how can I...

Hello,

Back in Feb. of 2001 I bought this PC i'm using now.
It's an HP that I bought from Best Buy. It is a Best Buy configuration "oem i guess"? So within the basic one year warranty I would have to go through the store for any problems, since it's their configuration (not factory).

Ironically, about one month after the one year warranty ran out, my monitor went dimmer. It was noticably darker than it was, and it happened abrubptly. Not gradual at all!

Now after all this time I'm use to the darkened monitor and cant tell if its still dimmer than it was or not. (It had nothing to do with contrast or brightness settings).

I know I can pay for a new warranty with HP (even now) for the price of a cheap monitor.

ultimatly my questions are:

If i go out and just buy a monitor, of any kind, in most cases or so i've heard, they'll come with a 3 year warranty.
So... should'nt the monitor that came with my PC have the 3 year, or is that only for "separate monitor only" purchases?

I'd like to get HP or best buy to replace this monitor somehow, even though its a few years later. I still have reciepts and all!!
can anyone suggest anything

What's the brand of your monitor? Yer right, most monitor comes with 3 or 5 years waranty if I'm not mistaken. What's the date of manufacturing written behind it?

You know, those days you can buy refurbished CRTs for real cheap.

I wonder if it could be your video card.

thanks for the reply

Its an HP monitor (v70s), I cant currently see the back of the thing, but I'd say it was manufactured in 99 or 00 possibly?

I know i need to just go buy a new one or refurbished. And this is what i've been looking into (pricing) (looking for models) I play games and want good refresh rates!!

I was just wondering about monitors carrying those 3 year warranty and why that should have been different in my case! I had called when the monitor displayed its problems and I was told by each place (HP & Best buy) to call and deal with the other party. so either company tried to pass the responsibility to the other company. I'm wondering now if i could have gotten it replaced (by law) but was actually lied to possibly?

I'd say highly un-likely. (the video card theory)

But if it became darker, maybe you can just play with the contrast/brightness setting, crank them up a notch and try to make it "lightier".

Yeah, companies like that tend to always try to throw the responsability to someone else. But I would think yours really isn't on warranty anymore. Refresh rates are important, never forget that. I got tricked into buying a 19 inc Viewsonic, PS790 for only 200 bucks, but damn, I can't put the refresh rate higher than 60 hz or the screen "shakes". It sucks.

Next thing I'm buying will be an LCD.

[Edited on 17-4-2004 by m0rbid]

hey king,


I too wondered this, wich could have put me as the cause of the problem.

You see, this oem came with a geforce2 mx400.
and as i said I play games and wanted better so I went out and spent 400$ on a gf4Ti4600. I called HP and they helped me with the installation and claimed that it would work fine.
I wondered though if the higher card may have burned out my monitor somehow?

UPDATE!!!!!

yesterday after posting this topic I went and filed a complaint with the BBB. (just for the hell of it)

Next PC I get I'll build myself!

Oh and somthing new I just noticed seconds before posting this reply...... When I touch my monitor screen my speakers make repetative popping noises, though it seems to subside once the static is gone

Originally posted by Qlone
hey king,


I too wondered this, wich could have put me as the cause of the problem.

You see, this oem came with a geforce2 mx400.
and as i said I play games and wanted better so I went out and spent 400$ on a gf4Ti4600. I called HP and they helped me with the installation and claimed that it would work fine.
I wondered though if the higher card may have burned out my monitor somehow?

The only way a vid card would wreck your monitor is by letting you set the refresh rate higher than what the monitor was built to safely refresh at. For instance: If your monitor was only built to refresh at 75 Hertz but in your 'monitor' video card driver settings it will allow you to set it at 95 Hertz, you could theoretically completely/partially 'burn out' your monitor (I've actually heard of people doing this).

If I were you I'd 'test' the monitor before replacing it. You can either hook it up to another comp and see if it does the same thing, or you can take it into an electronics store and they can test if for you for a small fee (usually $10 to $15). Then you'll know for sure if the problem is with the monitor or the vid card or possibly even in the motherboard. If it turns out that there's nothing wrong with the monitor you'll have saved yourself some $$ by not replacing it, you can then take that $$ and either put it towards a new vid card or motherboard.

.....or case of beer

If it is your monitor you can get a good new flat screen CRT monitor for under $200 if you shop around. Or you can spend $500+ for a flat screen LCD. Personally, I opted for the cheaper flat screen CRT. I also play allot of computer games and like a good a flat screen CRT monitor better than the LCD ones.....but I'm weird anyways




[Edited on 18-4-2004 by Ninor]

Originally posted by m0rbid
Next thing I'm buying will be an LCD.

and youll love it once you get it. i have an lcd screen, and it is absolutly awesome, not only do my games look better, but it takes up way less space. so i have more space now for.... well..... junk. lol. my comp table is never clean. Qlone if your going to buy a new monitor, i do suggest LCD over the flat screen bulky monitors or tube style bulky monitors, yeah you might spend and extra hundred ..... or three, but its soooo worth it if you spend as much time as i do in front of your computer.

Originally posted by smilingsarah82
and youll love it once you get it. i have an lcd screen, and it is absolutly awesome

I know, I got one at work. Since I have it, I have so few head aches now when I'm coming home from work.

Not only everything look better and it takes less places, it is WAY better for your eyes. Plus, it takes less power than CRTs. Makes less heat. It's just so much better, I know lots of gamers still prefer CRTs because of the refresh rates and the quicker initializing, but I prefer LCDs over them anytime. And the 17 inches ones are a lot cheaper than they used to be.