HockeyPhool Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 I recently replaced the fans in my I8200 (for the second time in 18 months, FWIW). After replacing the fans and booting the system, I am seeing terrible video problems: - Lines of text (while booting Safe Mode) have a gap between the top two pixels and the lower pixels - Display flickers badly - Safe Mode login screen displays flickering vertical red lines After entering CMOS configuration the keyboard no longer responds. If I allow the system to boot, I cannot make out the login dialog nor can I seem to login to Windows (XP Pro). I see flickering vertical green bars, mostly. I have reseated the video card and the display connector without success. I have also followed a Dell Support FAQ that had me isolate the LCD display to confirm that the problem occurs on both the LCD and an external monitor (it does). At this point I strongly suspect that the video card is failing but I'd like to eliminate other possibilities. I cannot boot the diagnostics, because the system will not respond in CMOS configuration and it won't boot from the CD-ROM by default. If I do have to replace the video card (GeForce 440 Go, 32MB), I am considering a Quadro 700 XL instead. I do not use 3-D modeling applications, so the Open GL compatibility isn't a key feature for me. However, I do play 3-D games and would like the best performance I can get with my system. I'd appreciate comments on the value of upgrading to the Quadro 700 versus a GeForce 440 64MB card. Thanks for any troubleshooting assistance you can provide! Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwm32 Posted October 3, 2006 Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 At this point I strongly suspect that the video card is failing but I'd like to eliminate other possibilities. I cannot boot the diagnostics, because the system will not respond in CMOS configuration and it won't boot from the CD-ROM by default. Have you tried repeatedly tapping F12 when the Dell splash screen shows at boot time? You should get a short boot options menu, which will allow you to boot off CD-ROM and run the diags. It does sound as though the video card is going bad, however. If it comes to a replacement, I'd recommend the Quaddro, if you can get hold of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyPhool Posted October 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 Thanks for the reminder! I had forgotten about forcing boot options - off to try that now. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyPhool Posted October 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 That was the trick - VGA/VESA diags fail the video memory test. Off to find a new video card... Thanks for the help! Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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