Your graphics
card has external ports for plugging in your monitor.
The graphics card in a computer processes the video and graphics for the computer. Motherboards have built-in graphics cards, but these are usually inferior in performance to the separate, stand-alone graphics cards sold in stores. However, problems can arise when you use these individual cards. Many of these problems are simple enough to solve, but tracking them down can be difficult because your card relies so much on other hardware that it can be hard to differentiate a problem with your card and that of another piece of hardware.
Instructions
1. Run a RAM checker to make sure that your problem does not stem from your RAM rather than your graphics card. A RAM checker is a program that runs a diagnostic on your cards to make sure they are functioning properly. Problems caused by bad RAM cards manifest in a wide variety of ways, making them hard to pin down unless your run a checker.
2. Check to make sure your graphics card is compatible with the rest of your hardware. Look up its specs in the card's manual. Use the specs to make sure that it is compatible with your power supply's output. Also make sure that you have the right kind of RAM for your graphics card. RAM comes in two varieties--AGP or PCI. You must not use the wrong kind of RAM with your graphics card.
3. Go to the graphics card manufacturer's Web page and check for updated drivers. Manufacturers periodically release new versions of software that comes with their products, and making sure your software is up to date is key to having your card function properly.
4. Test your monitor on another computer. If the monitor works fine on a separate computer but has problems with your own, then there is a problem with your graphics card or its ports. If the monitor does not work on another computer, then your problem may not be the graphics card at all, but rather the monitor.
5. Unplug your computer and open up its case. Touch your fingers to something metal to discharge any static electricity before handling the insides of your computer. Static electricity can easily fry computer components. Find where your graphics card is situated in your motherboard and inspect it to make sure that it has been fully inserted. A graphics card will not function properly if it is not properly inserted into its slot on the motherboard.
6. Find the cord that connects the graphics card to the power supply. Make sure the cord is plugged into the graphics card all the way.
7. Go to the card manufacturer's Web page and browse their support section for help. Chances are that someone else has experienced your problem before and reported it. If not, contact the company for personal assistance.
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