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From: Karim434 on 15 May 2010 05:46
Well, this is good; I am seeing a lot of consensus about the source of
the problem. I will definitely look into getting a new video card. One
thing though, a couple of people have referred to http://www.bay-wolf.com/8500...
but this site specifically discusses replacing the video card with a
Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo. Is there any reason why I should not
or cannot replace the video card (I believe, a Mobility Radeon 9000)
on a like-for-like basis?

Also, is there any point at all, in everyone's opinion, proceeding
with the 're-install the operating system' approach or can I
realistically rule that out as the source of the problem?

Thanks again for all your help so far.
--
Karim434
From: Karim434 on 15 May 2010 12:28
One more note, probably more out of curiosity than anything else. This
computer has had two major accidents in the past.

Onehappened when a compressed air cylinder I was using to clear the
dust from inside briefly dispensed liquid into the machine. I was
fairly sure I heard a fizzing noise, rang Dell in a panic and was
talked through checking it, turning it back on and testing it.
Mercifully it seemed fine and that was about a year ago.

The other time was when I unexpectedly and unceremoniously introduced
the computer to a cup of tea. It continued to run entirey normally for
the few seconds between the tea meeting the keyboard and my shutting
it off completely. I then poured out the excess fluid, dried what I
could reach, dismantled what I knew how to (the fan, the keyboard, the
hard drive, the RAM) and left the computer standing open for about a
week to make sure it dried out completely. On reassembly, the computer
started up normally and that was about two years ago.

Sounds like terrible negligence, I know, but apart from that it has
had a quiet life. What I am wondering is whether, in spite of working
fine up to now, either of these events could have caused damage that
ultimately lead to the symptoms I described in my first post?

William R. Walsh described, above, how the overheating needed to be
kept in check by cleaning out the fan and I can do that. However, I am
wondering now if it is possible that some long term damage as I have
mentioned may have more fundamentally damaged the computer's cooling
system over time?
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