Artifacts on Startup (and do not stop)

[Sam-U-Rai]

Yeah... I just turned on my PC that I build back in Nov. a couple mins ago to play some Half-life 2 when I find some artifacts on the screen during the Win XP startup.

EX: Like some white lines going down, a yellow blocky line, etc.

It gets to the Welcome screen and just reboots again going over and over, starting windows up, gets to Welcome, restarts, etc.

Idk wtf to do.

My specs btw include : 1. AMD Athlon 3800+, Sapphire Radeon X-1600XT, 1 gig of RAM, 450 Watt PSU.

A week ago it overheated cause it was kinda hot but its ok now for some reason. I'm getting fans for it soon but I'm REALLY REALLLLLY worried about this now.

Should I call Newegg?
I don't think I registered that Vid card :( damn it.....

[TwoRails]

Newegg can't help with a completed build... especially one from last Nov. What was the over heat? Did you do anything to fix it? Have you taken the side of the case off and cleared out the dust bunnies? Clean the CPU heat sink? etc...

[Sam-U-Rai]

Yeah I cleared it out. No more dust. I even cleaned most of the video card's fan which was already dusty.

Last week, my cpu overheated a lil bit but the weird thing is (keep in mind even the BIOS had artifacts) when I went into the BIOS to check the temperture of everything just 5 mins ago, my CPU was a normal 115 degrees Farenheit so its not the CPU this time at all.


I'm pretty sure its the video card since I never heard about anything else with Artifacts but that. Probably is just dieing on me. The sad thing is that when I bought it, one of the reviews on Newegg said this happened to him a couple months later.

Wish I had more money then, know what I mean? But it was a good deal at the time.

We're gonna call Sapphire on Monday to see if we can get anything out of it. Idk. Maybe not a refund mos def but maybe something.....

Idk man. Thanks for answering though. I'm kinda depressed about this now lol. Damn.

*****************EDIT*************************
Well my mom and my sis kinda feel sorry for me. Even though they don't have the money right now, they were thinking about buying another video card for me with some extra fans in my case.

Here was the one I found to be kinda cheap considering the one I bought last Nov. (x1600xt) was $103 and now is like $77 and THE NEW ONE IS $77 and kicks the X-1600XT's ass in Benchmarks.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161030
is the HIS card I found. Are they a good company? I've heard good things about them.... I wasn't too sure. Them and ASUS I heard were good with vid cards.

Anyway. Thanks for responding. It really does help with advice. Hell if you got more, I'd be obliged lol.

[minsonngo]

Have you tried updating the video card drivers?


Download the newest one from here: http://www.sapphiretech.com/us/support/drivers.php

[Sam-U-Rai]

Well thing is, I would try to update them but I can't even pass the Windows Welcome Screen before it reboots itself.

Thanks for responding though lol.

[TwoRails]

I'd want to test that card out in another system before condemning it, or buying another. At least that way you know if you have a card failure or a mobo / CPU overheat problem.

[minsonngo]

Well thing is, I would try to update them but I can't even pass the Windows Welcome Screen before it reboots itself.

Thanks for responding though lol.


Can you boot into safe mode?


If you think it is overheating... try leaving the sides off of the case and positioning a normal house fan to blow into one side and see if you can boot into Windows.

[Sam-U-Rai]

That sounds like a good idea but the only thing is that my only fan other than the damn heatsink on the CPU, is on the side window so if I take this side window out, then it'll probably do worse. The biggest fan in my house is a dink 3-5 in fan.

I mean, thanks for the idea, but idk if its risky.


But another thing I wanted to ask is that even though I got the vid card back in Nov. and probably an warranty that coulda been applied is gone out the window, do you think Sapphire Tech could send me a recertified video card to see if the video card is the problem?

I mean, obviously cause its the video card but I don't have any spare video cards to test if it is.

I hope calling them tomorrow will sort at least the whole thing out.

Thanks for your time though. If you have anything else to add, feel free lol.

[Sam-U-Rai]

I'd want to test that card out in another system before condemning it, or buying another. At least that way you know if you have a card failure or a mobo / CPU overheat problem.


Thing is, I don't have another system to test it on except this one which is an E-Machine we bought 2 years ago and I don't even think it'll handle the likes of a X-1600xt due to me hearing that the PSUs in them suck A/O are cheap.

Don't wanna risk the family comp to burn out too.

Hmmm, do you think I could take my vid card to a local PC shop to test it out just in case?

There's one near where I live I think.

[TwoRails]

That sounds like a good idea but the only thing is that my only fan other than the damn heatsink on the CPU, is on the side window so if I take this side window out, then it'll probably do worse. The biggest fan in my house is a dink 3-5 in fan... That may be part of your problem... you need an exhaust fan.

But another thing I wanted to ask is that even though I got the vid card back in Nov. and probably an warranty that coulda been applied is gone out the window, do you think Sapphire Tech could send me a recertified video card to see if the video card is the problem?They may exchange it, but they won't just send one out for you to test with...

[Sam-U-Rai]

Yeah, i'm in the process of getting 2 more fans.

One for bringing in the air from the front

(EX: <------- Front of case)

and the other in the back bringing that air out

(EX: <-------- Back of case)

So they'd be going in the same direction taking that flow of air out.

But yeah I know, air problem. I'm calling them tomorrow cause they're not open today. You really think I should just buy the fans now and see if that fixes it?

I just don't wanna get them to early and be disappointed lol. And i'm not buying them btw, my mom or my sis is helping me out. That means I gotta wait.

(I know, pathetic that a 16 year old can't find a job but can't get a ride most of the time)

Thanks for helping though. Any thing else?

[TwoRails]

.... Any thing else?Nothing off the top of my head right now... Good Luck! :)

[Sam-U-Rai]

Nothing off the top of my head right now... Good Luck! :)

Ok lol thanks for helping though. It really helps alot when you got someone else trying with you.

[Sam-U-Rai]

Oh btw, just called Newegg and they said they'll replace my broken video card with a new one.

EX: When I get the new one and send the old one back, I still have until Nov. if something screws up for my Warranty.

HOORAY! lol. Thank god. Oh and I'm getting those 2 fans as well today so no more heating problems hopefully.

Hope it works! :)

[kissfan]

Oh btw, just called Newegg and they said they'll replace my broken video card with a new one.

EX: When I get the new one and send the old one back, I still have until Nov. if something screws up for my Warranty.

HOORAY! lol. Thank god. Oh and I'm getting those 2 fans as well today so no more heating problems hopefully.

Hope it works! :)

It's good to hear that you are still under warranty, I was going to post asking if it still had one, but I wasn't sure if the same rules applied there as they do here in the UK (EU).

You did check to make sure that the vid card was seated correctly in it's slot didn't you?

Deuce

[Sam-U-Rai]

It's good to hear that you are still under warranty, I was going to post asking if it still had one, but I wasn't sure if the same rules applied there as they do here in the UK (EU).

You did check to make sure that the vid card was seated correctly in it's slot didn't you?

Deuce

Yeah I seated it correctly. I even redid the seating to be exact. Took out the mobo, reseated it, put it back, and it still had artifacts on startup.

The only thing I noticed is that the yellow connectors on the bottom (pic on the bottom)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?Image=14-102-657-07.jpg%2c14-102-657-08.jpg%2c14-102-657-09.jpg&CurImage=14-102-657-08.jpg&Depa=99&Description=SAPPHIRE+100146L+Radeon+X1600XT+256MB+128-bit+GDDR3+PCI+Express+x16+CrossFire+Supported+Video+Card+-+OEM
don't actually go into a PCI-Express 16 Slot.

I was worried lol. I built it back in Nov. so that was like the only thing I forgot about PC's. Do those two yellow-with green tint a lil bit connectors actually go in?

I noticed that they don't.

But the orange tinted ones did.

I know, stupid thing to ask and say but I was a little concerned.

[BeepBeep2]

if the slot has a retension mechanism on the side, then the one towards the middle of the card will slide under a clip. (mine broke off:p:) )

the other one will stay out too.

[Sam-U-Rai]

if the slot has a retension mechanism on the side, then the one towards the middle of the card will slide under a clip. (mine broke off:p:) )

the other one will stay out too.

Thanks man, helped alot. Felt like a retard for a couple mins when I pulled it out and sent it back to the company not knowing that lol.

[Sam-U-Rai]

UPDATE ON HOW THINGS WENT:

I just got a new video card after 2 weeks of waiting for the call from Newegg.

It turns out my X-1600XT isn't sold anymore so they gave me a free X1650XT! :). Cool yes.

I seated it, I plugged everything back in, and I installed my fans.

My pc works great. Thing is though that my front fan, the blue LED fan did not come with proper screws.

I know this is going to sound retarded but to see if it would work out, I taped it.

Yes go ahead and flame me, i'm sorry.

Anyway, the reason being is that not only that the screws did not fit as mentioned but I couldn't screw them in (even with smaller screws) so easily.

I don't know how to open the front of the case:
http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/AirHendrix/?action=view&current=fontos.jpg
(IGNORE the circle, that was for a diff demonstration for when I built it. Thats the only pic I have of the side of the case)

(I bought this case from Xoxide but to my suprise, they don't sell the case anymore :()
(Another thing is that I didn't get a manual with my case, just a box with the case and a POS power supply which I replaced afterwards so I don't know how to open the front. Also, I can't see any screws to get it open :(.)
http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/AirHendrix/?action=view&current=xoxide_1916_8463850.jpg


Anyway, another thing I should mention is that the fan's LED light does work and it does turn on (or so I hear it) during XP startup but then when I look at it afterwards, its not moving at all.

It just sits there with the led light on while the outtake fan in the back is clearly doing business.

Is there anything I should do about this?

I was thinking obviously to call Newegg but its the whole issue with the case that I want to resolve first.

I know this was a long post but if you guys could push me in the right direction, i'd be so oblidged.

OH and another thing: my temps for my CPU with the fan are 135 C at idle....

Alot better than 150c but I just wish the front one would work.... :(

[Sam-U-Rai]

Anyone?

*see above post

[Gen.Ben]

135 Degrees C! AT IDLE?

Are you sure its not in F?

[glc]

You really do not need a front fan as long as there is a way for the air to flow into the case - the exhaust will take care of that.