Graphical screen dying on new FC4 install

Jeff Vian jvian10 at charter.net
Thu Dec 1 01:34:19 UTC 2005


On Wed, 2005-11-30 at 15:19 +0200, Dotan Cohen wrote:
> I just replaced Win98 with Fedora Core 4 on a friends' computer: AMD
> 550, 128MB RAM. Now, he can work for a limited amount of time (between
> 20-150 minutes), then the computer gets stuck. Not even the mouse
> works. He can, however, switch to a console with CTR-ALT-F1.
> 
> When restarted, there is no graphical mode, only console. If he lets
> the computer sit for a few hours, he can boot up a graphical screen,
> but after some time the problem reoccurs. Nothing in the computer
> (open case) seems unusually hot, which was my first thought.
> 
> Any ideas on where to look? Thank you.
> 
Sounds like a heat issue.  May be the gpu overheating.  It works much
less when in text mode. Definitely whatever it is, it affects the video
cards ability to process graphics.  The time factor certainly indicates
heat.

That old a system may have inadequate heat sinks/cooling fans and/or
inadequate case ventilation. You said the case is open, but have you
tried putting a portable fan where it directs air flow across the video
card?
Have you tried a different video card?
Is the interior of the case clean?  completely blown out with air?
Is there a fan on the video card?  Is it working?
Is there a fan on the system chip?  Is it working? (This is not likely
the issue but worth checking anyway.) 


> Dotan Cohen
> http://lyricslist.com/lyrics/biography/12/aaliyah.php
> Aaliyah Song Lyrics and Biography
> .
> 




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