Halp! strange computer problem, +1 for advice :D

  • Thread starter Thread starter vybz kartel
  • Start date Start date

vybz kartel

vybz kartel

Hi there guys

i recently shipped my computer up to scotland becuase i recently started university and, they didnt really take care of it. when it arrvied and i booted it up i was getting artifacts all over my screen from boot up, and when i moved my vga cable around it made the screen flicker. i was able to watch streaming videos covered in artifacts, but when i tried to start up a game, my computer didnt crash, but the light on my monitor flickered briefly and then the signal died leaving me with a blank screen. i reseated my gfx card a few times but was now unable to get any video output. blank screen all round.

so i bought a new gfx card (PNY GeForce 8800 GT 256MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) off overclockers and installed it, however though my computer completed the POST sequence, all the way to FF. i am getting no video output at all. the light on my monitor stays solid yellow. i then reinserted my old gfx card ( HIS ati x800) and it did strangly start working again, albeit with artifacts everywhere, i stopped getting video output when it came to start windows.

so im like wtf

my x800 required a VGA cable whereas my new card (8800gt) requires a DVI cable. it did come with a DVI adaptor which i put onto the end of my VGA cable and plugged it into the back of my gfx card.

my VGA cable isnt faulty as i tested it on a computer in the library.

my motherboard isnt brand new but is only about 3-4 years old.

the computer completes the POST sequence

i was thinking the GFX card port may be damaged? or i need a pure DVI cable?

thanks for ** help guys! im dying without my comp :(
 
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Are you getting any output at all, ie. during post then at windows it goes wonky?

Or is it a case of, dvi = no output, vga = artifacts?
 
I suggest you reseat all the parts and reapply TIM to your processor.The courier must have mishandled your pc very well.
 
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i got a DVI adaptor that i plugged onto the end of my VGA cable. the VGA cable does work, do i need a DVI adaptor at both ends ie (into the gfx card, and then another for into the monitor)? i used to just use pure VGA but my new gfx card a listed above has no VGA port, so that is why i am now using the adaptor.

from bootup with the bios ect i get artifacts, well that was for the first day only, now i get no signal at all.

thx for help! i know parcel force are retarded, i thought it would be ok if i wrote fragile enough times on it. obviously not. im a student now so am broke, so am looking to fix my comp for studies v fast :P

thx for help!
 
1. No, you will not need a pure DVI cable. A DVI->VGA adapter will be fine.

2. Have you tried a different monitor by any chance? Maybe the circuitary in the monitor is damaged.

3. Can you try a different PSU. It may be giving out dirty DC current.

4. It may be that your motherboard has been damaged and is causing the dirty current to the graphics card.
 
:D

i can try a diferent monitor however when i unplug it from my comp it seems to do the self test feature with the white/blue/green bumping around fine.

for my mobo or psu i would have to take it into a shop which it seems that maybe i would have to do, i will try a different monitor tonight tho by hauling it down to the library lol...

FF is for everythings ok! well with the abit POST code things FF is when it completes the boot no problem.

i like started aberdeen uni in scotland and the city centre is 20 mins away and is **** as hell and i have no clue where the comp repair shop is :(

No swearing.
 
keyser said:
FF?
Click to expand...

Means the mobo has fully posted without "errors". I would hazard a guess at the PSU being the problem. I don't expect its the monitot. ALso make sure all the ram is seated correctly, and all other bits too. Try booting with just one memory stick and gpu connected, see if you get anything better.
 
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Snakedoctor said:
Means the mobo has fully posted without "errors". I would hazard a guess at the PSU being the problem. I don't expect its the monitot. ALso make sure all the ram is seated correctly, and all other bits too. Try booting with just one memory stick and gpu connected, see if you get anything better.
Click to expand...

will do!

i cant imagine how many arena points ive missed in the weeks my comp has been broken
 
vybz kartel said:
so i bought a new gfx card (PNY GeForce 8800 GT 256MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) off overclockers and installed it, however though my computer completed the POST sequence, all the way to FF. i am getting no video output at all. the light on my monitor stays solid yellow.
Click to expand...
Have you waited for Windows to boot up?
(or doesn't PC start reading from HDD at all?)

One Radeon X850 had it otherway and didn't start DVI output apparently until Windows had loaded some drivers...
 
i cant see anything on the screen lol

the computer does appear to be working, for example i get the F7 post which then means that i have to press f1 to move into the loading of windows. before my comp broke, i would allways have to press f1 becuase i reseated the cpu a while back.

its like my comp is blind or something, im gunna have to carry the desktop, in its box about a mile down the road tommorw to the computer shop to have it fixed.

as i said i would try and fiddle with settings, if i could see them :D
 
Nasty one.


For what its worth - Very heavy processor heat sinks can come loose in transit so as someone said ensure you have taken it off, reseated the processor, cleaned up, reapplied thermal compound and refitted the heat sink.

Also if subjected to fast movement a heavy heat sink can put a lot of strain on the mobo so it might have damaged the mobo.

At the end of the day think what has changed. If the PC was working before shipping and isn't now - what was shipped, how was it shipped, what might have happened to it during shipping. At the very least check and double check all those cables.

Any insurance on the item while it was in transit? If so you need to let the couriers know there is a problem straight away.

Incidentally, the power supply is probably full of heavy physical components which wouldn't react well to physical abuse. Your problems do sound remarkably like those caused by a power supply I had years ago that suddenly went faulty.
 
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EffBee said:
Incidentally, the power supply is probably full of heavy physical components which wouldn't react well to physical abuse. Your problems do sound remarkably like those caused by a power supply I had years ago that suddenly went faulty.
Click to expand...
I don't see any problem with PSU unless packet is literally thrown around.
But big heatsinks and all bigger graphic cards are definitely at danger zone!

Week ago I was fixing one OS crapped PC and wireless keyboard/mouse didn't work at one point of OS installation so I had to shut it down and connect PS2 keyboard. (after fetching one from home)
When attaching keyboard I turned case gently but that was enough to nudge graphic card (possibly by display cable) so that PC didn't boot and just beeped! After slightly rising card and pushing it back into slot firmly solved problem for next boot.
Slots should be theoretically such that there shouldn't be any possiblity for shorts unless card is jammed with force to wrong position but I suspects it's entirely possible for loose card to short and burn something from slot/motherboard.
 
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