graphic card prolems with vgc-ra204!!!!

[puck77]

I bought a vaio vgc-ra204 last day with a 256Mb radeon x600 xt card, 1024 Mb RAM and 3.6Ghz P4. The problem is that occasionally the card driver send a messagge of a prolem with the graphic card and with the original drivers installed, the screen chenge from 1028x1024x32bit to 640x480x16 colors with the GPU turned off!!!!! I need to reset in order to start again to work!!! With the last catalyst ati driver's it's quite the same, but the vpu recover send a messagge of a problem with the graphic card, manteining 1028x1024x32bit but with the software renderer!!!!! It seems like the graphic card turn automatically off the GPU when is going to work!!! I tryed also to download the new driver in the sony vaio club and also installed the new bios, but it's the same!!!! when I try to play a game the computer turn off the video card and I need to turn off the computer from the main switch!!! And when I came back to turn on the computer after some time, It need to restart windows several times before enter, because each time after the intel inside logo, some black and white strips appear on the screen (a samsung syncmaster 170mb) and the computer automatically reset itself!!! all the software is original and I tried also to make a reinstallation with the two sony dvd's. Anyone can help me or I have to bring it to sony assistance??? HELP!!!!!!!!!

[kee-lo_]

I would go into the BIOS by pressing F2 and resseting to factory settings.

[puck77]

I would go into the BIOS by pressing F2 and resseting to factory settings.

It doesn't work!!! It's the same! And when I try to turn off the computer after switch off for some time, it had to reboot for one or two times before!!!! It's incredible, tomorrow I will call sony for assistance!! any other suggestion????

[kee-lo_]

Having it looked over by Sony is a good idea.

[puck77]

The problem is: how many time will they take the computer? I don't like to spend so many euro's without have the computer!!

[kee-lo_]

4-7 working days usually
It won't cost you a Euro if it's under warranty.

[pynzu]

Living in France, I have exactly the same problem : I have already explain this as a response to "I call your"

[kee-lo_]

Puck77, if you did get this fixed maybe you could report on how?

[feederfan]

My expert intuition....:smileyraised_eyebrow: lol, tells me that this is probably a problem with the Graphic card heat managment system. If it is under warranty, definitly send it back. If it wasnt, however, I would remove the GFX card, and take the heatsink off the GPU, reapply some new thermal paste, artic silver or something similar, and see if that helps. But if you do that, it is entirely at your own risk!

[pynzu]

Thank you for your opinion.
I think also that it is a problem on GPX itself because I have noticed that it works better after some time (variable) of operation than immediatly after first start or restarting : I think so that perhaps it is a problem of temperature.....