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7600 GS AGP no video output: Dead or doing something wrong?

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First post, by Mondodimotori

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Hello there, I got myself a fairly recent AGP card, a 7600 GS by Gigabyte. Nothing fancy, just another AGP card for WinXP gaming.
Sold as "New - Open Box", I thought it would've been easy and a "it just works" matter.

But after testing it in two known working boards, an ASUS K8V-MX and an Abit NF7-S2G (Sempron 3000+ and Athlon XP 2600+), the card doesn't display anything. The screen just remains black. On the K8V-MX I even have the speaker connected, and no warning beeps can be heard. The video just stays black. (Both with VGA and DVI)
On the NF7-S2G (wich has WinME installed) it appears that, despite the black screen, the system loads into windows, as I can toggle CAPS LOCK on and off on the keyboard.

Question: Am I doing something wrong? Maybe some settings? It's not the MOLEX Power Connector, since I actually forgot to connect it at first boot, but immediately went "opsie", shut everything down, and connected it... Still black screen.
Or is it that the card it's to new for these boards (even if both of them should support AGP 8X no issue)?
Or, simply, the card is dead NOS, and I should just negotiate a return and refund (I paid, with shipping, 30€)? It even still has the plastic peel on top of the Gigabyte logo on the cooler.

Picture of the card and box attached under spoiler.

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Reply 1 of 2, by MagefromAntares

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Hi,

Having it not work in two separate motherboards that uses different chipsets is kind of a reason to be concerned. However I would still consider giving a chance for the Graphics Card in an Intel CPU system. From the picture I don't see any visual damage on the card, but the photo you have attached is too low resolution and not showing enough details to be sure.

The 7600 GS AGP was released in 2006 so after 20 years it is also possible that some of the caps gone bad even if the card is old-new stock.

"A process cannot be understood by stopping it. Understanding must move with the flow of the process, must join it and flow with it." - Dune

Reply 2 of 2, by Mondodimotori

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MagefromAntares wrote on Yesterday, 20:30:

Hi,

Having it not work in two separate motherboards that uses different chipsets is kind of a reason to be concerned. However I would still consider giving a chance for the Graphics Card in an Intel CPU system. From the picture I don't see any visual damage on the card, but the photo you have attached is too low resolution and not showing enough details to be sure.

The 7600 GS AGP was released in 2006 so after 20 years it is also possible that some of the caps gone bad even if the card is old-new stock.

I actually have a "new" Intel AGP board (kinda pointless to test it in the VIA Pentium III system, TBH), an Asrock 775VM800, still with a VIA chipset and 775 socket. But it has a P4 Prescott in it with a stock Intel cooler (I Just got it), and here it's summer, and hot. In BIOS, from cold boot, it goes straight up to 50°.
I could see if it gives any video output in BIOS and, if not, just mark it as dead. Wich is kinda of a shame, it would've been a decent card for early XP gaming, much better and cheaper than Ti4200s (that have skyrocketed in prices on EBAY over the last couple of months).
The seller asnwered to my inquiry and told me it's old stock from his old PC Part store, but it's willing to refund it partially and let me keep it as a collector item (I proposed him that first if he wasn't interested in trying to sell it as "for parts", I don't mind keeping it since has the box and everything in it).

For the caps and the rest... The cards looks brand new. The box has some marks from "old" storage, but the card itself looks pristine. No bulging or leaking caps, AGP connector nice and gold reflective, it really feels like it's brand new.
This is also the first time a NOS card doesn't work straight away for me.

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