I've got six Dell worstation class computers (Precision T5500 and Precision 670) that I am trying to use I210-T1 network adapters in. The computers are running Windows 7. When I boot the computers after the NIC's are installed, the computers fails to make it to post. All I get is a black screen with a blinking cursor in the top left corner. I have tried them in various slots, but I get the same result every time. I cannot get into the BIOS during this failure mode.
I had previously ordered and installed roughly 30 of these cards in the same model computers with no problem around 6 months ago. Because of this, I started checking to see if there were any differences between that batch of cards and the latest ones that I bought. The older cards have a manufacture date of 03/2014. The newer ones have a manufacture date of 08/2014. The newer ones, according to the Intel documentation, have 2 resistors added to them and a newer firmware.
I decided to try the older cards in the computers with the issues. The computers booted up and ran fine with the older cards.
Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem with the newer cards could be and what can be done to resolve or work around this issue?