OMG I hate computers

[tcsenter]

So I've been having a problem with this ATI Radeon 7500 64MB AGP I purchased a while ago. It doesn't POST properly in two different computers, one of them mine, which is reasonably new, resulting in all these distorted (but very colorful) patterns and lines during POST. Reseat, reset, restart, CCMOS, always the same: random patterns and artifacts at POST in both computers.

My computer has run an ATI Rage128 Pro 32MB AGP4x and TNT2 32MB AGP4x just fine. No problems at all. And it still runs the ATI Rage128 Pro (I sold the TNT2). So I'm thinking it must be the Radeon video card, since this happens on two entirely different computers.

I've been wrangling for months to get Gigabyte to replace it. I recently buy a PNY GeForce4 MX440-SE that Tiger Direct is offering with a rebate. I get the card, install it in my computer, and it doesn't POST at all. No signal to the monitor. After several resets, it finally POSTS, but dies again if I power-off or restart and will not POST again. Unlike the Radeon, the GF4 either doesn't POST at all (no signal to the monitor), or it will POST properly without any visible anomalies (it just doesn't POST 9 times out of 10).

At first, I think the GF4 is defective. But then I get to thinking that two bad video cards may be more than a coincidence. I find a computer shop in my area, take the Radeon 7500 and GF4MX in for them to test. GDFVCKRSOBs are fine, both video cards worked in their test system. Reset, reboot, pull the plug, cold boot, warm reboot, both cards POSTED every time without a problem. ARRRHHHHHHHHGGGGGG!!!! :disgust:

I have had a sneaky suspicion for awhile now that my 5 year-old El-Cheapo monitor may have a defect. So I take the computer to my sister's house, and hook it up to her brand new MAG monitor. I install the Radeon 7500 and it POSTs several times without any problem. I'm thinking at this point, "success!" Its my stinking monitor causing all these problems!

I decide to try the GF4 just for good measure, but the damned thing won't POST! So by taking my computer to my sister's house and using her monitor, I some how solved the Radeon problem but not the GF4 problem. Somebody shoot me!

So to recap.....

- My computer + monitor = runs ATI Rage128 Pro 32MB AGP4x and TNT2 32MB AGP4x
- My computer + monitor = won't run ATI Radeon 7500 64MB AGP4x or GF4MX440 64MB AGP4x
- My sister's computer + monitor = won't run ATI Radeon 7500 or GF4MX440
- My computer + sister's monitor = runs ATI Radeon 7500 but not GF4MX440
- Computer shop's computer and monitor = runs Radeon 7500 + GF4MX440 without problem

I guess its time to order a new everything.

 

[candacomputers]

I had almost the exact problem except I had a Geforce 4. In the end I found out that my Motherboard and Video Card were both fried. Really sucked... $500CAN gone right there!

 

[CotswoldCS]

Interesting.

Do you have onboard video on your motherboard? Or a cheap & nasty motherboard?

What about power? Have you tried disconnecting hard drive, CD-ROM drive and anything else not required to boot and see if your computer will boot with either card?

Another thing - it could very likely be BIOS related. Write down all your values and then load the default setting from the BIOS and see if it boots then.

Something fun to try!

 

[tcsenter]

Cheap and nasty motherboard with integrated video. That might be, depending on what you consider cheap and nasty.

Its a Biostar M7VIG 1.2 (KM266+8235+mATX). It has an external AGP slot and has ran 4x AGP cards before so I was highly resistant to faulting the motherboard. The M7VIG has been internally tested by Biostar with all the major GPUs. Plus, the Radeon 7500 behaves exactly the same way in my sister's computer, which uses an AGP2x VIA 693A based motherboard without integrated stuff.

My power supply is a 300w Enhance that came with my Evercase. I've tried both cards with every device but the hard drive and motherboard disconnected from the PS. I even pulled the modem and NIC card from the motherboard and disconnected the case fan from the PS.

Video cards do not demand a lot of current during POST. Like an x86 processor, they're only using legacy modes until they enter enhanced modes later in the boot process. I'm only using an 850 Duron which consumes maybe 35w max. I've tried all kinds of BIOS combinations; using AGP 2x, disabling/enabling all high performance settings, enabling/disabling video BIOS and RAM shadowing. They at least should freaking POST!

Anyway, I'm going to try a new motherboard. If that doesn't work, then I'm going to try a new monitor. If that doesn't work, I'm going to burn the house down. 😕 😛

 

[mechBgon]

Smile! 🙂 You're on Candid Camera! 😀




(ok, not really, but some days you gotta wonder... 😉)