Video card and/or motherboard issues

[sdness]

Hey everyone. My friend recommended me to this forum since I'm having some pretty weird and annoying problems with my computer -- specifically with my video card and/or motherboard.

Some background info: I last replaced my video card around December 2006. Another friend recommended I get the SAPPHIRE 100174L Radeon X1650PRO 256MB from NewEgg. Since then, it's been working pretty well. Nonetheless, every now and then my computer seemed to freeze (I'm not sure if this is related to the video card, of course). Also, whenever I moved the computer (i.e. -- from college to home, from upstairs to downstairs, etc.), set it up, and turned it on, I would get an error that would usually require a couple minutes of tinkering with the video card to fix. Usually, it would say something like:

Video Card
D SUB
No Signal

I assume this meant there was something wrong with the connection from the monitor to the video card. I usually opened the case, checked the connection to the monitor, the connection to the power supply, and that the card was correctly in place. Eventually, I got it to work and everything was normal.

Nonetheless, the last time this occurred was about three or four weeks ago (moving from upstairs to downstairs). I am getting the exact same message right now. I was using my computer around 10 PM two nights ago -- during a thunderstorm. I heard a thunderbolt outside and went upstairs to close the windows of my house, etc. When I came back (45 min to an hour later) the computer was frozen and I had to turn off the computer by pressing the surge off. (The thunderstorm probably is not related to the issue.) I immediately turned the computer back on and it gave me the error above and it's been giving me that ever since. I've restarted the computer and taken out the video card several times. Initially, I thought there was something wrong with the video card.

My next move was to get my friend's video card and test it out. I did that last night and the display still did not show anything. (Yes, I've checked the monitor on a different computer and used another monitor on my "broken" computer.) So right now, I'm thinking it could be a video card and/or a motherboard problem.

I'm going to send my current video card back for repair/replacement since I have my friend's to use. Another friend recommended that I replace my CMOS battery on the motherboard. I'm going to RadioShack later today to get one.

Do you guys have any other suggestions?

 

[schulz269]

I don't think the battery has anyhting to do with it.. that only stores your bois settings and what not .. so that would just reset every time you turned on and off your computer if it wasn't working right.

I don't really know what this issue is but i know it shouldn't be the battery.

 

[Wverb0783]

so you've tried a known good monitor and known good video card? and are still receiving the same problem. it may sound strange but i've seen power supplies cause these problems before. see if you can't get your hands on a known good one to test. and of course double check all your connections to make sure they are tight. also, what type of video card are you using? ( PCI, PCIe, AGP) and have you tried a different type? or all the same in the same slot?

 

[Drizzt]

its not battery... good advice Wverb0784 on the Power Supply... like he says try it out with a good Power Supply and see if its any better... because when they get old the cause some wacky problems...

 

[phucng_10]

CMOS battery has nothing to do with the problem you currently have. It could be that your PSU is dieing out, which means it's not giving your VGA enough juice to power up. Try swapping your PSU with a friend's and hook up your VGA to your rig.