Monitor or video card...or worse?

ThinkingManNeil

ThinkingManNeil

Charter Member
Need some troubleshooting advice. I'm running a 4-5 year old Dell Studio XPS 9000 PC with an AMD Radeon 5450 1GB video card with Windows 7 64-bit hone Premium, but my monitor is a 19-inch CRT from my previous Dell set-up, a smaller Windows XP system that would be at least 10 years old now. Everything's been fine until this evening when I turned my system on after coming back from an afternoon's errands. There's now a distinct colour shift in everything: reds are almost black, pinks are now blue, white lettering and type have a distinct cyan cast (not as pronounced on all-white pages, but it's there, and yellows are over saturated. I tried fiddling with the monitor's manual settings, and that helped - all colours appeared normal - but then the screen would shimmer a bit and the problem would reappear. So I'm wondering what the problem might be? A clunky, old monitor that's maybe seen it's day? A video card ready to give up the ghost? Or something worse and more systemic to my PC?

If I do have to get a new monitor, can anyone make a recommendation for something inexpensive but reliable? I'm restricted not only in budget but by space; my current monitor and keyboard sit on a long, very narrow desk that runs along my bedroom wall and then morphs into a large, 5-tiered bookshelf. I have to sit along the desk and the monitor is at an angle to the desk and wall along behind it, so I don't have room for anything larger than a 20 or 21" flat screen if that's all that's available now instead of CRT's.

Thanks in advance,

N.
 
My first thought is that I would look at the monitor before I'd think it was the card. CRT's are still out there I suppose but in dwindling supplies. The two flat screens (21") that I have both came from Wal-Mart and cost less than $200 (around $170 I think). You can find refurbished monitors for less than that at places like Fry's Electronics or Newegg. Also, given your desk space, a flat screen sounds much better suited than a CRT. IMHO!
 
I agree it probably is the monitor but just for kicks uninstall the drivers for the video card and reseat the video card...make sure it is very secure and reload your catalyst drivers. It won't cost anything and it is worth checking out
Ted
 
It's the monitor.

They tend to go either that way....or the cute one where the screen just shrinks.....eventually to a single pixel [really hard to work with].... or they simply 'melt-down' and take your house with them.

Dump the CRT and drag yourself screaming into the last century....with an LCD....;)
 
I also agree....
I have flat screens as well......My first flat screen was 36 inches, and worked great. I have since switched to a Projection system.....

Their are still some CRT's out here, But I have seen better res with flat screen.....
 
Hello to all...
Neil, Jafo is right in suggesting that you might want to finally go with a flat-screen monitor. However, you may be able to put that purchase off for a time. From what you describe, your CRT may simply need degaussed. Take a look in your monitor's menu options for degaussing, or see if you have a labeled button that will allow you to do so. If you have neither option, you can do it yourself safely with a magnet. There are videos on YouTube that will show you how.

Good luck! -Mike Z.
 
mikezola said:
Hello to all...
Neil, Jafo is right in suggesting that you might want to finally go with a flat-screen monitor. However, you may be able to put that purchase off for a time. From what you describe, your CRT may simply need degaussed. Take a look in your monitor's menu options for degaussing, or see if you have a labeled button that will allow you to do so. If you have neither option, you can do it yourself safely with a magnet. There are videos on YouTube that will show you how.

Good luck! -Mike Z.
Click to expand...

It won't be a question of 'degaussing'...that typically won't give you a colour-shift, but ghosting and/or burn-in images....that's a power circuit issue....normally a case of low output voltage not having sufficient 'grunt' to pull the beam offline to create the scan.....best seen if/when all three go gaga at the same time...and the image still looks 'clean' [correct colour] .....except it shrinks. The latter is a sign you are not going to be using it for many more hours/minutes....

As Cleese would say....'it's an ex-parrot'.....'shuffled off this mortal coil' ....;)
 
Hi Guys;

Thanks for the advice so far. I'm beginning to think that it's definitely the monitor given its age and the amount of use it gets, which is a lot. I mean, it's got to wear out sometime, right? And ten years has been a pretty good run for a CRT. The colour has shifted back to normal a few tomes, but it only stays that way for a few seconds before shifting back to "problem mode".

Tried degaussing using the controls on the monitor itself - there is a function listed on the monitor's own menu - but that appeared to have no effect. As for fiddling around with the PC's innards - a tower unit - I think I'll avoid doing that. My knowledge level is a good deal lower than most here and with my luck/fumble fingers I'd probably end up turning the whole thing into a planter for geraniums. Same goes for the drivers; best leave sleeping dogs lie.

I'll start looking around for an affordable flat screen.

Cheers,

N.
 
I recently bought a 23" ACER flat screen from Walmart after sudden monitor failure at night. Cost was $129.
 
My first thought was the CRT as well. One other thing though, I presume you're using a VGA cable to connect PC to monitor? Try disconnecting and reseating the cable connectors. A poor contact on one of the VGA pins can do odd things.
 
Unfortunately, I'm using too old Samsung Syncmaster 931c, while PC renewed
Yes that's right, the other day I thought my monitor is bad, then moved the VGA cable and now everything is fine
 
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