Desperate need of computer help - monitor keeps shutting off

Factual Questions
1

I use a KVM switch for my work and personal computers, so I know the problem must not be the monitor itself. On my personal machine, my monitor keeps shutting down for no reason. It’s like it has absolutely no power, but when I switch to my work computer, it powers back up just fine. It’s been doing it intermittently for a while, but the other day, it did it and wouldn’t come back on. So I switched out hard drives (didn’t want to lose the contents of my original desktop) and installed WinXP (instead of Win98SE). I thought that solved the problem, but today it started doing it again. Now the monitor won’t come on at all.

What I’ve tried:

Using a different video card
Switching ports on the KVM - I had noticed that I didn’t have keyboard access to switch over to the other computer. I have to use the button on the KVM.
Resetting the CMOS (what can I say; I’m desperate)

I’ve already ordered a new CPU, mobo, RAM, but in the meantime, does anyone have any suggestions?

2

Also tried plugging the monitor cable directly into the graphics card, just in case it was the cable.

3

Sounds like a mainboard problem to me. You’ve ruled out the video card, the KVM switch, the monitor itself, software issues, and a CMOS issue (maybe). It might a CPU problem, but probably not. RAM is unlikelm since that would have caused other problems too, like intermittent boot-up errors, and random system crashes, and also unless you’re using AGP video with shared RAM, your video card has it’s own RAM. So, my vote is for the motherboard. Keep me posted.

4

What kind of monitor? Make model & year? (they are posted on the back). Some monitors have their own settings on the monitor itself, of course, not the monitor lizard.

5

I’m pretty sure you’re right that it’s a mainboard problem, Q.E.D.. The video card is a 128MB GF4 (Chaintech Ti 4200). And yeah, I’ve had RAM problems in the past and it didn’t react like this. Since I’m going to have to remove the components to install a new computer, I’m going to try one last thing: removing individual pieces and starting the machine. I can’t even imagine how a faulty network card or firewire card could affect the video, but I don’t have anything to lose by doing so.

handy, it’s a Toshiba, but I can’t get to the back of the monitor right now to see the rest of stats. I bought it as a demo model from Best Buy years ago, so I don’t even have a manual with it.