How I fixed video problem on Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop
I have a Dell Inspiron 8200 with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 Video Card, Ultra Sharp UXGA LCD screen.
I have finally fixed my laptop’s Video problem. I had what I would call a vertical pixel line (slightly jagged) problem with the screen. Sometimes it was horizontal lines but the lines where not all the way across. It seemed if I went from 32bbp to 16bbp sometimes this would refresh the screen and the problem would go away, but only temporarily. I noticed if I put slight flexing pressure on the sides of the laptop I could make the screen problem worse or sometimes better. This is a loose connection problem obviously, but what to fix? I removed the keyboard but left the ribbon cable attached so I could get to the video card and look things over while I had the laptop running. By putting pressure on the main chip on the video card the problem would go away. On top of the main chip there is a cushion on top of it. The underside of the keyboard tray pushes hard up against this cushion and has a copper strip with it to act, I guess, as a heat sink.
In time the cushion lost its height and compression to the point where the keyboard tray was no longer pressing hard against it. The PC boards have metal spacers between them. Sometimes these act as a grounding point/connection for them. Having a good ground connection is just as important as a good power connection. It is my belief that because the keyboard tray/frame was no longer applying the same pressure to the video card as in the past, I did not have a firm connection to ground. I added three layers of electrical tape to the top of the cushion on the main chip on the video card and my problem has been fixed.
Hope this helps other people; I am interested to know if it does.
NOTES:
One of my metal risers on the video card came off when I removed it (the video card) to reset it. Earlier on I thought this was the problem and re-soldered it, but that did not fix it. It may have only been one of two problems.
After doing more research on this ground, it looks like it’s a ground that is used for reducing/eliminating Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). Many PCB’s have what is called a “Guard Ring”, this is a ground-connected track that is around the outer edge of a PCB and does not carry a return current for the circuit but rather is used to serve as a return for EMI that is radiating out of the PCB. Some of you may recall seeing EMI on your analog TV screen when a motor is running, like a vacuum cleaner. Well, there can be EMI on digital screens as well, but manufacturers usually do a good job of keeping this interference out.
Here is a link to two pictures I took of my screen problem before fixing it. Image 1 and image 2.
September 1st, 2009 at 10:52 am
Thank you Steve for your research and suggestions. I deleted your comment and placed it in the main post.
September 4th, 2009 at 5:41 am
hi i want to connect my laptop to an external tv but cant do it by connecting vis s video as this does not seem to work tried to connect through display but keeps saying the default monitor is not active tried everything now to connect what can you recommend to solve the problem
October 13th, 2009 at 8:52 am
We have a Dell inspiron 8200 that only works in the docking station. The video is barely visible on the main lcd even after inverter replacement. the external monitor port does not work. (I set up dual displays using the dock but the external monitor port does nothing even when using the FN-F8 combination.
Could this be a video card issue? or do you think I need to replace the whole LCD?
Thanks in advanced
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:08 am
I used your solution on an Inspiron 8200 with the Nvidia card.
Worked like a charm!!
I cannot count how many websites I viewed before finding real help on yours. Thanks a ton!!!
March 7th, 2010 at 8:53 am
John, I’m glad you found the article I wrote helpful and I’m glad the laptopfreak republished it here on his web site to help people.
For comments 2 and 3, sorry I cannot help you, the laptopfreak will have to answer those questions. You may need to find a relative article and ask the question there.
September 16th, 2010 at 4:41 am
Steve,
No body give me thought that you gave me. It worked for me too.
Thanks a Lot.
February 22nd, 2011 at 6:21 pm
I have a Neo Empriva 572svb with Vista Home Premium, Intel Dual Core T2050 Processor, Phoenix SiS M720S system. At start up the screen will not come on, if the computer has been off for a while you can get the screen to light by pressing Ftn + F7, an external monitor will not work, I have formated the HDD, and reloaded Video drivers, still no luck. Problem still persists.
Help!!
January 26th, 2012 at 11:53 am
I tried this out now on an Inspiron 8200 with ATI graphics which had the same problems as described above, but used a 1mm metal plate with arctic silver on both sides instead of the electrical tape to give better heat transfer. It seems to work fine. I don’t know if this is due to the grounding mentioned above. It could possibly also be caused by bad contact between the GPU and the PCB. The GPU seems to be a BGA (Ball grid array) so maybe the extra pressure is just enough to give contact. I found somewhere else that some problems with the BGA GPU on Nvidia and maybe also an XBOX chip could be solved by clamping them to the PCB.