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Gateway 2000 4SX-25 distorted display problem

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First post, by computergeek92

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So my new Gateway 2000 4SX-25 came in yesterday in great shape! But I have some questions... When I plugged in the computer, keyboard, and mouse to my 2001 Gateway EV700 17'' crt monitor the screen display looks scratchy and with odd characters. I think it needs the original monitor to display correctly because when I tried powering the PC a second time with my older 1999 Packard bell 17'' crt the screen was more readable - an improvement... This is my first ever 486 class Gateway 2000 so I don't know if it affects the other models. Here are pictures of the problem from both monitor's screenshots. I don't think the integrated video is broken, only proprietary. Has anyone else had problems with newer crt monitors hooked to their older Gateway 2000 PCs? And would any of you be willing to sell one your own Gateway 2000 monitors please? I could use it to test the video further. I was reading from a 1993 "PC Magazine" and the Gateway ad sold their 486 fest PCs with Chrystalscan 1024NI and Chrystalscan 1572FS monitors to be exact with the 4SX-25. Thanks for any help.

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Reply 1 of 3, by HighTreason

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Looks like the VGA RAM is failing to me. If it is socketed you can easily replace it. If not, you're in for a whole world of tedium if you try to fix it.

They may just have come loose in shipping, try pressing gently on the VGA RAM chips then - still pressing on them - turn the machine on and see if the problem is gone. Failing that, heat them a little with the hair dryer or something and it may go away for a while, this would indicate a dry joint and you would have to reflow it.

Going through the same process with a new video card I bought, on mine the RAM had given up on life so there wasn't an easy way out.

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Reply 2 of 3, by chinny22

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Also doubt it is using a non standard vga signal. I'm guessing the VGA is onboard? it will most likely be a standard card of the day integrated. Quick google seems to think Micronics was the manufacture of the day but need to check which board you actually have.
http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showt … X-User-s-manual
Worst case you should be able to disable the onboard video via a jumper somewhere and use a working card if indeed the onboard video has failed.

Reply 3 of 3, by computergeek92

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A friend of mine thinks it could be failing solid capacitors causing the problem with the VRAM. Luckily, he has a similar model: The Gateway 2000 4SX-33. Hopefully this weekend we can exchange parts between systems and dig deeper to the bottom of this issue. Perhaps soldering new caps and most likely an ISA video card upgrade should do the trick...

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