top pci express slot stops working

Hello all,

Time for me to start asking questions again. I turned on my computer this afternoon, and it started, but my monitor would not receive a signal from my graphics card. I tried rechecking wires, re-seating the card in the top pci express slot where I usually have it. I didn't think until just now to try to move it to a secondary pci slot. turned it back on, and i have video! so it is not a bad monitor, nor do i think my graphics card is bad.

i was wondering what you all think could be causing the problem with my top pci express slot, whether its toast, or it can be salvaged, or if there is a history of pci express slots going bad on my brand/model of mobo. i ask because i do not want my graphics card in the bottom slot. it is RIGHT up against my sound card. if i move my sound card to the pci slot nearest my cpu (above where my graphics card originally was seated) i know i get really, really bad popping noises or static when i talk over ventrilo. 've tried it before just testing some other theory of mine.


here are the specs:

DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-D 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Toledo 2.0GHz Socket 939 89W Dual-Core Processor Model ADA3800DAA5CD
XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI
CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit
Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS SB0350 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card
Thermaltake Aguila VD1000BWS Black Chassis