Need PC help ASAP! Someone please! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

dualman7 · 03-26-2004, 04:57 PM

About 4 weeks ago, the fan on my Geforce 3 broke, and my pc would overheat and turn itself off. I found a solution by putting a real fan next to the machine, and it ran smoother than ever. Now today, my pc started going off again. Now the monitor would just go off, but pc keeps running. Monitor button which is green when on, turns yellow, and nothing i cna do to turn it back on. I am unable to boot into windows as PC logo is totally corrupted and discolored when Windows boots up, and as soon as windows begin to boot, monitor goes off. I am typing this to you from safe mode. Please help! What could it be, and what could i do?

SiN · 03-26-2004, 05:03 PM

Um, sounds like a fried gfx card?

a 'real' fan is no substitute for a proper fan...

Hanabal · 03-26-2004, 05:10 PM

the fans on video cards are hard to replace, but not impossible.

thats the first step, if you can replace it. and its not too late.

but if the cost of a new video fan is more than 20 bucks, just get a new video card.

never ever run anything if the fan is broken, they have a fan for a reason

dualman7 · 03-26-2004, 05:14 PM

Is that definately the problem? I don't think it's fried since it's running fine in safe mode.
I would love to hear some more ideas on what I could try.

PS> If you're right and it's gone......what;'s the best hing on the market now? I play alot of video games.

SiN · 03-26-2004, 05:23 PM

even if you replace the fan, you could've done enuf damage that your card won't live long anyways...

if you're used to a geforce 3, you may not need the 'best'...but there's lots of other discussion in the puter forum about 'best' gfx cards...

Hanabal · 03-26-2004, 07:13 PM

as it does work in safe mode, the card sounds ok.

but when you go into normal, the higher resolution and or any processing required probably heats it up too much and thats why you see a screwed screen.

the monitor light going yellow is because its not recieving any signal from the card. it probably switched itself off to prevent meltdown - most do that these days.

User Name · 03-26-2004, 09:36 PM

My cheap-ass Radeon 9000 came with no fan, so I screwed on a fan from an old AMD K6-2 onto the card's heatsink, and connected it directly to the power supply using a MOLEX adapter. I don't know if such a fan would be sufficient for a GF3, but it goes to show you that in case you can't find a real video card fan, you can always jerry-rig another one.

ChrisJericho · 03-27-2004, 01:34 PM

Yup, like others have said, the broken fan is probably causing the card to overheat.

There are a bunch of fans made specifically to replace stock video card fans. Check out some of the options here

http://www.coolerguys.com/productsli...categoryid=114

The Iceberg 4 has specific holes for the geforce 3 500, I'm not sure about the TT Crystal Orb.

Wyodiver33 · 03-27-2004, 03:32 PM

I would just replace the card. If you are on a budget, get an ATI Radeon 9600XT. If you have the cash for a 9800 Pro (Around $215 or so) or a 9800 XT go for it. Of course, there are nVidia options as well, and I am Not trying to start an ATI vs. nVidia war. Good luck.

Lasereth · 03-28-2004, 04:13 PM

It sounds like the videocard is fried.

Wonder why it works in safemode? In safemode, the video drivers are *not* loaded. Your videocard is probably using 5% of it's power. Of course it won't overheat in safemode...the card isn't even being used.

You might be able to buy a fan for it to save it, but it sounds fried. Just get a Radeon 9800 Pro for $200, or get an NVIDIA GeForce 4 TI4200 for $80.

-Lasereth

redarrow · 03-28-2004, 05:10 PM

You might be able to save the card by using a video chipset cooler, such as

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...110-102&depa=1

Just mix some super glue and heatsink material together and glue it on.

03-26-2004, 04:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
dualman7 Crazy	Need PC help ASAP! Someone please! About 4 weeks ago, the fan on my Geforce 3 broke, and my pc would overheat and turn itself off. I found a solution by putting a real fan next to the machine, and it ran smoother than ever. Now today, my pc started going off again. Now the monitor would just go off, but pc keeps running. Monitor button which is green when on, turns yellow, and nothing i cna do to turn it back on. I am unable to boot into windows as PC logo is totally corrupted and discolored when Windows boots up, and as soon as windows begin to boot, monitor goes off. I am typing this to you from safe mode. Please help! What could it be, and what could i do?

03-26-2004, 05:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
SiN strangelove Location: ...more here than there...	Um, sounds like a fried gfx card? a 'real' fan is no substitute for a proper fan... __________________ - + - ° GiRLie GeeK ° - + - ° 01110010011011110110111101110100001000000110110101100101 Therell be days/When Ill stray/I may appear to be/Constantly out of reach/I give in to sin/Because I like to practise what I preach

03-26-2004, 05:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
Hanabal Insane Location: Auckland	the fans on video cards are hard to replace, but not impossible. thats the first step, if you can replace it. and its not too late. but if the cost of a new video fan is more than 20 bucks, just get a new video card. never ever run anything if the fan is broken, they have a fan for a reason __________________ I am Hanabal, Phear my elephants

03-26-2004, 05:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
SiN strangelove Location: ...more here than there...	even if you replace the fan, you could've done enuf damage that your card won't live long anyways... if you're used to a geforce 3, you may not need the 'best'...but there's lots of other discussion in the puter forum about 'best' gfx cards... __________________ - + - ° GiRLie GeeK ° - + - ° 01110010011011110110111101110100001000000110110101100101 Therell be days/When Ill stray/I may appear to be/Constantly out of reach/I give in to sin/Because I like to practise what I preach

03-26-2004, 07:13 PM	#6 (permalink)
Hanabal Insane Location: Auckland	as it does work in safe mode, the card sounds ok. but when you go into normal, the higher resolution and or any processing required probably heats it up too much and thats why you see a screwed screen. the monitor light going yellow is because its not recieving any signal from the card. it probably switched itself off to prevent meltdown - most do that these days. __________________ I am Hanabal, Phear my elephants

03-26-2004, 05:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
dualman7 Crazy	Is that definately the problem? I don't think it's fried since it's running fine in safe mode. I would love to hear some more ideas on what I could try. PS> If you're right and it's gone......what;'s the best hing on the market now? I play alot of video games.

03-26-2004, 09:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
User Name Banned Location: Urf	My cheap-ass Radeon 9000 came with no fan, so I screwed on a fan from an old AMD K6-2 onto the card's heatsink, and connected it directly to the power supply using a MOLEX adapter. I don't know if such a fan would be sufficient for a GF3, but it goes to show you that in case you can't find a real video card fan, you can always jerry-rig another one.

03-27-2004, 01:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
ChrisJericho eat more fruit Location: Seattle	Yup, like others have said, the broken fan is probably causing the card to overheat. There are a bunch of fans made specifically to replace stock video card fans. Check out some of the options here http://www.coolerguys.com/productsli...categoryid=114 The Iceberg 4 has specific holes for the geforce 3 500, I'm not sure about the TT Crystal Orb. __________________ "A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche

03-27-2004, 03:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
Wyodiver33 Just here for the beer. Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Floriduh	I would just replace the card. If you are on a budget, get an ATI Radeon 9600XT. If you have the cash for a 9800 Pro (Around $215 or so) or a 9800 XT go for it. Of course, there are nVidia options as well, and I am Not trying to start an ATI vs. nVidia war. Good luck. __________________ I like stuff.

03-28-2004, 04:13 PM	#10 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	It sounds like the videocard is fried. Wonder why it works in safemode? In safemode, the video drivers are not loaded. Your videocard is probably using 5% of it's power. Of course it won't overheat in safemode...the card isn't even being used. You might be able to buy a fan for it to save it, but it sounds fried. Just get a Radeon 9800 Pro for $200, or get an NVIDIA GeForce 4 TI4200 for $80. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

03-28-2004, 05:10 PM	#11 (permalink)
redarrow Banned Location: i gotta go	You might be able to save the card by using a video chipset cooler, such as http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...110-102&depa=1 Just mix some super glue and heatsink material together and glue it on.