XPS 8940, PCIe training error

Exactly what GPU are you using in this XPS 8940 and is it installed in the PCI-e x16 slot?

What size PSU do you have in this XPS 8940? Specs say the stock PSU is 360W or 500W.

What's the "recommended" PSU size for the exact brand/model GPU you're trying to use? In other words, can the PSU provide enough power for the GPU? And assuming the GPU requires a PCI-e power connection directly from the PSU, is that cable connected to the card?

What version of BIOS is installed on this PC?  And where did you get and what version GPU driver are you using?

@RoHe​ 

I had a new

ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB, which I returned and a much older one that I used to test it. I think it's gtx 550. Neither required a cable. I am not a gamer. I am a content creator.

Yes, both were installed in a video card slot.

The power supply is the standard 500-watt.

The bios was installed from Dell.

Will

It did make a rather loud noise the last time it crashed.

The 3050 drivers were stalled from the website given with the device.

Will

What's the current status? Only boots using onboard Intel Graphics or won't boot at all?

Any signs of damaged or melted capacitor(s) or burn marks on the motherboard? 

If you have a GTX 550 TI, from what I see, it requires a direct PCI-e power connector to the PSU. So check the specs for the exact brand/model card you're trying to use.

Are you using the same type video output port with onboard video and with the GPU?
BTW: you need to remove the add-in card if you want to use onboard video.  When a card is installed, at least one monitor should be connected to the card, before connecting a monitor to any of the onboard video ports.

Any way to return this PC to the seller? 

It boots fine. I recovered it and reset Windows 11, which removed the error from the diagnostics.

No signs of damage or melted capacitors on the motherboard. I did use some canned air to try to clean out the slot, but the board and the slot seem dust-free. I haven't tested it since.

No, the test card is from my old 8900, which is a GT 730, I looked it up,  and it doesn't need a power cable. It is in the old machine now and works fine, I returned the RTX 3050 6GB, as I didn't want to pay 180 (on top of the 400 for the machine) for something I can't use.

I used the same cord and output to the monitor, which is new. I did use both ports one at a time with different boots. 

The seller is not responding, and I had no arrangement with him. I think he scammed me because he removed the video card that came with the machine before he sold it to me and didn't say anything about it. (I went to Dell and saw the original configuration.) Even if he thought it was the card that was the problem, and thought he fixed it with the reset, it should have been mentioned. I would have passed.

Another question. I can't use this computer for what I bought it for, but I have a business and could use it with the onboard graphics for internetwork. The problem is that I don't want to copy all my files and install all my software if it's going to fail eventually with the onboard graphics.

Now that I have it working, is there some kind of stress test I can put it through to see if the reset with the onboard graphics is stable?

Thanks

Will

If you purchased the used XPS 8940 through one of the big shopping sites and seller isn't responding, I'd file a complaint with the site's sales support team. 

If you haven't already done it, clear BIOS and replace the motherboard battery in XPS 8940:

1. Reboot and start tapping F2 when you see the Dell splash screen to open BIOS setup
2. Copy down all current BIOS settings, to be safe
3. Power off, unplug power cord from rear of PC
4. Press/hold power button for ~15 sec
5. Open case and remove motherboard battery (check Service Manual for details)
6. Press/hold power button for ~30 sec
7. Install fresh CR2032 3-volt coin cell battery
8. Close up and connect mouse, monitor and keyboard
9. Boot and confirm PC is working correctly. If you get any error messages, make sure BIOS settings match the ones you copied.
10. Reboot PC and tap F12 when you see the Dell screen
11. When F12 menu opens, select option to run Diagnostics and run all of them.  This is going to take a long time... When they're all done, look for a tab with a results report.

Assuming no hardware errors:

1. Boot PC and at desktop, open a CMD prompt window, Run as administrator
2. At the prompt, type in chkdsk c: /r and press Enter. Accept offer to run chkdsk at next boot. Exit CMD window and reboot. chkdsk will run before Windows loads so be patient. You can check the chkdsk log for the results when you're back at desktop
3. Assuming no "unfixed" chkdsk errors, open CMD again as in #1
4. At the prompt, type in: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter
   Be sure to include a space in front of each / and note any error messages when that's done.
5. Assuming no "unfixed" errors in #4, at the CMD prompt, type in: sfc /scannow and press Enter.
   Be sure to include a space in front of the / and note any errors when that's done.

Assuming PC passes all the above, you could try installing the GT 730 and see what happens...

If you decide to use this PC with only onboard video, and depending on the other PC model, you could image the drive in that other PC and save an image including all partitions on external USB drive.  Many users here use Macrium Reflect (free for 30 days). Be sure to use Macrium to create its bootable USB stick that you'll need in next step. 

Use Macrium USB to boot XPS 8940 and then copy the image onto its boot drive. If total storage capacity of the boot drive in old PC is different than the boot drive in the XPS 8940, copy all the partitions in the image, except OS C: onto XPS 8940 drive. Save OS C: partition for last, and set Macrium to use all available free space on the XPS 8940 drive when it copies C: partition onto XPS 8940 boot drive.

Caveat: the image you copy onto XPS 8940 drive was set up for hardware in the old PC.  If you're lucky, it should be compatible with the hardware in XPS 8940.  Otherwise XPS 8940 may not boot from the image...

Thanks, This will take a bit of time. I will have swap out two monitors and go out and get a new battery. Will get back to soon. 

This error, "PCIe Training Error PCI Tag 0200 Vendor ID 10DE Device ID 2584 SVID 1043 SDID - 8976 BUS 02 Link Degraded PCIe SLOT 1.", doesn't make sense to me?

Problem is specifically to Slow 1 (look at the diagram here on the bottom of the page, https://www.hardware-corner.net/desktop-models/Dell-XPS-8940/ and Slot 1 is the SMALL connector #21,

The RTX3050 is 2 slot card, and it uses that slot, but I'd not think the older card would? It might go in #19 or just #20?

I assume that NO Discrete Video card was in the PC when you bought it and it was set up to use the on-board Intel adapter?

So I'd suspect that SMALL #21 slot which is Slot 1 I think, to be the problem.... look at it closely. Reasoning being with a card that doesn't use it you still get the error.

Not completely sure of the slot numbering though, look at this from the Dell h/w manual for the 8940:

One other question, in the BIOS, what it the setting for Video? Multi or Primary Display with the correct selections?

To me, it sounds more like the Slow 1 is expecting something in it and there is none?

@ispalten  I already asked and @WillPage44 confirmed that both video cards are being installed in the x16 slot.  Both the RTX and GT 730 have x16 connectors on the bottom so there'd be no point putting either of them in any slot other than the blue x16 slot.  RTX 3050 is dual-slot and GT 730 is single-slot.

Slot 1 in the PCI-e training error message likely doesn't correspond to any of the numbers in the motherboard diagram.  And the error message says "Vendor ID 10DE" which is NVidia.  So the system sees an NVida card in the slot and reports a problem.   If I had to guess, I'd suspect slot 1 = x16, slot 2 = x4 and slot 3 =x1, based on number of lanes assigned to each.

One thing I do wonder is if these cards are being correctly seated in the x16 slot.  Each card has a little hook on its bottom corner that would be closest to center of the motherboard when installed. The hook locks the card in place in the slot. Unless it's locked, the card won't make full contact in the slot. 

To catch the hook on the slot, the card has to be tipped up a little from the other end (video port end) and while holding the card on the slant, the hook can engaged in the slot before it's leveled off and pushed firmly and fully into the x16 slot.

Here's the GT 730 and I marked the hook with the red arrow.

@RoHe​,

Yeah, not sure myself how the error code/report applies to what slot. if you Google "PCIe Training Error " this is a common error, but reading some links I didn't get a sense of what it really meant? Many of them, and most reference Dell systems, but some are HP?

Slot 1's point to as you suspected, bad capacitors, swollen or loose, not clearly physically damaged.

One question I'd like to know the answer to is 'was the system used/powered on with something connected to the Intel video port on the back before putting in the Nvidia card?'

If the answer was no, the motherboard is damaged... yes, different story here... card in the wrong slot, not seated properly, etc., but with 2 different cards and one a dual slot and the other a single one... well that does not bode well for the slot or motherboard (slot damaged, missing pinout or bent not making contact, or even shorting out????).

Okay. I ran everything. After the battery replacement, I was prompted to run setup, which I did. The only Bios problem I found was that the date was wrong, which I fixed. The cmd tests all ran clean. And the F12 diagnostic test ran clean as well. 

But I had clean tests before and ran the machine for 2 days (on and off) before it crashed. 

Questions:

1) If it is a degraded video card slot, is there a test that would pick it up without a video card?

2) If I run a test with an old card, would it pick it up?

3) Is there a stress test for that slot that would force the error?

Thanks for your help. 

Will

I did use the system with the onboard graphics for a time before I got the card, and I have been running it now for about 4 hours with YouTube videos running with no error, but that is with the onboard graphics. To the best of my knowledge, both cards were seated correctly and they were locked into place, both using the x16. The Video/ Primary Display in the Bios is set to Auto (not to the Intel HD Graphics).

Questions:

If it is a slot or motherboard error, why does the Windows reset fix it? 

If it is a slot or motherboard error, isn't there a way to force the error to confirm it?

I won't replace the motherboard; it's beyond my skill level and I don't want to spend another 150 dollars to buy one, hoping I can fix it. It's better for me to take the loss, get what I can from it, being upfront with someone who has more interest in fixing it.

@WillPage44​ 

But I had clean tests before and ran the machine for 2 days (on and off) before it crashed. 

What was changed if anything when it started to crash? What video card were you using?

Questions:

1) If it is a degraded video card slot, is there a test that would pick it up without a video card?

Doubt it, there are only 2 possibilities I can think off off-hand? One is the card in the slot is the cause but tests being used can't 'see' that? The other is a drive issue initializing the card.

With the last though that it is a driver issue, pick up DDU (https://www.wagnardsoft.com/) and run it. See if the error goes away by booting with the Nvidia card OUT. If it does, shutdown, put the card back in and see if it works (use the Intel on-board for display in these tests). If it does work, shutdown, move the monitor to the Nvidia card and boot. Report back what happens.

2) If I run a test with an old card, would it pick it up?

Not knowing the cause of the problem, I wouldn't think so as you said you had the error with both cards?

3) Is there a stress test for that slot that would force the error?

Nvidia does make available some testing programs, but I don't think any are going to be of real help, but you could try them I guess?

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/nvidia-frameview-power-and-performance-benchmarking-app-download/

https://repair.wiki/w/Nvidia_GPU_Memory_Testing_Guide

I do have another question though? With the Nvidia card in and the error, does it output to the Monitor? Does the system work? Or do you just get the error and the system stops loading at that point?

I'm sort of wondering on this ONE point? Actually 2 parts of this, "I think he scammed me because he removed the video card that came with the machine before he sold it to me and didn't say anything about it. (I went to Dell and saw the original configuration.) Even if he thought it was the card that was the problem, and thought he fixed it with the reset, "

I am wondering if there could be a driver conflict. Removing a card but not the driver could be a problem, especially if you put in a different card I suspect?

Wondering if in Device Manager under Display Adapters you see another card? You apparently know the card that was removed from the 'as delivered' list for the XPS.

I wouldn't 'bet' that you were scammed as the seller knew the XPS was damaged. Many people remove the video card and/or other h/w when migrating to a new PC. Of course, the seller could have hit the error, removed the card and tested on another system and the card was good, and didn't state the system had a problem, I'd not rule that out, but like I said, might have gotten another PC and moved the card or even sold that card individually and set the XPS to boot from the Intel adapter.

Other point, you keep mentioning 'reset', what do you mean by that? Why would that clear the error and what do you actually do? Power off the PC which resets the h/w? If so, then what causes it to come back, and when specifically?