Monitor Takes forever and a half to display

[SovereignVis]

I think my monitor might be dying and will need to be replaced. But before I have to go and spend like $100+ on a new one, I want to make sure that I have tried everything.
A few days ago when I turned on my PC I noticed the light on my monitor would blink for like a minute or 2 before it started to actually display something. At first I thought my PC was being slow, and each day the problem was getting worse. So to see if it was just the monitor or a PC problem I hooked up my TV as a 2nd monitor and it displays everything with no problems. Each day my monitor is just getting worse and worse. I would turn it on and the light would blink over and over again until it finally starts to display. When it does finally display it suddenly just turns on, going from a completely black screen to on as normal. There is no slow fade in from black at all. The day before I decided to time how long it was taking because it seem to take like an hour or so to come on. When I timed it, it took about 4 hours and 16 minutes. Yesterday it took 7 hours and 36 minutes. And today... ...I'm still waiting to see if it does turn on. I'm using my TV right now to type this in a very awkward and uncomfortable position.
I don't know if this is a problem that can easily be fixed like replacing a fuse or the LED backlight bulbs, or if it might just be time for a new monitor. I think I have had this monitor for over 5 years now.
Has anyone else had this problem or a very simlar one with their monitor? I would appreciate any suggestions or feedback anyone could give me, and thanks for taking the time to read this post.

 

[Kshipper]

You have found the problem for sure and it is likely repairable ....it's just a question of if that sounds fun to you? In IT we take everything apart all the time. Your problem sounds like a solder joint that has loosened and you might be able to figure that out if you took it apart.

Then again...it might take a bit of a trained eye to see the problem. Are you keen to learn? It's junk anyway so have at it!

 

[SovereignVis]

So, what you are saying is its going to take some major surgery? Not sure if I have the right tools for it. I don't have any kind of soldering tools. I have replaced s few parts in computers before and built my own PC, so hopefully it's not much harder. And no it doesn't at all sound fun, but lots of things are not fun, they just have to be done.
While I don't have a trained eye for fixing monitors, I'm an artist with an extreme eye for details. So hopefully that will help.

 

[Kshipper]

You are likely going to need to do some soldering or at least take it somewhere to be soldered once you find the break. A loose solder joint on a board looks like it is ok but is literally loose and can wiggle around on the printed circuit board (PCB). I think that is what you have because it works when the components warm up. Heating and cooling make things move so that is why it works ..it doesn't work...back and forth.

 

[SovereignVis]

Okay, the problem now is getting this thing open. I got the stand part off but I need a little bit smaller screw driver to open it up. My monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster 906bw by the way.
As for soldering, I will have to ask around and see if someone has something I can borrow.

 

[Kshipper]

Yah....those were my early day struggles too...gathering all the tools you need to open stuff up. =)

 

[SovereignVis]

Well, I managed to get it open and remove the outer case. The problem now is the 2 sets of wires that connect the screen to the back part where you plug the power and DYI cable to the PC. Those I'm not sure how to disconnect from the screen.
Where do you think the problem is most likely to be found?

 

[Kshipper]

A lot of those connections need to be desoldered. You will have to get your soldering iron out to loosen them and be careful not to burn the PCB and watch that you don't discharge any capacitors on to yourself. Capacitors look like cylinders and they store energy.

 

[SovereignVis]

Yeah, it doesn't look like I will be able to do this. I would need to buy a soldering iron and doing that is messy business. I couldn't disconnect the sets of wires but I was able to swing it open and see all the capacitors, and none of them looked burnt out or anything. They just have a little bit of dust on them.
Think taking it to a computer repair shop and having them solder any loose connections might be cheaper than buying a soldering iron and doing it my self.

 

[Kshipper]

Understood