Monitor Distortion Problem?

[Chazz]

I've just upgraded my MAME Cab from a P2 to a P3, but now I get these weird lines running across my monitor.  Can anyone tell me what this might be, and how I can get rid of them?  This is what it looks like as I couldn't get a good pic of it:

[Chazz]

Anyone?  
This is hard on the eyes and is a real pain.  Does anyone have any sugestions??

[BobA]

Need some more info to really help but here are a few guesses in the dark.

If an arcade monitor check the grounds.    
Reseat the video card on the motherboard.


BobA

[Chazz]

The old P2 was a flat desktop, and the new system is a tower so the system is a little closer to the monitor, could this be a problem?  The display looked great before switching PCs, and I'm pretty sure I didn't knock any wires.  I did double check the wires and the all look nice.  I also re-checked the video card and it's in there snug.

[BobA]

Closeness to the tower should not be a problem.  Many monitors sit on a desk right beside a tower case.  

Try another video card if you can.  

BobA

[Chazz]

I only have the one ArcadeVGA card that was working great with the old system.

(thanks for all the help guys!!)

[BobA]

For and Arcadevga you should send email to Andy describing your problem and what has been checked.  He will probably have other things for you to check

BobA

[Chazz]

Closeness to the tower should not be a problem.  Many monitors sit on a desk right beside a tower case.  

Try another video card if you can.  

Hey Bob,
You're right about the PC being close to the monitor.  I moved it far away and I still get the lines.  I also put in another video card, and although I didn't get a nice image as I would with the ArcadeVGA card I could still see the lines.  I checked all my wires for the video and everything looks fine.  I even re-wired the connections to make sure nothing was loose, but I still get this crappy image.

Any more sugestions would be great!

Thanks!

[APFelon]

Hm... I have no clue as to what is causing that interference, but perhaps I could suggest a few more things to check.

Since you are using the ArcadeVGA card, I think it is safe to assume you are using a standard arcade monitor...

Look at the VGA cable and check for bent or broken pins where it meets the ArcadeVGA card (and the JPAC, if you have one). I can't fathom a technical reason why a damaged cable would cause that particular pattern, but hey, it's worth a look-see.

Boot it up using a PC monitor with a normal card. Is the pattern still there? If not, monitor or the signal to it is suspect.

Do the lines move in a horizontal/vertical/diagonal manner? I remember when I was a kid, the television would display a similar pattern when my mother ran the blender. Did you turn the air conditioner on for the first time this summer?
It may be interference of some sort. Try moving the cab across the room and plug it in to a different outlet...?

I notice that you are running XP on the cab. Use a DOS boot disk and see if the pattern is there at the C: prompt. (A longshot, but might be worth your while to try).

Well, I hope this helps a little, if any.

APf

[BobA]

Could it be comming from the motherboard?   Seems like you have eliminated most other choices.   Since the problem started when you changed MB and continues even with a new vid card.   Don't know how it would cause this but seems like the last choice.

BobA

[Chazz]

I'm gonna pop the old system back in tonight (just put the video card and the hard drive back into the other PC) and see if I still get the problem.  If I don't then it's gotta be something inside the new tower.  What should I be looking for in the new system that would be causing this?

What would I do without you guys!!  Thanks again!

[BobA]

Cannot think of anything besides the MB or the PS.  The MB should not be operating without the proper voltages from the PS so maybe just some ripple one one of the voltages.  Hard to nail down these problems by remote troubleshooting.

BobA

[ntjedi]

I have come across motherboards that dont like the video card installed.  It could just be a compatiblity issue.  Just recently I had a motherboard with a Trident card and it would not display correctly (could have also been an issue with the onboard video trying to override the second video card).  I picked up another motherboard (a brand name one since the other motherboard was kinda junky) and it solved that issue.

[AndyWarne]

This looks like an interference problem. Worth trying connecting extra ground wires from the chassis of the monitor and the video ground, to a common point near the power cord ground. Also check PC grounding. Another possibility is a faulty PC power supply sending electrical noise back through the mains power. Or any other device nearby with a awitching power supply.

Also routing of any unscreened video wiring near to some interference source (including the monitor power supply itself)

Andy

[Mugzilla]

A resolution problem? (Vid card set for too high of resolution or too hi of refresh rate?)

Sorry, I'm just a NUB that's brainstorming...