This is a video card issue, right? Getting new card - Recommendations welcomed

[pyonir]

Update Below

Really didn't need this right now. I'm almost sure it's the video card but just wanted to confirm with the experts since I've never had a vid card fail. I went to use the computer tonight and it was frozen. Keyboard and mouse did nothing. I did a hard restart and now the monitor won't come on. I tried a different monitor, nothing. One is DVI the other is VGA, neither came up and the power button only blinked. Took out the video card and reseated it and no change. Video card right?

UPDATE

So since it is the card, I'm going to have to get a new one. I'm looking for $40 and under for an old system. I have a Dell Dimension 8100 with the original motherboard, PSU and only 384MB of RAM. So it has to be AGP and work with a Pentium 4 and that low of RAM. Also have XP Pro with SP3, FWIW. The card I'm planning on getting is linked below in the thread. Recommendations are welcome if there are any.

 

[Meghan54]

Maybe, but not necessarily. What error beeps are you getting when it posts? Could be video card, could be memory, could be power supply.

 

[pyonir]

I don't get any beeps at all.

 

[floogy]

Well, recently my daughter dumped coffee on my case top fan. Same story, single blink when i pressed power. Took the vid card out and tried again. LEDs on mobo lit up and the hdd spun up. So you could try the same thing to see if it appears to boot, even though you wont be able to have a monitor plugged in. You could at least confirm or eliminate the vid card as the problem.

 

[pyonir]

The computer boots fine, just no video.

 

[pyonir]

Found this: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/SYSTEMS/dsleest/codemess.htm#diagnostic_codes

And I have all green so no problems show up with that. If I disconnect my monitor from the tower, I get the check signal cable warning on the monitor. As soon as I plug the monitor into the video card, the monitor turns off and goes into standby. I've tried this with my old monitor (a CRT) and my new monitor (LCD). Same result for both.

 

[tweakboy]

Time to RMA the video card. Make sure its getting suficient power from PSU molex . If your seeing garbage or artifacts, its the Video cards RAM that is the culprit.

But if you get a orange light when connected. Take out video card clean it, then put her in gently to another 16x slot if you have.

But hard in. click in and try both your outputs... Lets see what happens.. g

 

[floogy]

Sorry, misread, was thinking you were talking about the light on the computer itself. If Meghan is right about memory I would think you would get a memory error during post, not the monitor problem. I would concur with your initial diagnosis. But unfortunately you just can't know for sure without a spare vid card. Not a fun situation if you order a new one and find out it's not the problem.

 

[pyonir]

The video card is an Abit Siluro, so quite old. I can't even find an Abit site dedicated to their video cards, so RMA really doesn't matter to me. I'll spend the $40 for a new card. I just want to be sure it's the video card before I drop 40 I don't have on a new card and that's not the issue.

 

[pyonir]

Sorry, misread, was thinking you were talking about the light on the computer itself. If Meghan is right about memory I would think you would get a memory error during post, not the monitor problem. I would concur with your initial diagnosis. But unfortunately you just can't know for sure without a spare vid card. Not a fun situation if you order a new one and find out it's not the problem.

I have no idea what I did with the video card I replaced...so looks like getting a new one is the only solution.

 

[floogy]

Abit went the way of the dinosaur some time ago. So needless to say RMA isn't an option. I guess just check return policies for hardware when you buy. Never returned computer hardware so I don't know.

 

[pyonir]

I found the old card (GeForce2 MX400 lol) and it works fine now. So it was the video card. I think I'm going to just order this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814187122

It's cheap and it's compatible with my old system which is really all I care about. Unless someone has a cheaper/better recommendation.

Thanks for the help all.