Hi,
I have an XPS M1730 running Windows 7. Recently the screen would go black intermittently. As I used the computer, the instances would occur more frequently and last longer until it would just stay black and not come back up at all. I can see light if I look closely and cup my hands, but no image.
The perplexing part was that when I plugged a TV in via HDMI, the screen on the computer came up too… and stayed up after a couple of sputters! I've taken everything apart and reseated the video card. I've also reinstalled the driver.
Dare I hope that this is software related and not too expensive to fix? I’ve been reading a bunch of terrible posts about fried video cards!



Thanks,
Shannon

OS Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1, 32 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9500 @ 2.60GHz, x64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 6
Processor Count: 2
RAM: 3070 Mb
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT, 256 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 292356 MB, Free - 78462 MB; D: Total - 10239 MB, Free - 9977 MB;
Motherboard: Dell Inc., 0KX412
Antivirus: Microsoft Security Essentials, Updated and Enabled

Could you provide the Dell Service Tag number. It gives more accurate
info about your PC. When I google or search Dell for Dell XPS M1730 it brings up Laptops.

You talk about a Video Card so it must be a desktop. You said you
reseated the Card and made sure it was in the slot all the way.
Does this Card have a Fan on it. Did you make sure the fan is running?
I have lost a few Video Cards due to the fan craping out.

Have you swaped out a monitor other than your TV using HDMI?

Is the HDMI built into the Video Card or on your Motherboard?

If the HDMI is in the Motherboard the Video Card could be bad

If the HDMI is in the Video Card then it points to a bad Monitor.

It's either a bad Video Card or your Monitor is bad.
Most of what your saying points to a bad monitor, video is working on
TV if it comes from the HDMI on the Video Card.

I have started in safe mode and deleted the driver. Then downloaded and installed it again from the NVIDIA site as directed by Windows 7. The Dell Service tag is CL2WRH1. It’s an XPS M1730 I bought on 12/1/08, so it’s only about 3 years old.

There are two fans on the NVIDIA GeForce 8700M graphics card and they both seem to be turning just fine. I’m running SpeedFan and the temperature does get up to about 72. But, from what I’ve read, that is normal. (It looks like the HDMI is on the video card.)

Unfortunately, I don’t have another computer that I can switch it out with to test, nor do I have any other monitors.

If your HDMI port works on your Video card I am fairly certain it's not
the Video card. Some TVs also have a VGA/DVI port(PC In) if you see a VGA/DVI Port on the back or side of the TV and try that and if that works it would be the same as testing a regular monitor. If that works
it is not your Video Card. I think your monitor is gone.

Sigh. After running perfectly for a day, it went kaput again. This time it's not coming back up. I deleted the driver again, intending to reinstall it. But when I rebooted, neither the screen nor the HDMI connected TV worked. This problem is so fickle! At any rate, I'm now without any in-home repair options (I think) and now I'm just trying to guage the cost/type of repair I'll be looking at.
If I can see the glow behind the screen, does that mean it's more likely to be the GPU at fault here?

Perhaps you just need a new Video Card. They are not hard to install.
Now what your saying sounds like it's a bad Video Card.
Just make sure you buy the right kind.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_8700M_techspecs.html

PCI Express® x16

DIAMOND 3650PE1G-PB-R Radeon HD 3650 1GB DDR2 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready Video Card. It is a Refurb but only $50.00. It's the only one
of the x16's with a gig of ram. I often buy reburbs and most of
the time they are like new.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103209

Here's some at Tiger Direct:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/guidedSearch.asp?CatId=28&sel=Detail%3B55_158_76437_76437

That Refurb at NewEgg looks like the best deal.

Thanks for the leads! Dell wants $180 for a lower end replacement 8700M GT 128. I'm thinking it over. It's nice to have lots of options!

I would shop around, for $180.00 you can get something a lot better
and newer. I think that is way too much for an older card with
256 or 512 ram.

Those aren't going to work Mike. In her first post she states that it is a Dell XPS M1730. Which happens to indeed be a laptop. It uses nVidia GeForce 8700M GT graphics (the "M" stands for mobile).

MSU

This is from her 1st post. I know the M means a laptop
but it seems like she is talking about a desktop.

"I've taken everything apart and reseated the video card."

I was also looking at the specks she posted and talks about a
card.

Reseating a laptop Video Card is hard to do if at all.

If its a laptop her Video Processor blew. happens a lot.

I wonder if this is what she has. Except it's 512MB instead of the 256MB in her specs. It is in the price range that Dell quoted her. Except the one they quoted was only 128MB.

MSU