Monitor problems.

[OnyxCollie]

Help! I turned on my computer this morning and saw all these red lines on my monitor. I restarted and the lines were still there. When I switch the monitor setting, the lines will disappear for a second.I tried messing with the cables, but the connections seem tight. Is my video card dying? I had a Cannon camera that had a bad chip and the pictures looked similar.

Here's a screen capture.

[alfredo]

1. Macs had monitor problems, check for recalls. What type of Mac do you have?

[OnyxCollie]

2. Dual 1.8 Ghz G5

that I got on Election Day, 2004. (I spent the evening getting drunk while setting it up.) I had a ATI video card installed in it when I bought it. (Not sure what kind it is. I'm posting from a different location.)

I haven't had a problem with it until today.

The screen cap doesn't really show the red lines well, but it looks like little red bricks.

[alfredo]

3. What you might have to do it hit the Apple Forums or the MacNN forums and

plug in various search terms like "vertical red lines" then see what is returned.


Is this G5 a iMac? They had a LCD problem with screens from one plant.

Could your video card or RAM be bad.

[alfredo]

4. It's a powerMac. If it is the video card it will be easy to change as opposed to

an iMac.

It comes with an ATI Radeon 9600.

[OnyxCollie]

5. Finding one that's not too expensive is the hard part.

I found a 9700 for $60 on eBay. From what I have read, that'll work too.

I originally had a Radeon 9600 XT installed, but the cheapest one I could find was $179.

Edit to add: Thanks for the responses.:hi:

[alfredo]

6. Be very careful to make sure it is compatible with the G5. Forgot to add,

Check the RAM, and also plug the monitor into another computer to make sure it isn't the monitor.

[OnyxCollie]

7. Yeah, I had to do a lot of research to find one for my model G5.

I also zapped the PRAM and checked out the ram with TechTool. No problems there. I hooked up the monitor to my laptop and no problems there, either.

[alfredo]

8. Process of elimination. It would have been nice if it was the cheaper of

the replacement parts.

I had a G4/450 dual. It was a solid machine, but the video card was pitiful.

It's going on 10 years old. It's now doing duty at our local Democratic Hqtrs.