PDA

View Full Version : Is my video card TOAST??


treavorbell
10-09-2010, 05:02 PM
Hey guys, Its me again with more issues from a different segment of my computer. I know you guys have been very helpful in the past so I hope you can help me today. Just recently my computer seems very sluggish. When I start up my computer, The load screen that shows what motherboard I am running (as the computer is starting up) has vertical line distortions in it. Also, the Windows XP load screen has horizontal multicolored line distortions as well. When my PC is finally up and running everything seems yo be very sluggish and slow. The icons were very big on my desktop and everything just seemed very different. With all that aside Just a few days ago my nortan anti virus run out too. Also, aside from that i was trying to set and open connection for my cell phone to connect to my router and I believe I might have made my internet connection unsecure. So, there could be many things going into play with the issues I am currently having but, for some reason I think it might be my video card has gone bad. (the point of this post?) I dont want to buy something I do not need, so how can I go about checking to see if it is a bad video card?
RickyTick
10-09-2010, 05:17 PM
Hey Trevorbell. Long time, no see. Sorry you're having problems.

I don't remember what video card you have. Was it a GTX260? The first thing I would try is to update the driver for the video card. Uninstall the current driver and then download and install the most recent driver from nvidia.com. Then we'll move on from there.
treavorbell
10-09-2010, 05:31 PM
yeah it has been a while I believe I have the nvidia 8800gt 256mb .. I just did a system restore and I will try the driver update. But in the case of my card being bad; could you suggest one that would be as good if not better for under $100? I see several cards on newegg but not a clue what to look for. I do watch TV from my computer sometimes. Also, my TV is HD with HDMI slots so, maybe something that could send signal to my sony TV aswell?

Thanks again Rick

Treavor
treavorbell
10-09-2010, 05:32 PM
oops I ment 512mb not 256 ... sorry about that.
treavorbell
10-09-2010, 05:55 PM
Ok I have reinstalled the drivers and also I have done a system resotre on my PC. It still seems to have the same problem. There was on other factore that I forgot to add about my video card. I had it hooked to my Tv and left it hook up. My TV said in the bottem corner that the signal was not supported but it was showing the picture just fine. Could this have burned my card?
RickyTick
10-09-2010, 06:19 PM
Ok I have reinstalled the drivers and also I have done a system resotre on my PC. It still seems to have the same problem. There was on other factore that I forgot to add about my video card. I had it hooked to my Tv and left it hook up. My TV said in the bottem corner that the signal was not supported but it was showing the picture just fine. Could this have burned my card?

If you updated the driver and then did a system restore you may have defeated the purpose of updating the driver. Just uninstall the driver and then download the latest from nvidia.com.

If the problem is still there, then maybe a new card is in order. Take a look at this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150467
treavorbell
10-10-2010, 12:54 PM
Oh I may have worded that incorrectly, so to clear things up I actually did the system restore first. Then, I deleted and reupdated my drivers. But, yes the problem continues. Thank you for the suggestion of the video card but my only concern is that there are a few bad reviews that give negative feedback on the proformance of the card while playing games. I am a moderate PC gamer and graphics are pretty important to me. What would I have to look for to find the best gaming video card for the best dollar amount. If it means spending $200 then I will but I do not want to spend $100on something that I will hate later on.
RickyTick
10-10-2010, 04:45 PM
Didn't know you were a gamer, sorry.
Look at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500173
treavorbell
10-12-2010, 09:40 PM
Hey Ricky,
Now that card looks pretty good.:) But I am still in the mist of trying to see if I can totaly be sure MY card is bad. This is my updated status. I repartitioned my hard drive, installed windows ect... After I went back into bios and set my BOOT priority back to the HARD DRIVE from my CD. The computer loaded just fine. There was no line distortions in my load screen and none inmy asus motherboard load screen either. Then, I installed the latest drivers for my motherboard and still no problem. Once I was able to get online I installed the latest drivers for my video card and then BINGO! Once again I start having the graphic line distortions in my windows XP load screen(during boot up) and my motherboard screen(during boot up). Even now scrolling through web pages its still very laggy. To me it seems like I would have the wrong drivers installed or no drivers AT ALL. Although, I am99% sure I have the right drivers. (That is unless the website has provided the wrong ones).
RickyTick
10-13-2010, 05:40 AM
The ideal thing to do is swap out your video card with a known working card from a friends computer. It only takes a few minutes to do, and will certainly confirm if the problem is with your card, especially if your friend will stick your card in his machine too.

Is your card still under warranty? Some vendors offer a lifetime warranty.
zburns
10-13-2010, 09:22 AM
Ricky's soultion sounds like the easiest and fastest to yay or nay the video card as the problem but you will not know what is wrong with the card.

If you had left the mobo drivers alone, and installed the video card latest drivers, seems to me that would have isolated the video card as the problem.

It does not sound like a "failed component" problem. The fact that the video card will "perform" under a specific set of drivers says it is software not hardware, unless the video card has a "specific chip" with embedded software (non changable) in it that is causing a conflict.

You know the "circumstances" under which the video card works. If you email this data to the video card mfg tech support, they might recognize the problem immediately.

One other point, where are you getting the video card drivers, your card manufacturer or Invidia? If the drivers are not from the manufacturer, even tho it is the Invidia design, that could be a problem.
treavorbell
10-13-2010, 12:03 PM
I think I have a video card I can swop it out with. Its old school but will do. And as for where am I getting my drivers? I have tried from evga's web site along with nvidia's website. Both had same issues. The card I have is evga gforce 8800gt 512mb . That's pretty much all I can remember. Also can you explain a few things for me? What makes the video card better the stream process the bits? Or the core clock? I am confused on all of these specs and feel it would be good to start learning to further add to my ongoing learnings about computers. And one other thing what is all this talk about crossfire?
RickyTick
10-13-2010, 04:20 PM
Crossfire is multiple ATI Radeon video cards.
SLI is the same thing but multiple Nvidia video cards.
treavorbell
10-25-2010, 07:59 AM
Well guys, the answer to my question is yes. My video card is toast. I switched it out with my buddies and now it works. so i am sending it in for a warrenty. woot woot