I Need Help!

A video error at POST means there is no signal coming from the card when initiated. If the power supply and connections are good then the most obvious would be bad video card or bad motherboard. But you could try some other diagnostics before replacing parts.

Are you overclocking anything?

You might try re-setting the BIOS to defaults or clearing the CMOS (same thing) and see if that changes anything. Be sure to record your current BIOS settings before doing this so you can restore your preferences.

@Carl: Unfortunately no. The only other computer in my house is a laptop.

@TVeblen: If i turn off the power supply in the back of the computer then back on and reboot then i can get back to windows fine. If i just try to reboot i get that video error beep code. Kinda odd it works then it doesn't.

I dont have anything overclocked.

I reset my bios a couple times in the last 6 months. Also updated my BIOS version and updated my chipset drivers.

Ive already sent in my video card twice and i get it back after a couple of months with no idea if the card was ever broken in the first place or if they fixed it, i get zero feedback from them.

Evilclive said:

@TVeblen: If i turn off the power supply in the back of the computer off then back on and reboot then i can get back to windows fine. If i just try to reboot i get that video error beep code. Kinda odd it works then it doesn't.

Aha! That would indicate a defective power supply and would certainly explain the symptoms. Have you tested or replaced that yet?

Evilclive said:

@Carl: Unfortunately no. The only other computer in my house is a laptop.

@TVeblen: If i turn off the power supply in the back of the computer then back on and reboot then i can get back to windows fine. If i just try to reboot i get that video error beep code. Kinda odd it works then it doesn't.

I dont have anything overclocked.

I reset my bios a couple times in the last 6 months. Also updated my BIOS version and updated my chipset drivers.

Ive already sent in my video card twice and i get it back after a couple of months with no idea if the card was ever broken in the first place or if they fixed it, i get zero feedback from them.

TVeblen said:

Evilclive said:

@TVeblen: If i turn off the power supply in the back of the computer off then back on and reboot then i can get back to windows fine. If i just try to reboot i get that video error beep code. Kinda odd it works then it doesn't.

Aha! That would indicate a defective power supply and would certainly explain the symptoms. Have you tested or replaced that yet?

I have tried two different power supplies. The one in my system specs at the bottom of this post and a new 700w PSU i got a month ago.

Yikes! You must be fit to be tied.

When I was having my own video problem I opted to buy a cheap card ($50) just to test to be sure that my GTX260 was actually defective. I put in a 9500GT and all the issues went away and then I was sure before I contacted EVGA for an RMA replacement.

Another thing I started doing years ago was to take a sharpie and trace a small circle in an un-obvious location around one of the solder posts on the back of the circuit board. Then when I get the board back I know if they sent me the same board back. It's not normally necessary as most often the serial numbers are different, but companies like EVGA just put a sticker on the card with the serial number.

Sounds like you've done due diligence. It may be RMA time for the graphics card.

I had a problem in my system with a GTX280. (Nothing as severe as Evilclive is experiencing.) At first, things appeared to be driver failures, but eventually I decided that the graphics card was the culprit. I returned it. (Good sevice from BFGtech - too bad they're exiting the graphics card business.) No problems with the replacement card.

I haven't had a single freeze today and I have rebooted my computer 4 times today with no failed attempts.(no beep code).

Any idea why one day it works fine and the next it seems to have serious hardware issues?

There could be many reasons. It could be possessed and knows we are talking about it!

But it could be a change in operating temperature, a change in voltage from the power supply or the motherboard, a change in a driver or drivers or their settings, a change in the contacts after moving things around, etc.

But most often a defect in an electronic component is not that obvious. Maybe it would be more convenient if a video card just cut to black with a little puff of smoke and a big red message on the screen: "Video Dead - Buy New Card". But probably not. It is far more common for these things to die slow and painfully.

I have a failing dimmer switch in my Family Room. If I set it low to watch TV it will work fine some nights, but on others it will flicker or change brightness on it's own very randomly. There is no pattern, just electrons jumping the path like hyper teenagers.

Keep you eye on it. Maybe you got lucky!