My "no display" pridicament..

[CamaroShifter88]

So.. I'm in a bit of a predicament. I had a problem with my graphics card before (a lot of blue pixels appearing when on the wallpaper and any sort of animation). It was showing signs of wear for awhile, so I contacted BFG and got an RMA. I'm almost positive it was my GPU, as I tried different ram, cpu, psu, and mobo.. but to no avail.

However, the day I was going to send the card in, I tried turning my rig on, and no diplay ever gets shown. My monitor (Acer 2216w) does not get any video feed, and does the little "standby" mode b/c of it. I tried a different gpu.. and the same thing. I've tried the NEW gpu given to me.. but STILL the same problem.

I used a different setup with both new gpus (new mobo, cpu, ram), and the same problem still occurs. My original card was a 7950, then I tried it on an 8600gts, then tried an 8800gts 640mb. None will give displays. I REALLY doubt it's my monitor's problem a well. It's new, and everything else is fine with it. Nothing happened to it that could've messed it up.

The only thing I haven't had time to try out was a new PSU. Does this sound like a potential psu problem? I was thinking it may be driver issues.. My guess is that my computer is trying to display a resolution that my monitor (normally 1680x1050) can't display. Maybe even driver issues between 7-series that is currently on it, and the 8800gts that is currently in there. The monitor has been a bit picky with the computer displaying resolutions it can read, but I don't know if that's the case right now. Besides that.. I have no other monitor to test it on.

Any advice anyone? Thanks!

 

[grieve]

I wonder if it is the monitor... can you try the monitor on a known working machine, just to eliminate that 100%? It could even be just the cord...

Does the monitor light ever go green?
Is the light orange even when the monitor is not connected?
Can you even see the post (before drivers are loaded, eliminates that issue)?
Do you hear beeps during post????

 

[CamaroShifter88]

Thanks for the quick reply

I might see if I can use another monitor later, however no promises. I go to UTexas, so if I use another computer, I'm going to have to haul my computer down a few floors to the computer lab and hook it up to their monitors.

The light ONLY goes green when I turn it on, then shortly after, once it finds no feed, it goes orange and stays orange. It does do the typical monitor BIOS and say "Acer" when I turn it on, so I know it's not power. I have no additional dvi-dvi or vga cables lying around, so I'll just have to see about it w/ the computers from the lab. I have it hooked to my 720p LG as well, but I believe I have it set on "one display" in the nvidia options, limited to my computer. No signal goes to the tv either..

When you say "post", what do you mean exactly? Like the BIOS? Another thing is I won't have any audio "lack of a sound card" so I won't be able to go by that to see if it's only video that isn't working. However, when I turn the rig on, everything in it works.. all the fans, lights, etc.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Shadow703793]

PSU could be a problem. Please list full specs.

 

[CamaroShifter88]

Alright.. a little update on the situation..

I'm almost positive it's not my monitor and connections. I got to be that cool kid that carries his 25 lb computer into the computer lab, and tried out their monitors. Ya.. same exact story as before, so I really doubt it's the monitor or the connections.

As for my power supply.. messy story there. I plugged in another psu I had laying around, and the same thing applies as before. The "no so sure" part is I used a cheap PoS psu. It was a psu I got in one of my past cases. I really doubt it had enough power to run my system efficiently, however I still would think BIOS would open up anyways.. I'll try another later, but it wouldn't be much better of one regardless. But I'm starting to think it's not my psu. It's a good quality one anyways..

And last, I'll go ahead and post my current system:
ASUS p5k-Deluxe wi-fi
BFG 8800GTS 640mb OCE
2x1GB Corsair Dominator 1066 (don't remember much of the other details)
Intel e6600
WD 250GB hdd
SilverStone OP650

Thanks for all the help anyone.

Again, the things I've replaced (all together at once due to different slot motherboards):
PSU
GPU
CPU
mobo
ram

does it sound like it may be my hdd then? I didn't think it would be that, b/c a computer opens to the BIOS screen despite bad hdds, right?

 

[gyalis]

It seems we suffer from the same problem. I doubt it is the hard drive. I have about three systems at home and my girlfriend is bugging me to fix the one with that particular problem. I think it may be related to not disabling the motherboard display adapter in the bios, even though my motherboard bios actually has it set up like a boot sequence for which device gets preference upon bootup. I downloaded all of the latest drivers for everything, but it's not working either from the mobo display or the graphics card. The funny thing is this happened before in the same system. I replaced Mobo, Graphics, CPU, and PSU. The original components are v90 modem (never used), card reader, and HDD. I'm going to clear the BIOS, then I'm going to try booting up without modem, then other components, and see what happens. Wish me luck, I wish you luck.

 

[CamaroShifter88]

haha, GL w/ that adventure..

But how do you get to the BIOS when it won't even BOOT the bios.. :/

Also, I don't know if that's the case for me, as I've changed motherboards and gave it a try. I don't think what you explained would have happened to BOTH of them. I haven't been messing around w/ the BIOS menus at all. I understand one of them getting screwy w/ me, but both? I don't know about that..

Again, good luck w/ the flush.

 

[grieve]

So when you fire the PC up, you dont here any beeps (post) this occures before even trying to boot into windows, and is not driver related...

The beeps tell a story...

 

[CamaroShifter88]

Well, I never recall my computer making "beeps" on bootup. I've started it countless times w/ the case open before, and the only noise I ever recall hearing is the whirring of the fans, and a few minor "clicks", if you can call them that. They sound like lower-pitched clicks... as if my motherboard is still getting the same responses as it always has before. I MAY be wrong, but everything sounds exactly as it has before this problem.

I'm really starting to think it's a my power supply not giving enough juice to either put up a display, or fully boot up the BIOS. I contacted my psu manufacture (it's still under the warranty.. as long as I can recover a previous receipt from newegg :/ ), and told them about my problem, and asked if it sounded like a potential psu problem. We'll see how that response goes when they get back with me..

Thanks again greive

 

[Shadow703793]

You know the DDR2 1066 RAM could be causing problems. Some boards have issues with RAM natively higher than DDR2 800.

 

[CamaroShifter88]

Well.. I tried more "native" ram sticks as well. I don't recall the details, but they were more universal and normal. I traded out individual parts, and then tried as many different parts in at once as is. The other mobo I use is amd-based, while my normal one is stock. I just put the other ram sticks in this other mobo, put a new card in it, new cpu (of course), and new gpu. Still no fun..

Thanks for the help!

 

[grieve]

Does the machine turn off?
or just continue to run with no display?

 

[CamaroShifter88]

It continues to run. At least, I've never tried to leave it on for more than 10 minutes like that. By that time I'm impatient and turn it off. I contacted my manufacture about the problem, and they said it sounded like it could be a psu problem, and to send it in for RMA just in case. I'm thinking I'm going to try that, and if it still exists then.. wow am I confused as hell...

 

[grieve]

I would think if the machine is posting and continues to run just with no display that the vid card is bitc*ed....

 

[CamaroShifter88]

Naw. It CAN'T be the graphics card. I used 3 different ones, one of which was a BRAND new one. I was thinking the same thing.. as that's what it sounds most like, but I'm beginning to think it's more than just a "visual" problem. I tried to hook some speakers up, predicted the beginning, and none of the startup noises of Vista ever sounds. Unless I did some wrong wiring, or my drivers are screwed, I don't think it's even starting to bios, and therefor getting no video feed. I've gone over all of my connections countless times too. I'm kind of regretting having a sound card now though.. as that makes matters more complicated.