DVI to VGA adapter not working; is it the video card?

[anthonysw1]

On the way back to college, I had a pretty gruesome car accident. I was belted in and so was unhurt expect for my arm getting cut by glass when I was crawling out of what used to be my car. Unfortunately, my desktop PC was also in the car, and some if its components were destroyed as well (although amazingly the monitor survived even though the car flipped upside down because I had it belted in. So don't just buckle up yourself... buckle up your monitor too

I had a computer repair guy in town figure out what was broken and one of the things he said was still working was my video card, a VisionTek XTasy Geforce Ti 4400. I ordered replacements for the stuff that was broken and when I couldn't get it to work I tried putting a buddy of mine's Radeon 7500 in and it worked like a charm. Just in case it's important, here are the system's specs (which I chose based mainly on AnandTech recommendations by the way):

Pentium 4 2.40B 533 MHz FSB (Northwood)
Kingston 512 MB DDR PC2700
ASUS P4PE motherboard (intel 845PE chipset)
120GB Seagate Barracuda V HDD
VisionTek XTasy Geforce Ti 4400

So since everything worked with the Radeon, the culprit MUST BE the Geforce 4.

I called the repair guy back up and asked him if he was using a flat-screen when he was testing my computer. He was. So obviously the card works when you're using the DVI port and doesn't work when you're connected to the VGA port (the card has one of each type).

So I figured a DVI to VGA adapter would solve my problems, so I ordered one from NewEgg. But then when it came and I hooked it up, I still got nothin'. The problem is the same. The monitor never gets prompted to turn on.

So is there any chance I can still use my Geforce4 with a regular monitor? If not, I'll have to buy either a new video card or a flat-screen monitor.

Faced with those two shopping options, which would you choose... a new video card, or a flat-screen monitor? Any help y'all can give me will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rav3n]

It seems that money is not much of an issue for you - in which case you should splurge. However, if I am mistaken - or if you want to save some money - why don't you check your GF4 card's vga connector pins - are they all there? Also, there are flat screens with VGA connectors you sure your repair guy used a DVI connection? Why dont you try the GF4 in the friends machine with the Radeon - if it works, then you know something is funny with your monitor...

 

[anthonysw1]

I forgot to mention that the Geforce 4 doesn't work with anyone else's standard monitor either. ANd the tech guy was definitely using a flat-screen WITH A DVI CONNECTOR. I specifically asked him about those points. Also, my monitor works- it works with the Radeon, so why would the pins be broken? The male pins are on the monitor, not the video card.

I don't have that much money- if money was no object I wouldn't have bothered with the DVI adapter in the first place- I just would have bought a new video card then in there. And that new stuff only cost me $480 on NewEgg.

What I want to know is why the DVI port works, but doesn't work with an adapter.

 

[topaz22]

maybe the adapter is broken, or is the wrong kind of adapter. i seem to remember that there are a couple of different DVI interfaces

 

[Bacinator]

Pins can still be broken on the video card side, they are just female pins and recessed. Because they are ina molding makes it less likely, but they still have solder/crimp connections which may have been damaged or failed. This could possibly be the cause. Only way to know would be to have your PC guy ohm out the connector to make sure all pins are good.