HP Pavilion HPE - 6 Beeps on start up - replaced video card - didn't fix it - what now?

[Prométhée]

@Sue_Gott 
I hope you saw that two people are answering you
I know this is not always easy, so I try to keep it simple, without giving a ton of explanation.
I knew the HPE model exists, I own one (hpe h9-1228ef)
, but there are many, many different models.
With the given reference it's much simpler
indeed, your computer is this one:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-pavilion-hpe-h8-1200-desktop-pc-series/5187019/model/5231562...
It cannot work without a graphics card ...
This makes troubleshooting research more difficult
If you have exactly the same problem with the other graphics card, either it is not compatible, since it works with the other computer, or the problem is something else.

Do you know what is the power (300w / 350W, more) of the power supply of the other computer?
So if you replace the original graphics card you still have the same problem?

[Sue_Gott]

Thank you  yes i did - i hit reply for each of you but each post seems to happen chronologically disregarding who is talking to who.

to recap - i have 2 HP computers one is the HP Pavilion HPE H8-1223 Desktop PC and that is that is the one where i am having trouble with the graphics card.

The graphics card inside is an  an EVGA 8 GeForce 8400 GS DirectX 10 512-P3-1300-LR 512MB 32-Bit DDR3 PCI-e C22

After googling about the 6 beeps and hearing that it was a faulty graphics card i wanted to test that hypothesis. 

I went to my second computer HP ProDesk 400 G1 MT G5Q94UT#ABA and pulled out the graphics card which is a ZOTAC GeForce GT 710 2GB Zone Edition64 bit ddr3

I put the ZOTAC in the HP Pavilion and it started with NO BEEPS -- i got this screen on the monitor.  I pressed esc but nothing happened,  I didn't care because i believed that if this graphics card worked then the other one was bad and needed replacing.  I put the ZOTAC back in the ProDesk.

I thought the easiest way to get the Pavilion working again was to order the EXACT same graphics card (an EVGA 8 GeForce 8400 GS DirectX 10 512-P3-1300-LR 512MB 32-Bit DDR3 PCI-e C22).  I found on on Ebay.  When i got it and installed it, i was hoping it would be easily recognized and accepted.  Unfortunately that didn't work and i got 6 beeps - which is the same problem i started with .

to answer your wattage question - I believe it's 300W and i found that on a sticker - here's a photo: 

[Prométhée]

Forgive my confusion, because with the reference
we have the link that I gave, and there it is mentioned a
Eyefinity Radeon HD 7570
What is happening with the 710 card would indicate poor compatibility.
It may be because of the bios version 7.xx and not 8.xx ...
It is reassuring somewhere, it is likely that the new graphics card is defective, since you have the 6 beeps too!
Get a refund for this model and go directly if you can to a specialist to test a model

[Sue_Gott]

thank you for your reply - yes i did also see that the Eyefinity Radeon HD 7570 was listed as the video card for my model - it didn't concern me because the computer is over 8 years old and if the Eyefinity Radeon HD 7570 was the original video card then it was most likely swapped out by my husband as some point before i start using the computer.  in fact there was much wrong with the computer when i inherited it, but with COVID-19 my sending my child home from public school I and me losing my job - i instantly became a special needs teacher with plenty of time on her hands LOL!  And i needed a computer to work for my son to continue with his studies.  Unfortunately i'm not a pro that knows the sequence of the diagnostic steps so I fumbled but actually found that i had a bad hard drive and that's what was making it difficult - once fixed we've had a wonderful computer hooked up to the tv in the former living room now classroom for the past 7 months.  the video card issue just happened last week -- and here's an update

when i attempted to replace the Pavilion in the living room with a laptop last night, the hdmi connection wasn't working -- upon testing with several hdmi devices i confirmed the hdmi cord was bad so i threw it away and used another and all was good.  while a bad cord could explain why the pavilion didn't display it doesn't explain the 6 beeps.

this morning i tried using both EVGA 8 GeForce 8400 GS DirectX 10 512-P3-1300-LR 512MB 32-Bit DDR3 PCI-e C22  video cards in the ProDesk and THEY WORKED! 

so now the question why did the original video card stop working in the pavilion and why didn't the replacement work BUT why DOES the ZOTAC video card "work" in the pavilion? And why do both of the EVGA cards work in the ProDesk (but not hte pavilion)

What do you recommend I try?  i would like to avoid the expense of taking an old computer for service and i don't mind trying my best to do it myself because i am a fast learner and enjoy the success of doing it myself.  thank you for your help.

[Prométhée]

indeed, it is quite curious, because the cards finally work ..
You indicated that the HDMI cable was defective, you tried again in this case with the card and the other cable?
If that doesn't work, then I don't see what could happen ..
Computer, which does not beep with one card but does not start, but beeps with two other cards that are in working order, I have never seen this!

[Sue_Gott]

yes!  this is driving me crazy - now i don't understand BIOS but you mentioned it and i've read about it - and that's the only thing i could think about changing in the pavilion - however i would need to use the Zotac in the pavilion and i am worried about possible damage - is there anything else i can try? - i'm good at troubleshooting - but lacking the experience i can't think through the possibilities

[Prométhée]

So old card and new cable, that doesn't change anything?
If the pc cannot start you will not be able to update the bios easily
The safest thing for me would be to consult a professional who could test different old graphics cards if he has any.

[Sue_Gott]

No the cable didn't resolve the beeping issue.  The PC starts and appears to boot up until the point when it beeps. But as you said - without being able to see anything - it's near impossible to try anything with the software.  If anything comes to mind pls advise - otherwise i'm going to ask my neighbors if they have spare graphics cards - have a great day!

[Prométhée]

no, sorry, there I can not advise anything other than to test different graphics cards

quickly give me news it intrigues me your situation

Take care