Video Gone Bad

[eskimo2]

My old Win 98 game machine was demoted last year to email, surfing and kids games.  Overnight the display went sour.  It now is flickering horizontally and a bit washed out, whites are gray and bright colors appear neon.  Text is readable, but I think I’d go into a grand mal seizure after about 5 minutes of reading.  I figured the monitor was bad, but a newer one made the same flickering.  I then looked for viruses and bad things in the start-up menu – a new kids game had recently installed QuickTime (I hate QT and uninstalled it).  Next I updated the NVIDIA drivers.  

Now I’m at a loss.  
I don’t want to dump a lot of money into this machine
I wouldn’t mind replacing the video card if that’s the most likely next step, but I really am not sure if that is likely.

What do you recommend?

Thanks,

eskimo

[Orig]

First, check cable connections at the back of computer. Also, the monitor may have a cable connection so check the back of the monitor too.

Second, if you physically moved the computer, you may need to take it apart and ensure that the cards are seated properly.  Take that opportunity to clean all the dust out.  Take the computer outside, take the side of the case off, and use compressed air to blow all the dust out.  Your wife/kids/sinuses will appreciate you doing this outside.

If it still doesn't work, uninstall/reinstall video drivers.  

If it's still toast, check for loose heatsinks, fans that don't rotate, loose power connectors, etc.

[WhiteHawk]

my vid card went bad with similar sysmptoms.  Try another vid card if you have one laying around

[eskimo2]

Thanks guys,

I put in my old Diamond Viper 550 and all is well!

eskimo