Strange video problem on my PGA Tour / MAME cab

[Cruor]

I recently acquired a PGA Tour cab with no monitor and a dead computer to use for my first MAME cab.  I dropped in a 21" NEC monitor, got the PGA Tour machine running again, then put in the MAME machine.  Everything is running great, except one problem.  After I play the PGA game, the next time I go to boot up the MAME box I get no video signal.  You can hear the MAME box load bios and windows, and it shuts down just fine, but the entire time the screen is black.  At this point, I open up the MAME machine and wiggle the video card's (8800 gtx) 2x 6pin 12v cables, reboot and all works well.  I don't know why this works, since the connections are not loose.

The 2 machines connect to the single monitor via a SVGA Y adapter (http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/vga-splitter-cable/10h1-27708.htm).  At no point in time are both of the machines on at the same time.  I've repeated the above process at least 7 or 8 times and the problem appears and is fixed the same way each time.  I can boot and reboot the MAME box over and over and this problem won't appear unless I boot the PGA game once in between.  I can also reboot as many times as I please while the problem is occurring and the video will not appear until I open the case and specifically wiggle the 2x 6pins on the video card.  Not only does this have me stumped, but it has me concerned that whatever is causing this problem may damage my 8800gtx.  

Other than this problem, things run great for my first MAME cab.  I was able to wire the PGA game to my MAME control panel so I don't have to swap CPs between games.  Then I rigged a couple of micros from the coin return buttons to the 2 machines for easy on / off.  Both machines are hooked into a smart strip to fire up everything else when a computer boots up.  

The MAME box is an AMD Athlon 64 x2 6400+, ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe mobo, 4GB PC 6400 RAM,  Geforce 8800gtx, 250GB SATA2 HD, onboard sound.  On the CP, the 2x sticks on the bottom are JLFs and the 4 way stick at the top left is a JLW.  I liked the extra sensitivity on the JLW so I tossed on a 3rd button and made it my shmup stick when in 8 way.  The trackball is a Happ I gutted from the PGA board.  The LED buttons are from paradise, and all the other buttons are Andy's gold leafs that I can't say enough good things about (I love these buttons!).  All the controls run to 2x minipacs.  The JLW and it's 3 buttons I ran to a 25 pin D-Sub going to one minipac, while everything else is on a 37 pin D-Sub running to the other minipac.  The 12v for the LED buttons comes from a stand-alone power supply mounted to a wall, which also powers the 2x intake / 2x exhaust fans hooked to the vents in the back of the cab (things still seem to get awfully warm inside the cab after a while though).

Here are some pics of everything.  I wish I had a better camera, but this is the best my crappy phone can produce.  As you can see, I still need some artwork and plexi for the CP.  That's next!

I'd also like to sincerely give a heart-felt thanks to the folks that make up this forum.  If not for all the wisdom contained here, this childhood dream could never had been made a reality.  I can't help but grin every time I boot this baby up and play my favorite games with a real arcade control panel (the way Street Fighter 2 was meant to be played).