A video card is an important component of a computer that generates a graphic signal for output to a monitor. There are times when you turn on the computer, and the monitor remains black, or says "No signal". Most often, the suspicion falls on the video card, since with a good gaming load, it usually breaks faster than other components. To check if the video card is working, you must first make sure that the rest of the computer is functional.
It is necessary
a computer
Instructions
Step 1
Check your monitor. Take the monitor and connect it to another computer or laptop. If the signal appears, it means that it is working properly. Check the cable from the system unit to the monitor. Connect the monitor to your computer, but this time use a different cable. If the picture does not change, then it is not a matter of the cable.
Step 2
Check if the computer starts up. This can be done by ear - a working computer makes a rather noticeable noise with all its fans. But for further actions, auditory information will not be enough, so remove the cover of the system unit, which opens access to the motherboard. If no fans come to life when you press the power button inside the computer, the first step is to check the power supply.
Step 3
Check the power supply. Take another power supply of the same power or better and connect the connectors to the motherboard as you did with the old power supply. The rest of the components do not need to be touched yet. If the computer starts up and a picture appears on the screen, a weak link is found, and this is a power supply. If not, let's move on.
Step 4
Check your graphics card. Remove the video card from the personal computer and insert it into another, making sure in advance that it has a similar slot for video cards (PCI-E or AGP). If the video card is working, then the questions to it disappear. You can also immediately put a known working video card into your system unit. If there is still no video signal, then the motherboard is most likely faulty, less often the processor or RAM.
Step 5
General diagnostics of a video card, if you doubt the quality of its work, can be checked using special programs: ATITool, 3Dbench, 3DMark05 and others. In addition to the programs themselves, you can find detailed instructions on their use on the Internet.
