Video Card broke, got fixed, but won't work in MY comp.

[jehurey]

I hope this is a little out of the ordinary compared to the "My Windows is not starting" threads. But this is the gist of it.

Nice new, GeForce 6800LE, don't ask me why but I had it on a panel on the floor, bro came by and it got casually kicked across a hardwood floor and hit a wall (hardwood floors are pretty slick). Though no visible damage, I did find a little metal rectangular piece on the floor with it.

Here's an important part: I took my comp home and obviously tested a card that I knew wouldn't work. It obviously did not work, nothing started, total black screen, not even any hard drive movement, nothing.

So, after asking some friends, they showed me where that rectangular piece came off of and said they knew a sodering guy/gal, that might give me a shot.

(Now, I know some if not all are wondering why I didn't immediately go to tech support and get an RMA on this, and here it is: Its got a flashed BIOS)

So guess what, get a call a few days later, saying they sodered it, and its working on their computers, they may not be playing CoR on it, but they its working.

But I get it, take it to mines, and the exact same thing still applies. Total black screen, no hard drive led light, nothing.

I do not have 100% percent confirmation of it working on other people's comps, but three techies have tested it on their comps and came back saying it works.

Is this a motherboard problem, is this some weird sort of config problem, did I damage something else by even running juice thru the vid card? Or better yet, if the vid card company cannot run the card, they cannot tell about the BIOS, right? Or No?

 

[Archman]

Does your system work fine with any other vid cards you have laying around? If it does not, then it's something else in your system... I know this is basic stuff, but did you make sure all the cables are properly connected, and everything is alright (cpu, PSU, etc.)?

 

[jehurey]

Yes, other video cards do work in my computer. Unfortunately, I need my internet more than playing video games right now. So, as luck would have it, I have my fast PC running off the crappiest video card I could find.

Its a slide show whenever I view the forums. Extremely irritating.

Now, in regards of the cables, the 6800LE has two 4-pin connectors on the backside, and if either is not connected to a PSU cord, then a high pitched alarm goes off the moment you turn the computer on. So, power-wise, its connected.

In regards of the AGP slot itself, I was a bit concerned that it may have been affected, but if crappy vid cards can work, why can't a new one? I haven't tried out something more modern like a Ti4200.

Obviously, they way I see it is like this: its alot easier to get a replacement MOTHERBOARD than a replacement VIDEO CARD, its also cheaper to buy a replacement. But if I send out my mobo, my whole computer is out of commission, whereas I do have a crappy video card to hold me for now.

 

[jehurey]

Come on, does anybody have any remote ideas on this? I'm talking about things other than simply if certain parts are connected. Has anybody ever traced a problem like this back to the motherboard, the mobo's BIOS, anything like that sort?

 

[stevty2889]

My guess would be that the video card isn't really fixed. You'll have to find somebody reliable to test it for you in their system..

 

[imported_Phil]

You were going to try and RMA a video card that was kicked across the room?

What are you, a moron? Since when does the manufacturer's warranty guarantee anything but the product being free from manufacturing defects?

 

[meltdown75]

Hmm. I would be willing to bet that the kick did more damage than you think.

Insofar as people "testing" it and saying it is fine... unless you've actually seen said card running with your own eyes, as a true PC aficionado, can you really believe that it's fit for use? I wouldn't be able to. If I couldn't get it to work on my own, I'd be pretty confident it was shot.