Hi,
Recently I moved and I had to ship my PC. When I connected it in my new place, I get a lot of artifacts and a distorted image in the monitor(see example below), which wasn't there before.

It only happens when I enter Windows. Both the POST screen and Windows loading logo look very clear and normal. Plus it works fine in "Safe Mode" and "VGA Mode".

I un-installed the drivers for the VGA card then it was fine but When I install them again the artifacts appear again, although the same drivers used to work fine before. I also tried new drivers but still the same problem.

I changed the resolution, monitor and even RAMs but still no use.


I'm using MSI NX6600GT-VTD128E card and my MoBo is Asus P5ND2 SLI.

I would try another monitor before digging too deep into the computer. Also note that some monitors use detachable cords, so make sure it is tight on the back of the monitor too.

I already said that I tired a different monitor. Read my post again plz.

Sorry, I missed that. Then it seems to boil down to the graphics card, or your power supply cannot support the greater demands during higher resolutions. Did you make sure nothing was knocked loose during the move, such as the card itself, or perhaps an extra power connection?

I made sure everything is in its place, I unplugged and plugged everythin back. My power supply is Enermax 600W, more than enough. I only have 1 HDD and 1 optical drive.

Then it would appear your graphics card is the problem - I suspect moving the computer is a coincidence - assuming the computer did not get bounced around during shipping. But, to be sure, and by experience, I know physical damage can occur that is difficult, if not impossible, to see without careful examination. Some cases do less well than others at protecting mounted motherboards from being "torqued" or twisted when abnormal forces cause the whole case to warp, or become "untrue" - that is, angles other than in 90° increments.

If me, I would unplug the computer from the wall and open the case again and, while observing good ESD precautions, I would make sure the interior is clean of heat trapping dust and dirt. Give each fan a flick to ensure it spins freely. Trace every single wire and ensure each is securely fastened. Under bright lights, inspect each motherboard mounting hole, card slot and cable connector for stress fractures in the surrounding area. Note that motherboards are multi-layered, with typically 4 - 6 layers of circuit runs. Some cracks are not visible without removing the motherboard and examining the areas with a magnifying glass and bright lights underneath. So examine your case very carefully for any signs of abuse - dents, any sort of warping, bent corner reinforcements, difficult to remove (or slide) hard drives, side panel fit, PSU mounting alignment, etc. You already replaced the RAM or I would inspect the RAM modules to ensure each is securely inserted and locked in place. Pull, then reinsert the graphics card to ensure good, solid mechanical and electrical contact. Route all cables to minimize disruption of desired front-to-back air flow. Consider replacing any flat IDE or floppy ribbon cables with round cables of the correct length to route to minimize impacting air flow. Check the connections again if wires were rerouted to ensure nothing else came loose.

With side panel off, connect to your power source (hopefully an UPS with AVR and not the wall) and power up. Visually inspect to ensure all fans (and in your case, the graphics card fan in particular) are spinning.

If still having problems, and you are sure this with supported resolutions, then before declaring the card bad, I would uninstall and reinstall the drivers. Seeing as how you already did that with no success, the what often works in those cases is to totally replace the graphics system, using a different card with a totally different graphics engine. For example, you have an nVidia card now, uninstall the driver completely. Driver Cleaner (not free) and Driver Cleaner Professional (free) are often recommended for that. Then install any old card from ATI, and verify sure it works. Then reverse the process by doing the same thing, only this time remove the ATI and start fresh with nVidia again. Note, some times, after running Drive Cleaner Pro, folks have then been able to install the correct drivers again, and resolve their issues (without installing a different card). The most lost is time if you try this first. If it still does not work, then start over and install the ATI.

I have found that Windows sometimes refuses to forget settings associated with old hardware, unless told to actually change them. This is done when totally different hardware is installed. This often works with stubborn network interface cards too.

Did you remove the graphics card and CPU's heatsink prior to shipping? Constant jiggling and bouncing about with big graphics cards and big after-market heatsink fan assemblies can, and does, damage sockets and slots, and can cause stress fractures in the board. Not good.

If it does not work with either card, then your motherboard is suspect. If one card works and the other card does not, in the same slot, then your card is suspect.

Sorry for the late reply, been busy. Anyway i tried a different card and it worked. so i guess my card is damaged