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On Friday morning, the electric went off for a very short amount of time. My Gateway is plugged into a power surge protector. Monitor works on another computer but goes into "analog power save mode" within seconds of rebooting offending computer. On startup, the fan runs and runs and runs and sounds like a jet engine. No beeps or chirps. Gateway tech suggests replacing video card. Mine has two. How do I know which one? Any suggestions from someone who is familiar with the insides of these computers? I purchased the Gateway new in December of 2005. Shouldn't my surge protector have prevented this? Your help is appreciated. I can be found at

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A short, practical note for the thread started by , with a nod to ’s remark: a few focused checks and the right protection choices cut replacement risk and recurring exposure.

Protection basics: surge strips and UPSs are different tools. Surge devices use metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) and have a finite life; manufacturers rate protection in joules and usually mark status lights for “protected” and “grounded.” For desktops and AV gear, look for a protector with a high joule rating and UL1449 compliance, and replace a protector after any significant surge event. For sensitive systems, an online or standby UPS with automatic-voltage regulation (AVR) provides battery backup plus cleaner power; select capacity by adding the wattage of the PC, monitor and modem/router and choosing a UPS with a margin (typical home systems commonly use 600–1500 VA units depending on load).

Practical diagnostics after a power event: begin with a visual inspection for burnt smells, scorch marks or bulging capacitors. Follow a minimal-boot approach — remove nonessential peripherals and add-in cards, try one RAM stick and reseat power/data connectors — to isolate faults. Known-good monitor/cables or swapping a video card (or using onboard video if available) can separate display failures from GPU or cabling issues. Power-supply faults are common after disturbances; bench-testing with a known-good PSU or professional diagnostics will confirm that. Note any POST/beep codes before clearing CMOS.

Safety and next steps: do not open sealed power supplies or surge modules; leave internal mains repairs to qualified technicians. Preserve purchase/warranty info and event notes for vendor support. For home AV, add line and coax/antenna protection and consider a whole-house surge arrestor as a complement to point-of-use protectors.

Member Avatar for poolev

On Friday morning, the electric went off for a very short amount of time. My Gateway is plugged into a power surge protector. Monitor works on another computer but goes into "analog power save mode" within seconds of rebooting offending computer. On startup, the fan runs and runs and runs and sounds like a jet engine. No beeps or chirps. Gateway tech suggests replacing video card. Mine has two. How do I know which one? Any suggestions from someone who is familiar with the insides of these computers? I purchased the Gateway new in December of 2005. Shouldn't my surge protector have prevented this? Your help is appreciated. I can be found at

Solution found! Right before I was reduced to calling the Geek Squad, it occurred to me that perhaps the surge protector had worked. So, I plugged the power cords into the wall directly, and guess what? It worked. So I guess the surge protector locked out some of the power surge. But, as a result, I plan to research UPS and surge protectors more fully. I believe that I should also look into protection for our new HDTV. Thanks for all of your "help"??

Member Avatar for BeastOverlordH6

"reduced to calling the Geek Squad"...

^_^

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