Video upgrade - Slimline s5-1204 Desktop

[Reblee]

I am trying to add HDMI out to this computer to connect it to a TV with no computer input.

I have tried 2 very low wattage video cards with same result - black screen with a small picture and message

"Type Control Alt Delete for setup" but typing that or anything else does not do anything.

The first card was a Zotag GT 710 and second was an MSI GT 720 which is PCI-E  16 version 2.0 same as the motherboard.

I looked into upgrading the PSU but the part picker lists other (older) video cards with higher wattage that are

supposed to work in this computer. Also i read somewhere that even after a PSU upgade, the same computer

would not boot up with, i think, a GT 730 added.  Is only an older series card going to work  or do i need to

add driver or other setup file before i add the card ?  I did update the bios to latest version and looked for a setting

to use PCI-E but did not find that. Any help appreciated. Thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Yes, I believe the newest model nVidia card you can install in your PC is the GT 6xx series.

I used to recommend the GT 610 if all you want is a video card for a Home Theater type setup.

However, for some reason, those have become very expensive.

So, an alternative that should work in your model, that has an HDMI out port would be the AMD Radeon HD 6450 low profile card.  And even those are getting hard to find.  I noticed the popular Sapphire brand is out of stock on Amazon.

The Asus model is less than $40 still...

https://www.amazon.com/Asus-PCI-Express-EAH6450-SILENT-1GD3/dp/B004X8EO6Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=151...

It draws less than 30 Watts of power under full load.

You may also want to check on eBay for a GT610 or the HD 6450.

[Reblee]

Paul, thanks for that information.

Curious why a newer series card does not work especially since the mobo and card are same PCI-E version.

Guess i will have to buy a card instead of using one i swapped out of my sons computer.

Or i could use a DVI to HDMI adaptor to the TV and get a sound bar - no optical out on this computer though.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

Now there is a new variable with selecting a video card and that is the BIOS version.

The BIOS version your PC has is too old to run a nVidia card newer than a GT 6xx

You could get an DVI dot HDMI cable but as you wrote, DVI will not carry sound, so you would have to use the PC's speaker system.

[Reblee]

Paul, thanks for solving that mystery for me with an obvious answer i should have figured before.

The newest bios version available is 2012 and the GT 7xx were released in 2013/14.

One more question - will the  GT 610  or  HD 6450  work with the stock 220 watt PSU

or would it need an upgrade to 300 watt.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

You should be fine with the stock P/S with either of those video cards.

They are low wattage cards designed for small form factor PC's.

It's too bad the GT 710 doesn't work because that draws less wattage than either the GT610 or the HD6450.

The power supply requirements are overstated.

[Reblee]

Well i got the  Asus HD6450 Silence, put it in yesterday but got only black screen, TV showed no input message from

the HDMI, and RGB to the little old TV also had no input from either the port on the video card or the motherboard.

Has anyone actually seen this model  S5-1204  work with any video card ?

I will check what i have in another older computer and  if it looks like it might work, i'll put that one in to try it.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I am very surprised that card didn't work for you.

Did you uninstall the onboard graphics adapter and driver in the device manager before installing the new video card?

Sometimes that causes problems if the original graphics adapter and driver are not first uninstalled before installing the add on card.

[Reblee]

Thanks for that message Paul.

I did read about that somewhere before but i forgot to do yesterday.

Will try try it again soon after uninstalling the onboard graphics adapter and driver 

before i shut it down.

[Reblee]

Tried the video card again after uninstalling the onboard video driver - still nothing, black screen.

Just to make sure i tried again with disabling the onboard graphics first then uninstalling the driver.

(Couldn't disable it the first time after uninstalling driver first).  But still same result - black screen.

Returning that HD 6450 Silence to Amazon.  Maybe i would have had success with a GT 610.

Think i will go with a sure thing (?)  DVI to HDMI converter and sound bar or just little computer speakers.