Display issue

[stevo1210]

Something's wrong with my Acer desktop...

It gets stupid dots and lines all over the screen. It comes up randomly (and changes after say I refresh the page/desktop or alike), usually happens after sifting through photos or editing photos, never happens after a youtube video or anything like that.
I'm not sure if it's the graphics card, drivers or my RAM. But I can actually print screen all the funny lines and dots? which is weird, thus is has to be happening before the video output?
I installed the newest nvidia drivers (replaced old drivers which always restarted and so on), but everytime I try something 3D, it crashes and restarts. Sometimes my computer will just play stupid and freeze and I have to do a cold boot.





Really want to get this fixed, but not sure what I should do (been out of computing for a long time now unfortunately, so skills are pretty rusty). My brother suggested new graphics card? But I doubt it's my graphics card for some funny reason. The graphics card is a G210 512MB and the Acer is an M1800 using an MSI motherboard w/nvidia chipset.

Heck, I couldn't even figure out how to upgrade BIOS the other day, yet I did it many times years ago. I'm a business student now, not an IT student. :p

Thanks.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Display issue

Typical nvidia failure. Reflow, reball, or new motherboard. If you're lucky enough to have a replaceable graphics card you can just replace that.

[stevo1210]

Re: Display issue

wait. so is it my graphics card, or my motherboard that's going apeshit?

and how come i can print screen these dots/lines? thought these were output errors after processing the data onto the screen?

[digge]

Re: Display issue

Yes its your graphics card, assuming its a removable card since its a desktop. If it were anything else you would get other problems as well like BSOD, random reboots and stuff.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Display issue

If the errors are in the video RAM (which seems to be the case, as if the GPU itself is bad it just hangs up or crashes the driver) you can printscreen them.

[mockingbird]

Re: Display issue

The graphics card doesn't concern me as much as the nVidia chipset...

ALL nForce chipsets after nForce 4 should be considered inherently defective.

The GT210 *shouldn't* fail from engineering flaws (It is free of the bumpgate plague), rather only if the BGA ram is either failing or has had its lead-free solder joints fracture (seperate) like Th3_uN1Qu3 mentioned, or if the GPU itself needs reflowing.

But the question is, do you want to keep this motherboard. I wouldn't.

[Wizard]

Re: Display issue

Typical ram failure on a video card. Replace video card for diagnosis and confirmation.

Cheers, Wizard

[stevo1210]

Re: Display issue

Ok, i went out and bought another GT210 today. I haven't installed it yet, but once I do, I'll tell you all how it goes.

[stevo1210]

Re: Display issue

Just got home from work and first thing I did was install the graphics card, so far no problems... I'm hoping it stays this way too.

[NxB]

Re: Display issue

It will... for like a year.

[Wizard]

Re: Display issue

Why GT210?

AMD video cards are excellent even the mid end is good enough.

Cheers, Wizard

[stevo1210]

Re: Display issue

Why GT210?

AMD video cards are excellent even the mid end is good enough.

Cheers, Wizard

Cheapest card I could find at the store. Not really bothered with IT stuff these days, so whatever I could get my hands on for peanuts was in i suppose. Plus I wanted to preserve my PC's OEM-ness and use what ever the sticker on the side said.

[eppidrummer]

Re: Display issue

Typical nvidia failure. Reflow, reball, or new motherboard. If you're lucky enough to have a replaceable graphics card you can just replace that.

I will second that.
Had a similar issue, the reflow did not work for me (did not follow Th3_uN1Qu3 instructions exact) but changed video card and all is well now.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Display issue

Seems like a new graphics card did the trick for him. It sucks to see that they're still failing, regardless if it's an unrelated issue to the 8400/8600 series fiasco. nVidia has gotten a bad rep lately.

[mockingbird]

Re: Display issue

Seems like a new graphics card did the trick for him. It sucks to see that they're still failing, regardless if it's an unrelated issue to the 8400/8600 series fiasco. nVidia has gotten a bad rep lately.

No doubt he's using an MATX case, coupled with other overheating components in the case, and with inadequate airflow, it has caused the videocard to overheat.

ALL GPUs today are susceptible to the same type of failure. So it's not the fault of the nVidia GPU per se, it's just going through too many hot-cold cycles. ALL lead-free GPUs need to be adequately cooled or they will fail prematurely.