Graphics Card Problemo any advice

[Fang2k5]

Hello people im experiencing a problem with my computer and im pretty sure it is the graphics card that is the problem but i am not certain.

well here are my computer specs recently bought all the parts and built it myself and was running like a dream befor this happend.

Mother Board = MSI K9N Neo-F nForce 550 (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2

Processor = AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz (Socket AM2)

Graphics Card = Gainward BLISS GeForce 7900 GS "Golden Sample" SILENT 256MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express)

Hard drive = Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB 2500KS SATA-II 16MB Cache

Memory = Corsair 1GB DDR2 Value Select PC4200 Dual Channel Kit (2x512MB)

Power Supply = 550 Watt

Operating system = Windows xp Pro

The rest of the stuff is not important is it? like DVD drive ect.

Well the story is i go away for a few days and come back to find that the computer wont boot into windows and that the screen looks like it is high like in the bios at start up odd squares with different colours and odd keys inside like $ for example.

well apprently my brother was downloading music befor this happend so thinking this was just a virus i managed to format the system all 3 drives and C drive 2 times making sure it did not come back.

The problem is now that i can get onto windows and no more file problems but the screen remains messed up if you want ill try and print screen and put it on my flash drive and show you what i mean.

Also just a note that i dont think this is my monitor because the box and text which appears on screen when you adjust light, contrast, high ect ect is just fine and not affected.

I looked inside my computer was hardly no dust (got at xmas) and the fan on the graphics card was still running eveything looks normal.

Any input into this i may not have considerd or ways to fix without buying another graphics card would be nice im pretty sure its the graphics card but you never know do you?

cheers for any help and please dont ask question i have already answerd here thanks

 

[raybay]

First try downloading the latest drivers. If already the latest, go back to the one released earlier. Then remove the existing drive and install the new download.
If that changes nothing, you may need to try a borrowed video graphics card to see if that fixes it...
Then you can negotiate a replacement of existing card if still under warranty, or spend some easily gained money for a new one.

 

[TheDrizzle50]

The wierd letters and everything can happend when you don't add things to your computer right. You might want to check the jumper settings on your hard drives and cd/dvd rom drives. As for the squares, your right it probably is your graphics card. Have you been overclocking it at all?

 

[Fang2k5]

I have not overclocked it would not know where to start.

My problem with not configuring right is that the computer was working perfectly fine befor this and from the extentiveness of the screen damage im starting to think it might have overheated and broke. :/

But ive checked the tempreture of my processor which was at a heat of about 32c which isnt bad is it? so it cant of been that hot in there and my bro was not really useing it for anything that would make the graphics card work hard i dont think since he does not play games just downloads songs ect.

Also to the first poster whenever i try installing drivers the computer just turns itself off which lets me further believe that the graphics card is un repairable and i need a new one.

 

[raybay]

Electronic things fail... like light bulbs... defects in manufacturing and materials... and don't have to be your fault. There are stories online about the failure rates of new stuff... used to be 15% but are better now.
It is very probably that your ideas on the graphics card failure are right. You should be able to get it replaced under warranty.

 

[nickc]

please do not just keep posting more. I think u will an addmin in here telling u so if u keep it up.

 

[Fang2k5]

Raybay i think you are right heh im gona have to ask them if my warrenty is vaild but hopefully it will be thanks alot for the replys just wanted to make sure i did not need to do alot of messing about if it was not nessacry you know how it is.


Not quite sure what you are trying to tell me nickc if you are annoyed that i posted 2 things in a row or if u want this bulletin to stop but dont worry my last post and i find it polite to say thanks for people giving up there time to help out a stranger.

so cheers eveyone!

 

[TheDrizzle50]

Try re-installing your operating system. I doubt that its the drivers and its not a heating problem. 80°C is the highest average a processor can go w/o shutting itself off. Have you tried buying another graphics card or borrowing one to see if the squares and whatever go away?

 

[raybay]

This information is correct. Just do not ever count on your processor shutting itself off at 80c as it does not always happen... but you never want it to exceed 62C for more than a short minuit anyway... and of course cooler is always better. The "wear" is much more rapid at the high temperatures.

 

[Fang2k5]

I have tryed reinstalling my operating system but it did not help ive contacted my supplier about the problem and as you said it it can run at 80c with i dont think my processor running at only around 32c is gona be a problem there.

god i hope i dont need to buy another my warrenty better cover :O

 

[raybay]

You appear to have one problem, with three possible causes... based on what you describe. 1) It could be an infestation or a corruption from the music downloads of your brother... Music sites often bombard us with evil stuff, that is hard to detect and harder to remove. 2) It could be a defective video graphics card or monitor... also sometimes hard to detect... I would put it in another machine, and put a known working graphics card from another machine into the one that is misbehaving, then overnight, see what changes in the two machines. or 3) It could be another defective component that will also be difficult to trouble-shoot.
Since everything was fine until your brother got involved, I would go back to that state...
When you attempted the reinstall, did you do a full re-format, then reboot before you performed the install so there is little chance that some corruption on the hard drive remained? If so, then we know it is no carry over from the old install... which brings us back to a defective video graphics card that will show up when used in another machine.

 

[Fang2k5]

1. thats why i formatted and when it first happend there was some windows file errors and it would not boot properly but after the format ( and reboot b4 installing again )windows seem to boot up fine just the screen was still messed up. My other critism with it being a virus is that it should not have the messed up screen at the very start of boot up in the bios stage befor windows is booted.

2. My problem here is that all my friends have older computers and not one has an 16x pci express slot on their motherboard they are still with those x8 agp. The reason that makes me think it is the graphics card and not the monitor is that on my monitor has a square green and yellow box which appears for the menu on screen to browse changing height, contrast ect ect.
and that box is not effect by the screen weirdness, which if it was the monitor it owuld be wouldent it? :/

3.think im a little to late to go back a state now the problem has not got any better + ive formatted alot of times.

4. Yeah i did a full format then i rebooted befor reinstalling windows


In good news i have told the place i got the graphics card from about my problem and they ahve issued me with an RMA number to send the item back and hopefully if they get the same problem my warrenty will cover it and i will get a replacement.

Edited by Moderator: Removed quote. There`s no need to quote the post directly above your own.