Graphic card doesn't work

[Calum]

It's the hardware.
If the glitches continue in the BIOS, where no software related to the card is being used, there's no other explanation.
Someone else may have another opinion, but I'm convinced it's the hardware that's dead.
Whether the game caused it or it's just a coincidence, I don't know.

[Raptor]

Haven't quite read the topic in detail but I skimmed through it, here's my two cents;

You can find someone who'll replace the system board if Dell won't..Plenty of people out there who enjoy doing that. For a price, of course.

By the way, I'm not sure, but a 7900GTX sounds more like an add-on card than an actual videocard chip so perhaps just replacing the videocard (If it is indeed at fault) would be a cheaper solution.

Here are some more ideas before doing any of the above.

Clean out the laptop cooler.
Reformat the hard drive and install Windows XP to make sure it's not a driver issue or virus attack before you write the laptop off.

Google for your laptop name + problems and see if more people report this problem and what they did about it

[Kalenden]

Did a quick google ( yahoo actually ) and came up with one of my own threads  .

I think I'm going to go for a new one, although that will take some time.

A friend is going to give me Fallout 3 for Christmas too ....

Anyway, anybody know if Dosbox games can function without a graphic card? Or what other games can?


Ow yeah, and thanks for everybody for trying to help me out!

[Calum]

Raptor - the graphics chip isn't replaceable.  Sometimes the 7900GTX is, in this case no (at least not as far as I can determine), I already checked.
Replacing the system board is an option, my only reservation is that the board itself might be a bit hard to find and the cost could be pretty prohibitive.
Cleaning out the cooler might help, I agree.
Reinstalling Windows won't though, as the problem occurs in the BIOS too.

[Kalenden]

Is it a good chance that cleaning out the cooler might help? I'm terrible at laptops and only want to do this if it is risk free.