Hey guys currently I have a Aurora R3 with a 525 watt psu and 2 GTS 450 gpu's. I recently upgraded to the HD 7950 (GigaByte) but for some reason the GPU powers on and I do not post at all. So I asked to borrow my friends 7850 (Gigabyte) which uses less power thinking it was psu issue, and same thing happens. I just think it's odd because both my GTS 450s use more power than either the 7950 or 7850. I finally get another friends 6xxx (I forget what one exactly) this one was made by xfx though and it works fine. Does anyone have insight into why this may be happening? I would assume its a psu issue but the math doesn't add up and it's odd that the xfx posted and not the gigabyte 7850 since they are almost identiical in power. Any help would be appreciated!

probably a bios update needs to occure to allow your alienware to post. since it'll post with a 6k series card and not a 7k series.

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I5 3570K@4~5.0ghz: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H:Corsair Hydro H70w/Delta 240CFM Fan: 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR-3 1600: 2 XFX Radeon 7950 @ 1150/1575 : Corsair AX 860 PSU: x2 WD Black 1TB HDD's: 90GB OCZ Agility 3:CL X-FI:Corsair 500R Arctic White Edition:3 22inch Asus monitors Eyefinity @ 5294x 1050(bezel comp) : Alienware Tact-X Keyboard: Naga Razer gaming mouse:Corsair Vengance 1500 Headset .

I have the latest BIOS update available for my mobo so is it possible that my mobo is just too old? But it's only 2 years old?

Thats dell for you. They don't support there own hardware a few years after its released. 

There's nothing you can do except bug dell and check the alienware forums. Two seperate 7k series cards not posting in your PC = your bios is failing VGA test. 

Nothing you can do about it. It'll have to be done at a bios level by dell.  Or someone on the alienware forums my have a workround of sorts.

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I5 3570K@4~5.0ghz: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H:Corsair Hydro H70w/Delta 240CFM Fan: 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR-3 1600: 2 XFX Radeon 7950 @ 1150/1575 : Corsair AX 860 PSU: x2 WD Black 1TB HDD's: 90GB OCZ Agility 3:CL X-FI:Corsair 500R Arctic White Edition:3 22inch Asus monitors Eyefinity @ 5294x 1050(bezel comp) : Alienware Tact-X Keyboard: Naga Razer gaming mouse:Corsair Vengance 1500 Headset .

Edited: 03/01/2013 at 05:36 AM by Vantharas

I've never seen a bios fail to post over a GPU though.

 

Looking at the specs, you say its a 525W PSU? the GPU,while it sucks down less watts, is probably amp hungry. I think you need to back track and reinvestigate a larger PSU. Check your cards system requirements, my 660 Ti calls for 24A on the 12v rail. and that is specific, that means it needs to produce that many amps on one of the divided rails in the system, not as a whole unit.

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Ever since the 5k series cards were released there have been chipsets (namely nvidia/intel and a few of the really old amd chipsets) Have not been posting without bios updates from ther respected manufaturers. 

But I wouldn't nessassiary place blame on the PSU even though I know its junk(because all dell OEM PSUs are)  seeing as how two GTS 450s pull the same amount of power as a 7950, and 1 is only 30w shy of a single 7850 which he's tested. 

Replaceing the power supply or testing it with another would definetly be an option to test. but in the end. It may be the deciding factor. Hence why recommened quality PSU's from manufacturers like enermax/seasonic/ corsair / XFX / Zippy / PC power and cooing. 

Just for reference a 7950 TDP is 200W.and a 7850 is 130W. (give or take a few depending on manufacturer clocks) 

In theory his PSU should be "ok". 

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I5 3570K@4~5.0ghz: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H:Corsair Hydro H70w/Delta 240CFM Fan: 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR-3 1600: 2 XFX Radeon 7950 @ 1150/1575 : Corsair AX 860 PSU: x2 WD Black 1TB HDD's: 90GB OCZ Agility 3:CL X-FI:Corsair 500R Arctic White Edition:3 22inch Asus monitors Eyefinity @ 5294x 1050(bezel comp) : Alienware Tact-X Keyboard: Naga Razer gaming mouse:Corsair Vengance 1500 Headset .

Edited: 03/01/2013 at 04:51 PM by Vantharas