Graphics Card?

[Barrie Yates]

I suspect that the graphics card in my LT has failed. Started to get occasional flickering of the display and now there is no display at all – completely dead screen. I can hear the HD run on start up and if I insert a disc I can hear that run and the indicator lights flash as usual.
Can anyone advise:

• Whether there are any checks I can do to verify my suspicions?
• Are graphics cards specific to the make and model of the laptop or can I just go and buy any graphics card?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated

[Boeing Guy]

As far as I know, Laptop graphics cards are integral to the motherboard.
However does ypur laptop have a VGA socket, a d shapped one with lots of holes?
If so you should be able to plug it into a desktop monitor, I woukd imagine thst would at least check your laptops graphics card.
If the external display works, I would have thought the problem is with your laptop screen.
Si

[gpick24]

There may also be a key combination to press to switch between laptop screen and external display. Which keys will depend on your laptop (the one i`m using now it`s Fn & F2).
Newer laptops have HDMI, if yours does try that into your TV (assuming your TV has HDMI)

[Studio25]

It probably won't be the graphics card - more likely the screen or its inverter that has gone. As Si suggested - borrow a VGA monitor and if you can use it without problems, your card is fine.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi.../SVGA_port.jpg

Next step is the inverter. It's a little 1cm x 10cm board at the bottom of the screen (after you take off the cover). It should be about a tenner to replace.
http://clevoweb.co.uk/images/inv.jpg

Bear in mind that your whole screen might be dead. Mine has just gone belly up, and I can't really justify a £100 replacement, but I could justify the tenner that it took to confirm the inverter isn't broken.

[Barrie Yates]

Thanks everyone, will try and progress a bit further.