Computer locking up / screen showing lines

[juicedus]

Hey guys,

My brothers powerbook (15" 1.25) is acting screwy. After replacing his RAM and hard drive the computer will lock up and the screen will just fade lines. The RAM was kingston and has been returned for new ones a couple of times. He finally put the standard Smasung RAM (512) that comes stock and KBYTE RAM (256). He's run hardware tests and it either comes back clean or locks up during the hardware test. My question is do you guys think that it is either bad RAM or a fried video card?

 

[p0intblank]

Remove the KBYTE RAM and see if the problems persists. If so, then it's probably your video card. That doesn't look too good...

 

[screensaver400]

Ouch. Did you screw something up replacing the hard drive?

 

[Applespider]

Hmm, mine doesn't show lines but my 1.25Ghz PB has also recently started playing up occasionally (well, twice now)

It locks up suddenly (no beachball warning) and the screen goes 'hazy' then it starts to fade to black from the upper right corner and fade to white on the lower left corner. The sound repeats whatever the last tone was so you get a 'bom, bom, bom, bom, bom' effect and the only solution appears to be a hard reset.

My 3rd party RAM had been in for a year before it started and having run Memtest on it, it passes quite happily even on a triple-run test. I still have warranty on it until February so I might take it into the Apple store and see what they suggest since it's happend more than once.

 

[mad jew]

Applespider, have you tried the usual? Reset PRAM and PMU?

Also, bad RAM has been known to hold off for a year before wrecking things. Plus those hardware tests are mediocre at best. So don't rule out bad RAM just yet.