Replacing caps on video card

[RegEdit]

Are video cards like motherboards in that it's the capacitors that usually fail?
I was thinking about ordering some caps for my GeForce 9500 GT that was intermittently causing my screen to go black for a second or two then recover.

 

[B Trevathan]

Are video cards like motherboards in that it's the capacitors that usually fail?
I was thinking about ordering some caps for my GeForce 9500 GT that was intermittently causing my screen to go black for a second or two then recover.

Capacitors are a electronic component it doesn't matter if they are on a computer motherboard or on a video card or in a radio or in a phone, they are still capacitors that do the same function.
That does not sound like a capacitor problem to me. But if you do replace the caps on the video board make sure and match the heat rating it should be like 105 degrees like the caps around heat sinks and on power boards.

 

[NYJimbo]

You could replace the caps in your video card OR you could replace the caps in the power supply in your monitor OR you could do a bit of research as to what can cause this problem and then go through a normal diagnostic process to find the real cause and not waste your money "fixing" the wrong thing.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Are video cards like motherboards in that it's the capacitors that usually fail?
I was thinking about ordering some caps for my GeForce 9500 GT that was intermittently causing my screen to go black for a second or two then recover.

Video card caps do go bad and you can usually tell just by looking at the board for swollen caps and bad solder joints. Have you tried swapping the video card or using just the on-board video if there is any to see if it changes the symptoms? Periodic blanking could be caused by a bad screen or video cable, or the video cable connecting poorly, or by a failing/intermittent component on the MB, like a GPU bad solder joint. Your diagnostic procedures/abilities need work.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

Video card caps do go bad and you can usually tell just by looking at the board for swollen caps and bad solder joints. Have you tried swapping the video card or using just the on-board video if there is any to see if it changes the symptoms? Periodic blanking could be caused by a bad screen or video cable, or the video cable connecting poorly, or by a failing/intermittent component on the MB, like a GPU bad solder joint. Your diagnostic procedures/abilities need work.

or the monitor...or the video drivers crashing. i assume he sees swollen caps to be asking the question though.

Edit: wait a second! you said "my GeForce 9500 GT" 2008 called it wants its technology back!

 

[RedFoxComp]

They do go bad, especially if they're from around the 2002-2006 vintage where capacitor plague was common because of bad chemistry in a few big factories.

I saw an XFX 6600GT with so many bad caps it made my head spin. I don't know how it lasted for as long as it did.

All but a few looked like that.

 

[brandonkick]

All capacitors can go bad and they don't have to swell or leak to do so (but often times they do swell or leak).

As others have suggested, you can swap with a known good video card and see if the problem goes away... or you can try integrated video to see if that is the problem.

If you do have swelling or leaking caps then of course that is at least some if not all of the problem. To test all of the caps on the board, and then desolder/solder the new ones in would be a waste of time IMO on a card this old. You can buy a brand new $20 card that would be better then what you have now.