Did I fry my video card on my G5 dual 2.7ghz????

Question

I recently bought a new Macpro and a Gefen 2x2 DVI DL KVM switch and I planned to hook up my two 23" Cinema displays to the KVM so I could use my old G5 dual 2.7 machine and the new Macpro with both displays (extended desktop).
I connected the G5 and the two displays to the KVM switch and waited to connect the Macpro until I saw the KVM worked correctly. But the G5 would not get past the grey startup screen, it goes to black and hangs there. Sometimes the screen flashes blue for a second but usually just goes black. It will startup fine with the OSX install CD or if I hold the shift key for safe mode. It will also startup in firewire target mode so I was able to copy everything I needed off of the system drive.
I later found out that I was supposed to buy single link DVI cables since I have 23" displays and not 30" ones that use the dual link cables. So I am convinced that hooking up the KVM with dual link cables caused this problem. I just don't know exactly what the problem is. Since I can start in safe mode or with the OSX CD and the display works (not connected to the KVM anymore) I would think the video card is fine. But maybe it's messed up somehow and that's why it won't start up normally?
Things I have tried is resetting PRAM, reset the Cuda/PMU, formatted and reinstalled tiger with the install CD. And I can still only boot up with the CD or in safe mode. I also ran the hardware test from the CD and everything passed.
Anyone experience anything like this? Should I try a new video card (Radion 9600) for $185 or maybe the card in my G4 dual 1.25 and see if it starts up? Does the G4 use an AGP type card also?

Answer 1

Hi jdfilms-
For future reference, pulling the card and plugging it back in again is a troubleshooting technique
Your symptom also sounds like what happens when the cable is not firmly attached, so perhaps when you reconnected the cable you corrected that.
Who knows-it works for now and that is what matters.
Luck-
-DaddyPaycheck