Mobility Radeon 9000 color corruption?

[Clark]

I have a Dell laptop with the built in graphics. The basic video is
fine, but the colors are corrupted in that I have splotches of green
around things and through out most of the presentation. I also see
vertical red lines in the white scroll bars of a window, but not on the
window itself. Using the laptop for any type of video, such as photos,
or DVD playback is worthless. If I look at a black screen, I see specks
of green over the entire screen.

This only happens on the built-in LCD screen, with the external VGA
output on a CRT monitor being completely normal.

Does anyone know of something that would effect the LCD and not the VGA
out signal? I have replaced the LCD panel and will be trying a new LCD
cable assembly, when it arrives. Other than the cable assembly, I
don't know of anything that would cause just an LCD problem, but there
is probably something about the way the signals are produced that might
be where the problem lies.

Thanks,
Clark

 

[Augustus]

I have a Dell laptop with the built in graphics. The basic video is fine,
but the colors are corrupted in that I have splotches of green around
things and through out most of the presentation. I also see vertical red
lines in the white scroll bars of a window, but not on the window itself.
Using the laptop for any type of video, such as photos, or DVD playback is
worthless. If I look at a black screen, I see specks of green over the
entire screen.

This only happens on the built-in LCD screen, with the external VGA output
on a CRT monitor being completely normal.

Tried it with an external LCD monitor? Updated drivers? Get these from Dell,
not ATI/AMD.

 

[Clark]

Tried it with an external LCD monitor? Updated drivers? Get these from Dell,
not ATI/AMD.

It isn't Windows related, since it has problems during boot. Nothing in
the bios setup I can change to test.

If you mean an external LCD monitor using the VGA connector, no, but I
will. I did set the output to 60 HZ for the CRT, just like the LCD and
it was fine.

Updated drivers, yes, several times.

The problem started intermittently. While playing a DVD it would jump
to the strange presentation occasionally. Eventually it would not come
back.

If it is the built-in chipset, I would think it might be heat related
and possibly the chipset had overheated. But I am back to the VGA
working normally, so could it be that?

Clark

 

[Clark]

Tried it with an external LCD monitor? Updated drivers? Get these from
Dell, not ATI/AMD.

External LCD monitor works normally. That was a good idea..

Clark

 

[T Shadow]

External LCD monitor works normally. That was a good idea..

Clark

Assuming the laptops display is disabled when the external monitor is used,
might point to a power problem. Booting pulls the most power. Using the DVD
uses extra. Not using the display would save a lot.
Just a guess.

 

[Clark]

The problem is consistent now. It does not vary with power usage. Whatever
was going bad finally went, and has not come back. If the cable assembly I
have ordered doesn't fix the problem, then I must assume it is a motherboard
problem. I was thinking using the DVD was putting a load on the chipset and
thus, causing a heat build up.

I have taken the motherboard out and redone the thermal compound on the
memory chips and the video controller, but I think the problem is not
reversible, since nothing I have done has had the least effect..

Thanks for the input,
Clark

 

[PhxGrunge]

The problem is consistent now. It does not vary with power usage.
Whatever was going bad finally went, and has not come back. If the cable
assembly I have ordered doesn't fix the problem, then I must assume it is
a motherboard problem. I was thinking using the DVD was putting a load on
the chipset and thus, causing a heat build up.

I have taken the motherboard out and redone the thermal compound on the
memory chips and the video controller, but I think the problem is not
reversible, since nothing I have done has had the least effect..

Thanks for the input,
Clark

If external monitor is OK, then the built-in monitor is shot.

No driver will fix this. And it is not the motherboard, or both monitors
would have the same porblems.

 

[Augustus]

If external monitor is OK, then the built-in monitor is shot.

No driver will fix this. And it is not the motherboard, or both monitors
would have the same porblems.

He already said he replaced the existing LCD with a new one. The connecting
cable is the last likely culprit.

 

[PhxGrunge]

He already said he replaced the existing LCD with a new one. The
connecting cable is the last likely culprit.

I thougth he said he replaced the external CRT with a LCD for testing.

 

[Augustus]

I thougth he said he replaced the external CRT with a LCD for testing.

First post, third paragraph....

"I have replaced the LCD panel and will be trying a new LCD
cable assembly, when it arrives. "

 

[Ken Maltby]

First post, third paragraph....

"I have replaced the LCD panel and will be trying a new LCD
cable assembly, when it arrives. "

"Everybody lies" - "G. House, MD"

I always take posted symptoms and problem histories
with a grain of salt.

Luck;
Ken

 

[Clark]

Well, new cable assembly made no difference, so I assume my last hope is a
different motherboard. If anyone has another suggestion, please speak now!

Clark

 

[Clark]

New Motherboard was DOA-- Maybe the next one. I am also waiting on a
replacement processor, just for the heck of it.

Clark