New MSI 6600GT - full screen "flicker"

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adama0

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I recently purchased an MSI 6600GT AGP card. It seems to work well generally, but I am noticing an occasional screen "flicker", in which the whole screen seems to blink (almost like it is losing the video signal entirely) for a split second -- this can happen every few minutes or yet more rarely; or sometimes 3 or 4 times in the space of a minute or two (and possibly more frequently when I am scrolling a lot in a page, etc., but I'm not sure about that).

This is with my new 2405FPW monitor over DVI, but I first noticed it with the 2005 I was trying out, and I am pretty darn sure it also happened with my old 19" CRT over VGA (with the new card) while I was waiting for the 2405 to arrive, so it isn't the monitor.

A possibly unrelated detail -- I also notice a sort of soft rattling or buzzing sound coming from (I think) the video card when I scroll certain web pages (e.g. hard forum). In an Adobe Acrobat window, if I hold the mouse button down in the page, I get this sound continually. Not sure if this normal for these newer cards or not (since I've seen reference to how silently cards do or don't run -- this one is supposed to be pretty quiet -- I suppose this might be what they mean...).

My system is an old Dell 8100 (powerleaped to 2.6 GHz), so the interface is 4x AGP. One suspect in my mind is the power supply -- I have the stock Dell 250 watt power supply, which supposedly are a fair bit more powerful than they are rated, closer to 330 watts, but I suppose it might still not be enough. Could this be a symptom of insufficient system power? Should I be suspicious of the card itself, maybe ask for a replacement? (I can even return it altogether by Monday, minus restocking fee...) Or is there a setting of some sort with which I might try fix the problem?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

--Adam
 
If you have access to a different power supply it wouldn't hurt to try the other one.

I don't think that noise is coming from the video card. The only noise you'll hear from the video card is the sound of the fan dying if there's a problem.
 
my MSI FX 5200 does the same thing i think, or at least it sounds like the same thing. 5200 doesnt have a molex and certainly is not getting not enough power so...


for me it seems like the screen kind of lights up a little bit and then goes back to normal
 
shoes said:
my MSI FX 5200 does the same thing i think, or at least it sounds like the same thing. 5200 doesnt have a molex and certainly is not getting not enough power so...

for me it seems like the screen kind of lights up a little bit and then goes back to normal
Click to expand...

"molex"? I presume that is something on the card that requires more power, or maybe the separate power connector on the card... In any case, I suppose that would rule out the power supply, if we were in fact seeing the same thing. Of course, we might be having entirely different issues. For me it's definitely a "flicker" of sorts. Still, it is interesting that yours is also an MSI.
 
kirbyrj said:
If you have access to a different power supply it wouldn't hurt to try the other one.

I don't think that noise is coming from the video card. The only noise you'll hear from the video card is the sound of the fan dying if there's a problem.
Click to expand...

I don't have access to a different power supply, unfortunately. :( I'll buy one if I have to, but these old Dell motherboards have a proprietary power supply connector, so you can't just get any standard power supply -- have to pay bigger bucks for a compatible supply.

Re the noise, I certainly never noticed this sound in the past, before putting in the card (I'm pretty certain I would have); but further, where else could it be coming from? I'm open to suggestions :). (For kicks, I tried plugging the mouse into a USB port -- currently is in PS2 -- and even a different mouse, but no difference.)

It does sound reminiscent of a scraping fan noise, as you suggest -- but why would it make noise only in certain contexts? I was thinking that maybe Acrobat does some sort of window refreshing in response to mouse lbutton messages, and the redrawing was leading to vid card work -- but if it's the fan, shouldn't the fan on the vid card be running constantly?

Maybe the fan on this thing is faulty (in addition to the screen blink issue, which is the main one -- I can live with the mouse noise).

--Adam
 
The noise has to be some sort of crossover noise on a speaker channel or something. I think I know the kind of noise you're talking about, but I cannot imagine it comes from the video card. Internal case speaker maybe? Try taking the case off and have someone move the mouse where you know it will make noise and get down really close and take a listen again.

Ah yes, the proprietary power supply. Just to make sure it isn't the card, I would take it back and swap it for a new one (maybe no restocking fee for that). If you have the same problems, it is probably power related. And yes, a molex connector is the 4 pin connector used to power CD-Roms and the like. Some cards like the 9800Pro and above needed additional power from a molex plugged into it. 6600GT shouldn't need it, but I'm not sure about the AGP version. I have the PCI-E one.
 
No internal case speaker, but I suppose I can try listening closer without the case on.

The AGP 6600GT does have a separate molex power connector -- PCIe probably supports more power directly through its own interface.

I probably will return it (to newegg, not "taking it back", unfortunately, which is why I was hoping not to) -- it should be under warranty, so probably I shouldn't have to pay a restocking fee to swap for the same item. Gonna have to go back to my GeForce2 MX400 in the meantime, wonder if it will run 1920x1200 at all. Argh.
 
Well, I just bought an eVGA 6800 LE -- 256MB! -- for $229 (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=322717). Not as snappy as the 6600GT stock, but I'm reading that with good fortune they can often be unlocked to 12 or even 16 pipes, and more shaders, which boosts it past the 6600GT. Wouldn't make the difference for me per se, but given that it is also 256MB, now that I've got this big-a$$ 1920x1200 display, figure the extra MB is a good idea down the road. (Then again, with an old 400MHz FSB and 768 MB of PC800 RDRAM, it may make no difference...)

Will return the (possibly faulty) 6600GT, and probably get a new power supply to be on the safe side anyway.

--Adam
 
If you're going to unlock pipes and turn that card into a more powerful one (likely it will do so), you very well might run into the same problem since it might be power related :). Definitely get the new powersupply (and a new motherboard while you're at it :) ).
 
Yes, I'm going to get the power supply (410W, 450 peak), much as I hate to sink another $100 into this machine.... :( Sure, a new mobo would be good :), but this is a Dell Dimension 8100, not really feasible or worth it. I am mostly trying to extend the life of this thing for a couple of years because I *hate* setting up new systems, installing all of my sw, etc., just a process that I'd like to postpone for a while yet.

I hope the 6800 LE pipe opening goes well! If it doesn't, I'll no doubt wish I'd just gotten a replacement 6600GT (especially with all of the software MSI throws in, plus VIVO), but with 256MB on board, with this large display, figured it is worth the risk.

--Adam
 
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