wyumez

I'm pretty sure this is a graphics card problem... Not quite sure though.

Okay, so I was typing up a report yesterday on my laptop 1980x1200 screen. When all of the sudden the screen becomes garbled and I couldn't do anything but force shut down.

I ended up rebooting in VGA mode (which worked) but when I tried to put my screen up to 1600x1200. I can get it up to 1400x1050 but past that will be garbled...

So I backed up all the valuables and reformatted the hard drive. I'm still having the same problem. Without the graphics card, I can't get my monitor to its peak (1600x1200). With the graphics card, my peak is 1980x1200 but I cannot get it past 1600x1200!!

Stuff that I have done:

1. cleaned up the graphics card fans and tested for loose wires
2. reformatted the hard drive
3. ran a diagnostics test

Specs:

Intel Centrino Duo
1gb ram
Nvidia 7800go graphics card
WUXGA lcd laptop screen

Anyone have any idea what's going on? I am going to try using a desktop monitor and see if I can adjust the refresh frequency to see if that works. I would keep it at its current resolution but for gaming purposes, I will miss my high resolution. It kind of feels like it's not registering that it's a widescreen display!

Any help would be great. Thanks!

edit: my laptop is two/three years old and is a Dell Inspiron E1705

edit2:
After a few installing/uninstalling several graphics drivers, I found one from tweaksrus.com that works pretty well. When I restart the computer, it automatically starts in 1920 resolution. I can keep it working just fine until I do a command that involves quick movement (like closing a popup). Then the screen looks like one of these:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...6/100_3494.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...6/100_3491.jpg

http://bellet.info//photos/2003/Aug/...0/P8100004.JPG

or

http://www.spaceage.nl/files/screen.jpg

wyumez

Oh yeah, I almost forgot (again)

I just remembered: this was the last major thing I downloaded (a day before)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896256/en-us

I was experiencing really weird connection errors in game. After I downloaded this, the game was perfect... until the next day.

dai

the last image is usually associcated with bad ram
the first 3 links don't work

wyumez

strange.. the links worked yesterday ::shrugs::

http://bellet.info//photos/2003/Aug/...0/P8100004.JPG

http://www.freebsddiary.org/images/i...creen-mess.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7096/dscf0638ht4.jpg

Is it really just a RAM problem? I read from another forum that they recovered from the screen by installing new ram.. apparently their ram was overheating or something.

dai

try reseating the ram
try some new ram
reinstall the dell go driver
and pray it's not the chip that's gone

wyumez

What do you recommend me using to test if its a faulty ram? Also, how do I test the chip?

I also used the highest resolution I was able to go without the garbled screen. Then I went up one setting and got the garbled screen. I then print screen and the image was perfect on paint.

I've also tried using a different monitor and that was also the garbled screen.

dai

use memtest to test the ram 1 stick at a time
http://www.memtest86.com/
you isolate it down to the chip by checking which you already done by using another monitor
if the ram comes up clear you are looking at a new m/board if it is the chip

wyumez

How do I run memtest? I mounted it with alcohol 120%, but it won't let me run it, all I get is errors such as "this file is invalid for use as the following: security catalog"

dai

you down load the floppy or cd version
put it on disk
then boot from the disk