New video card won't work need help!!!!!!

After looking at what your old card is I think I see the problem.
Given that you used the Rage card in the AGP slot before, it means you must have a 2x or 4x AGP slot in order to run that card. The older AGP slots run at a different voltage to the 8x slots, and since the 7800GS is an 8x card, it won't be compatible. You probably need a new motherboard to use that card. I'll check that's the case.
Yep, I can confirm that your mobo uses the old slot:

Information from Dell Support.

I think it's time to make the upgrade to PCI express.

 

I do have a 2x 4x I beleive but the card is a 4x 8x so it should just run at 4x.

 

Not if the 8x card you have runs at a different voltage. It won't work at all.

 

Okay I kinda suspected something like this, what you can do, is there is a video card that I have that can handle any AGP slot know to man kind. Its a common card, its the PNY NVIDIA FX 5200. Try it out.

 

well although it may work with both voltages, let's face it, that isn't exactly a fast card any more. Depends what sort of performance he's after, but if he bought a 7800GS, an FX 5200 is going to be a far inferior upgrade.

 

Speed Signalling Voltage
1x/2x 1.5V or 3.3V
4x 0.8V or 1.5V
8x 0.8V


I found this chart online from this site http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/agpcompatibility.html

So if my agp slot is 2x 4x and the card is at 4x 8x can't just change the settings to get everything at 4x at .8 volts. Im going to call BFG to see what they say.

 

Not usually, I don't think the motherboard voltage regulators can be modified, it's worth a try, but I'd expect it on enthusiast boards, not Dell originals.

 

I called BFG and they said its a 1.5 volt card and to change the voltage to go to the bios screen and change it. How do I get to the bios screen and what do I click to change the voltage.

 

The BIOS screen is the menu run from the very first screen you see when you turn the PC on. It will usually say "enter setup" or "enter BIOS" with a corresponding key to press at the beginning. You should be presented with a blue screen with menus. When in there, find an "advanced settings" or similar panel, and then look for "AGP voltage" in the menus. You should be able to change its value to 1.5V.

 

I called BFG they said I need 1.5volts to run the card. I contacted dell they said its 1.5 volts and can't be changed. This should be compatiable since there both 1.5 volts im back to the orginial idea that its a defective card.

 

Well then I think the solution should be pretty obvious.

 

im sorry to jump into your thread but im having a similar problem. i just got a 7800gt pci-e card. i also have a 300 watt psu. my comp will power up, run for about 5 minutes then the video card shuts down and gets pretty hot. ive been told that you should have at the least a 500 watt psu for these cards from a friend. im going to upgrade my psu and see if i get the same results as you did after upgrading.

 

The power supply will get hot, I don't think the graphics card should get too hot after a mere 5 minutes...

 

well, if thats the case i may have gotten a faulty card. that would be bad, especially since i bought it on ebay.

 

Hate to break it to you mate, but not all ebay sellers are trustworthy, and if they can't deal with support and returns, the less conscious ebayers may just simply sell it to someone else. I gladly sell legitimate items on ebay, but I don't often trust purchases unelss there's a manufacturer's warranty as well. Fortunately you've bought a card that has a long manufacturer's warranty, so you can send it back to BFG.

 

well, actually its an msi card. but im sure they have a warranty also. i thought something wasnt right after i got the card. the seller told me he sold it because it didnt fit in his case after he installed an aftermarket cooler(zalman copper heatsink) on it. i also had the same problem so i put the original cooler back on it. even though my psu isnt really powerful enough for it i thought it would at least come on and run. i wasnt going to play games or anything to push it too much. this is a real bummer....i guess ill start finding out what i can do with msi under the manufacturer warranty. thanks for the help...ill let ya know what i find out.

 

Actually I'm amazed it runs at all with that power supply. I'd recommend you up your PSU before anything else, and even if the GPU was faulty, I'd up your power supply anyway.

 

i just put a 480w in and the card ran for about 10 minutes then froze up and shut down the computer. this is great. i guess ill have to take the next step on finding how to repair or get a refund somehow. do you know if ebay will get involved if the seller doesnt cooperate? not saying he wont, but in case he doesnt.

 

When you say shut down, did it restart or did it power off completely? If it powered off completely, it's still the power supply. If it restarts, it's either the power supply or the graphics card. Have you checked the GPU's fan is working?