No signal to monitor

I ran into a situation where I'm not getting any signal to monitor from my Gateway Desktop 509GE. I have tried a couple basic methods to get this to work, but have yet to have any luck. If any one knows it would be greatly appreciated. Im at my last resort before I spend $$$. I am removing the fan to put some thermal compound on the heat-sinker, but I wanted to know if it was possible to use turtle wax compound? Here are the steps I've taking.

1) Kind of obvious) Switch all off and try again.
Switch off the power at the PSU (switch on back), then hold down the ATX switch (on button on the front of the case) for 30 seconds to clear residual charge in capacitors. Switch back on.

2) Ensure that ALL cables are tight.

3) Reset the GFX card

4) Clear the CMOS.

Feedback is greatly appricated

 

Tim I'm afraid to say that the last-resort, but oddly the most common cause is Thermal Paste. Thermal paste forms a thin layer connecting the Heatsink to the processor. Both the heat spreader on the CPU (the metal bit) and the Base of the Heatsink have tiny grooves in them; the thermal paste fills these grooves and provides a Larger S.A. of contact between the CPU and Heatsink, thus increasing thermal conductivity that could mess with the monitor signal. I have tried different monitor, however forgot to mention as that would be a NO brainier. Also, apparently you didn't read the list of things I've done; as I mention #3 reset of the GFX card. I'm afraid that would be the graphic card buddy. I appreciate the insight, but it sounds as if your giving me the basics of what has already been done and apparently didn't know that thermal paste could be a resolution. In fact I just bough Thermal Paste and gonna give it a try. You certainly wouldn't use turtle wax....why? They have the same ingredients!

 

Thermal paste is only there to even out and improve the transmission of heat from the Processor to the heat sink where it is dissipated with assistance from the fan. Though bad thermal paste can cause a processor to overheat and fail causing the entire system to become unresponsive, changing the paste after the fact would not be a solution for repairing a dead system.

I would have a hard time accepting that Turtle Wax and thermal past have the same ingredients. Wax is intended to dry or harden to a shell where thermal paste is intended to stay in paste form. In fact, different kinds of thermal paste have different characteristics regarding heat transfer.

With regard to your system, if the Power Supply says Bestec on it. I would put the blame for the failure on that. They are one of the worst PSU's on the market. They will frequently fry the MB when they fail so if that is the problem, a new PSU may not solve it either.

 

Tim ok so I tired Thermal Paste and didn't resolve anything, however I plug the monitor into my laptop and was able to get working. I have had the Gateway 509GE desktop now for 8 years and doubt it to be the power supply, although its NOT a BESTEC. It's an STV! I'm thinking maybe graphic card or motherboard, although if it was the motherboard I don't think it would power on or run any of the fans. I have a green light in the motherboard if that means anything. What do you think?

 

Tim, why would suspect the graphic card, when the monitor is working on my laptop? Are you ruling out the motherboard.

 

OK so its one or the other, but either one should solve the problem......right? If so, thanks for all your help and responsive input.

 

Why not pull the video card out? Enable the M/B video driver 1st before you pull out the card. Shut down, pull the card, re-start. Then if the monitor works. You know the vidio card went south on you.

Why your thinking ither the M/B went south or heat paste on the CPU is bad and overheating on loosing the monitor. Is beyound me. I know on video cards, the CPU will take up the slack on using M/B memory to help out video. But, as you say the monitor is fine. No signal when boot up. Leads me to think the card went bad. If you enable the M/B video, connect it to the M/B port for it. Instead of the cards port. Works now, a vidio card prob.

You do have a built in video chip set. -> http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/5041/5041sp3.shtml

From what I'm reading here. You put in a vidio graphics card and disabled the M/B graphics. Correct?

 

Locodave what the f*%@ you talking about? Your all over the place there bud! You probably confused yourself...lol! Its got a built in video card on the motherboard. The only way to get the video card out is to replace the motherboard. How do you enable the video drive, if don't have a working monitor on this computer tower? I already stated the monitor works and we already know that.... cause I've plug into my laptop, so why are speaking if the monitor works? I know the video card is the problem. The motherboard is good! Never said the motherboard is NOT good or went south. Its beyond (correct spelling) me that you didn't take the time to read the post let alone your own reply and take the time to correct your miss spelling...yeah the red lines under the words means miss-spelling usually.

 

Hi,
Reality King so the on board graphics card has gone bad yes?? and you do not have a PCI Express graphics card (this type just plugs into your board) yes??, Just trying to clear things up here.
If that is the case then I would go for a PCI Express graphics card rather than replace the motherboard, it would be a lot cheaper and easier, something like this will suffice if you are not a big gamer.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/BFG-GeForce-840...782?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item2a0ed137de

hope this sheds a bit of light on you issue.

iain.t :major

 

My mistake on your previous post on reset. I read re-seat. Thinking you had another vidio card installed. So shoot me, or try to. I might shoot back. :-D On that I apoligize. If you do have a card, then yank it out. See if the M/B vidio works

As far as the comment it's beyond me. I ment I really don't know why. If the M/B vidio has a prob then buy a card and disable the M/B driver for the M/B vidio. Other wise they will conflict. Just trying to help, and if others here see a mistake I make. I'm shure they will correct me. You are probally frustrated on your issue. Been there many times on issues I've had. Theres probbaly 3-4 work arounds on any issue.

Nother thing I want to mention. Even though drivers are loaded for per-say vidio in windows. If you don't have the bios drivers for them to associate to it. They won't work. Did you update your bios to a newer version before you had probs? If you did, I have had probs in the past on up-grading a bios. So long and short, give as much info you can here on what you haven't mentioned on what you've tryed. Or not tryed.

 

I'm trying on my end David Just had to reply to his post as I've been busy the past few days and just read it.

 

I believe I have the answer to your issue. It's is a common problem with the gateway, hp, dell and other laptops, the black screen issue, is because the solder attaching the video card is bad and after a while of getting hot and cold over time (mine worked for 1 ½ yrs). The video card releases from the motherboard. I know for a fact that this is the case. I have repaired my gateway 3 times, the card is good, the m/b is good. It just doesn't stay stuck down, after heating up the solder and pressing it back into place. If you go to YouTube, black screen problem, you will find all kinds of fixes. The problem, like I said is, it don't stay stuck down to m/b. I got my screen back on all three times and was so happy, but then it came back.

I wish I could figure out a way to keep the video card attached to the m/b. If anyone can help us figure that out, will solve the problem. A new m/b won't work because it's a universal defect on those motherboards.

Is there an external video card that can bypass the defected card that won’t stay attached? They should have made it a snap on card.

Please give me your feedback, thank you

 

First off, when ppl are honestly trying to help you dont be rude, it tends to assure you dont recieve help in the future.

Ok on to your problem, we need to know for certain if your working from the onboard graphics or a dedicated graphics card, some things to try in the mean time; reset your cmos, remove and reinstall your ram, you mentioned you plugged the monitor into your laptop and it worked, was that with the same cord or a different one? start with some answers to these questions and we can move on from there.

And FYI your thermal paste can cause computer problems but not video problems, at most you would get it booted up and the computer would shut down when it reached its thermal threshold, no video from a cold start is another problem.

And thermal compound is made of metalic or ceramic compounds to improve heat distibution turtle wax doesnt have metal or ceramic in it, thermal compound is made to fill in the small imperfections in the surface to improve heat transfer as its heat transfer rate is higher than the air that would fill those grooves and pits if it were not applied so it is made to stay in paste or grease form under high temps, wax would just melt and run at those temps.

 

Reality, Lets start fresh ok? Ran across a few things in searching. What I was looking for and your computer dosen't have it. Was a diognostic partition. If it had it, you could of run it and saw if a hick-up in the mother board vidio. This is your factory manual.

-> http://support.gateway.com/s/Manuals/Desktops/8510158.pdf Page 56 shows how to acsess the bios on holding down F1 on boot up. Monitor pages 71-72. Ya, I went thru all 144 pages on looking.

Next is Gateways sight for your model. I was looking for vidio, bios. Walk you thru the steps I went thru on it.

1st one -> http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/5041/5041nv.shtml See componants? Click on it.

Next, -> http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/5041/5041cl2.shtml I clicked on motherboards.

Next, -> http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Intel2/102007/102007nv.shtml I clicked on driver downloads.

Next, -> http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/search.asp?st=pn&param=102007

Now look at the 3 vidio mother board downloads. If you use the F1 on getting into the bios Before you did this, you should know what they installed in yours. Navigate to the vidio chip installed. Type. See the diffrence? Southlake 2 or 3. Midway 2 or 2 Plus. Southlake and 2 plus, or Profile 5.5. All this will show in the bios. Install a wrong one and it won't be happy with it.

Now why I recomended a vidio card. If the M/B vidio took a dump. Why try to see why. Most M/B vidio is low mem. You can buy much larger vidio mem cards than whats installed for dirt cheap. When installed, it will take over the M/B vidio. You do need to disable the M/B vidio as installing a new card. They work for a while with both drivers. Pay attention on a new Vidio board if you have to load the new drivers 1st or later on read me's on the disk.

Then they start to fight. Get so busy fighting on who gets to be the driver, no driver is doing the vidio. If you un-install the M/B driver it will keep popping up on re-starts as Windows found a new driver, lets install it. A bios thing. Been down this road before.

Yup, I do think on posibilitys on what caused your prob. Look at computers like a tree. Componants have to work together, branches to the trunk. so if I seem like I'm all over the place. Just my nature on what if. By the by. I chose Loco and my name is Dave.

I'm a Locomotive Engineer, Over the road freight, passenger train qualified. I have to think outta the box every day. Perhaps Wild Flower Gal has your answer. Hope this helps you.

 

Hi Dave, you’re pretty savvy on these things. I have 2 gateway laptops that have the video chip detached from the motherboard, I either need a better solder to re-attached and not melt and detach, from overheating, or bypass with an external video card, which would be awesome. The bypass seems to be the easiest way, can I do that? If so, how? Also, I can't get to the bios at all, black screen issue and computer won't boot up at all, but when I re-seated the video card, it booted up fine, but as you know it's a big job to take it all apart, heat it up and reassemble. I was so frustrated the last time, I put it away and it's been a few months now, but would love to be able use it again, if possible. Thank you for all your great advice.

 

I've re-soldered boards before. I have 2 guns. A standard size gun. And a wood burning pencil shaped with a small V tip. The larger one can work but the tip is mostly too large. You just have to hold it so the edge of the tip is used.

Electrical solder has a flux rosin core. Flux is there to help clean any deposits. Acid core solder is for soldering sheet metal and won't work with electrical. Plumbing, copper joints use a non-lead type.

Getting a good solder joint. Heat the tip up 1st, touch the tip to where you want to solder. When the old puddles. Add the new solder sparingly. Take the heat away and don't bump it till it cools. When you heat up a wire, place the solder furthest away from the heat. Solder will flow to the heat when it's hot enough. 2 thickness of it to buy. Get the thin stuff.

Before you mentioned it, I had no idea of that prob. I've had M/B vidio go bad on older computers I've owned. I'd just put in a vidio card, windows reconized it. Have a few old ones laying aroud to try. I then went into device manager to disable the M/B vidio. No probs after that. Thinking the solder joints might of been ok and not part of the prob. Not too savy, just an advanced novice. You had a better answer on what might be his problem.