Graphics problems: monitor or GPU

[itknight]

Just finished building a new pc and went with the evga gts 450. However, I am confused if I am having issues with the card, or if it is my monitor. I am using my 24 inch LCD TV via DVI. Everything works fine under normal use, but while gaming I get some strange effects when entering any place that has a darker type atmosphere. It appears as if several dim lights (small lines across the monitor) occur in the darker zones. I am pretty sure it is my monitor, as i've have other issues with it before, but since my GPU is brand new i'd like to be sure it's working properly.

Also, I was doing some prime95 testing to see how my CPU was running. Under curiosity I took off my panel while my computer was on(not smart I know) and touched the CPU heatsink just to see how hot it was compared to my CPU Temps to ensure proper heat transfer. However, as I was putting the panel back on I grazed the side of the graphics card (I barely touched it, just the side of the chip). From what I've learned not the entire chip has an electric current so I probably didn't cause any damage, but is it possible damage occured from just touched the side of the card? Nothing happened when I did it, but I know how fragile computer parts can be with shorting and what not, and for piece of mind I'd like to know if this could've damaged it (By side I mean the "outline" of the card so to speak).

any opinions would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[clonazepam]

It's possible you hurt your video card.

Example: I installed hundreds of new pc's in a social security office. One of the systems' outer package was badly damaged. When I opened the box, inside the computer it had taken such a hard beating the video card was completely removed from the pci-e socket and laying about inside the case. I re-inserted the graphics card and the system booted up just fine w/o any issues. I was amazed.

That particular incident obviously didn't happen while the system was receiving power but it does show pc components can be quite resilient. On the other hand, even a small discharge of static electricity can end a pc component's life abruptly. You were grounded to the lid by holding it, and if it came into contact with the metal of the case, then it was grounded to that before touching the video card. If the lid coming into contact with graphics card caused a short, the results of that would likely be immediate and very noticeable.

If you should ever enter your pc again, I highly recommend at the very least, to first touch the metal part of your case to ground yourself. Proper grounding is to use a ground strap around your wrist attached to a proper mat designed for working on a computer (while it is completely powered down and unplugged).

You can try connecting your system to another monitor (like a friend's or neighbor's). If you have a modern television it may have a dvi connection or the old standard 15-pin vga connector (use with adapter).

What happens when you watch a movie on your computer? A video game will put the most stress on your graphics card. You'll have to test more. A lot of times in troubleshooting, the answer is not obvious. By process of elimination, you eventually come to the most likely cause. Then you confirm its repeatable. There are 3 different stages of failure - 1) it happened once and unrepeatable - glitch, 2) it happens once in awhile and may or may not be repeatable, and 3) flat out dead.

 

[itknight]

I appreciate your response. I touched the side of the card with my finger, i'm not too sure if that makes a difference. It happens nearly anything with a "dark" tint so to speak. For instance, if you open paint and make a huge black box you can see it on there. It's not terribly annoying, but it is noticable. My monitor has been warrantied twice, so I am pretty sure it is that now that I am reading more about it. I hope I didn't damage my card, but I suppose it is definately possible. I do have a couple quick questions (for the sake of learning a bit more about PC's)

1. Does electrical current go through the ENTIRE chip? I thought it was all contained within the copperlines/tracers and pins. I accidently grazed it on the side, so i barely had much contact. By side I mean the thin side of the card, as if you were holding it in your palm and outlined the card with ur finger.
2. Say if I were to just grab the entire card while it's running. I know something would definately get fried, but could that also effect the entire board/cpu/ram by touching the gpu? Or do motherboard have a type of failsafe to avoid damage spreading?

They're kind of random questions, but something that i've wondered.

 

[clonazepam]

I appreciate your response. I touched the side of the card with my finger, i'm not too sure if that makes a difference. It happens nearly anything with a "dark" tint so to speak. For instance, if you open paint and make a huge black box you can see it on there. It's not terribly annoying, but it is noticable. My monitor has been warrantied twice, so I am pretty sure it is that now that I am reading more about it. I hope I didn't damage my card, but I suppose it is definately possible. I do have a couple quick questions (for the sake of learning a bit more about PC's)

1. Does electrical current go through the ENTIRE chip? I thought it was all contained within the copperlines/tracers and pins. I accidently grazed it on the side, so i barely had much contact. By side I mean the thin side of the card, as if you were holding it in your palm and outlined the card with ur finger.
2. Say if I were to just grab the entire card while it's running. I know something would definately get fried, but could that also effect the entire board/cpu/ram by touching the gpu? Or do motherboard have a type of failsafe to avoid damage spreading?

They're kind of random questions, but something that i've wondered.

The board that all the electronics are connected to is referred to as the circuit board or PCB. It is non-conductive.

Does the tint appear around the edges of the screen? Does it look like light is bleeding out from the bezzle? What about different viewing angles? Does anything change based on the monitor's orientation to your eyes, like extreme angles left/right or up/down?

For #2, and Im no expert in this, but buy grabbing the card you are not adding any additional electricity to the card that the card itself couldn't absorb into itself. The worst thing to have happen is your power supply to go apeshit as that can kill the graphics cards set up with their 6 or 8 pin connectors, and of course the motherboard. It's a similar situation for the cpu because there's a direct power connect for it on the motherboard as well. So there's sometimes a lot of randomness in what damage actually occurs. Different products have different levels of protection built into them. For motherboards for example, I try to always shop above low grade and somewhere in the mid to higher range if the price is right. There should be no exceptions for the power supply... It's heart of the system.

Anyway, I don't think you hurt the graphics card but I did want to make it clear its possible and maybe scare you a little bit

 

[itknight]

Best answer selected by itknight.

 

[itknight]

I came to the conclusion it is the monitor. I had to move it a short distance, and as I was moving it I could see it making the lines on the screen, haha. I really appreciate the help, and learned a few things in the process.

Also, since you brought up power supply, I have a quick question. I have a brand new 750 Watt Antec, and it makes a static/crackling noise every once and a while (barely audible at a distance of about 5 ft, and very audible if your right next to it.) The system is running flawlessly, but since you said its the heart of the system I want to make sure it's in tip top shape. Is this anything to fret over? As I'm typing this it isnt doing it, but last night it was going on for 20+ mins.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey