Is it Powerdesk's or hardware's problem?

[Big_Luciano]

I have a very big problem, i'm going to return my computer to vendor.
I've bought a new computer with PIII 450, Matrox G400 16Mb, 64 m ram Asus P3bf.
From three or four days ago, I see in games and while resizing windows some horizontal dark lines, that in games are evident in every resolution and color depth (i tried 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768). They are very disturbing. They also appear while i use Windows (98 SE), but only when something needs a repaint for example when resizing windows or frames.

What is this? An hardware defect or software fault?

I use DX7 and Powerdesk 5.30. Please help me!!

(excuse me for my bad english)

[Ed Braga]

Can I ask you? Do you have a trinitron picture tube based monitor? Like a sony or diamondscan?
These use an AGP technology and have 2 horizontal lines which you should bareley be able to see all of the time. This is the aperature grill and is supposed to be there.
Anyway just a thought..

Regards,
Ed

[Maggi]

Hi Ed,

those two dark lines you mention are not an AGP problem ...

It is funded in the production procedure from Sony for their Trinitron tubes.

Big L.:

Are those lines permanent or do they appear all of a sudden ?

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Cheers,
Maggi
________________________

Working Rig:
Asus P2B-DS @ 103MHz FSB
Double Pentium III-450 @ 464 MHz
4 x 128MB CAS2 SDRAM
Matrox Millennium G400 32MB DualHead
Nokia 445Xi (21")
Nokia 447Xpro (17")

Home Rig:
Asus P2B-S Bios 1010 @ 112MHz FSB
Celeron 300A @ 504MHz
2 x 128MB CAS2 SDRAM
Matrox Millennium G400 32MB DualHead @ 150/200MHz
CTX VL710T (17")

[SteveC]

You're not overclocking, are you? It sounds like it could be a heat related problem - try running without the lid (if you can do so without voiding your warranty). You could try forcing AGP1X too and see if that helps.

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Cheers,
Steve

PS: Some or all of the above message may be wrong, or, just as likely, correct. Depends on what mood I'm in. And what you know. ;¬)

[Christian Westhoff]

Hi!
This is definetly a hardware problem of the G400. But only the G400 16MB SH has this problem. Another member "SVEN" mentioned also this problem. He changed the card. It has nothing to do with the monitor or overclocking etc.
Change the card!

[billko]

IF this were a aperture grille problem (trinitron-based monitor), you would see two faint lines going across the screen, dividing the screens into thirds. This is because instead of a shadow mask, the screen has fine wires strung vertically, and the electron beam fires in between the wires. The two horizontal lines are wires that hold the fine wires in place.

However, I don't think that is the cause. You mentioned that this problem happens only when the Windows desktop needs to be refreshed (among other things). I would tend to go with the theory that the video card may be bad.

Bill

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People call me a computer god; I remind them that I am merely a minor deity...

[Big_Luciano]

I too think that the card is faulty. This because :

- my monitor is an old IBM 6321 (gonna change, anyway)
- i use a Asus P3B-F (no VIA chipset incompatibilities)
- i never tried to overclock it - i just bought it...

I'm going to change it, and i will see what will happen. Drizzt said that here in Italy there has been a whole stock of G400 16M OEM faulty, perhaps this is my case.

[billko]

Good Luck, Big L!

Bill