Laptop screen divided into six duplicate screens

[Blue Banana]

So I get this Packard Bell ARES GP2W (Limited Edition) in today and the screen is all messed up, I don't know how common this is but it's the first time I've seen this. Every small screen is a duplicate of the desktop. This happens right from starting up the laptop. Sometimes when I start it up there are some wide, colored vertical stripes across the display. (Sorry for all the reflections on the laptop display, I never did like glossy screens)

I have tried:

• Uninstalling/Reinstalling the Display Adapter
• Removing any possible static charges in the laptop
• Cleaning out the insides from dust
• Enabling VGA mode in the boot screen
• Changing the resolution (it doesn't let me though, it's all grayed out)

Right now, as I'm looking back at what I've tried to fix this, I'm thinking the graphics card has gone or has a fault somewhere. Some help on this would be awesome.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

Hook it up to an external display to see if it does the same thing on the external monitor. If it does then it's most likely a graphics card/adapter problem. If it does not then I would suspect the onboard display.

 

[Martyn]

^^^^^that and try a Ubuntu cd.

 

[parker.casey]

I would strongly suspect the screen itself. External monitor shows up okay, it's the lcd. If a monitor is just as screwy, it isn't.

 

[14049752]

This could also be the gpu. In fact, I'm more inclined to think it's the gpu than the screen...especially if it's nvidia. External monitor means nothing, because when a gpu fails (or more correctly, the solder fails), it can fail in such a way that it affects the screen in strange ways.

 

[phaZed]

Does the BIOS also appear this way, or does this start appearing at the windows loading or login screens?

Agree with the others, try a Live CD and an external monitor.

 

[cyabro]

This could also be the gpu. In fact, I'm more inclined to think it's the gpu than the screen...especially if it's nvidia. External monitor means nothing, because when a gpu fails (or more correctly, the solder fails), it can fail in such a way that it affects the screen in strange ways.

This ^^^

I've had an HP do the exact same thing even on an external monitor.
It was an nvidia chip problem.

 

[ATTech]

Probably GPU memory.

 

[parker.casey]

Probably GPU memory.

We don't yet know -any- of the diagnostic results ... awful quick jump to conclusion there.

 

[14049752]

We don't yet know -any- of the diagnostic results ... awful quick jump to conclusion there.

Not really much different than your suggestion...

External monitor shows up okay, it's the lcd.

That's possible, but not the only outcome from using an external monitor.

I'm certain that it's the GPU, from experience (and seeing this numerous times)...but saying "Probably the gpu" isn't ruling anything else.

 

[ATTech]

We don't yet know -any- of the diagnostic results ... awful quick jump to conclusion there.

It comes with experience and knowledge of how the parts interact. It's not the screen because screens don't store graphics data, which is what would be needed to mirror the full image. Graphics memory, on the other hand, does. I could also be a bad GPU, but bad graphics memory would more commonly present with this type of issue, whereas a bad GPU (particularly NVIDIA) with cold solder joints typically will give you no display. Ultimately, all of this is probably irrelevant if the OP doesn't do circuit level repair, and it can be chalked up to a bad video card.

I also said probably, not definitely, so I'm not jumping to conclusions, merely suggesting the likely problem.

 

[Vicenarian]

There's no problem there folks, that's called 'Eyefinity'.

 

[phaZed]

It comes with experience and knowledge of how the parts interact. It's not the screen because screens don't store graphics data, which is what would be needed to mirror the full image. Graphics memory, on the other hand, does. I could also be a bad GPU, but bad graphics memory would more commonly present with this type of issue, whereas a bad GPU (particularly NVIDIA) with cold solder joints typically will give you no display. Ultimately, all of this is probably irrelevant if the OP doesn't do circuit level repair, and it can be chalked up to a bad video card.

I also said probably, not definitely, so I'm not jumping to conclusions, merely suggesting the likely problem.

Sorry, but it is definitely NOT the VRAM, nor do I understand how you could blame the video memory. The video memory does not display anything, the cards processor "looks" to the video memory for frame data and for storing/retrieving information just like any other computer. It is the job of the video processor to assemble the data and send it to the video out port in a format in which the screen can understand. If the video memory is corrupt you should be getting STOP errors and the card should puke. Further, the screen DOES technically hold AT LEAST 1 frame of video data, and usually 2-3 at any given time. These frames allow for the screen to play catch up with the video working as a buffer of sorts (among other things). LCD's typically have anywhere from a 10-30ms delay per frame.

We are probably looking at a v-sync/h-sync problem of some sort. Whether it is caused by bad solder joints, a bad LCD controller, or even a bad LCD cable... who knows. All plausible.

If/when the OP gets back to us with the external monitor outcome.. that will be a big step forward.

 

[ATTech]

Sorry, but it is definitely NOT the VRAM, nor do I understand how you could blame the video memory. The video memory does not display anything, the cards processor "looks" to the video memory for frame data and for storing/retrieving information just like any other computer.
It is the job of the video processor to assemble the data and send it to the video out port in a format in which the screen can understand. If the video memory is corrupt you should be getting STOP errors and the card should puke.

Yes, and if that data is corrupted, then processor will assemble the corrupted data and send it to the video out. I'm confused, is it your assertion that a problem with VRAM wouldn't cause any improper display, or just not in this case?

I didn't think about the h/v-syncs, you may be right on that.

 

[MobileTechie]

I've seen this about 20 times. It's been a GPU fault every time.

 

[phaZed]

Yes, and if that data is corrupted, then processor will assemble the corrupted data and send it to the video out. I'm confused, is it your assertion that a problem with VRAM wouldn't cause any improper display, or just not in this case?

I don't see how it could be possible in this case. Sure, bad VRAM can cause output issues, however, usually the effects will be noticed where texturing, anti-aliasing, and bump mapping are used.. specifically during gaming. For the people who overclock you have probably seen the magenta or white blocks when taking your video card to the extreme. This happens because the card is unable to retrieve the data from the VRAM for any number of reasons (overheating, data not transferring fast enough, etc). The card will then simply "drop" the information and display only the geometry which will produce artifacts and above mentioned "blocking" without textures.

That being said.. I find it difficult to fathom how the video card processor mistakenly produced -- OR the VRAM corrupts in a way to produce 6 legible screens side-by-side, as to be held in a video frame in memory. Also, like a computer, the video card does not allocate video data in the same memory address every time, so I would expect to see more "random" effects (or BlueScreens) based on the bad memory blocks, and not the same SxS display on boot every time.

Further, modern video cards perform basic CRC/parity/redundancy checking on the I/O data which I would expect to cause hardware STOP bluescreen errors.

C'mon OP! We are all on the edge of our seats here!

 

[MobileTechie]

C'mon OP! We are all on the edge of our seats here!

Not those of us who know it's a GPU problem!

I guess it WOULD be interesting to be proved wrong...

 

[BryanLee]

Got my popcorn...waiting for the entertainment now...

 

[coreyspeed]

seen this before it was the GPU or though we only had 4 duplicates, i think that i was actually on a packard bell or acer.

 

[Blue Banana]

Heh, sorry for the delay guys, had a bit of work. Okay.

External monitor doesn't change a thing. The laptop is a victim of the Nvidia Defect issue,

The failures are caused by a solder bump on the underside of the GPU that connects the I/O termination, basically the "feet" of the silicon chip, to the pad on the substrate. Due to the extreme temperatures generated by these chips and due to the constant power cycling, defects between the die and the substrate has substantially grown in recent chip generations, apparently leading to fatigue cracking. Fatigue cracking is where the solder bumps on the underside of the chip break away from the mainboard causing the loss of video.

There is a whole forum on this very issue over here: http://www.nvidiadefect.com/

According to a report in The Inquirer, every single G84 and G86 GPU in the 8400M and 8600M series of cards is affected. Period. No exceptions. All of them!

There are various ways the problem shows up on the monitor though, but mine was a 'classic example'. I'm sure many of you have heard of the magical ways a hot oven can fix the GPU, you can also use a hairdryer. On this laptop though, I tried the possible fixes, but in the end it just could be repaired, not every chip can be repaired this way. A very strange problem and even stranger fix. Very sad about this actually, the new replacement parts cost the same as the laptop. Don't know what the client is going to do with the laptop though..