MAJOR PROBLEM - (Graphics card or other?)

[ruzzian]

Hi, Im having a major problem with my displays. It started when I was playing MOH:AA and suddenly my screen went all weird and I had to shut down my Powerbook G4 to get it back to normal. The screen goes like THIS and even though it only happens when I play MOH:AA still, today I tried to run the Apple Care disk and it happened. Now when it happens I need to shut it down twice before it goes back to normal.

Someone told me this could just be a OpenGL problem/Quicktime but I'm starting to suspect its my graphics card dying after a few years of heavy use. I just need any help or diagnosis anyone can give...

Thanks,
Rob

 

[beige matchbox]

mine did this before the 10.4.2 (i think) update

If you running the latest version, i have no idea

 

[OutThere]

If it only happens in Medal of Honor, maybe the game is corrupted? Try other games/reinstalling MOH

 

[ruzzian]

Im currently running 10.4.3. Ive reinstalled MOH twice now and the first time it worked again for ages, and then the problem started again. SO I reinstalled again, but the problem seems to be happening quicker and more frequently. It has happened a couple of times outside of the game now which is starting to worry me. Unfortunately I do not have another game to try... I dont usually play games on it but this I stole off my housemate a few years back. :-/ Has anyone heard of any problems with OpenGL/Quicktime or Quartz in general with 10.4?

 

[Artful Dodger]

How old is the PB? Do you have AppleCare? My iBook did that, and a few other things with some games, then all the time...I had to have it replaced as it did that at the Apple Store when they looked at it. Does it do that with other stuff? Try iTunes with the Display visual effects on and see if it does it then.

 

[ruzzian]

The PB is almost 3 years old now. 15" 1 GHz Power PC G4, 1Mb L3 Cache, 1GB SDRAM. I tried iTunes visualiser and it was fine, then I realised I had Sims 2 and that was also fine. MOH:AA screws up almost instantly, which makes me wonder whether the game has been outdated by the apple updates? I wouldnt have been so worried about it if it only affected the game but the problem with the screen remains even when I exit the game and return to my desktop.

My friend bought a brand new iBook about a month ago and his screen went weird, not identically, but he had to get it repaired as apparently it is a common problem with mac's, more so with G3's but G4's are suffering the same fate more and more (said the techie who fixed my mates machine.)

if it is a problem just with MOH:AA is there any way I can fix it?

 

[Makosuke]

Well, my Radeon 9800 died a couple months ago, and it looked almost exactly like that when it went.

Have you tried running the extended hardware test using the disc that came with your Mac? That should show conclusively whether it's a hardware problem or not.

 

[ruzzian]

Well, my Radeon 9800 died a couple months ago, and it looked almost exactly like that when it went.

Have you tried running the extended hardware test using the disc that came with your Mac? That should show conclusively whether it's a hardware problem or not.

Is that the Apple Care Protection Disc?

 

[Artful Dodger]

ruzzian

Is that the Apple Care Protection Disc?
Yesterday 08:27 PM

You should have a separate disc saying Hardware test disc if I remember from using it on mine. Also it may pass the hardware test cd as mine did but it wasn't right, as the store found out

 

[ruzzian]

You should have a separate disc saying Hardware test disc if I remember from using it on mine. Also it may pass the hardware test cd as mine did but it wasn't right, as the store found out

Hmm I dont have that disc. Thats annoying. Ive just aquired an extension to MOH:AA so Im just gunna check if that makes any difference... I'll report back

 

[ruzzian]

Hmm I dont have that disc. Thats annoying. Ive just aquired an extension to MOH:AA so Im just gunna check if that makes any difference... I'll report back

Extension od the game made no difference... the problem still happened.
Found the hardware test CD... I tested, and nothing was "apparently" wrong.

SO is it just a problem with the game... in which case, anyone got any help they can give me on sorting it?

P.S - thanks so far for all the help! Really appreciate it. I really hope we can figure this arse of a problem out soon... its buggin me.

 

[ruzzian]

I went into the Utilities folder then clicked on the app. ColorSync Utility and did a verify and repair on that and it "seems" to have sorted the problem. Whether this has helped I dunno. Would this action usually help this problem?

 

[trainguy77]

It almost sounds like something is over heating. Maybe some of the fans have died?

 

[ruzzian]

I thought that... I am gunna go get it looked at next week, but oddly enough ever since i repaired those Coloursync options the problem has gone [touch wood].

I'll report any problem once ive had the hardware checked over. Thanks for all the help people!

 

[ruzzian]

Problems back... tried the same things again and they didnt work. I have no idea whats up with this...