Did my video card die???

[UncleS]

I need some help here guys. I don't know if the problem is a bad xFx 7600gt card or if I need to wipe and re-install Windows XP.

The only new hardware or software installed is Firefox. For several days I have had Firefox running in the background so I could listen to the radio while running other applications. Today I was running it in the background while playing Eve online. I had done this previously with no problem. This time the entire computer locked up and rebooted. After restart and "the system has recovered from serious error send or not" message I tried to restart the game - the entire screen turned into columns of pixelated multicolored lines like:

- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -

Thinking it was a software issure I rebooted. Now the opening splash screen for the aBit 9D max motherboard has some vertical pixelated lines. The machine POSTs with no errors and the welcome to windows screen is all pixelated. Once windows goes to desktop the monitor goes blank and has no signal. This does seem to be much more than a bad driver. I am not even sure I can reinstall windows if the monitor drops out like this.

So no POST beep codes. No light or number codes on the motherboard. The PS is a Corsair 520 watt modular.

I don't have any money to try a bunch of trial and error as it is the holidays and I have been jobless for several months. I am hoping someone has seen this or has a definate plan how to troubleshoot it for the minimum amount of cash outlay.

[toomyg]

I had similar happen too me on a totally different card but same problem I took the card out of mother board cleaned contacts and reseated it!!! Why I don't know but it worked, Maybe this can help.


Tom

[jdeb]

Sounds bad to me, my experience has been when your display shows what your describing it is usually a bad card. The above post by toomyg is good start, you might want to try it in another PC if you have one. There should be a lifetime warranty on that card, here is the link...http://www.xfxforce.com/en-us/Help/Support/WarrantyInformation.aspx?ispreview=true.

[not important]

Sounds lime a dying card to me also but it never hurts trying remove clean and reinstall.
As I understand it, the warranty is only good if the card was registered within 30 days of purchase.

[UncleS]

Well the removal and reseat didn't fix it. Looks like I go shopping for a new card I really can't afford. To bad that great warranty wasn't available when I bought this card and built this system.

[UncleS]

Well it's official - it was the video card. The card I ordered from Newegg on Sunday arrived today and everything works with the new card installed. A new problem arose during install however. The plastic lock that holds the card onto the motherboard broke off while removing the old card. Everthing is fine now but will this cause a problem down the road?

[not important]

The broken latch should not cause any problems. I've got one with a broken latch that has been going strong for almost a year.