who dare take the challenge -> within!

[totalbadness]

who dare take the challenge-------------> within!

i had a prob. a few posts back on hardware....

i had a problem with my computer restarting while playing games or watching movies, and even after playing a few songs...... i upgraded all my drivers, i replaced my 300w psu with a 450w psu..... and then i got worse......!!

my computer began to show the blue screen of death, ya know "physical memory dump" and all that stuff.... which is leading me to believe, it may just be a video card problem.....

(first i will try reformating and installing a "REAL" version of windows xp.... hehehe..... and putting a "permanant" version of word on it too......)

but if it might be a video card problem, is there a good fair priced gaming one that i might go for.....

oh and p.s. not only does my comp restart and show blue death.... sometimes when it restarts, it'll restart with a grey screen and all 000's on it.... or sometimes it'll restart in funky colors................................... really.


thanks to all who undergo this post...
taylor

 

[Phantasm66]

wow.... your post makes no sense to me whatsoever.

 

[SubKamran]

Um. Memory perhaps?

 

[XtR-X]

Have you run Windows Update? A while back there was a "virus" that shut down everyone's computer.

 

[young&wild]

Did those reboots happen randomly? If yes, it looks like a motherboard or graphics card problem.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Re: who dare take the challenge-------------> within!

Originally posted by totalbadness
(first i will try reformating and installing a "REAL" version of windows xp.... hehehe..... and putting a "permanant" version of word on it too......)

sounds like a bootleg-XP to me.....causing all these problems.

 

[MattG]

Replace your memory. Check your timings.

Video would be the last thing i would consider.

Memory first, Processor, motherboard.

 

[lowman]

Checklist

1) Memory
2) Motherboard
3) Processor
4) Bootleg XP?
5) Video Card

 

[Godataloss]

2 words-> flux capacitor
I love a good challenge!

 

[Steg]

oh and p.s. not only does my comp restart and show blue death.... sometimes when it restarts, it'll restart with a grey screen and all 000's on it.... or sometimes it'll restart in funky colors................................... really.

As is my nature i like to disagree with everyone - this does sound like graphics card to me. Its definatly not a bootleg version of XP causing that.

Run Memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org/) which should tell you if the fault is with your ram. I don't think its a CPU/Mobo problem but computers are always doing unexpected things so you never know for sure until you test it throughly

Steg

 

[totalbadness]

thanks to all.... i'm sorry if i was a little confusing..... i type like i talk..... when i've been kite flying all day..... you know... headache, dry mouth, hunger, slurred speech.... and all you want is another....

you guys have a great day and i hope you stay clear of any probs....

 

[agissi]

All I can say is.................

[size=large] LETS GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THOSE SIGNATURES![/size]

Between Steg and totalbadness, I think each of their posts comes out to be around half a page

 

[Vehementi]

Re: who dare take the challenge-------------> within!

Originally posted by totalbadness
oh and p.s. not only does my comp restart and show blue death.... sometimes when it restarts, it'll restart with a grey screen and all 000's on it.... or sometimes it'll restart in funky colors................................... really.

Bad advice being given is getting worse by the day. How can the above problem possibly be interpreted as a motherboard/CPU/RAM malfunction before a video card malfunction? That makes absolutely zero sense whatsoever. And how can distortions on the screen on boot have ANYTHING to do with a bootleg copy of an OS, or a virus? I mean come on guys, honestly, what were you thinking?

The first and foremost thing you should do, totalbadness, is to fit a different video card into your computer. It doesn't matter what kind it is, as long as it works. If it works fine, than it's your old video card that was the problem. Get it fixed/replaced, or buy a new one, your choice. For a new one (you asked for a good gaming video card for cheap) I personally would reccomend a Radeon 9600 Pro or 9600XT, whichever one you want to get. The XT is faster, but the Pro is cheaper. The Pro goes for around $130 and the XT is like $20-30 more. That would be the best choice as of now IMHO.
If it isn't a video card problem, then it's not even worth it to post what to do. It's blatantly obvious that it's a video card issue, the odds are extremely against it being some other faulty component.

 

[Rick]

Re: Re: who dare take the challenge-------------> within!

Originally posted by Vehementi
If it isn't a video card problem, then it's not even worth it to post what to do. It's blatantly obvious that it's a video card issue, the odds are extremely against it being some other faulty component.

Just so you know, I've seen memory cause a wide variety of problems. Never a grey screen, but yellow and purple just to name two. I've seen many graphical problems due to bad RAM. Hey, it happens... And not many people see this side of computing because such things are pretty rare I'm sure.

I don't think it is any more likely in this case than a bad video card, but it is very important to keep your options open to the seemingly impossible.

The smart thing to do is to swap out components.. New video card, new memory, new CPU, new board... SOMETHING will solve your problem. And when you find that something... That will be your answer, most likely.

 

[Vehementi]

Re: Re: Re: who dare take the challenge-------------> within!

Originally posted by Rick
Just so you know, I've seen memory cause a wide variety of problems. Never a grey screen, but yellow and purple just to name two. I've seen many graphical problems due to bad RAM. Hey, it happens... And not many people see this side of computing because such things are pretty rare I'm sure.

I don't think it is any more likely in this case than a bad video card, but it is very important to keep your options open to the seemingly impossible.

The smart thing to do is to swap out components.. New video card, new memory, new CPU, new board... SOMETHING will solve your problem. And when you find that something... That will be your answer, most likely.

Well, ok, perhaps I got a bit one-sided because I was so ticked off at the bad and nonsensical advice being given. Of course you are correct. Consider me reprimanded

 

[totalbadness]

its nice to have people really trying to help out..... thanks rick, vehementi...... i figured it was the vid card..... i'm just stressed out... i just joined this gaming tournament group here in my hometown and i won't be able to make it to the first tourney because my comp will be down......... i'm sure everyone knows the feeling....

thanks again.....
taylor "totalbadness" cleveland

p.s. is that video card the one you would suggest getting with all my system specs in mind....... compatibility reasons...