[Icks]

The problem started about three weeks ago. After about 5-15 minutes after starting any new-ish game, my computer would lock up with a screen that looks like this:



The colours would vary every time, as would the exact time of the crash. The strangest part was that the crash would only happen once a day. After it crashed once, it would only happen again after a long period of time. Unfortunately, the problem got worse and worse. Now I can't even start windows without a crash. Disabling the card in the device manager seems to fix the problem, which is why I'm certain that it's a problem with my graphics card. Sometimes I'd still be able to start my computer without the card dying, but it's been rare.

I'd just like to know if my video card can be salvaged, I'd really hate to have to replace it.

I'm running off Vista. The card is a GeForce GTX 280, and the motherboard is an ASUS P5Q PRO. I've owned my computer for almost a year without any major problems.

 

[Fixmypc3]

Ive been having a similar problem, except that i can start my computer fine. Ill be playing a game like Battlefield 2142, on high graphics and the game will crash and my computer will lock up. If i put the settings on around medium this doesnt happen. Ive gotten error messages from microsoft saying it was my drivers. but ive updated my drivers to the newest version and reinstalled them serveral times the correct way.

Im going to spectate on this thread. see if anything here can help me.

 

[emosun]

Post all the system specs including the make and model power supply.

 

[Icks]

Motherboard: ASUS P5Q PRO

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 280

Processor: INtel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3.00 GHz

RAM: 8GB G.SKILL (can't remember the exact model)

Power Supply: 750W Corsair

Hard Drive: 640GB WD Caviar Black

OS: Vista 64bit SP1

I bought the whole thing through NCIX, it was assembled there and then shipped here.

 

[Icks]

I apologize for the double post, but I'd also like to mention that I'm running off of the video card as I type this. I just played several consecutive hours of Dragon Age. The card clearly works, the trouble is getting it to this point. I couldn't start windows at first, but after I ran in safe mode for a while it seemed to work just fine after I restarted in regular windows. It's almost like the card needs to get warmed up.

 

[emosun]

Run the machine in stock mode w/o the overclocking .Also , run it with one stick of ram at a time to test each stick. Video cards do not need to warm up.

 

[Icks]

I haven't done any overclocking, so unless it was part of the assembly process the computer should already be running in stock mode. I first tried taking out each stick of RAM (4 sticks of 2GB) at a time, and then tried inserting them one at a time. Though there were no crashes sometimes, there were no definite patterns. For example, sticks 1 and 2 both crashed, but the third didn't. I then put in only stick 2 again and it didn't crash either. Then I put in stick 3 and it crashed. This means that either all of the RAM is broken, or none of it is. I'm inclined to believe the latter.