Video Card Flicker, but only on Boot-Up

[melanthius]

My friend recently put together his new rig. This is the video card:

XFX Nvidia 6600GT / AGP 8x

On boot up, the screen where the AGP device is detected and the video card specs are displayed in plain text, as well as the motherboard boot-up sequence (pre-WindowsXP starting screen) appear to flicker. The text seems to have horizontal lines running through it, flickering left and right. However, once WindowsXP boots up, the images are crystal clear, no flicker whatsoever. Looks fine in games, Windows GUI, etc. No, the video card is not overheating. It is connected to the PSU via its own 12V cable, with nothing else on that cable. The PSU is an Antec 400W with 28A on the 12V rail. The only thing out of the ordinary is the analog monitor being attached through a DVI > Analog converter. But, like I said, the images are crystal clear with no flicker.

The question is: is there need for concern? Does this flicker mean something bad is going to happen / is happening? Is it a motherboard problem?

Here are the other system specs:
3.0GHz P4 Northwood
Abit IC7-G mobo
1GB Kingston ValueRAM

[Edit]: The monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster 150mp with analog input.

 

[TruenoAE86]

I'm having very similar problems with a laptop. Except my laptop does not work well in games and if i shift to 16 or 24 bit color everything get's distorted. Does the black windows XP boot screen also look distorted? Any ways i haven't been able to figure it out. If you do, let me know.

 

[GageMW]

melanthius, i think that your video is probably fine, try running a diagnostic test or something, maybe windows pc doctor?, on the other hand, true, ur laptop is wacked. also try running pc doctor or memtest and hope you just have crappy parts and not broken laptop as those can be expensive to get fixed.
just my 2c ,
Gage

 

[melanthius]

Does the black windows XP boot screen also look distorted? Any ways i haven't been able to figure it out. If you do, let me know.

No, it does not happen on the windows xp scrolling bar boot up sequence, which is consistent with the GUI not looking messed up.

The flicker only occurs when the computer is FIRST turned on, as in, the first thing that happens is the AGP device is detected, and the monitor displays stuff like "Nvidia 6600GT 128mb RAM" etc in pure text. This looks really distorted. Then, the motherboard boot up sequence (detecting RAM, IDE devices, RAID / SCSI devices) also looks messed up. Not un-readable, but messed up nonetheless.

Edit: I'm going to try a CRT monitor to try to isolate the problem.

 

[TruenoAE86]

Ah i guess it's not really similar, on my first screen shows "TOSHIBA" and press f2 for set up.... The toshiba is fine but the "press f2 for setup" along with every thing else on that line is distored. The ram test and all that other boot up stuff looks fine.