Help! Monitor distortion

[Kain]

I have the Samsung SyncMaster S23A700D 120 Hz monitor and the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores Classified graphics card.

Sometimes, when the monitor wakes from a sleep (not the computer but only the monitor; I don't let the computer go to sleep), the image is distorted. I have to turn off the monitor and then turn it back on and the image will be fine. If I printscreen when I have distortion and paste it in Paint, the image is fine and correct.

I have latest monitor drivers installed and the latest graphics cards drivers installed too. However, I've also noticed distortion, sometimes, when I first turn on the computer and see the BIOS POST screen. Turning the monitor off and back on fixes the issue.

Is this a monitor issue or something else? If the monitor remains on, there is no issue.

[Kain]

One more thing. Sometimes, if the monitor is fine during the BIOS post screen and the Windows loading logo, as soon as Windows loads there will be distortion. Again, turning it off and back on fixes the issue.

[frenchy2k1]

Can you describe a bit more what you mean by "distortion"?
A picture would be best, but a good description is at least required...

[Kain]

It is usually really bad that I can't read what it on the screen. Weird colors and blockiness. Sometimes, it will be only exactly half of the screen that is distorted while the other half will be fine. More often then not, it is always the right side that is distorted and the left side is fine. I've never seen the left side distorted with the right side fine. I've also seen the whole screen distorted. I can't really describe what is looks like because it's hard. I'll try to get a pic next time.

[bob saget]

maybe video card is moving on to the next world?

[FlakMagnet]

Do you have another computer on which to try the monitor? Or another monitor to plug into the same graphics card? That should tell you which one is dying.

From what you've explained though, it does sound like a monitor issue (turning it off and on cures the problem).

The other thing is that the cable that connected the monitor to the graphics card could be 'marginal'. If you are using DVI and you also have an analogue cable and DVI-analogue adapter, you could try the monitor through its analogue port and see if the issue changes. Those DVI-analogue adapters usually come with graphics cards, so you might have one somewhere.

Good luck!

[frenchy2k1]

Such distortion are often the result of either bad synchronization or bad HDCP handshake.
I'm afraid there is not much you can do against that.
Check if there would be any firmware update for either the graphic card or the monitor (rare) and check your video idle settings. Maybe the way your card goes to sleep/sends blank screen can do a difference?

[Kain]

Okay, I haven't tested the monitor on another computer but my monitor was fine since I made this thread till today. Today the distortion occurred again. The monitor woke from a sleep, the whole screen was scrambled (like a bad signal on a TV), then after a second or two the left side was fine and the right side was readable but the colors where off (as if it was running only 16 colors). Turned off the monitor and turned it back on and it was fine. Note that this didn't happen since I made this thread till today.

Could it be bad RAM? Would bad RAM cause something like this or would bad RAM make the monitor distorted regardless of whether or not you power-cycled the monitor? I got a BSOD few weeks ago where the stated cause was the RAM. I haven't gotten another BSOD again though.

[Muppet]

If you power cycle the monitor and it fixes it, then I would say the monitor is the problem. RMA it.

[mullet]

And team New Zealand wins this round.

[Redeemed]

Originally Posted by mullet

And team New Zealand wins this round.

Really? I was rooting for that team!

[Kain]

Here is a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJeBx1cB5m4

Sometimes, when my monitor wakes from a sleep, half of the screen will be distorted. I noticed, when I made this video, that if I open the Internet browser, the screen will be fine but only the parts of the screen exposing the desktop will be distorted (top most and bottom most of the browser window). But then, if I watch a video in full screen in the browser, half of the screen will be distorted again. If I turn off the monitor and then turn it back on, the distortion will be gone. Does this sound like a monitor issue, a graphics card issue, or something else?