Uh-oh. I think I burned up my video card

[K.Mandla]

I wasn't really cranking it. I was editing a text file when the screen melted to off-white, slowing near the corners. Now it only gives me red and green streaks when I power it up. Not even a BIOS screen. :(

Methinks it's dead. Anyone care to second my diagnosis? :-k

[Wallakoala]

Sounds pretty bad...

It might be not be your video card. It could be anything in your computer theoretically

[Iandefor]

Sounds like a monitor problem to me. Have you verified that it isn't the monitor?

[benplaut]

aye, sounds like the moniter

[PatrickMay16]

Sounds more like the monitor than the video card. Though if it does turn out to be the video card, was it an ATI video card? If so, then that's not so much of a loss. Perfect opportunity to get something superior (ie: made by Nvidia)

[wbeck85]

Nice, Patrick, nice. :)

[dmacdonald111]

Silly suggestion I know, but you haven't got any powerful speakers nearby?

[K.Mandla]

Well, I'm 99.9 percent sure it was the video card now. The LCD works fine. It was a GeForce 4 Go 440 in an Inspiron 8000, and when I swapped it out for the old Geforce2, it worked again. I'm typing on it now.

I don't know if it got too hot or if it's fried permanently, but I'll troubleshoot it later and see if it's something that can be resurrected.

There's no chance this is a driver or software issue, is there? I've been tinkering with XFCE under Dapper, and I was getting video freezeups before this happened while messing with the composite manager. Would using an incorrect driver cause a lockup like that?

[benplaut]

nah, doesn't sound like drivers...

now go out and get yourself a decent 6600gt ;)

[K.Mandla]

:D Soon, soon. ...

[wmcbrine]

Sounds more like the monitor than the video card. Though if it does turn out to be the video card, was it an ATI video card? If so, then that's not so much of a loss. Perfect opportunity to get something superior (ie: made by Nvidia)
ATI this, Nvidia that... bah. Nothing yet can replace my Matrox G400.

[K.Mandla]

Okay, now this is weird: I put the GeForce4 back into the laptop, just as a testing measure, and now it seems to be fine again. I'm not sure what to think.

It's a definite video card issue, since the GeForce2 worked fine. I'm guessing it just overheated? I know I've been tampering with the xorg.conf file, and I know I tinkered with it again when I put the GeForce2 in there ... is there really no way that this could be a software configuration problem or a driver issue? Did I pick a configuration that caused it to freak out?

Sigh. The wonders of technology.

[henriquemaia]

Okay, now this is weird: I put the GeForce4 back into the laptop, just as a testing measure, and now it seems to be fine again. I'm not sure what to think.

It's a definite video card issue, since the GeForce2 worked fine. I'm guessing it just overheated? I know I've been tampering with the xorg.conf file, and I know I tinkered with it again when I put the GeForce2 in there ... is there really no way that this could be a software configuration problem or a driver issue? Did I pick a configuration that caused it to freak out?

Sigh. The wonders of technology.

Test it, stressing it, loading lots of gl apps and see if it gets excessibly hot.

[Jason_25]

So you are exchanging video cards in a laptop? Maybe the connection is loose and when it heats up it loses contact? Or maybe it could be as simple as corroded connectors?

[K.Mandla]

So you are exchanging video cards in a laptop? Maybe the connection is loose and when it heats up it loses contact? Or maybe it could be as simple as corroded connectors?
I suppose that's possible, but would I get screen lockups and a fade to white if it was just a connection? This is a slow, melting effect starting at the center and working its way up to the top corners ... which again, is why I suspected a burned-up video card. It's very creepy. And before that, I had weird desktop freezes. Of course, now, everything is five-by.


Test it, stressing it, loading lots of gl apps and see if it gets excessibly hot.
Good call. I think I'll build an XGL desktop and see if I can get it to melt down again. I still have the original GeForce2, so if it goes out again, I can still get things working.

By the way, thanks to all who helped. You guys (and gals) are what make this forum great. Cheers! :mrgreen: