video problems...

[evoada 0]

hi i'm new to this forum..

so i dont really know where to post..

 

i have this weird problem with my new comp..

 

i upgraded a few days ago and got:

- ATI Radeon 9800 pro (Asus brand)

- Asus Motherboard A7N8X-E Deluxe (with Nforce2)

- 1Go of DDR 500 Ram (2x512)

- Athlon 2800+

 

now here is the problem:

 

upon installing all my new hardware when i put the video drivers (i tried the CD ones and the catalyst from ati site), after rebooting i got these weird black vertical lines on my screen when coming on windows desktop..

 

so after trying a few video drivers i tried changing the motherboard AGP driver (the nforce thing or whatever)

 

it solved the problem..until about a week later where it did it to me on 2 boots out of 4..

 

for now after rebooting it goes away, but i would really like to know whats going on..

 

thanx in advance for the help guys!

[evoada 0]

hello again!

 

well i see i got no answers so far...but in the meantime i found something interesting about my problem!

 

up until now the blackline screen only happens on a boot, not a reboot..

 

if anyone has an idea on this please post i still can't find the origin

[ScinteX 0]

Hi Evoada

Intermittient problems are always a pain to solve! Thx for that additonal info it does help.

 

When a problem only occurs on a cold start or is worst at that time, it's almost always thermal related.

 

Other than a short, it could also be a lead (wire) with a minor break in it that makes contact after the board heats up and expands.

 

Could also be a crack in the PCB (base layers of the card) that is slowly being aggrivated by the changes from heating and then cooling. As you have new hardware it might be worth getting a replacement.

 

Do a visual check for dodgy looking capacitors. Also inspect the area of the motherboard when the card slots in, and tracks that lead away from the port. Look for any odd colours (discolouring, brown or even worse...black).

 

Another thing it could be is your power supply. You have good kit but it needs good power too!

 

On a cold boot, you have what you call a "High In Rush" current draw and in your case, you might not be getting the power required to boot up properly. On the soft boot (restart), the circuits have had a chance to stabilise and might have enough power to boot up.

 

Are u using a cheap PSU?? Replacing it could fix the problem. However, good PSUs can be pricey. The general rule is buy something with a brand (well known) name on it.