This is my pc,

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...riesId=3550541

however I upgraded the RAM a couple of years ago and now run 6gb.

My first problem came on only a couple of weeks ago. It was working 100% fine then all of a sudden I got a blue screen "Windows has failed to start up and has shutdown to protect your system"

This was stuck in a continuous loop of start up repair etc. so I formatted HD and installed Vista 64bit.

I read up on various forums about it maybe being a faulty graphics card, so I removed it from the mobo.

The computer then worked perfect with no faults.

I then bought a used Nvidia GeForce 9800gt and a brand new 750 coolermaster PSU to suit.

On start up it went straight onto a Black screen with blue spots and keeps trying to restart flashing up the blue screen again "Attempt to reset display driver timeout failed"

I restarted in safe mode and downloaded the latest driver from GeForce which hasn't helped. I've reset BIOS, updated chipset, updated mobo drivers, removed battery on mobo for 5 mins and it hasn't changed anything.

It still fails to run. I disabled the card via Device Manager and the pc works 100% fine.

I am wondering if I have bought a dud graphics card or I have another problem.

Should I chance more money and buy a brand new GPU?

Please help! thanks in advance

 

Have you tried the card in a different PCI slot? could be a fault on the MB.

 

mobo only has one slot mate

Can only think 1st card broke then I bought a dud second hand one

 

Sounds like the card to me? Can you borrow a different card to see if that works?

 

Bought a new Asus nvidia GeForce 640 2gb GPU this morning and fitted it, computer now runs like a dream, duff card all along. I've arranged a refund for the 2nd hand one,

 

Good stuff