Graphics problems...

[PotGuy]

Hi again everyone, hope you are all dong OK.

I've come running to the mothership because recently my computer graphics have been doing strange things.

It started while I was playing World of Warcraft (yep - job doesn't start for another two weeks xD) and the screen would start to artefact and black out in places and the like, but it was fixed by minimizing it for a second and then going back.

Then a dead pixel started to appear on the screen, with more following over the next few days to the point where now there are probably 10-15 (they aren't 'dead' but 'always on' if that makes any difference) at all times, even browsing internet or on the desktop.

I now cannot even get into WoW without the graphics going funny, and then two minutes later the screen goes kind of fuzzy and it BSODs on me.

I've been out in Kent seeing the missus over the last few days so I dont' know if anything has changed since Monday, but I'll keep you posted.

Is this a graphics card problem? Any help would be much appreciated.

EDIT: Just loaded CS Source because I didn't have any games on my hard drive and the graphics goes crazy on the menu and quits itself, so its not an issue with one game.

 

[muckshifter]

welcome to PCR

Looks like the graphics card ... not sure what you mean about "dead pixels" as that would be the monitor. I say you mean screen "artifacts" caused by faulty GC.

Swap out the GC for a known good working one ... is what "we" would do initially.

 

[PotGuy]

I don't have a spare PCI-E graphics card though - only AGP ones. The card has been in the machine for at least 3 years and so there has been no reason to get another one!

Not so much dead pixels, but bright dots which don't stay in the same place. I assume its a rendering fault or something.

Is it a safe enough bet that it is a graphics problem to drop £100+ getting a new card?

Welcome indeed...

 

[muckshifter]

Not so much dead pixels, but bright dots which don't stay in the same place.

ah good, err, well not so good, but it does mean it IS your GC

Time to go get a nice new one.

 

[PotGuy]

ah good, err, well not so good, but it does mean it IS your GC

Time to go get a nice new one.

Thank you very much mucks

 

[Me__2001]

it does sound like the card has had it, is it all nice and clean?? could be all clogged up with dust and getting hot, more than likely it won't make a difference but its worth looking at and giving it a try

 

[PotGuy]

it does sound like the card has had it, is it all nice and clean?? could be all clogged up with dust and getting hot, more than likely it won't make a difference but its worth looking at and giving it a try

I gave it a clean when I got back from uni a couple of weeks ago - the card is only running at about 50 degrees which is normal too. As crappy as the HSF is on the 7900gt, it is working.