Hello J_Peezy,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Since you were able to boot into recovery mode and reinstall the OS your hardware might be fine. You have already done a good job at troubleshooting the issue, but there are still a few steps I would like you to do. First, boot back up to recovery, and verify your disk via Disk Utility. If errors are found, please repair the disk. If no errors are found and the issue persists, you are looking at doing an erase and install of the OS. Information about both of these processes can be found in the articles below.
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417
Perform an Erase and Install installation of Mac OS X as a last resort
Important: You should only perform this step after trying all of the above steps. This process will erase all files from your Mac OS X volume. If possible, back up important files first, or use Time Machine. You may be able to connect your Mac to another Mac with a FireWire cable and FireWire target disk mode, in order to try to manually back up files. Alternatively, you may wish to make an appointment with a Mac Genius at an Apple store, or contactan Apple Authorized Service Provider for assistance.
To erase your Mac OS X volume and reinstall Mac OS X:
- Insert your Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.5 installation disc.
- Shut down your Mac. If necessary, hold your Mac's power button for several seconds to force it to power down.
- Startup your Mac while holding the C key to start from the disc.
- Perform an Erase and Install installation of Mac OS X.
- After installing, starting from your Mac OS X volume, and verifying the issue is resolved, you should use Software Update to update to the latest available version of Mac OS X.
If the issue persists after you follow the above steps, you may wish to make an appointment with a Mac Genius at an Apple store, contact AppleCare via phone, or contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider for assistance.
Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
Take care,
Alex H.
