This section will try to answer the most often asked questions I get.
Follow the links below for an indepth answer to each question.
My desktop turns on. I see no video?
I run into this more and more these days. Generally, you have two issues. First being your video cable. You can check that simply by seeing if it is connected, and if so connecting it to another system.
If your monitor works fine, then your next issue is the video chipset. More and more I find the newer HP, Dell, and Acer desktop systems use the same Nvidia chipsets as the laptop systems for the HP DV and TX series.
I also find that the add-on video cards, both ATI and Nvidia, have poor circulation fans if any at all, and the chipsets on those need to be reflowed also.
I also find the system may have a capacitor issue. It would display the same signs as a reflow.
To check, just take your cover off, and look at the capacitors. If they are bulging, leaking, or domed, you have a capacitor issue.
Systems that have this issue on a regular basis are Dell SX, GX, OptiPlex, and Dimension systems. I am seeing newer OptiPlex 740, which are AMD based systems, and OptiPlex 745, which are Intel based systems, with capacitor issues.