Computer problems

[epawtows]

Well, now the computer is on the blink. Got back from work on Friday, decided to blow off some steam playing City of Heros with Yvonne. About an hour in, the computer locked up. And looks like it was pretty badly damaged- worked on it well into the wee hours and couldn't get it to boot in anything but "safe mode

Comments

[jdunson]

While it's possible that a particularly perverse set of software problems might be able to do that, it sounds alarmingly like a failed / blown video card. Usual causes are heat-related, or less commonly power-related. Heat problems can be caused by failed fan (mechanical failure, clogged with hair, etc.), heat sink clogging / transfer reduction, separation of heat transfer system from chip due to thermal or mechanical shock, and various other things along those lines. Power problems are rare for systems that have been functioning for a while, but power supplies do age and if it was on the edge and got hit with a shock (thermal, electrical, mechanical) it could have dropped below what was needed.

If you have another video card lying around (older, etc.), try swapping it in and see if it behaves. Take the plastic cover(s) off of the suspect video card and see if there's gunk under it, etc. (blowing out with canned air might help, but be careful not to overspin the fan while doing so).

[smarier]

Sounds like a bad video card.

[epawtows]

At this point, we're pretty sure it's the video card. Swapped in the old one from the previous computer for now. Have a new one on order. Long as we're at it, decided to go for an upgrade (the old one was an Invidia 8800, new one is an Invidia 460). Also ordered a new power supply, as a doubt the factory supply would be adequate for the new card. Will ask Jeffreycornish over for dinner to install it. That's how we get most of our computing hardware upgrades done :-)

[mikec1157]

buy a MAC