Yantorsen

The Problem...

I was happily listening to music and browsing the web on my PC and when it suddenly froze and the colours went funny, then the screen went black, I was waiting for the BSOD but it never happened, so I turned the machine off. I rebooted it and the machine appeared to be making a noise as if it were on but the screen remained black (as if it were just on standby and recieving no signal, with the orange light on rather than green on the screen itself). So I swapped the DVI output I was using on the back of the GPU, which I thought had worked, but when I got to the log in screen it appeared to have funny green dots all over the screen, then it eventually froze when I tried to log in. So again rebooted (turned the mains off and on again etc.) and I just got a black screen again like the last time, and now that is all it does.


What I have already tried...

I have tried reseating the GPU, which didn't help at all, I haven't tried a different DVI cable because I don't have one, but because it worked for a little bit when I switched ports I'm thinking it's probably the something in the computer tower (GPU, CPU, MOBO, RAM etc.) rather than the screen or DVI cable.


System Specs...

Vista Home Pemium 64-bit
Q6600 with a Tuniq Tower
8800GTX
OCZ PC5300 2x2GB
Gigabyte P35C-DS3R
Corsair HX520
WD AAKS HDD

The Q6600 was overclocked to 3GHz until about 6 months ago when I stopped playing Crysis.



So basically, what can I do, and does it sound like a graphics card failure?

Thanks for your time.

wrench97

Do you have or can you borrow another PCIe card to test with?

Yantorsen

I'm borrowing my mates X1650 (I think that's what it is, it's some older ATi card anyway) tomorow afternoon just to see if it is the card. But I really need a sollution ASAP as I need the PC for work, and the PC I'm currently on is not quick enough to run the software I need for work.

wrench97

It's looks to be either a video card or power, the 520HX is a very god supply a tad small but I would lean towards a card problem.

Yantorsen

Cheers, at least that confirms my suspicions, thanks. I guess there's not really anything else you can tell from what I've tried, so I'll have to wait until tomorow.

But what GPU would you recomend if I do need to replace it, for gaming on a 1680x1050, it'd need to be as good as the 8800GTX and as cheap as possible, I'm thinking the 4870 1GB? Which I have seen for £106.

wrench97

The GTS250 would probably be a better choice the 4870 is power hungry.

Yantorsen

is that just as powerful (if not more) than the 8800GTX? I don't want anything less powerful.

adrianparke2002

card problem it is if it suddenly froze and made funny colors
i only could reconize it as being the card and just the card cause my gfs dad acidently blew out is onboard video on his last pc there for he had to get a new pc :/

wrench97

The GTS250 is an updated 9800GTX sightly more powerful then the 8800GTX.

Yantorsen

Okay, I have been experimenting with my mates card and the results, (albeit slightly jumbled) are below.

The X1600 is my mates card I have borrowed. As well as the below results I tried moving the RAM around and taking each stick out, I also tried removing the sound card. None of these things seemed to have any effect.


Firstly with the 8800GTX in it will not boot at all.

It boots everytime with the X1600 in, when the Abit Airpace Pro wifi card is not in.

When the wifi card is in, sometimes it will boot with the X1600, but most of the time it will not, infact it did it once with the wifi card in and it has not done it since.

Sometimes with my card in or with my mates card in when we had the wifi card still in, it would provide a different to normal beep code. It was one long beep, and two short beeps. I tried to google this, and it apparently means that there is a video issue.


I have still have my mates card with me so if people would like me to try other combomnations in order to find out whats wrong please say. Other than that, what do people think is wrong? I would have said my 8800GTX, but it seems the wifi card is causing problems as well.

Once again, thanks for your time.

Yantorsen

Okay, I've been playing around some more, and I've managed to produce some more consistent results.

With my graphics card, I get one bleep from the motherboard, meaning everything is okay, and it sounds like it is starting to boot up windows, but I get no display and the monitor remains in standby mode. It does this regardless of anything else being connected.

With my mates graphics card on it's own it boots into windows fine.

With my mates graphics card in and my wifi card in I get the one long beep and two short beeps, signifying a video error, and it does not appear to be booting into windows, and I get no display, the monitor remains in standby mode.

wrench97

You probably have a IRQ conflict with the ATI card and the WIFI card try the WIFI in a different slot, or the 8800 is his PC but I think you have a bad card.
Is it a Registered EVGA card if so they have a lifetime warranty.

Yantorsen

It's an OEM card, which had a 1 year warrenty, the card is ~2 years old though, that'll teach me to be cheap.

So you are suggesting that the conflict is just with the ATi card, and thus if I got an Nvidia replacement, it should not happen with my existing wifi card?

I tried the wifi in a different slot and the same happened. I can't try the 8800GTX in his PC because his case is too small, the X1600 only just fits in his case, and the 8800GTX is almost twice as long. What is an IRQ conflict, not heard of that before.

Also I tried my mates USB wireless dongle, and it works fine with his card.

Thanks :)

wrench97

Basically it means the cards are trying to use the same address space. You did try your card without the WIFI card installed correct?

Yantorsen

I see, I did try the 8800GTX without the wifi card correct and it did not display.

I am planning to get a card tomorrow after school. You mentioned earlier the GTS 250, which is the same price as the GTX 260, so which would be best to get? Baring in mind it'll need to work with my HX520.

Thanks :)

wrench97

The 260 if it is a core 216 and not the older version(the older needs more power) would work but on the edge if pushed
I prefer a 650w with either card including your current one The GTS250 uses about the same power as the 8800GTX and the 9800GTX

Yantorsen

When I built my PC I was told the HX520 would be plenty for the 8800GTX. Does the GTX 260 216 draw about the same power as the 8800GTX then?

wrench97

About 40-50 watts more peak. The problem is that the Video card makers understate the required wattage the cards use to sell more cards, then when warranty issues arise raise the requirements. The HX520 is an excellent supply which is why it does work with the card but I would wary of loading it more.

Yantorsen

I see. So if I got the 1GB GTS 250, is that literally just a renamed 9800GTX? Because the 9800GTX was slightly worse than the 8800GTX I seem to remember.

wrench97

No it is a slightly redesigned and updated card that replaced the 9800GTX+ with a newer GPU.