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seldar · Nov 19, 2008, 08:17 PM

Ok so I'm playing a game an hour or so ago when my monitor goes black and the power light starts blinking as if its in standby or shut off. My computer is still running however. I hit the reset button it beeps a couple times and stays the same. I hold my power button in until the computer shuts off and then power it back up after about 30 sec. Computer boots up and gives me the message about a software or hardware error occurring and asks how I want to start Windows. I choose start normally and Windows loads up to my desktop fine but then the monitor shuts off again to the standby-esque mode, computer is still running again. Shut down my computer again and decide to have a look see inside as I'd heard a popping sound of some sort in my room earlier and I think perhaps something fried even though I smelt no burning or anything. Everything looks good inside, no acrid smell as is usually present when one fries a mobo or other component. I power up the computer with the door open to check how the PS and GPU are running. GPU fan runs fine but I notice on the bottom of the PS that the fan isn't turning and neither is the one on the back of it. This time no picture on monitor at all. So is this just a prob w/ the power supply needing to be replaced? I wouldn't think (and hope) its not my graphics card since the first restart took me to the desktop fine and its only a yr old. My PS on the other hand has some years under its belt and I know for sure those fans crapped out. Any ideas?

Scleros · Nov 20, 2008, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by seldar

So is this just a prob w/ the power supply needing to be replaced?

I don't know, and you won't either until the known bad power supply/fan(s) is replaced. If problem persists, then you have another issue as well. Start with power supply, it's also less expensive than anything else.

seldar · Nov 20, 2008, 08:09 PM

Ok I was able to borrow a new PS from a friend and install it, upon powering up the same black screen on my monitor. I suppose the next step would be to put in a new card to test that. Any opinion on what is more likely to have crapped out, graphics card or mobo?

Scleros · Nov 21, 2008, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by seldar

Any opinion on what is more likely to have crapped out, graphics card or mobo?

Speaking from my own experience only, the motherboard. I've never replaced a graphics card. But, verify the monitor, cables, and graphics card if you can before pulling the motherboard. Also, unhook the drives and any other unnecessary devices. Try to get a POST screen with minimal hardware configuration and then add individual devices back into the mix until it all works or it craps out again.

You didn't mention if the processor fan was turning?

seldar · Nov 21, 2008, 11:43 AM

Yep processor fan was turning just fine. I remembered that my brother's computer has a PCI-e slot on the MoBo so I took his AGP card out and put mine in, lo and behold no picture on his monitor either. I'm guessing this has got to mean the card's been fried. Only scenario I can think of now is that when my PS fans died the heat just built up to a point that something fried on the card... that card's an 8600 GTS and put out a bunch of heat on its own without a overheating PS to help it along. Guess all that's left for me to do is just grab a replacement card and replace that PS w/ one that has working fans