HELP- graphic card damaged

[fab54]

Hi!

I have a Sapphire Raddeon 9800 Pro graphic card. This morning, because the fan was making a terrible noise, I decided to install the ATI silencer 1 rev. 2. To take out the old fan, I had to force it a little bit :-(
After plugging in the card with the ATI silencer, I turned on the computer and the image was all distorted, with blue vertical stripes across the screen.
I decided to re-install the driver of the graphic card. Big mistake!! After that, when I turned on the computer, I could see the Windows XP screen (which was still slightly distorted) and then after that - nothing. The screen was black.

I thought that I had damaged my graphic card, so I decided to use the old one (Integrated Intel graphics card), but it was exactly the same as with the old one - a black screen.

What can I do? Have I completely wrecked my computer? If anyone can help, I would REALLY appreciate it!

Thanks!!

[breakfromyou]

sounds like the fan died, and the gpu overheated...but maybe thats just me

[Schwarz]

I do not beleive and it would be hard to beleive that you trashed your computer.
But for your videocard you might have broke your GPU.
Can u start Windows in Safe Mode...
Try to start windows with both cards in safe mode to see if its driver related.

[Morguex]

Hello Fab54

Try updating your .NET framework (version 1.1 is the latest)
Goto to microsoft and get the update.

This may help as i had the same problem, when i updated the ATI catalyst driver to 5.11.

Good luck

Peace

Morguex

[Polaris573]

I doubt it's a software problem. Usually when .net framwork isn't installed it doesn't distort the screen catalyst just won't work. It's possible a static discharge could have damaged your card while you were installing the new heatsink. If updating .net framework doesn't work I would suggest putting the old heatsink on and trying to return the card under warranty (I beleive sapphire has a three year warranty). Do not mention that you tried to put a new heatsink on, just mumble about electrical storms or say it was working fine then suddenly died. Or you could say their fan stopped working and the card overheated.

[Morguex]

I just thought it may be that because, The last time I re-formated I did'nt have the updated .Net framework drivers and i kept on getting blue stripes with my 9600se.
Bought a x800xl since then. :-) :) :cool:

[ReconCX]

When putting on a new heatsink, it's possible you chipped the gpu. check the corners.

[Schwarz]

Hi!



What can I do? Have I completely wrecked my computer?



Very very unlikely that your computer is wrecked unless you did something we don `t know about but this only seams like a dsiplay adaptor problem.
Anyways like I said try to boot up windows in safe mode to see if its software related.
If not then like Polaris said put the old stuff back on and return it for a new one.
The only problem is that its the Holidays so you might receive it in a little while...

[fab54]

Thank you very much for your answers. I did some "test" this week-end and here are the "results"
- The BIOS screen (when I press F8 when booting windows) works fine with both cards.
- But when I start windows in safe mode thing change:
- with the 9800 the image is not that bad, there are some vertical lines, but we could worjk with the computer.
- with the inboard card (I changed the settings in the bios options) windows safe mode starts but the image is very distorted. We can guess, for example, that we are in the desktop but it's impossible to read anything.

- When i try to start windows XP normally i get a black screen (with both cards)

-I've noticed another problem, sometimes my computer turns itself off and then restarts again. And sometimes when i turn the computer it turns itself off, and then off, and then on and so on untill I plug it off! Do you think these two problems (with the one of the graphics cards) are relataed?

Thanks for your help

[infrared]

what thermal compound did you use on the new heatsink? It might be the case that there isn't a good contact between the gpu and the heatsink. This would cause temps to go quickly into 3 figures, resulting in damaged/dead card. In safe mode and the bios, i'm not even sure the gpu is used, so i've got my money on that being the cause.

Send it back and get a new one ;)

[Schwarz]

Ok heres a few things you can try.
Borrow a powersupply from a friend and try it out.
Because you are telling me it starts up for no reason.
I would doubt its that but still try it you never know PSU tends to mess up mostly if you have a cheap PSU.
Now then if you are getting into the BIOS and windows safemode it means your card is still working.
(Just take a bad flash for example if it messes up you are done unless you use a working card.)So your card isnt trashed completly.
Now when you use your onboard video card make sure you take off your 9800 out of there.
I dunno maybe your BIOS defaults back to the 9800 even if you use the onboard.
Go in your bios to set onboard card instead of the 9800.
Now if nothnig of this works put the original fan and heatsinc back on try it out of nothing happens return it for a new one...