Blown graphics card or something else? - Page 2

gerrtt06 · 07-12-2008, 06:28 PM

Yes, I've replaced the graphics card before. That's how I recognize the symptoms (glowing screen but nothing on it) and why I'm willing to take it out so it can be disabled and I can use the system card.

Unless you have a new theory.

**TriggerFinger** · 07-12-2008, 06:40 PM

sorry but i really do not know what you mean using the system card if your remove the video card. may be i have yet to experience that.

do post back if you got it to work with the video card removed.

gerrtt06 · 07-12-2008, 06:43 PM

OK, well...what I mean is that my laptop comes with basic video capabilities, or I can have a better card put in. When my old card died last year I just opened the computer in safe mode and disabled the good card I had so that the basic one loaded instead.

It works, but only for basic stuff, it lags whenever something changes on the screen, which makes web browsing lots of slow fun.

I'll tell you if it works when I take out the card, because I can't get into safe mode now.

**TriggerFinger** · 07-12-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerrtt06

OK, well...what I mean is that my laptop comes with basic video capabilities, or I can have a better card put in. When my old card died last year I just opened the computer in safe mode and disabled the good card I had so that the basic one loaded instead.

It works, but only for basic stuff, it lags whenever something changes on the screen, which makes web browsing lots of slow fun.

I'll tell you if it works when I take out the card, because I can't get into safe mode now.

aahh.. ok i got it now... thanks.

please do post back what you find out.

gerrtt06 · 07-12-2008, 07:03 PM

Well...scratch that, the whole video display comes from, you guessed it, the graphics card...I don't see anywhere else it can connect. Which means, unless it magically works when I put it all back together from re-seating it and cleaning it out, we're back to square one.

**TriggerFinger** · 07-12-2008, 07:05 PM

try reseating (unplug and plug) the video card and may be it would help.

gerrtt06 · 07-12-2008, 07:08 PM

Yup, that's what I'm doing now. Well, technically, I'm putting it back together after having done that. But you get the idea.

gerrtt06 · 07-12-2008, 07:18 PM

Huh...interesting.

It didn't work, but this time when I started it up it beeped twice at me.

Not that I know what that means.

gerrtt06 · 07-12-2008, 07:25 PM

Well, the double beep stopped happening, only once actually, but we're still where we were before.

My guess is either 1) buy new card or 2) have it looked at professionally.

**TriggerFinger** · 07-12-2008, 09:01 PM

2 beeps usually mean video card or ram. may be you can start with the obvious

dai · 07-12-2008, 09:07 PM

it should still be under warranty if it is only 7 months old ask for a rma on it

gerrtt06 · 07-13-2008, 10:59 AM

It would be under warranty if I had bought it from dell. I bought the card on ebay.

dai · 07-13-2008, 09:53 PM

something i read when searching gave me the impression the video card was an added extra and the m/b still had the intergrated chip
i cannot find it again but it i remembered it right you should be able to use the laptop with the card removed

**TriggerFinger** · 07-14-2008, 12:07 AM

i checked the manual again and yes that could be a possibility. however i cannot see where to plug the display cable (if video card is removed) as the connector is part of the video card... unless there is a similar connector on the motherboard somewhere.

video card removal/replacement:
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1006368

system board (see images after step 17):
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1000473

dai · 07-14-2008, 04:27 AM

yes but would'nt the onboard go directly through the m/b circuit to the inverter/screen

gerrtt06 · 07-19-2008, 06:24 PM

Just got back from a week long trip out of town.

What if I removed the video card and plugged a monitor in to the VGA port...it would probably run poorly like it did when I had my card disabled before, but that way I wouldn't need the display at all.

Thoughts?

**TriggerFinger** · 07-19-2008, 07:37 PM

I think it is worth a try.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dai

yes but would'nt the onboard go directly through the m/b circuit to the inverter/screen

sir dai, i think it is possible that the mb circuit would have a connection to the vga connector directly but i really doubt if this is the same with the video cable. i say this because the video cable which connects the inverter and the LCD only plugs into the video card. the video card in turn plugs into the motherboard. may be it is possible if the video cable plugs directly to the motherboard but as per the service manual, there is no connector for this on the motherboard.

i think i have to do some more research on this topic as i have not yet played around with one of these.

07-12-2008, 06:28 PM	#21 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? Yes, I've replaced the graphics card before. That's how I recognize the symptoms (glowing screen but nothing on it) and why I'm willing to take it out so it can be disabled and I can use the system card. Unless you have a new theory.

07-12-2008, 06:40 PM	#22 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: LV, NV, USA Posts: 5,356 OS: DOS 6.0	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? sorry but i really do not know what you mean using the system card if your remove the video card. may be i have yet to experience that. do post back if you got it to work with the video card removed. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Everest Mark the THREAD as SOLVED

07-12-2008, 06:43 PM	#23 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? OK, well...what I mean is that my laptop comes with basic video capabilities, or I can have a better card put in. When my old card died last year I just opened the computer in safe mode and disabled the good card I had so that the basic one loaded instead. It works, but only for basic stuff, it lags whenever something changes on the screen, which makes web browsing lots of slow fun. I'll tell you if it works when I take out the card, because I can't get into safe mode now.

07-12-2008, 07:03 PM	#25 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? Well...scratch that, the whole video display comes from, you guessed it, the graphics card...I don't see anywhere else it can connect. Which means, unless it magically works when I put it all back together from re-seating it and cleaning it out, we're back to square one.

07-12-2008, 07:05 PM	#26 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: LV, NV, USA Posts: 5,356 OS: DOS 6.0	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? try reseating (unplug and plug) the video card and may be it would help. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Everest Mark the THREAD as SOLVED

07-12-2008, 07:08 PM	#27 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? Yup, that's what I'm doing now. Well, technically, I'm putting it back together after having done that. But you get the idea.

07-12-2008, 07:18 PM	#28 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? Huh...interesting. It didn't work, but this time when I started it up it beeped twice at me. Not that I know what that means.

07-12-2008, 07:25 PM	#29 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? Well, the double beep stopped happening, only once actually, but we're still where we were before. My guess is either 1) buy new card or 2) have it looked at professionally.

07-12-2008, 09:01 PM	#30 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: LV, NV, USA Posts: 5,356 OS: DOS 6.0	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? 2 beeps usually mean video card or ram. may be you can start with the obvious __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Everest Mark the THREAD as SOLVED

07-12-2008, 09:07 PM	#31 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 42,034 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? it should still be under warranty if it is only 7 months old ask for a rma on it __________________

07-13-2008, 10:59 AM	#32 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? It would be under warranty if I had bought it from dell. I bought the card on ebay.

07-13-2008, 09:53 PM	#33 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 42,034 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? something i read when searching gave me the impression the video card was an added extra and the m/b still had the intergrated chip i cannot find it again but it i remembered it right you should be able to use the laptop with the card removed __________________

07-14-2008, 12:07 AM	#34 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: LV, NV, USA Posts: 5,356 OS: DOS 6.0	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? i checked the manual again and yes that could be a possibility. however i cannot see where to plug the display cable (if video card is removed) as the connector is part of the video card... unless there is a similar connector on the motherboard somewhere. video card removal/replacement: http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1006368 system board (see images after step 17): http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1000473 __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Everest Mark the THREAD as SOLVED

07-14-2008, 04:27 AM	#35 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 42,034 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? yes but would'nt the onboard go directly through the m/b circuit to the inverter/screen __________________

07-19-2008, 06:24 PM	#36 (permalink)
gerrtt06 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 38 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Blown graphics card or something else? Just got back from a week long trip out of town. What if I removed the video card and plugged a monitor in to the VGA port...it would probably run poorly like it did when I had my card disabled before, but that way I wouldn't need the display at all. Thoughts?