Twitching display = sign of monitor or graphics card problems?

Question

My monitor's display seems to twitch slightly every ten minutes or thereabouts.

It's just a very small movement but I notice it easily when I am reading the screen. The movement seems to be mostly in the horizontal plane. It never used to do this.

As best as one can guess, is this likely to be a fault with the monitor or with the graphics card?

The monitor is a 17 inch CRT and the graphics card is an NVidia GeForce2. Both are about 3 years old and have worked faultlessly up to now.

My mains power supply seems fine. I recently removed several devices from my PC (three hard drives) so PSU is more lightly loaded than it has been.

Lionel · Accepted Answer

Kibo informs me that Franklin  stated that:In order of probability:(1) Cable isn't 100% seated & screwed in,(2) Bad cable/connector, at either end.(3) Bad solder joint in monitor.Then all the possible electronic faults in the monitor.Your card is very unlikely to be the cause. If you can, try borrowinganother monitor to rule out the PC/cable.--    W           . | ,. w ,   "Some people are alive only because  |/  |/     it is illegal to kill them."    Perna condita delenda est---^----^---------------------------------------------------------------

Rand Al'Thor · Answer

Can you try another computer (or graphics card) with your monitor? This will determine whether it's your monitor or card. If your monitor still causes the same problem and if its not an electronic fault then it could be that some device probably nearby is 'switching' causing a magnetic field to interupt the display. I had a similar problem when I'd placed the power supply adapter for my MSFF wheel behind the monitor when I was tidying up and forgot I'd put it there.

Alan

JAD · Answer

nearly went and bought a new monitor this summer, as the same washappening to me only on the vertical plain on one side. Looked for asolution on various tech sites. One fellow had said that the routingof my monitor cable was passing to close to power cables/outlets andsure enough I moved it away and the monitor is perfect for the last 4months.

Paul · Answer

Or speaker...-- Paul

N Cook · Answer

Strange you say this. My monitor has been doing this same thing for a few weeks now. Sizzling noise at the same time so probably voltages of 50 volt or less. Cracking noise would be higher voltage area. Sometime I'll take the cover off and trace the dry joint/loose wire.

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David Maynard · Answer

Probably dirt and grime in the monitor.

James Sweet · Answer

If you wait until "someday" chances are you'll be doing much more troubleshooting and component replacement than if you fix the solder joint now. Bad solder joints are the cause of probably 60% of power semiconductor failures.

**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** · Answer

It could be an optical illusion. I have heard of such an effect, but don't recall the specifics. Apparently easily reproducible if you know how.Frankl-- Joe Leikhim K4SAT"The RFI-EMI-GUY"The Lost Deep Thoughts                        By: Jack Handey     Before a mad scientist goes mad, there's probably a timewhen he's only partially mad.  And this is the time when he'sgoing to throw his best parties.

Twitching display = sign of monitor or graphics card problems?

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