Problems with my new GeForce 5200!

[Arekuu]

Hi everyone!

I'm not the best with computers, but I've been able to diagnose and fix all the problems I've had with mine in the past, but I just can't figure out the situation I'm having with my new video card.

It's a Gainward GeForce FX 5200 128mb.

I'm positive that it's compatible with the system I'm running, and I haven't had problems with any other video cards I've ever used with my machine.

The card worked great the first few days I had it, and I was really impressed. But then, for some reason, it start locking up and putting the monitor into sleep mode, forcing me to restart my PC. When I would restart, after the Windows boot-up screen it'd just throw my monitor into sleep mode and I'd be forced to reboot in Safe Mode.

I have the latest drivers from the Nvidia website, and once again, I'm positive that the card is compatible with my machine.

The device manager says all is well, so I'm not quite sure what exactly is wrong with it.

Something I'm not too familiar with is the BIOS, or my machine's chipset. Is it possible that I need to change a setting in the BIOS or update my machine's chipset?

Someone suggested that I reinstall Windows as it might be a problem with my registry since the machine came with an integrated video card.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Urban_Squrill]

So when you tax it out it lockes up for a few seconds and then goes off?

[Arekuu]

It seems kind of random-- ocassionally it will boot up, sometimes it won't.

Sometimes it'll decide to stop working when I go to change users.

Sometimes I'll be quitting a game and it'll pause, then put monitor into sleep mode and I'll have to reboot.

[Urban_Squrill]

It this a custom built computer?
I had a similar problem where it was kinda random but mainly happened when I overclocked.

[Urban_Squrill]

Oh how rude of me.
Welcome to TechIMO!

[Arekuu]

Thanks for the welcome.

No, this is an hp pavilion 540n that was purchased for my sister for school/work, and now for play.

The only thing I've added to it (besides this card) has been 256 MBs of ram.

[Urban_Squrill]

Humm for me it was a Hs/f problem. It dident sit right and overheated. But humm

[Arekuu]

I've considered that, as it shut down a couple times in some high-stress gaming situations-- but the same thing will happen even if my computer has been shut down all night.

[Urban_Squrill]

What could happen is that it gets bumped and it does not site right so when you stress it it can not transfer the heat.