Hi

I hope someone can help me or has been through something similar. This is the ongoing discussion with Mesh:

A couple of weeks ago I noticed my monitor would go black and then come back on, now sometimes when I start it, it freezes then switches off (light on monitor goes amber, pc stays on). I did a bit of research which suggested it could be the graphics card (Nvidia 7900 gtx), so I updated the drivers but nothing changed. Usually if I restart it, it works ok next time. This last time, I tried three times to restart it and the monitor kept going off. I checked for loose cables, I reseated the graphics card and it will now work again. It has started flicking off again temporarily and Im afraid it will go altogether soon.

Mesh replied -

See if you can test the pc with a different monitor or the monitor with a different pc. Press the menu button on the monitor to see if it brings up the menu box (when there is not display on the monitor). You should get the menu box even when there is a problem with the graphic card.

I replied

I have no other equipment to test with but I managed to press the menu button when the display had gone black and it said 'In power save mode press computer power button or any key on the keyboard or move mouse' Does this mean it could be a faulty cable between monitor and pc? Or even the DVI adaptor ?


Mesh then replied -

It is unlikely to be a cable or connection/adaptor issue. Call the monitor manufacturer and ask for a replacement. If it is still the same with a different monitor then we need to bring the system back to base for further tests.

I managed to use my pc for a week with a couple of restarts in between. Now it freezes and monitor goes black - It boots to desktop but I can't do anything before display goes. Please can someone give me advice - should I replace my dell tft monitor or is it my graphics card. Its a bind having to keep reseating my graphics card.

Thanks
MissAVuk

to PCHF.

For your information, from your description, this problem seems to be one of power.
When you reseat the graphics card, you are breaking the power connection and helping to drain the power from the capacitors in the card.

Can you connect the monitor to the back of the PC instead of into the graphics card?

If you can, and if the monitor works from the back of the PC, then it is probably your graphics card that is bad.

If the monitor does not work from the back of the PC, then it is probably your monitor that is bad.

Good Luck...

Thanks for replying. My pc doesn't seem to have onboard graphics so I can't plug my monitor in, other than into my graphics card. I would have thought my psu(550watt) would have been enough to cope with my graphics card, so I know it can't be that as my pc doesn't power down at all. I don't know whether to buy another monitor, I suppose I could always sell it if it isn't that. Other than that i'll have to send my pc back to mesh as it is still under warranty.

Here is a dumb question for you.

Do you have a friend who would let you plug your monitor into their computer?
The driver would be generic for the monitor and it doesn't matter if the computer is running XP or Vista or Win95.

Or, can you try it out at work?

That's my next best dumb idea for you.

I had a similar problem where my PC wouldfnt boot and it turned out to be a loose connection to the CD Rom drive. I just simply took the cable out and thern re inserted it and my PC booted. Could you enter your PC's BIOS and verify that you can see all your boot devices? E.G. Hard Drive, CD Rom etc.

I have now booted up in safe mode and disabled the graphics card and turned off hardware acceleration. Everything seems to be ok - only I'm not enjoying my high intense graphics. So its off to mesh I go!

Glad to hear you've isolated the problem.
Let us know if all is well upon your return from mesh.

Marking this thread as Resolved.