Monitor loses computer signal

[f35acepilot]

For the past few months I've been having a weird problem with my computer (hp slimline s3600t). At seemingly random times, the monitor claims that it is getting no signal at all (but my computer is still on) and there's no way to turn the monitor back on without a hard restart. This happens in Windows 7, Ubuntu, and sometimes even the boot screen so I don't think it's a problem with software. My computer's fan has also been acting weird, often making a loud whirring sound. When the monitor loses signal, the fan speeds up and is louder, leading me to believe the computer was overheating. I used compressed air to clean the dust out of the inside of the case and set a large desk fan next to the computer to try and cool it down, but this hasn't helped much. The problem is also very unpredictable, as some days I can't have the computer on for more than ten minutes without this happening, but on others I can have it on for hours without an issue. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

These are my specs:
Motherboard: Irvine-GL6E
Processor: Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5200 @ 2.50GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 630i
Memory: 3070MB RAM
Hard Drive: 487 GB
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GS
Monitor: HP w1907 Wide LCD Monitor
More specs here.

 

[warpus]

Do you have another monitor you could test your computer with? It sounds like it could be your graphics card overheating and/or dying. I doubt it's the monitor itself.

 

[Cutlass]

Have you checked that the video cable is secure on both ends? That the video card is seated correctly? That the fan on the card is dust free and working right?

 

[f35acepilot]

The video cable is secure on both sides. Unfortunately I don't have another monitor, but I should be going home in a few weeks so I can try one there if this problem persists. I'm going to try to reseat the video card and look at the fan today.

Edit: I'm pretty sure it was the GPU now that I think of it. I ran SpeedFan a few days ago and it told me the GPU was running at 104 degrees C (!), but I thought it just wasn't working right because that seemed way too high. I found a good guide on cleaning it so I'll see how that works.

Edit2: It looks like the TV tuner is right in front of the graphics card, leaving no room for the fan to collect air. Could I just take the TV tuner out and put it back together? Or will leaving a gap there break anything?

 

[civ_king]

The video cable is secure on both sides. Unfortunately I don't have another monitor, but I should be going home in a few weeks so I can try one there if this problem persists. I'm going to try to reseat the video card and look at the fan today.

Edit: I'm pretty sure it was the GPU now that I think of it. I ran SpeedFan a few days ago and it told me the GPU was running at 104 degrees C (!), but I thought it just wasn't working right because that seemed way too high. I found a good guide on cleaning it so I'll see how that works.

Edit2: It looks like the TV tuner is right in front of the graphics card, leaving no room for the fan to collect air. Could I just take the TV tuner out and put it back together? Or will leaving a gap there break anything?

if you can move the tuner further away from the Graphics card so it can work better than do it! that or you may need a cooling system

 

[f35acepilot]

I just tried to run the computer without the case on and saw that the fan on the graphics card does not even spin, it just kind of twitches. Is there anyway I can fix it, or do I have to buy a new fan?

Edit: When the computer dies, the fan starts twitching extremely fast. I'm pretty sure that that's the problem.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Check if there';s something blocking the fan. if there isn't, the fan is probably dead. You can either get an aftermarket cooler or have HP replace the card.

 

[GoodGame]

If you do need another monitor for testing, just buy/return one from a big box store for a day.

 

[Kyriakos]

I had that problem in the past: warpus is correct, it most probably is your gfx card being destroyed or fallen out of its place. Now unless you bought the computer recently and the guaranty is still active, this could be game over for you.

 

[civ_king]

Time for a new GPU