Dying Monitor, or Aging Video Card?

Hi guys, having a problem here. Last week my monitor began dimming, would remain so for awhile, then would brighten to normal once again. At the moment it's so dark I can barely read what I'm writing.

I've been through the monitors settings, 'Brightness' only distorts what I can see, nothing else affects the gamma/brightness. Been through my video card settings, they too, only distort. (Distortion as in solarizing). Also checked cabling, nothing amiss there, and nothing's been moved around back there for a good six months.

My question for you all is this: Does anyone know of a test I can perform that will determine whether it's the monitor, or the video card, dying on me? I don't have a spare of either laying around.

Monitor is a ViewSonic A90f (19" Flat CRT).
Video card is a Leadtec Winfast A250 Ultra GeForce 4 Ti4600.

Thanks for any advice given. Sometimes the obvious answer occurs to everyone who isn't looking for it.

 

Do you have a spare monitor somewhere? borrow from someone and just plug it in, if results are same it's your vga card or a setting in your software, if otherwise, guess what, its your monitor
It's kinda tricky to determine these problems so this is the fastest way is just to swap monitors

 

LOL forgive me for laughing

Does your card have tv output?,could try it on a tv,I think your monitor is dying.

HOPE you can read this

 

Yeah, I'd guess monitor too. It would be more likely. And really the only surefire way to test it is to try a different monitor. (or video card)

 

I think your monitor got problem by the elictrical spare parts with board, they have been broken.

 

There's nothing like replying to a post 8 months old. I'm a bit slow, you see. Thinking about getting an electric butter churn this year; I've broken one too many plungers.

Seriously though, thanks to those of you who replied in my hour of darkness. It turned out to be the monitor, not the video card. For awhile I turned the monitor upside down, and used my nVidia settings to flip everything over. That seemed to work, for awhile. Here it is 8 months later, and I still haven't replaced it. It still dims and brightens at its own whim.

I found the solution:
Raise your arm to a 30 degree angle while swinging it to your side, then with a mighty effort, strike the side of the monitor with the palm of your hand using around 45 pounds of force. Clears it right up. For a little while. Simply repeat as often as necessary. Hope this helps anyone having the same problem.

(Really I'm amazed the monitor hasn't exploded and killed me yet)

 

LOL thats funnier than sticking tape to the screen for a crosshair

Good luck with that