Video Card Fun! Advice Sought!

[Immermnemion Dawnbringer]

So, while playing Starcraft last night, I seemed to have had a video card meltdown. Here was the situation:


I was playing a 4v4 game of Starcraft. About 5 minutes into it, my system's screen froze and colors adjusted slightly. I shut off my machine immediately. After waiting a minute, I started it up again, and I noticed a few columns of black dots show up on the motherboard screen during startup, then again during the green loading bars for windows. The vista login screen never appeared, though I did get a blue screen of death saying something about a display driver problem. After calling a more tech-savvy friend, I started windows in safe mode - it ran just fine. I downloaded the new driver for the video card, and I restarted in normal mode, though there was no difference; I still cannot get to the vista login.



Our conclusion was something is wrong with my video card (GE Force 8800 Ultra). While the card was warm when I shut off my computer the first time, I don't think it was at the 150+ needed for an overheat - and no, there were no dust bunnies or anything in the fan.





Some questions I have:

1. Do you think the video card is fubar?


2. If yes to (1), since I was considering upgrading my whole machine by June, should I just do it now, or should I buy a video card instead?


3. Does a replacement of a video card force a reinstall of windows?


4. In the very near future, is there anything I can do to circumvent some of the things safe mode disables? I'd really like to be able to use my speakers & windows media player, for example.








Many thanks.

[Gint]

More than likely your video card is fried; they do not have to overheat to do what is called "artifacting", or in more common terms, "strange shit appearing on the monitor".

To answer specifically:

1. Yes. Card is dead/dying (more than likely, at least; not much else would produce these symptoms).

2. Go ahead and replace the card; providing your motherboard isn't ancient, you can easily get a card for your current machine that you can just slot right into your next one - installing a video card is a snap (really) even for non-technically gifted people.

3. By no means does installing a video card force a re-install of anything, with the possible exception of the graphics driver.

4. You can generally adjust some of the things disabled by safe mode, but really, all safe mode is doing for you at present is not utilizing your GPU; you're not harming or helping your system by remaining in safe mode, really.

[Pincus]

Also check the power supply...best way to do it is to unplug as much as you can get away with (extra hard drives, other cards), and leave power just to what you need.

See if it goes away. Then it's probably a power issue. The other way to check is to do some load testing, but unless you have a multimeter and other test gear, it's not going to be simple to diagnose.

[Malstrom]

More than likely your video card is fried; they do not have to overheat to do what is called "artifacting", or in more common terms, "strange shit appearing on the monitor".

To answer specifically:

1. Yes. Card is dead/dying (more than likely, at least; not much else would produce these symptoms).

2. Go ahead and replace the card; providing your motherboard isn't ancient, you can easily get a card for your current machine that you can just slot right into your next one - installing a video card is a snap (really) even for non-technically gifted people.

3. By no means does installing a video card force a re-install of anything, with the possible exception of the graphics driver.

4. You can generally adjust some of the things disabled by safe mode, but really, all safe mode is doing for you at present is not utilizing your GPU; you're not harming or helping your system by remaining in safe mode, really.

This.

I noticed a few columns of black dots show up on the motherboard screen during startup

Is a pretty sure sign that the card is fried.  No drivers at that point and only the most basic video access and it still has artifacts?  Ya, it's very likely dead.

[Immermnemion Dawnbringer]

Thanks for all of your help.


Well, when windows was started in safe mode, there were no artifacts of any sort. When not, however, there were.



I didn't have much to disable in way of testing the power supply, (1 hard drive, 1 video card, 1 ...), but I did have 2 sticks of RAM, and I removed one. No difference. My guess is since the power supply decay should be gradual, the fault ought to rest rather squarely with the video card then.



The problem is in all of these movings around, I've now got my CPU fan making that faint ticking noise against the metal venting columns above the processor. Fun!  :(

[Immermnemion Dawnbringer]

CPU fan problem fixed!


Regarding the video card, the current plot is to RMA the one (go-go EVGA lifetime warranty) which is fried, and gain a new one. In the meantime until it arrives, I'm browsing deals to buy a card tonight online. Hopefully, I'll get the thing by Thursday, meaning I'm good to go for the weekend. Then I can return the temporary video card for credit when the RMA'd device arrives.


Generally, I wouldn't do so much swip-swap, but with black friday a month away, I don't feel like pre-maturely shelling out extra for my upgraded machine's video card.

[Immermnemion Dawnbringer]

Slight change of plans.

I'm currently looking at acquiring Windows 7 to see if there's a sliver of a chance the problem is software side. In theory, the new installation should make the video card problem obselete. If not, the problem is certainly hardware, and very likely the video card. In this case, I will be ordering the new card tonight, and then consistant with the above case.

[Deminthus]

Well, when windows was started in safe mode, there were no artifacts of any sort. When not, however, there were.

You're just using the bare necessities to start the OS. You aren't actually using the GPU when in safe mode, which is why you aren't seeing artifacts. Artifacts are always hardware related issues either because it's dying, faulty or being pushed beyond it's limits. Buy a temp to hold you over until the RMA gets in, or depending on your motherboard you can use the VGA port.

I'm currently looking at acquiring Windows 7 to see if there's a sliver of a chance the problem is software side. In theory, the new installation should make the video card problem obselete. If not, the problem is certainly hardware, and very likely the video card. In this case, I will be ordering the new card tonight, and then consistant with the above case.

No chance it's software. If it was, a driver re-installation would most likely solve your problem. Save some cash(unless you're already planning to buy Win7) and replace the hardware.

[Immermnemion Dawnbringer]

Thanks for the input!

I was going to upgrade anyway, and it seems the total cost of this procedure to me with regards to windows will be about $10, so I'm taking it. Reinstalling windows now - wish me luck!

[Malstrom]

Didn't you mention you were getting artifacts on the card prior to the OS loading? 

I noticed a few columns of black dots show up on the motherboard screen during startup

That makes it unlikely that it's software related...  the drivers are not even loaded at that point...

[Immermnemion Dawnbringer]

Right you are!

So in my infinite (lack of) wisdom, I attempted to install windows 7 yesterday without a functioning video card. Apparently, starting in normal, not safe, mode is a requirement for completing the instalation. Due this, I believe it's impossible for me to access my computer's functionality until my video card arrives; I ordered one first period while the kids did their warm-ups.


I got the 2-day shipping on the card for $6 extra as I live in a town with about 0 gay community and about zilch to do during the dark. This means I should have the card (and windows) functioning by Thursday night.


How am I talking to you now? I'm at the computer at school. Still. I made the kids cookies yesterday in my free time, and I'm busy putting in a lot of extra hours as I've nothing else to do.

[Gint]

How am I talking to you now? I'm at the computer at school. Still. I made the kids cookies yesterday in my free time, and I'm busy putting in a lot of extra hours as I've nothing else to do.

So I'm not the only one who bakes students cookies? Good.

Positive reinforcement and genuine praise only go so far... but everyone always remembers the teacher that bakes them cookies.

[Immermnemion Dawnbringer]

The idea is to get them hyper and send them off to other teachers. Muahaha...


My video card is to arrive on Wednesday, so you might see me pop up briefly that night.



Also - Arrachtas, I see you're looking at my profile. Like what you see? 

[Deminthus]

My video card is to arrive on Wednesday, so you might see me pop up briefly that night.

Sit and wait. I know what that's like. I'm still (im)patiently awaiting my motherboard to return from RMA. Mine arrives Thursday.

[Gint]

I actually had no idea what all the little buttons below a persons forum name did, and was clicking randomly. This is what I do to amuse myself at 3 a.m., instead of sleep, like a normal person.