Is it my graphics card? Or my monitor?

[Roflcopter66]

Hey!
I am having a strange issue with my ... well that's the thing, I'm not quite sure "what" is actually causing the problem!

When I am using my pc, I get an odd flash every 5-10 seconds... or sometimes 1-2 seconds of random colours (similar to TV static).
Sometimes when I switch from, per se, a full screen programme to something else, the flashing will stop for a little while, then carry on again. And sometimes it stops when I am restarting the PC as well.

Additionally, I used fraps to record my view as it was flashing, and on the video there is no flashing at all (which I guess leads me to believe that it would be my monitor..?)

At the moment I have no other system that I can plug into my monitor to check! Would any of you experts have a strong idea what is the cause? I can answer any questions/run any diagnostics etc.
Here's a list of the things i've done, and my PC specs etc.:

• Unplugged and plugged back in my GPU, and all the cables connecting the GPU to the monitor. (whilst also clearing any dust)
• Installed/Reinstalled/Uninstalled THEN reinstalled graphics drivers, to no avail
• Booting up the windows CD to try to use the repair (but since even booting up via the windows 7 disc had the screen flashing, I assumed it wasn't software related (correct me if I'm wrong))

Windows 7 64bit home edition
Nvidia GTX 560TI OC edition (Gigabyte manufacturer, supplied by ebuyer)
AMD Phenom X4 3.2ghz
4gb DDR3 Ram

Thanks in advance... I really hope this will be clear to any/all of you, because I don't want to replace a part only to find I've got the wrong one...

 

[muckshifter]

while it is unusual for a LCD/TFT monitor to display (sorry, no pun intended, maybe) such behaviour, I wouldn't rule it out from a good old CRT type monitor.

You don't, however, tell us what the monitor is you have.

While today's "plug&pray" has gotten a lot better, I'm still a little old school and like to have monitor drivers installed ... this is not as necessary as it once was but choosing the right, native, screen resolution, in my opinion, still holds merit.

My LG monitor is correctly identified by Win7 and it defaults to the correct resolution for it's size.

... since even booting up via the windows 7 disc had the screen flashing

Hmmm, CRT may flash, TFT/CRT shouldn't really.

Borrow someone's monitor if you can, in the mean time, what is your monitor?

 

[Abarbarian]

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

It might be worth running GPU-Z with logging on to see of your gfx card is running hot and causing the unwanted effects.

 

[Roflcopter66]

Ah! I apologise, I did my best to remember everything I had to say and I forgot to even say which type of monitor I have!

I have this monitor here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ilyama-PLE2...13?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1317550775&sr=1-13

So not a CRT monitor.
It is strange, for example no 'flickering' has occurred since I turned on the PC today (about 35 minutes) but I'm sure it will start up again soon because it has been doing this the past couple of weeks.

I have been logging my GPU temperature too (forgot also to mention) and idle it is at 35 degrees C and on WoW (as an example) It is at 50, which I think is relatively good for a GPU!

I wish I could borrow someone's monitor but I am at university, and I swear I'm the only person in a mile radius with a PC rather than a laptop!

I have thought it was the GPU for a long time, it is only the FRAPS video recording that made me think otherwise... what are your thoughts on that, perhaps?
Thanks for the replies, I greatly appreciate it!

 

[TriplexDread]

Have you tried asking someone to bring their laptop round too you so you can hook it up to your monitor then instead?

 

[Abarbarian]

You could try one of these to see if it is the gfx.

http://www.ozone3d.net/gpu_caps_viewer/

http://www.ozone3d.net/benchmarks/fur/

 

[Roflcopter66]

My monitor is connected to my PC by DVI and all the laptops have only VGA, I could (of course) go out and buy the cable but I thought it would have been possible to determine what the problem was without having to! If I have to do that though, I will!

I will use those programs now, I haven't been having the flickering for a couple of hours now... would be interesting to see if that causes it to spark up again.

 

[Roflcopter66]

Did the furmark and various other GPU tests, there wasn't any flickering throughout... but it has done it a couple of times since then... I guess I'll just have to buy the VGA cable!

The only thing keeping me from thinking it definitely is the GPU is the video recording I did... odd!

 

[muckshifter]

Ilyama are a fine maker. It is being automaticly detected by W7 and @ 60Hz, yes?

Try the new Beta drivers from nVidia, 285.38

not sure what else to suggest other than what has been suggested.

 

[Roflcopter66]

Hmm, well I know I've mentioned it a few times before already, but do any of you have any suggestions or points of view with regards to the video I mentioned?
To summarise again, I Fraps'd a video of me playing a game whilst it was flickering, and there was no flickering in the video. Does that mean that it must be the monitor? Or can this happen regardless?

I went into PC world and a VGA cable was £25! I'm a poor student so I don't really want to fork out for that!

Thanks for all the help so far, however. and I am already using the beta drivers and my settings are being detected correctly!
(There has been hardly any flickering today, however, it is odd.)

 

[Abarbarian]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=computers&field-keywords=vga+cable&x=0&y=0

You should find something here that is cheap enough