Dead Graphics Card?

Hello, i suspect i may have a dead graphics card, how can i find out if this is so? What info do you need? thankyou for your time.

 

hi
firstly what computer have you got and which graphics card model number,nvidia or ati.
have you got vertical lines down part of your screen?
what happens when you turn the computer on.
the more info you can give the better we can advise.

 

What makes you think so?

Edit: Somehow I missed the first answer... hmm. MrDJ is right, the more info the better.

 

I've had a few graphics cards crap out on me, so I would like more info so I can better assist you.

 

right right, lol, but i can tell you that it has a black factory paint job and a webcam with a 17" screen and that doesn't really get us anywhere now does it, lol. ok, it is an alienware m9700i, i believe. I am pretty sure it is an nvidia, although i am not sure what type of nvidia card it is. There is only one card, it was not set up with dual vidcards.

Once upon a time i had a guy i knew take a look at it who dabbled at computer repair on the side that i am no longer intouch with. he said the graphics card was burnt out. I have opened it up and it doesn't LOOK burnt or anything, although im pretty sure that was just a metaphor, which would make sense because it stopped working right around the time i had some very lousy roommates who CONSTANTLY used it 24/7, not even exagerating, so i am thinking that may have played a role in it, yes?

After looking around on here, i have managed to locate and identify the video card, however, where the brand logo and model info i believe are, there is some sortof sticky stickyness.

This is another question that i have, what is this goo? Is this the thermal paste i keep reading about? It is white, if that makes a difference. Will I need more when i finally reinstall a working card? Along with the goo, there appear to be some square orange plastic filaments, two of them to be precise on the card. What would these be?

I have heard of and read about "baking" and i do not believe i will try it. One, my oven's control dial has pretty much 3 settings, on, more on, and off, although you can turn it to whatever temp one wishes, i just dont think it is reliable enough for this. Two, from what i have read, yes, it works, but it appears that it is more often than not luck as to wheather or not is is a permanent fix, temporary fix, or permanent failure.

i don't believe i ever did encounter any "artifacts"? any lines going up or down or side to side on the screen, is that what these are? no, never did. Instead, my screen refused to come to life. Invariably at first, but now, it does not ever seem to come on. I can't recall the last time it DID come on actually.

Ok, where can we go from here? once again, thankyou for your patience.

 

pictures pictures and more pictures. if you can take a pic of the goo and the inside of the lappy.
also if its an alienware then it would be better posting in the AW thread on here instead of the gaming thread where you might get more advice.

 

Only way to know for sure is if there is visible damage to the card/components/paste, and if you can't get a signal to an external monitor. Otherwise you have to consider that your laptop screen might be dead, or a loose connection.

Unless you find out it is an NV 8xxx (like an 8800) - those are bad news and the chances of the card being dead are relatively high :/

 

8800gtx or rebadged 9800GT cards arent bad news. yes quite a few peoples cards have died but compared to the thousands or hundreds of thousands sold worldwide this is only a very small % and like any component that gives off excessive amounts of heat they will never last forever.

my 9800GT is almost 3 years old now and still going strong.

 

Unless you see any problems I wouldn't worry about it. Is the laptop really warm? Does the fan sound like its staying on for longer? Do the polygons in the game distort stretch or change in any way? are there lines or weird colors on the screen? If no to any of these, your laptop is still fine but Id advice you to do the following

Get new goo (Thermal Paste) for the video card, sounds like you've taken the heast sync off the gpu and messed with the paste job, a repaste is needed. Second, get a can of compressed are and blow the dust out. after that if you have any problems like a black screen or anything listed above then you will need to "bake" the card.


Oops didnt read all your post, you aren't getting a screen, like the other poster above said try plugging it into an external monitor, is your laptop booting up at all or is there no power?

 

ok, well, i posted this here because this part of the forum deals with software and graphics cards, correct? I mean, though my computer IS an alienware, im not necessarily asking an alienware question. Or, is this sorta like, what graphics card is better? will this game work with this graphics card?regardless, at first i was absolutely HORRIFIED at the thought that my screen might be dead instead of an internal component as i would think that would cost FAR more money to replace, assuming a dead screen is even worth replacing. Then i began plugging it into other monitors, computers, the tv, same gig, nothing.

When I start it up, the lights light up, it starts making normal startup noises and it USED to go into windows, i know, id hear the, the, well you know? its been so long i dont remember what it used to sound like, but it did. All this with a lifeless screen. Now it doesnot go into windows. Or maybe the volume is muted and i can't tell.

As i said, ive opened it up and there is no visible damage at all. The goo looks like elmers glue, or white wood putty, looks factory applied and not smudged around at all so it shouldn't be "messed up" i wouldnot think, however, the seal has been seperated so i can visualize a necessity for reapplying new compound.
Regardless, at this point, im still just trying to isolate what the problem is really. I suspect that i may have a bad graphics card, but i do not know, so that is what i am trying to find out. i am going to reopen it up, pretty simple process NOW, lol, and see if i can't make out the numbers. ok, back after i get out my toolbag full of toys...

 

Ok sounds more like a power supply now, does your cable have a light on it? does it show its getting power to the system, does it turn on then turn off?

 

are you referring to the AC adapter that came with it to charge it up? that cable? yes there is a light on it that shows constant green as soon as it is plugged into the wall. Once plugged into the computer, the alien eyes glow blue, which i believe indicates that it is charging. Does what turn off? either one of the charging lights? no, they stay on. However, without turning the machine on, as soon as i plugged it up, the power button lights up orange and 3 other indicators light up blue, wifi, charging, and some other obscure hyroglyphic ive never been able to identify... the fans started up and then immediately shut off.

ok, took the card out and now i still cannot identify it as it does not really identify itself one way or the other, that is to say, no inscribed brandname or logo sticker or anything. In light of that, IM NOT EVEN SURE THAT THIS is THE GRAPHICS CARD ANYMORE HAHA! ugh, the only thing that i can think of is that the logo and model# are hidden underneath where the goop was applied, possibly. i have also included some pictures, one of the whole and a shot of each side of the card. The only identifying marker i can see on it is a plain white sticker with a barcode and some random looking numbers and letters. Also, there is an M for master on the other side.

well, it appears that the files are too big in some way shape or fashion and unuploadable. I have tried unsuccessfully to rezie them and save them in different formats to no avail. Is it possible i could email them or pm them perhaps to someone that might be able to offer some insight?

 

For the most part the GPU looks like a square card, search your model of alienware laptop on google and see what gpus came with it, then search that image on google and match it up, regardless your looking at a problem thats not a gpu issue, I think its something else to be honest, because its booting atleast , you'd see the bios regardless come up on your screen, thats not handled by the gpu, so its something before the gpu. Thats why i figured possibly a faulty power supply,

 

well rats and DOUBLE rats! ugh, ok then, thankyou. Do you know of how i could explore that issue any further perhaps?

 

Hmm thats a toughy, I can handle messing around with a desktop but this is a little different, the problem with laptops is , alot of the hardware is one offs, made specifically for the one laptop, so finding replacement parts is a little harder. Try a local repair shop, if not, phone dell and see what they can do for you. I know I had the exact problem with a desktop once, i just replaced the power supply and all was right, oh and then another time it was a crazy virus, but I could but into bios and eventually cleaned it off the hard drive.......

 

If you turn of the light in the room or go somewhere its dark and light a flash light or a lamp on the screen when the pc is on. Can you see anything? If you can its something wrong with the backlight. Most of the time its the Inverter board that needs to be changed which is the cheapest and easiest.

And the goo is the thermal paste. You can clean it of with some paper on some cards the name of the card will stand on the GPU. Its important that you buy some new thermal paste to put on.

Google the numbers you see on it.