horizontal lines on monitor

[DraKon2k]

I had to format a few weeks ago and since then there's weird horizontal lines and other errors on my monitor(most of them once I install an ati catalyst driver), but I just can't find a solution on the internet. I can't imagine that there's something wrong with my gfx card because that was a matter of hours(before format everything was fine) and I didn't notice anything else change.

Core 2 Quad Q6600
HD2900XT
3GB of ram
Vista 32Bit Ultimate

[url]http://img219.imageshack.us/i/image200908170001.jpg/[/URL]
[url]http://img156.imageshack.us/i/image200908170003.jpg/[/URL]

Maybe someone else has had a similar problem and can help?? Thanks

 

[Murphy]

If it doesn't show up in screenshots it may be a monitor problem. Either hardware or driver. Maybe re-install the monitor driver, make sure it's plugged in completely and degauss it.

 

[DraKon2k]

it does show on screenshots that's why I actually posted those 2 screenshots! It's really weird because as far as I remember those lines only appeared after startup after I installed a catalyst driver, but before that there's already the errors @bios etc.

I suspected it could have something to do with Vista because it all happened in say 2-3hours and I didn't even really move the PC.

 

[KrazyKraut]

Hmm since it's also happening on the BIOS screen I fear something IS wrong with your graphics card. Last time I saw these errors my card stopped working altogether shortly after and I had to ship it in.

If you still have warranty on it ship it in, otherwise you could try to flash the BIOS.

 

[DraKon2k]

What do you mean by 'flash' the BIOS? And is there any way to 100% make sure whether it's really the gfx cards fault or not?

 

[Mahnsikir]

it does show on screenshots that's why I actually posted those 2 screenshots!

Those two pictures are photos of the screen not screenshot arnt they?

What he meant is try printscreening your desktop, then copy the pictures onto your laptop to see if its a monitor problem or a GPU display problem.

Though as KrazyKraut said it looks like its leaning towards the GPU.

Best way so see if its the GPU is to switch it with a spare/one off a friend and see if it goes away, I'd do that before attempting a BIOS flash (overwriting the 'key code'/BIOS of the graphics card, just google graphics card BIOS flash for more info etc)

 

[Dcode]

Try a different cable. DVI or VGA makes no difference.

Does your monitor have a OSD for changing the contrast, brightness, colour temp etc? If so press the button and check if the corruption is present over it. If not then get a new video card.

Radeon 5870 is out soon and you will want one.

 

[fiftyone]

Looks like the monitor is not receiving everything being sent.
Check to see if you have not bent/damaged one of the pins...

It happened to me once.

 

[DraKon2k]

I plugged everything in & out again and the only thing that changed once was the color of the lines.... I'll probably let me brother have a look at it later this day but I start to have a bad feeling.... what would be the best valued gfx card I could get? It should be min. as good as my 2900XT was(meaning I could still play any new games on high settings with good performance) and as cheap as possible and preferably ATI.

 

[SgtH3nry3]

I plugged everything in & out again and the only thing that changed once was the color of the lines.... I'll probably let me brother have a look at it later this day but I start to have a bad feeling.... what would be the best valued gfx card I could get? It should be min. as good as my 2900XT was(meaning I could still play any new games on high settings with good performance) and as cheap as possible and preferably ATI.

Your HD2900XT has died?
Looks like a framebuffer problem. I've had that problem with my 8800 GTS.

Like Dcode said, you might want the new HD5870 or maybe even the x2 variant.
It's a high-end card which is released this month, fully DirectX 11 and OpenCL 1.0 native.
Not that there are many DirectX 11 games out there except for OFPDR2 and DIRT2, but the performance alone makes you want one.
And like other ATI's they are usually good value.

 

[Mahnsikir]

Wait until the new Ati 5800 series is out and then either pick up one of their mid range models or a high end 48XX, depending on what comes out better for price/performance.

 

[Dcode]

I plugged everything in & out again and the only thing that changed once was the color of the lines.... I'll probably let me brother have a look at it later this day but I start to have a bad feeling.... what would be the best valued gfx card I could get? It should be min. as good as my 2900XT was(meaning I could still play any new games on high settings with good performance) and as cheap as possible and preferably ATI.

The HD3870 was a refresh of the HD2900XT, slightly faster and less power consumption. You can pick up one for next to nothing if you want something similar to what you have.

HD4870 - Also cheap and twice as quick if not more than that HD2900XT.

I would just check the cable and try a different input just to be sure. Don't waste money for the sake of it.

 

[Peter.Steele]

The HD3870 was a refresh of the HD2900XT, slightly faster and less power consumption. You can pick up one for next to nothing if you want something similar to what you have.

HD4870 - Also cheap and twice as quick if not more than that HD2900XT.

I would just check the cable and try a different input just to be sure. Don't waste money for the sake of it.

4870 is badass. I picked up a 512MB version right after they came out last year. It smokes through just about every game I've tried on it.

 

[Dillinger]

You can always try taking the card out, give everything a once-over with compressed air and make sure the PCI port is clean as are the connectors on the card and re-seat the card.

 

[KrazyKraut]

I have a 1 gig 4870 and honestly, I do not fully recommend it.

It's very fast, esp. considering the price tag. But the first one burned out already. The replacement works like a charm so far, but these things get very hot even when on desktop (72 degrees). Me personally, I'd get an nVidia 260 or 280. Somehow nvidia has proven more trouble free in my experience

 

[Rak]

I think it's dying on you. My 2900XT died last year with a really stupid problem: I couldn't play games fullscreen. It was a joke.

I returned it back and got a full refund. Which I used to get a 8800GT(better performance) with the quarter of the money and used the rest elsewhere.

 

[SgtH3nry3]

I have a 1 gig 4870 and honestly, I do not fully recommend it.

It's very fast, esp. considering the price tag. But the first one burned out already. The replacement works like a charm so far, but these things get very hot even when on desktop (72 degrees). Me personally, I'd get an nVidia 260 or 280. Somehow nvidia has proven more trouble free in my experience

I don't know. I think failure rates on both nVidia and ATI hardware are almost equal.
The HD 4870 runs very hot though. My 8800 GTX had CTDs when I enabled GeForce PhysX and the VRAM was bad.
It's the only graphics card that ever died on me.