Unusual and annoying graphics problem

[Robbie Dahl]

I have put my question in this forum because I don't know where else to put it even though I know it is not actually a problem with my monitor or video card.I have an unusual and annoying graphics display problem and I seem to be the only person on this planet with this problem.I had my PC rebuilt six months ago by a cheap fly by nighter. Cheap!!!??? It still cost me over $700.00 to repair it and then the guy disappeared and I couldn't get the problem solved. Maybe one of you guys may have a clue. I make a lot of videos and make a lot of 3D animations. Mostly I am using Premiere Pro CS3 for the videos and Cool 3D Production Studio for the animations. The problem I will try to describe occurs with all my programs it is just more obvious and annoying with the ones I mentioned. When a window is open it may go all wavy for a second. This is intermittent and only occurs with Premiere Pro. With all the other programs, if I open a window on top of another the display from the one underneath peeps through and at times I can not see what I am doing and cannot click on buttons because they are under a graphic that is poking through. I have had a few technical friends look at the PC but no one can solve the problem. I am about to buy a completely new PC, even though I just bought this one, as it is driving me mad. I would love to know what could cause this problem anyway. I have attached a couple of screenshots which show the garbled screen. I cannot show the wavy screen unless I capture with camtasia, which I will do if it will help. My Computer Specs are :- Windows Home XP with SP2 and all updates; Intel(R) Core(TM) 2CPU 6300@ 1.86GHz. Without going in to too much more detail I have had the motherboard replaced with a different model and the same with the VGA card. My computer behaves exactly the same on other monitors. Attached are two screenshots from Cool 3D.I think you can see what I mean. Anyone got any ideas?

[bobbyraw]

base on what i am looking at i beleive your need to set your refresh rafe to a faster refresh hz = (hertz) this needs to be be done both on the monitor and your video card setting.

[Robbie Dahl]

I tried the higher refresh rates but it made no difference

[Robbie Dahl]

Additional information for anyone viewing this post. It cannot be a refresh rate problem because the garbled graphics remain garbled until I close a window and re-open or sometimes click on the window I need to use a couple of times or close the window that is getting in my way and I can work on my project.
Since having this problem, after having my system virtually rebuilt, I have changed the motherboard-so that is OK, I have installed new RAM cards, tried a different video card, changed from using an IDE HDD to SATA, and run the computer on different monitors. I have run several health checks on various components-don't remember which specifically-but nothing shows up as needing attention. Everything else about my PC seems to be terrific and it works beautifully, just hard to look at sometimes and a bit annoying when I need to turn a window off and back on. I have checked all the connections in the computer and they seem to be solid. My power supply is the same as I had before the computer was rebuilt and all my programs worked just fine back then. (I had to rebuild the computer because the motherboard died.)
So, to make a long story just a little longer, the only thing that I have not replaced in the computer since this problem began, apart from the power supply and case, is the CPU. I have checked its health and it seems OK. It is probably a little underpowered by today's standards.
Does anyone think that my problem could be with the CPU and if so what CPU would you recommend and why?
Very sorry if I have rambled a bit, but you guys are my last chance.

[bobbyraw]

if the refresh rate does not fix this, then most likely the cpu would be at fault. compare the spec on the old mobo to the new one, are they diff/simular. the processor is probably too slow for the fsb on the new mobo or you could very well be powering the system with too little power from the old pwr supply.

[Robbie Dahl]

The original PC specs were a Pentium 4 2.4ghz with mobo-gigabyte pentium 4 Titan 667 . When the motherboard died the guy that "fixed" the machine said I needed a new CPU for the new motherboard. I can give you my current specs from the information provided by the CPU-Z program if you think that would help.

[jbennet]

Have you installed the drivers for your graphics card?

That sounds like the most likely problem

[Robbie Dahl]

Yes I have installed the drivers and updated them a number of times. Also had the same problem when I tried a different, and probably better, video card with the right drivers and I still had the same problem

[bobbyraw]

you processor is not able to render the graphics base on the speed of the mobo fsb and the graphic card speed. is it pci or agp card. try another slot if u have that option.

[Robbie Dahl]

It is a PCI express slot. Don't have any other options.

[bobbyraw]

do u have an onboard vga slot, try and and see the diff.

[bobbyraw]

you can also switch the slot with another card you have the machine.

[Robbie Dahl]

Bobbyraw, Sorry I took so long to reply. Bit of a newbie at this. I didn't go to the next page or check my emails. I don't have another machine I am afraid, and my motherboard does not have on board graphics. I did, however , try a different video card with the same result. I think you must be on the right track that the PCU or/and the Power unit is/are not up to it.

[Robbie Dahl]

Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I believe that bobbyraw must be on the right track with the PCU or Power supply not up to the requirements of the mobo. Anyway, I have had enough and have ordered a wizz bang new computer from the local suppliers who are putting it all together for me now. This time with 12months labour and parts warranty.
I will put in post a in a couple of weeks time to let you guys know how I am going.
I will be a regular to Daniweb from now on.

[Robbie Dahl]

Hello Again,
I have marked this item as unsolved as all the suggestions I followed failed to fix the problem. However, for all interested contributors I have indeed solved the problem and will mark it so after you all have a chance to go over the thread again.
Well, after about 8 months of struggling, trying to fix the problem and it getting worse with the new release of Adobe products, I decided to buy a whizz bang new computer with all new hardware, 2Quad CPU etc.. Loaded the programs I had the problem with and, would you believe it , the same thing was happening.
Just before retying the knot on the noose (granny knots don't work) I went onto one of the Adobe forums. The problems was so bad with CS3 products I could not believe that someone else on this planet was not having the same problem. Finally, I found someone with the same problem and the unlikely solution given by one of the forum members was that the problem may be solved if I disable Microsoft Intellimouse from running in the background.
WOW, it worked. My mouse still works just fine except for some additional functions that I never used anyway. Who would have thought that the mouse could have caused such problems. I have now spent $1000.00, thanks to Microsoft ,on a new computer. I love the computer, but I didn't need to upgrade at this stage.