Monitor or Video Card problem?

[Helevitia]

Problem: RGB Monitor flickers constantly with different tints of color(mostly aqua type color). Sometimes it randomly goes away. At first I thought it was my monitor, but now I'm not so sure. Anybody know of a good way to tell? I get no artifacts and I have no other problems like locking up or anything. Any thoughts? I get one or my new monitors on Monday, so I should know by then, but I would hate to have to buy a new video card since I plan on upgrading to a DX10 card in a few months.

[az]

I had this problem with my old Iiyama CRT; it was a bad contact somewhere near the connector (in the monitor, not the cable or plug). Does slapping the monitor on the side help? I never fixed it, since it only happened with some cable positions, so I just put some support under the cable.

[gt40]

Kinesocket - where the tube connects to the pcb is probably in need of replacement.
They will tend to oxidize, loose spring contact over time from all the repeated heat/cool cycles.

[Nicram]

If You use some remote keyboard or mouse, then check transmitter (put it more away).
My friend got some a4tech mouse that is remotely & do not use batteries. It uses some special mat. He ask me for some problems with flickering monitor. When we put this mouse mat away, the scren did not flicker anymore

[Evildead666]

Only valid for CRTs : You get that sort of coloration from non shielded speakers being too close also....just in case
Even the mouse mat, probably a magnetic or electromagnetic field generated...but still, not on a TFT.

I have a slight shaking problem on my TFT and i think it has something to do with interference of the cable, cos it isnt too good, and the other cables around it, especially the power ones...I have three other video cables there, to the same KVM and its just this one thats screwed up and shakey...

edit: if i drop the resolution, the shakes go away...from 1400x1050 to 1280x960 or 1280x768..

[az]

Evildead: Analog connection, I presume. Your TFT is probably out of phase with the analog signal. Some cards' output is bad enough that TFTs can't lock on their phase properly, and some TFTs are bad enough that they can't lock properly even on good signals.

[Evildead666]

Yup, all analog. these two PCs are identicalm and one has trouble at higher res than the other, the cable is the worst quality of the lot tho...
Have another cable, and at this rate, will be changing it very soon...

Works fine with the other two PCs...with a kvm, dvi is too expensive so far 200euros+ easy...

edit. On topic - A good friend of mines DELL trinitron is giving up the ghost, with shaking, and an extreme brightness problem (way waaaaay to bright), there are irregularities everywhere, moiring on one side of the screen, a slight tilt also...Could it be the beginning of the end ?

How old is your screen ?

[az]

My Iiyama was over nine and a half years old when it finally gave up the ghost. I still have to give it a proper funeral. Its picture quality was almost flawless till the end (getting a bit dark though, and it was never very bright to begin with, but ultra-sharp and with stunning colors). I think this was unusually long though, and it was expensive when it was bought.

[Helevitia]

Thanks everyone. Nothing changed that I know of to cause interference, but its always a possibility. I get an LCD tonight so I should know almost right away. BTW, I have both VGA and RGB connectors on the back of my monitor and both exhibit the problem.

[Evildead666]

Then its probably the monitor itself going sideways...
Its a shame, cos its hard to get a good crt these days, and the TFTs arnt up to scratch yet...

[az]

Some very expensive TFTs are actually better for color-accurate work nowadays.

I think you can still get a lot of CRTs on ebay, and for great prices, too!