Hello folks,

Not more than 20 minutes ago, I was loading up TF2, walked away to grab something to eat, and came back to this mess:













Basically the colors are all messed up, some of the green stripes look very matrixesque (and it'd be kinda cool looking if it wasn't my computer), and I just get very wierd bars/stripes of color at odd places.

Any ideas? Its definitely hardware as it happens pre-OS and in safe mode, I tried a second monitor, same thing happened on that. Used two completely different sets of RAM, happens on both. Only thing I can figure is Vid Card or MoBo (this is what I'm suspecting T_T). Anyone know how to tell for sure? Or any diagnostic tools I can run? Or any idea wth is going on?

Thanks!!

Edit - To give more details...

Dell Dimension 8300 series
Windows XP home edition
Stock MoBo
ATI Radeon 9800 128MB vid card
2x 512mb Corsair RAM, 2x 256mb stock Samsung RAM

Probably the vid card. It happens when the card over heats or dies. Did you recently install new drivers or programs (including) service packs? -- Just want to eliminate software.

Thats my thoughts, although it could be something else I'm not thinking of

I'd say it's the video card puking its guts out.You could try borrowing an AGP card from a friend to confirm.

bc: Not a darn thing was installed/updated recently. And I have all automatic updating turned off just so nothing gets on there without me noticing.

jbj190: inclined to agree, plan on doing that sometime tomorrow if I can track on down!

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll third the notion of video card issues. I've have video cards that produced probs like this before, namely on TNT2 Vanta chips that had no heatsinks on them from the factory.

Looks like the video card is about to go.

Looks like you card died on you when nobody was looking.

I'm pretty sure that this is caused by defective video memory.

It's not drivers, pic #4 is at bootup. I agree with an overheating or dying card.

Mess?

You are the chosen one.

The matrix wants YOU.

Neo, you've been down that road before, shutup and get back in the car.

PS - That's a symptom of failed video memory. The chips themselves or the power to them. Either way the card is toast, RMA it if possible.