odd motherboard/power supply video scrambling

[bosskoffee]

Hello all,

This problem is really bizarre, and has afflicted me for a long time because I just can't figure it out and nobody seems to know what exactly it is...

Basically, my display will become scrambled seemingly at random, vertical lines...
At first I thought it was my video card, so I tried dusting out the connections, reseating it, etc., and it seemed to help at first.  However, the problem continued...sometimes the computer even suddenly restarts or shuts down, followed by the bizarre scrambling.
After having messed around with it a lot, it seems that adjusting the connections between the power supply and motherboard has a direct effect on this.  If it gets all scrambly, I can simply fiddle with that part and it will either get better or worse when I try to start the cpu again...but eventually, even if it seems normal for a long time, several days even, the scrambling will return and I will have to fiddle with it all over.  Sometimes, it even has trouble detecting IDE drives at startup.  Can anyone tell me what the problem is?  Is it just that the connection is loose?  Should I get a new motherboard?  Power supply?  Am I totally off and it's something completely different?

Thanks for hearing me out,
Bart

[pcdoc4christ]

Several possibilities:

1) Screws holding motherboard might be too tight, causing the board to bend and create a short.  (Try loosening a few of the screws.)

2) Power supply is going bad and surging power, which could fry the motherboard, etc. (Try replacing it with a known good one with adequate wattage.)

3) Video card drivers are wrong type. (Try downloading and installing the latest drivers from the manufacturer's Web site.)

4) Video card is going bad.  (Try using a know good one that you borrow or buy.)

5) Monitor is bad. (Try using a known good one that you borrow or own.)

6) Connector on the motherboard for the monitor has a short.  (Try replacing the motherboard.)