Member Avatar for Mirror Ballad

HP PGTD-LA Motherboard (Yes I know HP teh suck).

Anyway the issue is that my friend Carol has an HP A1133w-b Desktop bundle. She however doesn't use it much, and only for messing around online/surfing the net, and such. Well she comes home turns it on and the monitor doesn't come on. So she checks the cable, and it's fine.

The parts inside are working fine, but the monitor isn't receiving any signal or even realising it's attached to her machine. So we try a different monitor, and still the same thing. Her monitor works on other machines as well.

I'm assuming as I can't really troubleshoot this thing properly as it is, that the mobo's VGA has just died on her somehow, and can't really be fixed as I see it without replacing the mobo.

I even tried putting a VGA card in the machine, but it either didn't recognise it, or there is another issue, but I can't diagnose it or anything.

I'm thinking about replacing the mobo, but since it is a HP and mainstream PC manufacturers tend to make the mobos precisely for the case they are in. I'm curious as to what if anything would prevent me from replacing said mobo with a better mobo?

I know the form factor is that of a generic Micro-ATX, but it's still a question of will it fit the case and work, and has anyone here had the same experience?

Finally, she doesn't want to spend much, and can't so that's why I'm even considering this, and I hope I won't have to makeshift the case for this.

Thanks in advance,
- Judas

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Member Avatar for digitalocksmith

OK, you have established that a faulty monitor is not the cause in this situation!

It may be a problem with the video card, video controller or driver!

Does anything show up in 'Device Manager'?

Im assuming that the mobo has onboard graphics as you say that you added a vid card to the machine but windows wouldnt recognize it!
Did you enable the bios to recognize a PCI/AGP video adaptor as it would be set to onboard recognition if this is the original mobo setup?
Also, did you make sure you installed the correct drivers for the card that you added?

To aid your troubleshooting, try the card addition again making sure you get these 2 crucial factors above, correct.
At least before you splash out on a new mobo!

If you still have no success the issue may lie elsewhere, and may still be either software or hardware related!

See how you go! :cool:

commented: Tried to help even though he didn't quite pay attention to my problem XD. +1
Member Avatar for Mirror Ballad

I guess you misunderstood my problem. I cannot do anything. No monitor will work, and I can't see anything. The monitor doesn't even recognise it's connected to the PC. The VGA is detecting nothing. I can't see anything at all. Not the prompt, not windows, nothing. That's my problem.

Thanks for the reply, but it really wasn't helping with my problem. As I said, I can't troubleshoot it at all.

Member Avatar for jbennet

Yeah, he cant get to the BIOS. Sounds like the onboard VGA has well and truly died. In regards to swappig the mobo, be careful. I dont know about HP but i know that dell and co use BTX cases and components instead of standard ATX ones which are a pain in the ass.

commented: Reinforced what I already knew, but polite and knowledgable. +1
Member Avatar for Mirror Ballad

Yeah I was worried about that, but she can't afford a new PC, and I know for a fact it's an Micro-ATX 9.6 in x 9.6 in. Which is standard for them. However I am afraid that the case is made with that mobo in mind (or the other way around).


I am thinking about this mobo as a replacement.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157104

Member Avatar for jbennet

Not bad. Have you checked that the existing CPU and RAM be compatibile? . Also bear in mind that if her XP is OEM version then getting a new motherboard will mean you will have to get a new full (not upgrade), retail version of XP or Vista, which will probably cost about as much in total as a new PC.

Member Avatar for Mirror Ballad

Also bear in mind that if her XP is OEM version then getting a new motherboard will mean you will have to get a new full (not upgrade), retail version of XP or Vista, which will probably cost about as much in total as a new PC.

XD not for me man <_<>_>^_^

To answer your questions, yes I have and they seem to be right. I believe and hope she has DDR2 ram, but I'll double check in a minute to see.

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