EP35-DS4 bad 1st PCI-e x16 slot?

[Octopuss]

This is weird. Everytime I try to run my graphic card in the upper (well, closer to CPU socket) slot, it mostly doesn't work, meaning the PC starts to boot, but there is an error beep right after power-on and no signal is going to the monitor. Hard reset sometimes (mostly never) helps, and so does removing the card and inserting it back. In 90% cases it just doesn't work though.
The lower slot is perfectly fine.
What gives?
P.S. I believe I had the same problem with my old x1900 (now 4870).
BIOS is F6a.

[randers4]

Re: EP35-DS4 bad 1st PCI-e x16 slot?

Just a shot in the dark...sometimes you have to bend the metal slot cover back slightly in order to get the card to fully seat in the slot when you screw it down. It may be holding one side of your card up slightly when you screw it down now, resulting in an intermittent failure like the one you are describing. You could check this by pushing the card fully into the slot and then booting without screwing the card down. If it works then, carefully observe whether the card is lifted slightly when you turn the screw down. If it does, then you need to bend the slot cover slightly until this no longer happens.

[Octopuss]

Re: EP35-DS4 bad 1st PCI-e x16 slot?

I don't think this is the case but I will try anyway.
Any other thoughts?