Tell me more ×
Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite

System Specs:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G31M-S2l (BIOS f8b - stock)1
Processor: Intel Core 2 DUO - stock cooler
PSU : CoolerMaster eXtreme Power Plus 460W
HDD: 1 x 640 GB SATA, 1 x 320 GB IDE
RAM: 2 x 2GB DDR2 GPU: OnBoard

Everything is on stock.

The artifacts/Scrambelled screen comes up anytime after boot. even when I am in BIOS Settings.

I have the following sensors that monitor temperature

CPU : 35
CORE #1: 50
CORE #2: 50

HDD1: 39 HDD2: 36

What could possibly cause this issue ?

  • Can this be because of a underpowerd system? I had once given My PSU for RMA(and they gave me a repaired one after a week and from its serial no I can tell that the one they returned wasn't mine) so I doubt its output.

  • or can it be because of high CPU temperature? I had this problem when I just turned on the PC with CPU at 46 C

I have tried :-

  • testing one memory stick at a time as mentioned here but that doesn't help..
  • Cleaning the dust on the board and CPU fan (without removing it)
  • reducing the HW to minimum
  • memtest86+ v2.6 - completed without any error temperature of CPU just after memtest was 65 C
  • reassembling the system.

But none of them helped..

  • Updating drivers is not an option as this thing comes up before booting into OS.

  • BIOS version is f8b(stock) I haven't added any HW and the system was running fine for the past 3 years.

Scrambled screen

share|improve this question
how long does it take the screen to freeze? since you can pass memtest this seems to be somewhat random. – Informaficker Jun 14 '12 at 18:21
the first time this happened my system was running for more thatn 24 hours.. But then next day it happened immediately after turning on the system.. – Nikhil Bhandari Jun 14 '12 at 18:40
I am now running memtest gain in the usual position of my CPU case.. last time my case was lying horizontally allowing more air to flow in than usual.. – Nikhil Bhandari Jun 14 '12 at 18:43
Just curious, is it words getting messed up or colours? 46 degrees is normalish - my systems run at that most of the time. PSU seems sufficient for the specs. – Journeyman Geek Jun 15 '12 at 1:01
I just added a snap of the screen have a look.. – Nikhil Bhandari Jun 15 '12 at 11:22
show 4 more comments

1 Answer

up vote 0 down vote

You have a hardware problem. It is either that you have a loose/broken cable somewhere, your graphics capabilities have been messed with, or you have a defective screen. My bet would be the middle one.

share|improve this answer
I just reassembled the system and I am testing it now.. If the screen/VGA cable isn't defective as the computer freezes along with the scrambled output.. – Nikhil Bhandari Jun 14 '12 at 18:48

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.