Twitching display = sign of monitor or graphics card problems?

[Franklin]

My monitor's display seems to twitch slightly every ten minutes or
thereabouts.

It's just a very small movement but I notice it easily when I am
reading the screen. The movement seems to be mostly in the
horizontal plane. It never used to do this.

As best as one can guess, is this likely to be a fault with the
monitor or with the graphics card?

The monitor is a 17 inch CRT and the graphics card is an NVidia
GeForce2. Both are about 3 years old and have worked faultlessly up
to now.

My mains power supply seems fine. I recently removed several devices
from my PC (three hard drives) so PSU is more lightly loaded than it
has been.

 

[Lionel]

My monitor's display seems to twitch slightly every ten minutes or
thereabouts.

It's just a very small movement but I notice it easily when I am
reading the screen. The movement seems to be mostly in the
horizontal plane. It never used to do this.

As best as one can guess, is this likely to be a fault with the
monitor or with the graphics card?

In order of probability:
(1) Cable isn't 100% seated & screwed in,
(2) Bad cable/connector, at either end.
(3) Bad solder joint in monitor.
Then all the possible electronic faults in the monitor.
Your card is very unlikely to be the cause. If you can, try borrowing
another monitor to rule out the PC/cable.

 

[Rand Al'Thor]

Can you try another computer (or graphics card) with your monitor? This will
determine whether it's your monitor or card. If your monitor still causes
the same problem and if its not an electronic fault then it could be that
some device probably nearby is 'switching' causing a magnetic field to
interupt the display. I had a similar problem when I'd placed the power
supply adapter for my MSFF wheel behind the monitor when I was tidying up
and forgot I'd put it there.

Alan

 

[JAD]

nearly went and bought a new monitor this summer, as the same was
happening to me only on the vertical plain on one side. Looked for a
solution on various tech sites. One fellow had said that the routing
of my monitor cable was passing to close to power cables/outlets and
sure enough I moved it away and the monitor is perfect for the last 4
months.

 

[Paul]

nearly went and bought a new monitor this summer, as the same was
happening to me only on the vertical plain on one side. Looked for a
solution on various tech sites. One fellow had said that the routing
of my monitor cable was passing to close to power cables/outlets and
sure enough I moved it away and the monitor is perfect for the last 4
months.

Or speaker...

 

[N Cook]

My monitor's display seems to twitch slightly every ten minutes or
thereabouts.

It's just a very small movement but I notice it easily when I am
reading the screen. The movement seems to be mostly in the
horizontal plane. It never used to do this.

As best as one can guess, is this likely to be a fault with the
monitor or with the graphics card?

The monitor is a 17 inch CRT and the graphics card is an NVidia
GeForce2. Both are about 3 years old and have worked faultlessly up
to now.

My mains power supply seems fine. I recently removed several devices
from my PC (three hard drives) so PSU is more lightly loaded than it
has been.

Strange you say this. My monitor has been doing this same thing for a few
weeks now.
Sizzling noise at the same time so probably voltages of 50 volt or less.
Cracking noise would be higher voltage area.
Sometime I'll take the cover off and trace the dry joint/loose wire.

*********

electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://homepages.tcp.co.uk/~diverse

 

[David Maynard]

Strange you say this. My monitor has been doing this same thing for a few
weeks now.
Sizzling noise at the same time so probably voltages of 50 volt or less.
Cracking noise would be higher voltage area.
Sometime I'll take the cover off and trace the dry joint/loose wire.

Probably dirt and grime in the monitor.

 

[James Sweet]

Strange you say this. My monitor has been doing this same thing for a few
weeks now.
Sizzling noise at the same time so probably voltages of 50 volt or less.
Cracking noise would be higher voltage area.
Sometime I'll take the cover off and trace the dry joint/loose wire.

If you wait until "someday" chances are you'll be doing much more
troubleshooting and component replacement than if you fix the solder joint
now. Bad solder joints are the cause of probably 60% of power semiconductor
failures.

 

[**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY**]

It could be an optical illusion. I have heard of such an effect, but
don't recall the specifics. Apparently easily reproducible if you know how.

My monitor's display seems to twitch slightly every ten minutes or
thereabouts.

It's just a very small movement but I notice it easily when I am
reading the screen. The movement seems to be mostly in the
horizontal plane. It never used to do this.

As best as one can guess, is this likely to be a fault with the
monitor or with the graphics card?

The monitor is a 17 inch CRT and the graphics card is an NVidia
GeForce2. Both are about 3 years old and have worked faultlessly up
to now.

My mains power supply seems fine. I recently removed several devices
from my PC (three hard drives) so PSU is more lightly loaded than it
has been.

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"

The Lost Deep Thoughts By: Jack Handey
Before a mad scientist goes mad, there's probably a time
when he's only partially mad. And this is the time when he's
going to throw his best parties.