Computers & Tablets

[pekabosue]

Although I did not purchase my computer from Best buy I am hoping that someone out there can help me. I have a Dell Deminsion 5100 it's about 4 years old. Pentium 4, 2.3 ghz, 256 mb, 160gb hard drive, not sure about the video card. Anyway recently my computer decided to randomly restart itself. At first it would only do it after sitting for a while. Then it went into a restarting "frenzy" to the point that it would not even get to the desk top. It would boot up for a couple seconds then restart. I ended up replacing the power supply, mother board, and a memory stick. Got the computer back and things were going good for a couple of days. Thing is I noticed that when scrolling(page down or up) it was like in slow motion. Then after sitting the screen saver would kick in and after the screen saver was running for a few the moniter would come back on and stay on.... then the screen saver would not kick in (hope this makes sense) Could this possibly be a video card issue?? If not does anyone have ANY suggestions!

[Matthew-GS Retired: Community Advocate]

Hi pekabosue,

I hope you found a solution to your issue and I just wanted to share some ideas for future readers. Your computer was four years old and the replacement parts were likely different hardware than the original. The first thing to consider is software drivers. The Operating System (OS) such as Windows may still be configured with drivers for your old parts if you have not reinstalled the OS after repair. First, try updating drivers for every device. This can be quite an undertaking – especially when a motherboard has been replaced. If this attempt fails, or want to be more thorough, an OS reinstall may be in order. Software drivers may need updating if you only have an on-board graphics chip. If you are referencing a slot graphics card and inserting a different graphics card resolves the issue, then either the first card or the drivers for that card are bad. You mentioned new RAM which can also affect performance if it is defective or inadequately installed. Check to ensure the amount of RAM installed equals the amount shown in system properties. Anyone have other suggestions?

[hockeycanuckjc Community Veteran]

I suspect the capacitors on the motherboard are aging badly

[Matthew-GS Retired: Community Advocate]

hockeycanuckjc,

Great point, but the member indicated they replaced with a new motherboard. Aging capacitors, however, could have been the culprit of the older Power Supply (PSU). Computer users may be interested to know that capacitors age more rapidly after the first year. They are made of chemicals with a finite life, especially if the computer is left on. This why I am impressed to see computers last more than five years without any issues. Thus, I advise people to purchase a computer knowing they will likely replace it within five years.