Weird monitor problem...

[Kipper]

I just did a clean format this past weekend and reinstalled XP Pro - no problems until recently, when I was getting weird graphical problems in WC3 and fixed it with a simple DirectX update.

Now my monitor randomly goes black, then the picture comes back an instant later, as if nothing happened. After getting a NV4_disp.dll BSOD with the latest NVidia drivesr, I've rolled back drivers to ones which I KNOW work, and still am getting the problem. Have tried 4 sets of drivers to date, no luck with any of them.

Any solutions? I don't think it's the monitor or the video card, although I could be wrong...

 

[HumbleFish]

Are You talking about when You first start up and you get a picture and then it goes black for a second?... I think that's just a characteristic of the Nvidia drivers... It does the same on mine with a Geforce3 Ti450 and Win2kPro/Win98 (without the BSOD), and it also did it when I was using Mandrake Linux... It even did it with my old AGP 16MB Asus V3400 TNT1.

 

[DannyBoy]

Its something related to the nVIdia drivers.

Its actually REALLY annoying.

It happens whenever you startup, change res in windows, enable nView for dual monitors or tv-out, and every now and again it does its own thing when it wants to :|

My GF4MX440 does it too.

 

[ViRaLRuSh]

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease
I just did a clean format this past weekend and reinstalled XP Pro - no problems until recently, when I was getting weird graphical problems in WC3 and fixed it with a simple DirectX update.

Now my monitor randomly goes black, then the picture comes back an instant later, as if nothing happened. After getting a NV4_disp.dll BSOD with the latest NVidia drivesr, I've rolled back drivers to ones which I KNOW work, and still am getting the problem. Have tried 4 sets of drivers to date, no luck with any of them.

Any solutions? I don't think it's the monitor or the video card, although I could be wrong...

Dont't suppose you are MadCow-Fate on Bnet?

 

[Kipper]

Nope, sorry. It doesn't necessarily happen when I change resolution, or when I start up - because I'm expecting that to happen - it just does it completely randomly, and makes my system hang for a split second. It just happened as I began to type this post. What happens is the screen goes completely black - NO FLICKER, but just goes black outright. It's almost as if I was showing a slideshow. I'm thinking it might either be video or monitor, but regretfully I have no extra components to test. I suppose I'll have to keep on trying until something dies. Ironically enough, it didn't happen in WC3 at all...even while playing it for an hour straight - and now it's done it three times within a span of five minutes.

I'm not complaining as long as my components are OK...grr...

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease
Nope, sorry. It doesn't necessarily happen when I change resolution, or when I start up - because I'm expecting that to happen - it just does it completely randomly, and makes my system hang for a split second. It just happened as I began to type this post. What happens is the screen goes completely black - NO FLICKER, but just goes black outright. It's almost as if I was showing a slideshow. I'm thinking it might either be video or monitor, but regretfully I have no extra components to test. I suppose I'll have to keep on trying until something dies. Ironically enough, it didn't happen in WC3 at all...even while playing it for an hour straight - and now it's done it three times within a span of five minutes.

I'm not complaining as long as my components are OK...grr...

What refresh rate / res are you using in windows?

And same for WC3 / res &) fresh rate.

Sounds like it could be your monitor. I had a weird senario where the thing blacked out and i could hear the relay click very loudly when it did it. It would work normally at a resolution of anything upto 1024x768 and refresh rate of 60hz, but second i tried my usual 1280x1024 / 85hz combo, the thing blacked out

 

[Kipper]

Running at 1024x768, 100 Hz. I don't know what the WC3 res/refresh is, but I will give a lower refresh rate a shot...thanks!

 

[HumbleFish]

1024x768 100 Hz is pretty high if that's a 17" (not sure about the other sizes), should be around 85Hz... Need to check Your Monitor specs.

 

[trak0rr0kart]

I would just keep it around 75 hz.. because I believe it is 60 hz and below that is where your eye can detect the scans.... no real benefit from running any higher then that I don't think. but that may not be what your talking about anyways.. but it is good to know.

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease
Running at 1024x768, 100 Hz. I don't know what the WC3 res/refresh is, but I will give a lower refresh rate a shot...thanks!

You should keep your refresh rate between 75-85hz. Having it higher is not noticable, and only puts extra strain on the monitor

 

[Kipper]

Okay, reduced the refresh to 75 Hz, as recommended. Interesting thing is that going to a certain webpage (embedded B&W graphic in background, completely white text) and using the mouse wheel to scroll makes the screen flash on and off at random intervals. Regular pages like AT or any other site I've used, for the most part, don't seem to do this.

I am thinking more and more that it is software, as the problem didn't appear until after I formatted. I may try a format again this weekend to see...

Here are system specs:

Asus A7V8X
1.33 GHz Athlon
512 MB Crucial PC2100
Gainward GeForce2/64 Golden Sample
Viewsonic PF790 19"]
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz
Linksys NIC
Windows XP Professional