Graphics card aka video board
A graphics card also known as a video card or VGA board is a laptop component responsible for creating images on a laptop screen.
In most low-mid range laptops the graphics card is integrated into the motherboard. In other words, it’s a part of the motherboard. If that’s the case, the graphics card is not removable or upgradeable. If the graphics card fails, you have to replace the whole motherboard.
A discrete graphics card can be found in high range models and high end gaming laptops. Discrete graphics cards can be removed and in some cases they are upgradeable.
Here’s another example of the discrete video card in a high end gaming laptop. As you see the video card can be separated from the motherboard.
GRAPHICS CARD RELATED PROBLEMS
You can use the following method for troubleshooting problems related to graphics cards.
Let’s say your display stopped working properly. The image is distorted or garbled. Is this problem related to the VGA board or LCD screen?
Connect your laptop to an external monitor and take a look at the external video output. If you see the same problem as on the internal LCD screen, most likely it’s related to the VGA board. If video on the external monitor works fine and the problem appears only on the internal LCD screen, most likely your problem is related to the LCD screen or LCD cable.
TYPICAL VIDEO CARD FAILURE
Below you can see a few pictures taken from a laptop with a faulty video card.
1. When you start the laptop, the initial screen with manufacturer’s logo is not displayed properly on both internal LCD screen and external monitors. You can see random characters, vertical lines running through the logo, random colors, etc…
2. Same problem appears when the laptop displays the boot menu. The screen is either not readable at all, or there are some random characters all over the image.
3. Finally, the laptop starts loading Windows, but the image on both screens is still garbled.
A problem like that is not related to the laptop screen or inverter board.
Again, if the video card is integrated into the motherboard and it fails, you’ll have to replace the motherboard.
Laptop parts | Repair Man | 
December 26, 2008 2:52 pm
211 Responses to “Graphics card aka video board”
Pages: [9] 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 » Show All
Pages: [9] 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 » Show All
January 23rd, 2012 at 6:51 pm
@ Fraola,
I believe Toshiba Satellite Pro M30 is the same as Toshiba Satellite m30 laptop.
I can show how to disassemble the laptop but unfortunately you cannot replace the video card. It’s built into the motherboard.
Here’s Toshiba Satellite M30 laptop disassembly guide:
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/Toshiba_Satellite_M35/take_apart_notebook_1.htm
If the video card failed, it’s necessary to replace the entire motherboard.
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:39 am
Tengo un Toshiba Satellite Pro M30 y falla la gráfica nvidia G-force FX. ¿Se puede sustituir? y ¿Dónde está?
December 27th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
@ Farhan kabir,
I don’t think so. This is a budget laptop with integrated graphics – the video card integrated into the motherboard.
The graphics card cannot be removed, replaced or upgraded.
Just in case, here’s Toshiba Satellite C650/C655 disassembly guide:
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/Toshiba-Satellite-C650-C655/disassemble-toshiba-laptop-1.htm
You might need it in the future.
December 27th, 2011 at 5:25 am
can i install or add a graphics card on my laptop toshiba C650 PSC08A-03R01F
December 15th, 2011 at 11:37 am
@ Chrissy,
It looks like the laptop doesn’t see the hard drive or OS. It’s possible the laptop doesn’t start because of the hard drive failure.
Here’s something to try.
Remove the hard drive. Hopefully it’s accessible through the bottom door.
Now try starting the laptop. Can you get Asus logo on the screen when the hard drive removed?
December 15th, 2011 at 10:49 am
Hiya.
The screen on my Asus G1 laptop is broken or not working..only show a backlighted blank screen, this is from start up.
I want to use my little hp lcd (used on desktop pc) for the laptop but when I connect them together, the laptop screen still is blank and the lcd screen shows message
Reboot and Select proper boot device or select boot media in selected drive and press key.
i have no idea what that means or what the problem would be.
Any ideas?? Lol all I want to do is hopefully still use the laptop but view through lcd.
Thank you
November 2nd, 2011 at 5:53 pm
@ nipun,
Nice problem description.
November 2nd, 2011 at 5:52 pm
@ Ramanovsky,
Could be a problem with video connector on the motherboard.
Even though this laptop has a discrete video card, the video cable plugged directly into the motherboard, correct? I think there could be a problem somewhere on the motherboard.
October 8th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
I have a problem with my satellite P-100 (195).
Discrete graphics card geforce 7900gs.
The external outputs are fine (digital and analog), i can run games without no problems at all.
the internal display don´t show anything , and the computer boots normaly without any image .
I try almost everything (exchange the inverter from another p100,the video cable and the lcd, tried remove the memories one by one, checked the swich panel).I oppened the laptop 3 times to recheeck connections and it still the same odd situation.
Any ideias ? thanks in advance.
October 6th, 2011 at 8:45 am
toshiba m200 haging problem
September 8th, 2011 at 8:24 am
Hello – Very pleased that I’ve found your site – very good info.
I recently had problems with my video card (Dell M70 w Nvidia Quadro FX GO 1400) as shown in the ‘Typical video card failure’ images. The first sign of trouble was a single vertical yellow line (1 pixel wide) that appeared during boot up then disappeared. Within a few days, I had major problems as shown in your typical card failure images – and worse. Running Dell diagnostics on the video indicated memory read-write errors. When I disabled the card, the computer would run using VgaSave adapter, but display was still a little flaky. After replacing the Nvidia Quadro 1400 card, everything was fine except their was a single vertical blue line (1 pixel wide) appearing close to the yellow line, but it was there all the time. (Yellow line would come and go as before.)
After two weeks of working well-except for blue line-the new video card appears to have failed in the same way (Dx = memory r/w errors).
I am anticipating needing to replace both the motherboard and the graphics card (again). Is this your suggestion as well?
August 16th, 2011 at 11:37 am
my video card has crashed on my toshiba satellite X205-SLi1 do u know where i can get another one it’s a pci express x16 nvidia
August 8th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
hello…
I have a dell vostro 1000, bought it 2008 sep, its power cuts off randomly. This problem has manifasted only recently. Now the laptop wont even power up, power led comes on along with wifi led for 2 secs and then turns back off. Earlier still, windows would report ati driver failed, recovered successfully. At time screen would flicker and show faint diagnol lines scrolling on white background. Can you advice on what might the problem?
I dissesembled the laptop took out all drives and add on cards it still wouldn’t turn on. If i keep pressing the power buttom it will sometimes power on and boot to windows but after a few minuts cut off again. I am guessing either the inverter or mainboard is causing the problem…
Regards
July 6th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
plz help when i turn on my laptop tons of vertical white lines come on i see nothing i heard the starting noise so i pressed enter and entered my password and press enter then i heard my login sound and the white lines have not change and they still there and i plugged in my moniter ad then i see everything on moniter no white lines no nothing expect my stuff like normal i tak the moniter out and white lines on my laptop put back in normal so this is how i am able to post this and that is my current state plz help O;
June 2nd, 2011 at 1:05 am
Great post. Some times you may get similar problems from faulty cables between the screen and motherboard or other issues such as earthing problems. mainly its the GPU in the board tho, HP have such a bad problem with this. We have repaired soo many HP laptops with this issue
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:29 am
Thomas R,
Is it a discrete video card and not built-in video card?
If the video card built into the motherboard, it cannot be removed and replaced. The whole motherboard has to be replaced.
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:22 am
Genrev,
Find the laptop model number and search on the Internet for laptop specifications.
If it says integrated video, it means the video card integrated into the motherboard and cannot be removed.
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:10 am
Siegfred Ubalde,
It’s hard to tell what’s going on without testing the laptop.
Can you get any image on the external monitor? If not, first thing to check will be memory.
One of the memory modules could be bad.
Try removing memory modules one by one. Test the laptop with each memory module separately. It’s possible the laptop will start properly when you remove the failed memory module.
May 3rd, 2011 at 8:56 am
celal boz,
I found some USB to DVI External video cards but I’ve never tried something like that before.
May 2nd, 2011 at 1:16 pm
I have a Sony VAIO VGN-AR605E XP laptop with a failed GPU, it will still show good video but , redraws are slow, can I buy an external vga card for it? does it exist?
thanKS
April 27th, 2011 at 5:52 pm
hello repairman,
When i turn on my acer aspire4520g it wont boot, the hardisk and cdrom will run but it wont boot and nothing appears. is it possible the vgacard defective or the memory?
thanks
April 20th, 2011 at 3:47 am
i have a NEO laptop and i dont know if it has any video card,and how would i know if it has video card
April 13th, 2011 at 5:00 am
I have an Geoforce NVIDIA G160 graphics card or something like that. And it is failing. I need to get a new one. Please tell me where I can get one.
March 13th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
I have a Dell m90 and i get vertical lines while it’s booting up. I’m pretty sure this means my video card on my Laptop has crapped out but in Safe mode and VGA mode it still works fine other than the resolution is huge or the background is discolored. I could see if everything was effected but it’s not. I can use a web browser and no graphic abnormalities. Viewing pictures or videos is fine. Any thoughts on why it will work in those 2 modes but not in regular and not effect anything other than a black background?
March 8th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
I have a problem with my toshiba tecra s2. When i turn it on nothing appears on the screen unless i press on the video card or vga. And even then only vertical lines will appear on the screen. So i connected it with an external monitor and again nothing appears unless i press the video card or vga. But this time the the BIOS screen appears perfectly with no vertical lines. However, it ends there nothing happens unless i press the vga again and when i do i get some error messages. I connected it with a brand new laptop screen and it gave me the same vertical lines no BIOS screen. I had to press again before i even get the lines. I dont know what the problem is. I need some help Yesterday, 11:34 AM