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joedef · 05-13-2006, 07:26 PM

RE: "The video works fine for awhile, then after it warms up, if you bump the machine or flex tthe lcd display, the image on screen becomes il-legible and eventually turns into like a test pattern. At that point you can only power off and back on."

I had exactly the same problem with my Gateway 450sx4 and it drove me nuts. Finally, I noticed that bumping the heat dissipator to the right of the CPU and below the modem causes the display to get garbled, until you reset the computer. Pressure on the cover for the power board can cause the problem, too, since it touches that heat dissipator.

Below the touchy heat dissipator is a copper heat sink (for the graphics chip, I assume?). I adjusted the heat dissipator and pressed the dissipator firmly against the copper heat sink, and that seems to solve the problem (at least for a while). I think that heat eventually degrades the (metallic?) adhesive between the heat dissipator and the copper heat sink, affecting the electrical contact.

I'm not sure how to best rejuvinate the contact between the heat dissipator and the copper heat sink (for a more permanent solution). If anyone is familiar with this type of problem and has suggestions, I'd appreciate them.

05-13-2006, 07:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
joedef Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1 OS: xp	RE: "The video works fine for awhile, then after it warms up, if you bump the machine or flex tthe lcd display, the image on screen becomes il-legible and eventually turns into like a test pattern. At that point you can only power off and back on." I had exactly the same problem with my Gateway 450sx4 and it drove me nuts. Finally, I noticed that bumping the heat dissipator to the right of the CPU and below the modem causes the display to get garbled, until you reset the computer. Pressure on the cover for the power board can cause the problem, too, since it touches that heat dissipator. Below the touchy heat dissipator is a copper heat sink (for the graphics chip, I assume?). I adjusted the heat dissipator and pressed the dissipator firmly against the copper heat sink, and that seems to solve the problem (at least for a while). I think that heat eventually degrades the (metallic?) adhesive between the heat dissipator and the copper heat sink, affecting the electrical contact. I'm not sure how to best rejuvinate the contact between the heat dissipator and the copper heat sink (for a more permanent solution). If anyone is familiar with this type of problem and has suggestions, I'd appreciate them.