M.2 SSD is back and the PC is booting just fine (onboard graphics).
I've just now learned that when I leave the Matrox graphics card in and unmount the M.2 SSD and let it run, then shut it down again and put the M.2 SSD back in, it can detect both and boot. Hurray, I thought to myself. Well it was good for one go. Now I have the same problem again.

Like I mentioned earlier, we have that graphics card in 8 PCs now. They had some hickups during installation (no signal on display or stuff like that), but eventually they all came to life.

 

Here comes the weird part:

I have a PC on site where everything worked fine with the Matrox card mounted.

Then I tried to equip another PC with one of the matrox cards but it wasn't meant to be. Nothing worked. Always the same: As soon as the graphics card is in, the M.2 drive is gone from the BIOS and boot options. I disassmbled the working computer and tried exchanging parts withthe malfunctioning one. I swapped the following parts: RAM, graphics card, M.2 SSD. I even disconnected the CD drive. Now both computers have the same issue , the Matrox card gets in, the boot drive is gone.

 

Here is what I tried so far regarding troubleshooting:
unsinstalled and resinstalled the Matrox graphics driver

Clear CMOS

BIOS update to Version 02.32

exchanged every possible part (paragraph above) with the formerly working computer

mount the graphics card on the PCIx4 slot (not working)
mount a PCIx4 graphics card on the PCIx16 slot (working)

Disable all power management in BIOS

Disable all unused PCI-slots in BIOS

Disable/Enable M.2 bluetooth slot (I know it's a different one)

Disable/Enable M.2 slot

Go through the HP forum and follow several guides on how to install a new graphics card (Secure boot disable, legacy enable)

 

I have a third working EliteDesk with a Matrox C680 graphics card that I put in there but I wouldn't dare to take apart that machine, too. However I compared all the BIOS settings, I couldn't detect any differences (the working one has an older BIOS version though)

 

The Matrox C680 is a graphics card that does not need additional power via power cable. It's powered via the PCIx16 slot. It has a little fan on it though, so it is actively cooled. The fan is working just fine when the card is mounted in the PC. I even get a picture via the matrox card. That's when it shows that it wants to boot via PXE. So the card (actually both C680 cards that I've tried) is working.

 

My only option that I have left to my knowledge is installing a seperate Sata-SSD and install Windows there. This has worked for me once when one of the computers with a matrox card mounted malfunctioned (I wasn't experienced enough back then to go through all the troubleshooting that I went through today) That computer is working to this day.

 

I hope it wasn't too confusing. If you have any advice or need more info, just ask, I'm happy to provide anything I can to get this problem solved 🙂

I am just rattled how the working computer is now broken just because I took out the parts and put them back in. I'm sure the order in which the parts are installed comes into play (I guess that's why I got both machines booting once before failing again) but I can't figure out how and why.

 

TL;DR:

Matrox C680 graphics card gets installed, the M.2 drive is gone from BIOS and boot option. C680 is unmounted, M.2 is back and computer is booting fine.

 

Thanks for all your help and best regards

Boldi

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

Hello everyone,

 

yesterday I installed the PC with the Matrox graphics card at the other location. I've been quite baffled after I had installed everything and the machine just started to boot. No errors, no problems, just booting. I was thankful but I had no idea what happened. My best guess is that it might have been the cables and/or connectors from the Matrox card to the displays. I made no changes to the hardware configuration or anything else after the many failed attempts I've had prior. So my guess has to be on the cables and/or connectors, somehow. I really don't know what to think about all of that. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The displays here and on the other site where the machine is now installed are exactely the same (same model, same revision). Well now that everything is running, this thread might be marked as solved, even if the solution is not that clear to me.

 

Best regards

Boldi

View solution in original post

1 REPLY 1
HP Recommended

Hello everyone,

 

yesterday I installed the PC with the Matrox graphics card at the other location. I've been quite baffled after I had installed everything and the machine just started to boot. No errors, no problems, just booting. I was thankful but I had no idea what happened. My best guess is that it might have been the cables and/or connectors from the Matrox card to the displays. I made no changes to the hardware configuration or anything else after the many failed attempts I've had prior. So my guess has to be on the cables and/or connectors, somehow. I really don't know what to think about all of that. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The displays here and on the other site where the machine is now installed are exactely the same (same model, same revision). Well now that everything is running, this thread might be marked as solved, even if the solution is not that clear to me.

 

Best regards

Boldi

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