Dell Notebook video problems

This comp started throwing BSODs with 0x00000050 and 0x0000008E errors today.
Screen output in text black screens is garbled with numerous blanks and errors.
Won't boot to Windows normally. Can boot to Safe Mode and Safe Mode with Networking.
As it boots to either safe mode, as the drivers are loading, that text screen has errors and missing columns of text.
Safe modes have bands of faint splotchy yellow bars that go completely across the screen.
Have reloaded Nvidia drivers from Dell and reloaded chipset drivers.
No effect on output, still garbled.
Had a chat session with Dell support (comp still under warranty), he also reloaded video and chipset drivers. No effect.
I'm thinking a problem with the video adapter that needs replacing.
Dell wants to do a restore back to factory default. I'm backing up everything to external hard drive just in case.
Any ideas?

Notebook Specs - 1 year old
DEll Inspiron 9400/E1705
XP SP2 updated
2.16 Ghz Intel
1 Gig RAM DDR2 667
Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS 256 MB

 

Yeah- I think it's a hardware problem. Either bad video chip, bad video memory, or bad system memory. The system memory is the only user replaceable part of the three, so try a new RAM chip if you or a friend has an extra. Otherwise, send it to Dell for warranty repair or replacement. If the display problems appear right away when you turn on the PC, then it's definitely not a software issue.

 

Thanks for the response dlb.
That's what I was thinking but I'm playing the game since it's still under warranty.
Restored this morning and wonder of wonders, it still has problems.
Running memtest just to make sure it's not RAM. 1.5 hours and no errors yet.
Will run it all day until tech calls back this afternoon and see what he says.
(Gotta find the shipping box, I think.):banghead