Can a bad video card burn out pixels?

[humble]

I've got some type of issues with my 7900GT. Vista just disables it (it still runs as generic) and its got serious artifact issues at times in AH. My 8800GT should be here tomorrow. I noticed all of a sudden that I have a few dead pixels on my LCD. One appears to be permanent but the other 3-4 seem to vary. Can my VC be burning out pixels???

[Mustaine]

I don't think so, it wasn't too long ago buying an LCD there was an "allowance" of 1-3 dead pixels and places like best buy wouldn't take it as a return. I am a bit out of touch with technology though, I'm still on a circa 1999 17" CRT

[Masherbrum]

I've got some type of issues with my 7900GT. Vista just disables it (it still runs as generic) and its got serious artifact issues at times in AH. My 8800GT should be here tomorrow. I noticed all of a sudden that I have a few dead pixels on my LCD. One appears to be permanent but the other 3-4 seem to vary. Can my VC be burning out pixels???

Uopn boot up on my XP Pro and old 7900GT I would get severe pixeling (if that's even a word).  They would range from blue, orange to gray.   When I got this 8800GTS KO, they went away.   I have only 1 dead pixel on my almost 2 year old LCD.   

[BaldEagl]

I dont think so but I've heard that you can use a pencil eraser to gently "massage" them back to life.

[Skuzzy]

Lot of variables here, but the LCD monitor circuitry should prevent over driving the voltage levels for the individual cells of the monitor.  The monitor circuitry will more than likely not correct the levels if they are too low.

Too low of a digital voltage level could show up as a 'dead' cell or one that is severely discolored for those cells that are sensitive to voltage level changes.

Something like this means the vendor failed to provide adequate control circuits on the video card to maintain the voltage integrity of the output.

[RTHolmes]

I dont think so but I've heard that you can use a pencil eraser to gently "massage" them back to life.

  sounds like a very quick way to scour off the anti-glare coating and scratch the surface. LCD screens are plastic, not glass like CRTs.  ive had luck just using my thumb to massage around the pixel and bring it back to life.

[humble]

The entire thing is a bit perplexing. Looking under the system/device manager in Vista it showed the card as disabled. I wiped the old drivers and tried to reload new ones and now it doesnt even show any display device at all.

It's showing up as a "other device/unknown device" and as disabled. Its working however...

I've got a PC Power & cooling 650W PS with a single 47@ 12V rail (or something close to that), MB is asus P5K-e which is flashed to latest non beta bios (mainly for the 8400 chip I'm contemplating). Have noticed the same things masherbrum noted (I think). On boot up before you hit the OS I have multiple blue/yellow/orange "pixels" {but they are way bigger then single pixels...more like big pin heads (1-2mm)...8800 should be here today.

[Masherbrum]

Have noticed the same things masherbrum noted (I think). On boot up before you hit the OS I have multiple blue/yellow/orange "pixels" {but they are way bigger then single pixels...more like big pin heads (1-2mm)...8800 should be here today.

Those are what I'm talking about.   They're larger than a typical pixel, almost to the point of being "blurry".   They will disappear with your new card. 

As for the drivers, I can relate.   When I put everything in this new PC and reused my 7900GT, I used the latest driver for XP Pro.   No joy.   Reverted to an older driver, viola, it worked and recognized the card.   

I still had that multicolored dots, until I got the 8800GTS.   

[RATTFINK]

The entire thing is a bit perplexing.

You mean... ""perpixeling""


I would think a card w/ toooo much power would do that to a weak LCD.

[BaldEagl]

sounds like a very quick way to scour off the anti-glare coating and scratch the surface. LCD screens are plastic, not glass like CRTs.  ive had luck just using my thumb to massage around the pixel and bring it back to life.

Just saying that's what I've heard.  Not whether it's right or wrong.

[Ack-Ack]

The entire thing is a bit perplexing. Looking under the system/device manager in Vista it showed the card as disabled. I wiped the old drivers and tried to reload new ones and now it doesnt even show any display device at all.

It's showing up as a "other device/unknown device" and as disabled. Its working however...

I've got a PC Power & cooling 650W PS with a single 47@ 12V rail (or something close to that), MB is asus P5K-e which is flashed to latest non beta bios (mainly for the 8400 chip I'm contemplating). Have noticed the same things masherbrum noted (I think). On boot up before you hit the OS I have multiple blue/yellow/orange "pixels" {but they are way bigger then single pixels...more like big pin heads (1-2mm)...8800 should be here today.

Not sure if Vista has the option but try installing the drivers the old school way through the Add New Hardware wizard and select Have Disk and point it to where you've saved the driver files on your computer. 


ack-ack