Packard Bell EasyNote TJ65 (Display)

[curlymike]

Hi,

This is my first post... I hope you can help me.

After a system crash I’ve reinstalled Windows 7 (Pro/64 Bit) on my Packard Bell EasyNote TJ65 but something is terribly wrong!

The display is really bad... it looks like 8 bit resolution. I’ve taken photos but I don’t think I can upload them here.

I’ve got the latest drivers directly from Packard Bell and everything in Device Manager checks out okay. I’ve tried all screen resolutions and colour depths and the result is the same. I also ran a ‘Pre-installation Environment Windows 7’ program (loads in memory only) and the display is exactly the same in that too so I know it’s not a Windows/Driver/Software issue.

Finally, I ran ‘PC Check Diagnostics’ check and the Video Card (Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family) passed and the output to an external monitor is absolutely perfect!

Could it be a Screen or Inverter problem? I just want to be sure before I buy another screen.

Is it possible for a Video Card to be broken but still deliver a perfect display externally? Is there anything else that I've mised and need to check?

One interesting point is when the screen should be black (during boot up) the display is bright red.

Has anybody seen anything like this before?

Thanks for you help.


Kindest regards,
Mike

 

[Teemuslayer]

Sounds like a potential Videocard failure. Do you know what kind of GPU your system has?
If the machine has a dedicated GPU, then either the card is busted, or somehow got "loose" and isn't thus connecting properly to the motherboard. Or both.

Even without a dedicated GPU, the computers can output video at ~640x480 resolution. Most motherboards these days also have integrated videocards as well, just so that you get by with the very basic tasks.

Depending on your machine, you may or may not be able to change your laptop's GPU. Usually, and unfortunatelly, you can't, BUT it's better to check and be sure. If the laptop is supposed to have an dedicated videocard (= Nvidia or Radeon), then the luck is most probably on your side and it can be swapped to a new one. The process isn't that much more challenging than changing a table-top PC's card in this case, but if you're a total newbie to this stuff I'd recommend just sending the machine to repairs.

BEFORE any of this, I'd suggest you check the videocard's manufacturer's homesite for latest drivers. Nvidias have their own, and AMD Radeons theirs. If your machine has neither, it almost automatically means it has a poor Intel's HD graphics. This unfortunately also means that it's an integrated card, in which case you can try to look for software updates, but most probably you won't be able to change it (= you need a new laptop if it's broken).

If you end up having to send it to repairs, ask before hand for the costs. If they say it's gonna be a major overhaul and that the costs are gonna be more than ~ 1/4th of the machine's original price ... I'd say you just sell this one for parts and get a new computer.

 

[curlymike]

Sounds like a potential Videocard failure. Do you know what kind of GPU your system has?
If the machine has a dedicated GPU, then either the card is busted, or somehow got "loose" and isn't thus connecting properly to the motherboard. Or both.

Even without a dedicated GPU, the computers can output video at ~640x480 resolution. Most motherboards these days also have integrated videocards as well, just so that you get by with the very basic tasks.

Depending on your machine, you may or may not be able to change your laptop's GPU. Usually, and unfortunatelly, you can't, BUT it's better to check and be sure. If the laptop is supposed to have an dedicated videocard (= Nvidia or Radeon), then the luck is most probably on your side and it can be swapped to a new one. The process isn't that much more challenging than changing a table-top PC's card in this case, but if you're a total newbie to this stuff I'd recommend just sending the machine to repairs.

BEFORE any of this, I'd suggest you check the videocard's manufacturer's homesite for latest drivers. Nvidias have their own, and AMD Radeons theirs. If your machine has neither, it almost automatically means it has a poor Intel's HD graphics. This unfortunately also means that it's an integrated card, in which case you can try to look for software updates, but most probably you won't be able to change it (= you need a new laptop if it's broken).

If you end up having to send it to repairs, ask before hand for the costs. If they say it's gonna be a major overhaul and that the costs are gonna be more than ~ 1/4th of the machine's original price ... I'd say you just sell this one for parts and get a new computer.

Hi, thanks for your reply!

I brought it to a repair shop and they confirmed it was a videocard failure... too expensive to repair (half the cost of a new laptop).

I'm just using it with an external screen and my new replacement should be with me in a week or so!

Kindest regards,
Mike