dead video card in computer - what should I see???

Question

One day my computer stoped. Than I pushed reset button. Now I can't turn on my Dell Inspiron 5000, when I'm pressing power button, my computer is starting run, I mean I hear my hard drive and I can open my dvd. But my monitor is disabled (don't turn on - it is black) and the computer don't start boot floppy drive. Now, sometimes it is working - booting and display is working and I can do all the things in Windows 98SE, but much more often I can't turn on my computer (display is black - disabled not dark, no booting, hard drive is working properly). In 80% when I'm turning on my computer it suspends while opening windows or few minutes after using windows. So sometimes it is working, sometimes it suspends or sometimes it doesn't work. My LCD pannel, RAM, HD are working properly. I think that my motherboard is dead but how can I define for sure that my motherboard is dead and my video card is working properly? Maybe my computer looks like I wrote above because I have dead video card? What should I see when I have dead video card???

kayatai · Answer

try hooking up an external monitor and see if the problem also happens there.  If it does then it is likely to be a video card problem, otherwise it could be something like a loose video flex cable or dying backlight.  Another possible problem is the mechanism detecting if the computer is in the closed position could be stuck, which would turn off the LCD and send your computer into hibernate/sleep mode.  Check to see if there is a small pin that is stuck down, I am not sure about what other mechanism may be used in your laptop to determing if the lid is closed or not.

kayatai · Answer

does this also happen in safe mode w/ external monitor?

keep_Inspiron_a · Answer

I checked all that things which you are describe above. Everything is working properly and my external monitor is doing the same things like my LCD (sometimes is working, sometimes no, sometimes suspend). I rather thought that there is some mechanical damage on the video board (card). If I have dead video card what should I see??? Any boot of floppy drive?

keep_Inspiron_a · Answer

Yes!

kayatai · Answer

If you're out of service, maybe you can order a new video card from spare parts or find one on ebay.  It seems the 5000 has removeable video http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/pblan/removing.htm#vga

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