display problems

[jwhiz]

Hi all (in UK and elsewhere) from Canada;

I have been having some disturbing display problems since the last time I felt compelled to do a clean win98SE re-install.
I kept losing the resolutions I set in display properties, and was getting error messages for incorrect display settings, so I replaced my CT NVidea GeForce2 card with a DIamond Stealth S60 32 MB (both AGP).
Now, after the computer has been running for at least an hour, I have been getting the streaky red screen of the failing graphics slot (I had an all-integrated system once before - never again - and this is what this ugliness resembles).
HOwever, when I reboot, all looks ok.
Over the holidays, I switched monitors with another system and left them both running for a few days (the other monitor is 10 years old, and the graphics card old too!). Things looked fine on new monitor switched to old PC, a little blurry on old monitor switched to new system, but not the weirdess (I tried to match display setting as closely as possible).
When I returned, I switched the monitors back as the old one is a little hard on the eyes (but functional!). For a few hours I thought the problem might have resolved itself, but then the streaking re-appeared.
Since then, I have tried another from my list of not-spend-money-yet steps, which was to reset the BIOS to Optimised Defaults (the driver install on the new card seemed weird to me, requiring runtime files before it would go at all. I also did another clean install of OS with new card, since I hadn't got very far yet with reinstalling apps.)
Since then I have been too impatient to use PC for the tool it is to wait and see if problems reappear after screen saver/long wait between inputs, but I am putting off my Diablo reinstalls and the software to begin using my new old PDA, etc. while I try and troubleshoot this sucker. Today it has been on for about 4 hours, CROSS FINGERS RIGHT THIS SECOND, seems ok...
[This particular system, which I spent over $2000 CDN on paying someone to build for me 2 years ago, has been the final impetus to start taking hardware and other PC courses - it has always been a major disappointment, pokey and with far too many hangs. Keen on designing and building my own, when time/money allow, so I know exactly how it was built - the builder has pulled some stunts which lead to a certain lack of confidence! wondering now about possible AMD heat problems after reading other posts here - when look at BIOS, seems ok, less than 60 deggrees Celsius, have CPU off disabled because all in-Windows montioring programs I have ever tried, on almost half a dozen previous computers, have alsways seemed tempermental].

I keep the case clean!

Any thoughts welcome!

OS - Win98SE
RAM - SD DDR, 256MB, speed unknown (probably 2100)
CPU - AMD Athlon T-bird 1.4 GHz
Mobo - MSI K7T Turbo2
Video - Diamond Stealth S60 w/Radeon 7000, 32MB AGP
Sound - SoundBlaster 5.1 Live!
Power - 350 W, 3-speed fan
Sony CDRW
Samsung DVD-ROM
floppy
56 K dialup modem (PCI internal)
10/100 PCI NIC (Ethernet card)
Epson printer, flatbed scanner, Logitech webcam
Monitor - (6 months old!) NEC Multisync FE771SB (chosen because of reliability of older monitor, which is a 10 yr old NEC MultiSync)
Fans - Powersupply, CPU, case (new fan on case)

Thanks again for any feedback - all ages welcome!

 

[KGB-911]

My reccomendtions would be to scrap it, and start agian.

Win 98 is 7 years old (in 4 days)

It is too old to be much use - this is just a suggestion!

KGB

 

[muckshifter]

I'll only agree with KGB on the use of Win98 (it's 70years old, nearly as old as me) ... your system is capable of running XP, especially, if you doubled the ram. The K7T is XP certified.

However, it's more than likely a driver problem.



I would stick with the Radeon/NEC FE combination.



Ensure you are using the latest drivers you can find, not forgetting the VIA chipset drivers for the MB, these contain the appropriate drives for the AGP set.

 

[jwhiz]

Hi all;
While I'd love to relegate 98 to a hobbybeast, the 'real' version of XP is over $500, ack. (I can get the update version for a price I can afford, and may jst say the hl with it and do that in January...)
Doubling the RAM is also in the near future...have thought about upgrading CPU to max supported, which is AMD XP 2800, but at that point I might as well consider new MOBO, AMD XP 64 of some kind, 1 GB RAM, SATA drive...ad infinitum...stick with new stick of 256 for now, good point shifter-of-muck.

I have printed the 'destructions' for updating my BIOS from the MSI site...one of those somewhat intimidating things I have been putting off, but I think it's time...last couple of days, I can leave the brute on all day and do some work, but when I shut down/restart, a couple of times I've promptly got a BSD telling me there's some driver problem (will write it down next time), then when I 'press the any key', I get either a black screen or an interesting but useless variation of the desktop - with a clear and movable cursor on it...on reboot, ok again...

Heck, right now I'd love the good computer fairy to leave me a reliable system running any one of XP pro, Linux, Panther,...and will be taking a Linux course (finally) in a month...in meantime, need decent machine for dayschool courses (you'll be relieved to know that it's NOT in computers - Environmental Tech - I've been finding out the immense number of toxins in these suckers, and how sad we are in North America when it comes to resuce/reuse/recycle, etc.)

Thanks for, um, input, eh!
Any sharing of BIOS flashing tips much appreciated...
jwhiz