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Video repair, newer cards and monitors can not be "over driven" by too high
of frequency or resolution. |
Video has two components, the card
and the monitor.
Video repair instructions:
Both rely on each other, you
can have a high quality 28" flat screen monitor but the display looks like
....., well you know what I mean.
Add on cards:
 Video cards just keep on getting better and better, faster and faster, higher
and higher resolution.
Pick you poison, there is one for everyone. One bit of advice: don't buy
cheap.
Been there done that. This is another one of those go-no-go cards, you see it on
the monitor or you see nothing.
Sometimes when you have a video problem the computer will beep. If the
video is
embedded on the main board and the video goes out you have two choices. You can
change out the motherboard (if you have a proprietary computer and it is still
under warranty then it may be free) or you can install another video card.
Since the advent of PCI, I have not seen a
video card fail where you actually
see a symptom of pending failure. Some times the older cards would cause the
screen to flicker or change colors unexpectedly. Then again the old monitors
would do that also.
If you suspect you are having a video problem. the screen is off center, it is
fuzzy, it is to dark or to light there are three sources for the problems. One
could be the video cable, one could be the card, or it could be the monitor.
There are programs that will test both the
video card and the monitor, they are
fairly comprehensive and non destructive, you can find them on the web,
shareware, free, or purchase. I would go for a shareware where the program is
fully functional for a short period then you have to buy it. These are good
programs for trouble shooting real problems.
If your desktop
video card is an embedded device on the motherboard you
can use an add on card to temporary replace the failed device, however you
should consider replacing the motherboard as soon as possible, once an embedded
component has failed it is a matter of time before the motherboard will fail
completely.
Monitor:
Suppose it is fuzzy:
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So you checked your cable, it is tight, you reseated the card, no change still
have a fuzzy display. If you have a spare display connect it to your system, if
the video isn't fuzzy then you have eliminated the need for a test program, it
is the monitor. If it is still fuzzy then you eliminated the monitor, it is the
card.
There is one other possibility: do you have a fan close by? If so move it or
turn it off.
If it constantly is off center:
Try adjusting it with the built in controls on the monitor. Fixed? No? Then try
it with the software that came with the video card. Fixed? No? Down to the last
resort, if the monitor is off center and using the tools available with the
monitor and the video card I would say time for a new monitor.
To light or to dark:
Same as off center.
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