Monitor or Video Card?

[Phalconphixer]

Hi all... got a little start up problem... Running an Acer Aspire M1600 desktop with Vista Home Premium 32bit fitted with a Nvidia GeForce GT 220 video card and a Samsung SyncMaster 940NW LCD monitor.
At switch off our practice has always been to use the normal windows shut down procedure but to leave the monitor on standby; as a result the monitor has effectively been powered up in one form or another for about three years...
Over the last couple of weeks however, on start up the monitor screen just flashes repeatedly at about 5 second intervals, a bit like a fluorescent light tube with a dodgy starter. The only way to get a stable picture is to turn the monitor off and on again several times... Obviously I cannot log on until I have a stable picture... I tried reseating the video card and this made no difference, all of the connectors involved are seated and secured ok. I don't have access to another monitor at this time and am loathe to buy another unless I can be sure that the Samsung I have is slowly dying! Once the monitor does switch to a stable picture it remains stable throughout the operating period...

Any suggestions?
Thanks
pp

[Saab Dastard]

1) Do you (or a friend) have another PC or laptop to test the monitor on?

2) Does the PC have onboard video to test the monitor on? If so, you might have to remove the PCI card or adjust the BIOS.

SD

[lomapaseo]

Be sure and look at the connection between the monitor and the video card. A loose connection on either end could be the problem.

A swift kick to either end might disclose this.

[Mac the Knife]

Your monitor has a problem with it's backlight - either the CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) or the power supply/inverter circuit is dying (bad caps probably).

It is self-fixable if you can find the parts and have a little experience of stuffing around with such things, professional repairs are also posssible but may be more expensive than a new monitor.

Google "Monitor Backlight" - lots of leads and tips.

Mac

:ouch:

http://archive.espec.ws/files/Samsung-SyncMaster-940N-LCD-Service-Manual.pdf

[Phalconphixer]

Thanks for all the replies guys.
The motherboard doesn't have built in video graphics but was originally fitted with an ATI Radeon HD2400... This died on me about a year ago and I replaced it with the GeForce item.
I suspect the monitor is at fault here; googling Samsung Monitor problems and related subjects seems to indicate that blown caps are a known problem on this monitor model and some others too.
Cant do much this weekend in the way of further defect investigation but on Monday I will take the monitor down to my local repair tech and get him to check it out on a known good system.
We have had a couple of nasty mains power breaks in the last few days and I have a sneaky feeling that the PSU / Inverter unit in the monitor might not be sufficiently tolerant of mains voltage fluctuations and breaks. Time to invest in a UPS I think!

Thanks again for all the help and suggestions.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Had a similar problem. Went to the St.John Op. Shop and bought another one for $20.oo Problem fixed. It was the monitor.
( I know nothing about computers, but for $20 it was worth a go ! )

[Thrust Augmentation]

Any TV's with VGA or DVI inputs nearby, many laptops also have VGA out for an external monitor - either could be used to confirm/deny monitor or card.

I've seen quite a few video cards go this way with faulty capacitors - it's quite often as weather gets cooler that this issue appears, but when everything is warm there isn't an problem. The issue was common on GeForce cards (can't remember which generation) a few years ago & usually resulted in a solid tartan being displayed - no characters or images discernible, just solid vertical & horizontal lines.