Got a problem with Hubby's desktop. It's a dell vostro 200 running windows xp(that's about as much as I can glean at the mo as it won't boot up).

It was working fine and then mid game it showed a blue screen of death with an NV4_DISP error which googling points to the graphics card and / or the PSU.

It then worked ok intermittently but now won't load up - or not that I can tell as the screen starts off readable and then goes all fuzzy!! It also sounds funny when it boots as if it can't quite get going (if that makes sense lol)

Did manage to check all the device drivers previously and non were showing an error, also ran full AV scans and all were clear

So just wondering what this points to - is it the graphics card or the PSU? Don't want to buy one and find out it's 'the other' at fault.

Any thoughts? - Thanks

Probably something corrupted on the hard drive.

Try a "safe mode" boot CLICKY then shutdown and boot normally - surprisingly this clears a large number of sillies.

PSU problems tend to be either the psu works or it doesn't, there isn't often an inbetween. If it's a hardware problem it'll more likely be the gfx card.

Easiest way to find out, pull the gfx card and plug straight into the machine and see how it runs.

Edit: also, the noise you're referring to, where is it located? Have you booted it with the side off so you can see what's failing? Is it a fan dying? If so is it the fan on the gfx card or the one in the psu? If it's a metallic rattling that tends to be a dead ball bearing on fan which can lead to overheating if the fan is dead.

Thanks but not something sorted so easily unfortunately

Thanks for your reply It's an integrated card so I can't pull it out.

Having opened it up, the noise seems to be from the main fan (which points out the back of the tower) starting and stopping.

No metallic rattling.

You were playing games with onboard graphics?

The plot thickens, if your graphics are onboard the problem is your motherboard (if that is indeed the problem). There's no home test you can do to find out exactly what is broken, you'll have to take it to a store. It'll cost you money to fix so you may as well get someone with the right equipment to find out exactly what needs replacing.

When you say 'the main fan' are you talking about an internal case fan screwed to the inside of the case or a heatsink fan attached to the motherboard? Are other fans failing at the same time or is it just the one fan?

Sounds like the graphics card is shot but as previously mentioned it needs professional equipment to confirm where the fault lies.Sorry but looks like a bit of expense to come.

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I think it was some kind of nvidia gforce card - perfectly adequate for the types of games he played.

Yes it's the fan on the inside of the case, the other one on the motherboard seems to be ok.

Thanks for your reply

what type of graphic card slot does mother board have, find out, and put request out to see if someone can loan you one so you can check if it is the card that is at fault, if it is it will save you money and hassle of taking it to shop for repair.

Hang on, you're not making much sense here. You keep calling it a graphics CARD which is not integrated graphics. Is it an integrated CARD that's plugged into the motherboard and held in place by a single screw or is it onboard graphics which means there is no card, you're plugging into the motherboard. The two are different and so are treated differently.

I had no idea there were so many graphic card combinations :0

I have had another good look inside and the monitor cable plugs into a ribbon cable which is then attached to a pcb (which I assume to be a graphics card) this in turn sits on (connects into) another pcb (which I assume to be the mother board). Not completely au fait with the insides of the tower as you can tell. I have tried to remove the graphics card but other than disconnecting the ribbon cable I can't quite figure out the 'how to'

Upload a picture of this please. That's a graphics card, not integrated graphics.

It sounds like your computer could just be full of dust and other crap. Try opening the tower and giving it a good clean. Sometimes the fans can slow down due to being clogged up and this causes over heating of cpu and other hardware such as graphics card, then what happens is the blue screen of death shuts your computer down to prevent them from melting.

Anyway give it a go before you try anything as I have had similar problem with my old machine. Hope this helps.

I've had a couple of cards like this from both Nvidia and ATI. It tends to be the VGA connection that's done in this way (15 pin, d-sub type connection usually coloured blue). It allows the same card to be used in both low profile and full height cases.

On the off chance your signal lead coincidentally failed at the same time you had a seemingly graphics related BSOD, you could try an alternative lead. However, I'm of the same opinion as ex0__ in thinking it's a graphics card failure.

Googling the machine model comes up with this pic:



I've been making/fixing/destroying machines for like 13 years and haven't seen a ribbon connected gfx card ..

I have seen one with vga plug connected via ribbon to board, alltho it was a very very old pc.

That's exactly what I thought but looking at google the machine was being sold actively in 2007. Be good to get a pic of the internals.

am thinking maybe this one http://www.vector64.com/Vostro/Slimline200.html

but i can't see a ribbon from vga plug.

Sorry, not the graphics card to the mobo, but the VGA port to the graphics card. e.g.


(Although certain riser cards will allow the former.)

Ahh, I see. Seen them before just didn't quite get what you meant

Sounds like a pretty old card to have that sort of architecture, which lends to the suspicion that it's given up on life.

Thank you for all your replies, can't find my camera but yes, little pob, that's the connection from the monitor.

Going to give it a clean, and try and figure out how to get the graphics card swopped out....