any tech heads know what this is?

[the lone gunman]

my pc keeps freezing for about 30 seconds and the screen does this (see pic) then after 30 seconds or so the my monitor go's off then back on and then all is ok. is it a video card problem?

specs:
sempron 2600
nvidia 6600 GT
1gig ram
maxtor 160gig

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f48/square1060/pcproblem.jpg

only got 1 pic of the problem and its real small but if you look close you can see lots of lines across the page all the way down to about just over half way

[Fark_Maniac]

looks to me like a video card overheating or bad memory....or memory overheating.

[the lone gunman]

well it did start happening after i bought my 6600gt

[HHunt]

well it did start happening after i bought my 6600gt

How long after?
Have you overclocked it or anything?
Is it hot?

[the lone gunman]

no i have never OC'ed anything in my life. it started about 3 days after buying it new. its running at about 30-31 when it happens. my case is a lian-li pc-v1000 plus

[dwilson041781]

power supply weak? looks like video card for sure, interference? any thing else close to in case?

[HHunt]

Does it also feel cool?
If there's nothing else obviously wrong (puny PSU, airflow completely blocked), it's probably RMA time.

[the lone gunman]

well i did think it maybe its my PSU as its only a generic 300w and my 6600gt does take extra power via a molex + i have sound card, 2 opticals and the HDDs

[the lone gunman]

no its quite cool. whats RMA?

[dwilson041781]

RMA=new replacement, though u will probably pay shipping.

[Aratech]

no its quite cool. whats RMA?

Return Materials Authorization is used to refer to all returned product, whether authorized or not. RMA administration typically requires the company receiving the goods to identify the product, verify its condition, and then reimburse or replace it.

[HHunt]

Or, practically put:
Contact the company that made the card, go through some procedure to verify that yes, it seems to be broken, get a number, pack the card up, write the number on the box, ship it to them, and get a replacement mailed ... later.

[Fark_Maniac]

if you want to see if your psu is failing/having a hard time...go into your bios and on one of the screens (PC Health on mine) will display all the rails the psu is putting out.

[kdheads]

better yet if you recently purchased it from a local store, return it for an exchange. That is if you are still within your time frame for doing so, otherwise its RMA

[duby229]

Dude your power supply isnt pushing enough jiuce. I cant think of any 300w supply that can feed a modern computer.

RMA the video card as a last resort. That may not be the problem, and every time somebody sends something back for RMA it just drives up costs.

Try upgrading the power supply first, and see what happens.

[Fark_Maniac]

Dude your power supply isnt pushing enough jiuce. I cant think of any 300w supply that can feed a modern computer.

A 300w psu w/ 18 - 20amps on the 12v rail would do the job for a modern computer...
with a 2600 sempron and 6600...not exactly the most modern.

[Fark_Maniac]

...

[duby229]

A 300w psu w/ 18 - 20amps on the 12v rail would do the job for a modern computer...
with a 2600 sempron and 6600...not exactly the most modern.

Still I've had socket A systems come in with 300w supplies that were replaced and worked great after. Nothing wrong with the supply, except it couldnt push the load. I've seen way too many times that the power supply was the problem.

[the lone gunman]

well the card is only 3 weeks old and still under garrentee. so i could take it back to the store. the 6600gt is made buy pixelview and was bought from microdirect.co.uk which so happens to be in my town so retuning it will not be a problem.
may try the PSU upgraid 1st if that doesnt work ill have to take the card back i think :confused:

[HHunt]

Yes, that sounds about right.
Could you borrow a better PSU from someone you know, or try your card in their computer?
(So you don't spend money on a PSU only to find out that it's the card that's broken.)

[Deimos]

Would it be possible to disconnect your optical drives and any harddrives that are not required? that would be a quick and easy way to see if your power supply is not up to the job...