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So, my comp died ~3 months ago. I thought it was my GPU (display goIng black in the middle of LoL games, or just while idling; this progressed into full on black screen right after I login to windows) and I finally decided to build a new comp now. However, as I was about to order the pieces I started second guessing my diagnosis of my issue being a dead GPU, and started worrying that it might be a dead monitor: this puts as big hitch in my plans as I have a fairly small budget until December, and I had planned on stretching it by reusing the monitor.

So, does this sound indicative of a dead/dying GPU or monitor? D:

Connect your computer to a different monitor, with a different vga cord too.

If you can't find a monitor to test on, get more nerd friends.

Yah, that's definitely out of the question since everyone I know has fucking macs, and I don't have a cable small enough to plug into a laptop :<

if the black screen always starts when you log in to windows then I doubt it's the monitor

Learn the difference!

Whelp...

That's what you get for surrounding yourself with four kinds of bad.

Try deleting your WTF folder and all your add-ons.

I'm not going to sound like I know exactly what is wrong, but if you can reproduce it every time just by logging in I doubt it is the monitor. There is an unlikely possibility the cable is just bad instead of the whole thing. There is something you can try with the graphic card though. You can bake it at 385F for 6-10 minutes.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1421792
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/show ... ?p=6102931



Actually you should try this with your 8800s too, Weena.

Druid: Meowth
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Glorious Death Metal Music

The fact that the problem is progressing gradually and seems to take effect only after logging into Windows makes me conclude that:

1. the failure is connected to the gradual failure of a piece of hardware
2. the failure is NOT connected to the display hardware
3. the failure is connected to a piece of hardware specifically associated with Windows

Based on those criteria, my guess is that either:

1. Your hard disk is becoming corrupted and unstable.
If you can, back up your data and reformat the disc, and run a full check for disk errors.

2. A memory module is failing.
If your computer has more than one memory module, try removing one, then the other, and seeing if that fixes the problem. I believe there are also utilities to detect errors in physical memory.

Aestu of Bleeding Hollow...

Nihilism is a copout.

This is a very bad idea because printed circuit boards are made with solder and other materials containing heavy metals. Heating the printed circuit board runs the risk of inhaling those heavy metals or absorbing them through the skin, or through food subsequently cooked in the same oven.

Exposure to solder is a very serious health hazard, enough so that working with solder has strict occupational guidelines and is illegal except in strictly regulated settings. Even if the solder is lead-free it will still contain cobalt and mercury (which is very dangerous to inhale and can cause cumulative, long-term damage).

PCBs also contain metals such as magnesium and chromium that are inert at room temperature but become dangerously volatile at high temperatures. They burn very hot and are prone to explosive combustion. It's like playing with Thermite.

Because PCBs are comprised of many different materials, components that might not normally be flammable at the temperature of an oven may potentially be ignited by other components with lower flashpoints. The paints and dyes used on creatively-colored graphics card heatsinks are particularly toxic and volatile.

There is also the risk that heating the graphics card may cause insulation to fray and the fans and power mechanisms to fail, causing the card to catch fire or explode when plugged in and powered on.

idk, I'd assume it's common sense. Quite frankly, anyone who seriously uses an oven to melt their graphics card solder is fucking stupid.

Aestu of Bleeding Hollow...

Nihilism is a copout.

my GPU died before i built this new computer but it did it differently then yours did.

when yours messed up in say, LoL, did you still have sound? i could still hear game sounds, vent/skype etc, but my screen would either be covered in all sorts of lines/squares or just go straight black.

eventually mine was messing up from launch too, but again i still heard startup noises and all that. it was just artifacts all over the screen.




the memory issue aestu posted could be it too, as i had that problem before. i'm not sure about the corrupt HD bit. my mom's computer just had that issue, but a plain black screen never happened. it just froze at the windows logo, only way i could do anything was through BIOS.

If you don't have a monitor to test on (because you surround yourself by stupid mac friends) then try finding someone with a flat-screen TV - most have a VGA input.

1) See if you have another VGA/DVI available that is integrated to your motherboard. If you do, plug into that and physically disconnect your video card from your motherboard. If yer not black screening then it'd a good chance the video card is crapping out. Just remember you probably wouldn't get good gaming performance using an integrated graphics chip.

2) If you see things on your screen during boot but if it blacks out once windows loads then it could be an issue with the BIOS or a driver. I'd try booting into either Safe Mode or a Last Known Good Configuration to see if it makes any difference.

3) Your PSU could be crapping out if you have a video card that requires addition power from a 4-pin connector. If your video card isn't getting power (or enough power) then it's not going to function right. This might also explain how this is a progressive issue (starting to black out during games, then on booting) because PSU's don't always go up in a puff of smoke.

4) Could your system be over-heating? Are all fans working properly? Has it been hot in your room? I'd turn the computer off for about 30 minutes. During that down time, take off the side panel, clean out any dust from fans, circuit boards and heat sinks... then set up a fan to blow air in your machine. (Turn the AC down low to make sure yer blowing cold air in the case.) If things seem to work better under these cooler conditions then it could be an issue with something over heating.

10 minutes at 385F is not going to cause something to explode on a graphic card in the oven or during use. The guide tells you to remove the heatsink so the only thing you have is the PCB, plastic power connectors, and the processor. You are way, way over exaggerating everything there and looking for a "doom" scenario. Graphic cards can take 110C (230F) and up and run fine and dandy but is not advised for lifespan obviously. It is not a permanent solution. As for your HDD and ram diagnosis, that is the last thing on anyone's list of things to check in this circumstance and is extremely unlikely. You have a lot of knowledge about many things but computer hardware is not one of them.

Druid: Meowth
« Steam »« Xfire »
Glorious Death Metal Music

What makes you think HDD/RAM are so unlikely and what's your theory?
(Eturnal's guess of the power supply or dust/heat are definitely possible and worth looking into)

That kind of heat will definitely corrode insulation and wiring. If you can smell the graphics card cooking, it's because some of it is being oxidized/vaporized. Graphics cards are known to catch fire just from heat levels slightly in excess of normal from overclocking or failed heatsinks.

Just because cooking a graphics card doesn't cause it to explode or catch fire every time or cause you to come down with Mad Hatter Syndrome as soon as you do it - just because a bunch of reckless people do these kinds of things then post about it on a message board - doesn't mean it isn't stupid or dangerous.

Aestu of Bleeding Hollow...

Nihilism is a copout.

RAM issues generally result in a crash (blue screening), failure to boot (signified by long annoying BIOS boot sounds) or graphic issues (like artifacts and crap).

In relation to wierd computer shit and just neat in general.