> is the video card that is sending faulty signals? or > is it the monitor. The monitor is a Mag MXP17F about 6 years old. > Any thoughts? Is there someway I can definitely confirm that the > monitor is faulty or the videocard. Can I focus the monitor?
It's most likely the monitor. That has components that "wear" electrically. That is to say, components subjected to heat and aging. For example, the cathode of the CRT could be losing emission. One thing is did you change monitor cables for any reason recently? Perhaps a longer one? The sharpness of pixels is related to the signal loss in the video cable, which goes up with length. This increases (slows) the risetime of the video pulses and causes pixel smearing. And these are only two of the possible causes! The best way would be to borrow one of the monitors from work for a night and check it against your video card. Conversely you could bring your monitor into work. Cheers, -rick