Most confusing problem yet

[Standpoint]

Don't know what to make of this. Heres the story:

I sold my brother my old computer. Here's the system specs:

AMD Athlon XP 2400
SOYO KVMP2 Motherboard
1.25 Gig PC 2100 RAM
Nvidia 6600GT

It ran perfect for me, and perfect for him for a month now. He never turns his computer off at night, and leaves it running most of the time. Last night he turns it off. When he got up this morning, he turned it on, and had no video. His monitor displays: No signal input. So he reseats the video card, no change. He takes out the nvidia card and puts in another PCI video card, a nvidia Geforce2. Still no video input. He tries an ATI all in wonder he has, same thing. So he puts all three cards in another computer, same monitor, and has no problems, full video signal. He then thinks its the motherboard, and tries all three video cards in the SOYO motherboard. No signal. He checks to make sure the monitor is good by plugging it to his laptop, and the monitor works fine. He then puts the 6600GT in the other computer, and now THIS one shows no signal input. Tries all three vid cards, and now same thing: no video input in either computer.

Both PCs act like they are booting fine. No beeps from either machine. He repeatedly checks the monitor with his laptop, and it works fine every time, so I don't think its the monitor. The 6600GT is relatively new, and worked fine up until today. Same with the other two cards, both worked.

Would it be the SOYO motherboard? If so, then why would the other computer experience the same problems? Im totally stumped, and really want to help him.

Any ideas?

 

[daweinah]

How many computers did he test with? I'm a little confused by your story

Sounds like the first computer (#1) had a problem with the 6600, so he switched it with a GeForce2 and had the same problem, so he switched to an ATI card and had the same problem again.

After that, he tried the 3 cards in a different computer (#2), using the original monitor, and they all worked fine. Sounds like there's nothing wrong with any of the cards, or the monitor.

Then he tries all three in the Soyo mobo, and it doesn't work. This is the original (#1) configuration right? It didnt work like this originally, but he tries again after seeing it work on the 2nd comp)

He plugs the monitor into the laptop to make sure it works (this seems redundant, because it just worked with the 2nd computer), and the monitor works fine, again.

Then he puts the 6600 into a 3rd computer? or back into the original one? or now I am thinking to the #2 computer, at which point the 6600 seems to break it too, and now none of the 3 work, although they did moments ago.


Ok.. well I think I figured out what happened lol. Sounds like you have a possessed 6600. Try an excorsism, and make sure to get the PCI slot too, since the evil is spreading through that slot.

 

[gerbiaNem]

Sounds like you have a possessed 6600. Try an excorsism, and make sure to get the PCI slot too, since the evil is spreading through that slot.

QFT, have a priest in the area?

 

[Stevennoland]

I recently had to replace the vid card in my wifes computer. Nothing fancy though. Pulled failing vid card, installed new one, powered up and nothing. What I had to do was before I removed the old card I had to uninstall the video drivers. Installed new card and viola! No problem. As far as the 'next morning not working' , I can't say. Sorry.

Steve

 

[Standpoint]

Thanks for the replies. It was just two computers he tried the cards and monitor in, plus one laptop for the monitor. I guess I can't figure out why everything would work in the second one the first time, then not work the second time. Also, I guess I don't get why the first one isn't working in the first place. Everything points to the motherboard on the first(SOYO), but then why wouldn't the second one work? Could the 6600GT have fried the SOYO mobo, then after putting it in the second mobo, fried that mobo too? Maybe it worked once, then fried the board? Either way all of the parts have been rock solid for over a year, except the video card which is only about 6 months old. It was rock solid, too, for me before I sold it to him.

Im thinking Im going to order him another motherboard, except Im nervous that the video card may take out the new one, too. I really don't want to order another 6600GT, since it is a lot more money, and the PCI vid card did the same issue, which makes me think the vid card isn't the problem. Unless it is breaking the motherboards.

 

[Axman]

I get weary of hardware that has a problem follow it. It's pretty rediculous, almost superstitious, but electronics are so mysterious sometimes. I'd much rather just shake a stick at it.

I'll bet your 6600GT is still under warrantee (two years is pretty standard) so you can pack it up and send it to the manufacturer to be replaced. Now that probably isn't the case for the motherboards, and that sucks hard. If you can find the exact same model and revision motherboard, you won't have to do a repair install on the Windows partition, you can just swap it out. The drawback to this is that if you're spending money on a non-upgrade, are you getting your money's worth?

If you absolutely need to get the information off that computer, (and can't get it out with the ol' "install Windows on a different hard drive and then copy the important stuff off the old drive" trick) well then, probably yes.