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Old 07-03-2009, 01:55 PM   #7 (permalink)
Lenovox61
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 32
OS: 1. Windows vista ultimate 2. Win XP


Re: Dead video card(?) and heating issues

Quote:
Originally Posted by vladimirb View Post
You should try with more powerful PSU...
See if you can borrow from a friend...
Or the best way to check if your graphic card has a lack of power is to try with brand new PSU but more powerful than 375W...

Keep us posted...
Hello and thank you

I see your point, but this should have nothing to do with it (I think.. I mean.. Dell made it? :S). The computer worked perfectly for over a year (playing games, 3D, viewing films etc.).

To sum up how it stopped working:

1. I play game x daily- no problems
2. Game x starts freezing occasionally (maybe once or twice every 2-5 hour of gaming) over a longer period
3. Game x starts acting strange (graphics start looking messed up) and freeze more often.
4. Game x freeze after only minutes of playing.
5. Game x crashes with a graphics error message.

Then I tried with 3-5 other games, all crashing with the error message.

Finally they dont even crash, the computer shuts down with a blue screen warning.

The point of all this is: The computer worked perfectly before. And if there is a compatibility issue here, I trust that it is Dells fault.

Lastly... I have noone to swap components with to test your advice out, but thank you for the tip vladimirb.

How about getting a brand new graphics card? What card should I get? How powerful? Specific advice (Geforce xxxx) hugely appreciated.

UPDATE:

Tried running the game "half life"
It actually runned (fan running like a jet engine); and I got some screenshots of whats happening to the graphics. Will upload them here.

Pic one: Can see that one character is green, and also several small color dots.

Pic two: Background should be fully black, but lots of white dots flashing there.

During all black loading screens: White dots flashing.
Almost all the time: different color dots flashing.
Some textures become like the character on the pic. For example a doorway turned out to be black with lots of colors.

Didnt dare to run it more as I know it will crash or turn off computer if I keep it on for long. Hope you guys can work something out of the pics.

____


Edit:

At this point I would simply like to establish if its the graphics card that needs fixing, and in that case, replace it. Methods to find out if its the card or other component?

Had a look at this card:
Gainward GeForce GTX 260 896MB PhysX
PCI-Express 2.0, "Golden Sample", 2xDVI, HDCP, Core 216, Graphics Plus, 55nm

Anyone that can tell me if it would work with my set up?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Error1.JPG (182.2 KB, 3 views)
File Type: jpg Error2.JPG (40.2 KB, 3 views)

Last edited by Lenovox61; 07-03-2009 at 02:25 PM.
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