Nvidia video card problem

Well about 30 minutes ago I was using my nvidia 8400 gs (crap card, I know, but anything is better than integrated graphics right?) and I restarted my system. When I restarted I wasn't watching the screen and went to the toilet, I came back and the screens were on meaning they were getting signals but they were blank, confused, I restarted the system and watched the screen. I got to the log on screen and everything seemed normal, no flashing, weird lines or anything. I logged on then the trouble began. Bits of the task bar and my icons loaded, the screen flashed, went crazy and then went blank. Same thing happened a few times with the odd BSOD occuring. I switched back to integrated graphics and everything is fine, so the video card is the problem. I just don't understand why it's working on the logon screen and then died when I login? Surely it's capable of working?

I thought it might of been a software issue, so I system restored (in safe mode, using the nvidia card, so safe mode using the card still works?) but when I finished system restoring to when the card worked the problem still occured. So I have no clue what the problem is. I havent changed any settings from when it worked to when it didn't, it just started doing this. Any suggestions?

(specs if you need them
AMD athlon II x4 3.0ghz
4GB RAM)

 

Sounds like you might have one of those NVidia 8 series with bad solder. It works at the logon screen because the resolution there is low and doesn't stress the card, but as soon as you put any serious load on it (especially once the NVidia drivers are loaded), it fails. If you don't want to try to source a replacement, you could always try baking it ( Another link).

 

I would first;

Remove battery and AC adapter, hold down power button for 30 seconds. Sometimes that fixes things.

Reseat RAM/HDD

Test with known good RAM/HDD

See if it displays externally

Then take course of action. Basic troubleshooting.

 

This sounds exactly what's wrong with it. Thanks
Also might add emphasis on the problem, when i open the duologue to enable the text to speak things ect on windows 7 and move the window around really fast the card stops responding and goes blank.

 

Everyone who has had problems with an Nvidia 8-series card should have gotten some kind of settlement money from Nvidia. It's not fair that Nvidia 8-series cards have been bricking out of warranty due to a known issue and that nothing has really been done.

 

out of my stupidity I realised after posting that this was specifically a forum for laptops and saw that there is a desktop forum version. Sorry about that.

But yes I usually do these checks with my laptops and desktops and in this case have done it with my desktop and hasn't produced positive results. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

If it's a desktop I don't think there were any issues with the 8-series cards. Perhaps you should try checking your power supply out and if that doesn't work your card may be done for.

 

Care to elaborate ?

I recently bought the card (5 days ago maybe?) and have not heard this claim before. What should I do if the oven baking thing doesn't work?

 

hope not , atleast it's cheap though, but I'm going to try the oven baking method anyway as I have lost the receipt

 

Wait, so the graphics card having problems is in a laptop? Bit confused here. Anyways, the 8-series MOBILE cards from Nvidia are known to have an issue where the solder goes bad after a while and bricks the card. It is possible to fix said cards by baking the videocard and/or motherboard if permanently attached at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time.

I believe Dell notebooks had the greatest number of hardware failure involving Nvidia's 8-series GPU's. I believe there was some kind of class action lawsuit or fine brought about but I don't know if they extended the warranty on notebooks equipped with 8-series cards.

I think the problem extended to some desktop variants but most were not affect in the desktop market.

If you bought it a few days ago why not try exchanging or returning it?

 

Hmm I'd getting the exact same symptoms though as the other user said and sounds like I got an unlucky card :\.

I would return it, but as I said I lost the receipt unfortunately :\

 

Oh man, that's not good, perhaps the store will let you exchange the item for another of the same without the receipt? I know some stores do this.

They just use the SKU on the box to determine if it was bought at their store.

 

Oh, this is a desktop? I assumed it was a notebook. I don't know about the desktop cards, and haven't been paying attention to ATI processors in a while, so the processor didn't tip me off. Well, even if the desktop 8 series didn't have the solder issue, you could still just have a duff card. Seeing as you can't find your receipt, though, if less destructive procedures have no effect, I don't see how you'd lose anything by baking it, if you can't return it or exchange it.

 

exactly my thoughts it's going to get thrown out anyway since I cant do anything with it so why not!