*groans*

3 min read

Deviation Actions

UltraRodimus's avatar
By
Published:
6.8K Views
Great... MORE computer problems...

Anyone who's followed me for a while here knows I've got an OLD computer. This machine is original Alienware, custom-built for me ten years ago. It'd held up well, though the controller chip is going and the motherboard has been dying a slow death for the last few years. It's withstood viruses and malware and quite a bit of other crap. Now, though, its time is running out.

About a month ago, a new problem cropped up. Without warning, the monitor would suddenly black out and give me a "No Signal" message, then shut down entirely. Getting it to work again meant forcibly rebooting my computer by holding in the power button until it shut down, then rebooting. This would happen two, maybe three times within the span of a few minutes. I didn't know what was happening until recently.

It turns out that the problem is the video card. It has begun to die and is overheating. Like the rest of the computer (minus the internal harddrive and the CD/DVD drive), the video card is an old part, one of the original parts. So old it has a heat sink instead of a cooling fan. When it overheats, it causes the monitor to shut down, and at least once I saw the mouse freeze before the screen blacked out on me.

When the video card overheats, the only way I can get my monitor working again is to hard reboot. Unfortunately, having to do this too often will cause glitches in the already touchy OS. Eventually it will cause the OS to crash, which will require a reformat/reinstall. And my computer is just too damn old.

My only choice now is to try and get a newer machine. The guys who built my current computer tell me I should get a newer refurbished computer, and they'll put the harddrive from my old computer into the newer one so I can keep all my programs. Unfortunately, I won't have any real money until my GST check arrives in April, and that's only $130. The cheapest of the refurbished machines is $120, not including the taxes. With some luck I may be able to save up a bit more from what I get for taking courses at the Employment Development Center ($70 every two weeks), but I'm not sure what I'll be able to afford when the time comes. If I don't have enough by early April, then very likely I'm screwed.
© 2015 - 2024 UltraRodimus
Comments4
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
srg1's avatar
I'm sorry to hear that your computer is giving out. It's tough to save up sometimes. I will be hoping that you will be able to get the money you need.