Installed new video card - getting weird messages.

[dana7210]

I recently purchased a RADEON 9550 Video Card and got it installed at the store.

When I returned home and plugged everything in I got the error message "SELF TEST Check your PC and Signal Cable. Monitor is ok." So I re-connected my computer screen and that was it. I would then get the error "60.0KHz / 75.1Hz Frequency out of Range Try Other Resolutions". I fixed that by lowering my refresh rate.

Now everything seems to work fine until I play a video games (sims2). It loads and I can play and then it just randomly flashes the screen black..and about a min later the error comes on "power saving enable. monitor will shut down" flashes then says "SELF TEST Check your PC and Signal Cable. Monitor is ok." I can't do anything but hit the restart button on the front of my PC in order for it to "fix".

ITS ONLY HAPPENING NOW WHEN I PLAY A GAME.

Ever since I've installed this new video card I've gotten all these messages. I've also ac ouple times gotten the message:
Also I find if I shut my computer screen off, and leave my computer on, when I turn the screen back on its very tiny..only using half the screen with black around the sides. I shut it off and turn it back on and volia..its ok...

I'm pretty handy with computers so I don't find a reason to spend the money to bring it in if its something I can do myself. Could it be the video cards loose? With that being said why do I only get that message when I play a game? I've been told it could be something as easy as re-inserting my loose video card, to a defective video card, to the video card not being compatible with my monitor.

Here are my specs..please let me know if you need to know anything else. Thanks in advance for your help!


Graphics Card Manufacturer Powered by ATI
Graphics Chipset RADEON 9550
Device ID 4153
Vendor 1002

Subsystem ID 0200
Subsystem Vendor ID 174B

Bus Type AGP
Current Bus Setting AGP 8X

BIOS Version 008.017D.033.00
BIOS Part Number BK-ATI VER008.017D.033.000
BIOS Date 2005/01/11

Memory Size 256 MB
Memory Type DDR SGRAM / SDRAM

Core Clock in MHz 250 MHz
Memory Clock in MHz 196 MHz

Primary Display Yes


MONITOR: COMPAQ FS7555
OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name DANA
System Manufacturer Compaq Presario 061
System Model PC139A-ABA SR1115CL NA430
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 10 Stepping 0 AuthenticAMD ~2083 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD 3.03, 09/02/2004
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)"
User Name DANA\Owner
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 146.38 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 1.12 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

Driver Packaging Version 8.162-050803a2-026336C-ATI
CATALYST™ Version 05.8
Provider ATI Technologies Inc.
2D Driver Version 6.14.10.6561
2D Driver File Path System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\{30ECAB84-0177-4890-9030-A429F9869989}\0000
Direct3D Version 6.14.10.0331
OpenGL Version 6.14.10.5279
CATALYST™ Control Center Version 1.2.2044.226
AIW/VIVO WDM Driver Version 6.14.10.6238