Dead 6800 Ultra?! Just my luck!
polycounter lvl 18
OK so this is awesome. I just ordered my shiny new monitor, but it won't be here for a while yet. But today, when I went to turn on my PC, my display on the current monitor was so dark and faint I couldn't make it out. By the time XP booted up, I literally could not make out the words. Imagine turning the brightness *and* contrast way, way down on your monitor and that's about what it looks like. I can't navigate around windows. Nothing. But I can vaguely just about see it If I turn out the lights and strain my eyes. My first instinct is the monitor is borked ( my, what excellent timing, I'm thinking ) but as a test, I try an old vid card lying around. I throw in the 32 meg TNT2, and it all works. I go back to my Ultra, again, almost blackness. No matter how much I play with cable connections or the seating of the card, no improvement.
The card is over a year old, so no warranty. Anyone heard of anything like this? Seems mightily weird to me. Now it looks like I gotta shell out several more hundred bucks for a new card, cos this TNT sure as hell doesn't like my Maya models!
The card is over a year old, so no warranty. Anyone heard of anything like this? Seems mightily weird to me. Now it looks like I gotta shell out several more hundred bucks for a new card, cos this TNT sure as hell doesn't like my Maya models!
Replies
Might be the DAC.(Digital-> analog converter).
Are you running DVI to the monitors or VGA?
Are both monitors displaying this same symptom?
Try using the DVI>VGA converter (usually included). If it is the DAC, I'd think it'd bypass that anyway and go straight out to the monitor fine. But then again, Im no video card engineer.
If it is the connector and youre using VGA..same thing. Problem solved.
The DAC is the only component that would fail, that I can think of, that would produce that sort seemingly analog signal degradation symptom. Digital electronic failures tend to be more of a binary nature (works or it doesn't).
You can get that repaired I think, and I'd imagine it wouldnt be that expensive. Cheaper than a new Vid card anyway.
Good luck!
Goodluck. I suggest kicking it. it doesnt help, but ya know..
b1ll
Now I'm all worried that I'll need to replace it soon.
2) Could it be a monitor driver issue? I know it sounds wierd but XP isn't the smartest at picking the right monitor driver. Most of the time the actual monitor manufacture has better drivers. XP is starting to show its age like win98 did when it comes to internal driver DB's. Also make sure you don't have any card tweaking software installed, the kind that tries to force certain refresh rates can cause issues when the wrong monitor driver is installed.
3) I would try the card in another system, if it's borked there too, you MIGHT try different video drivers, or even under clocking the card.
That's a good idea Vig yeah I'll bring the card to work.
bwahahahaah ^_^