Is my video card going out?

[lagger86]

When I log in to AH my system loads everything and I get a 75fr(which is what I used to get all the time with everything except self shadowing) it will stay that way for a few minutes and then for some reason drops to between 9 and 15. I have turned everything(graphics)down or off and still have the same problem. I log in play for a few minutes and blammo...fr drop.

So I'm wondering is my card going out? I played fallout recently and it ran fine for about 10 minutes and froze(which never happened before). I Played mass effect and it froze after about 5 minutes. These games freeze with a red checkerboard and my system locks up, but AH never freezes, I just lose FRs.

I was talking to a squaddie and he had me run a scan and try a different antivirus(which sped up my computer a lot) but AH still giving me issues.

Is it my card?

 I can watch videos fine, browse fine, but anything graphic intense seems to fail after a few minutes. The red checkerboard freeze makes me think its my card. Could it be a driver issue? I run an nvidia geforce 8600gt and it ran AH flawless even after the latest patches, but I have been away from the game for a couple weeks and now this.......any thoughts?

Is there any way to test my card?

Thanks for reading
Lagger

[Ghastly]

99.99999 % (OK, maybe not QUITE that often - but close) of the time what you have described is a heat problem - and unless you've dabbled in overclocking the card, most likely, a fan that is failing on the video card.  It's either not spinning, or not spinning fast enough, and the card over heats. Alternately, it's so munged up with dust bunnies that the net result is the same.

That's where I'd look first.

<S>

[lagger86]

yeah the fan isn't running on the card.....any fix for that?

[TilDeath]

What make and model is your card?

[lagger86]

Actually I took it out and blasted some air into it and it seems to be running for now. I just flew a sortie with all the graphics back on and got a steady 75. At least I know the problem.

 the card is an nvidia geforce 8600gt...I think the manufacturer is like pny or something.

[Ghosth]

I have replaced bad video card fans in the past. Helps if you have a few tubs of old pc parts to dig through.

Clean always helps.

Currently running a video card with a passive heatsink/cooler. After 6 months I ended up up taking it apart, cleaning the pink gunk off, reset it with Artic Silver, and set a 110v 9" fan to blow in the open side of the case.

No more heat issues.

[CRYPTIC]

When blowing air to clean make sure you hold the blades,don't let them spin. I to have taken the heat sink off and replaced with artic silver 8800 GTS it dropped my temp by 5 degrees. I give the whole PC a BJ every 6 months. HEAT is a KILLER. Keep it clean.

[Ruler2]

When blowing air to clean make sure you hold the blades,don't let them spin. I to have taken the heat sink off and replaced with artic silver 8800 GTS it dropped my temp by 5 degrees. I give the whole PC a BJ every 6 months. HEAT is a KILLER. Keep it clean.

just replacing the thermal goop on an 8800gts makes it THAT much better with the stock cooler? that must be some pretty crummy stock thermal paste...

[1701E]

just replacing the thermal goop on an 8800gts makes it THAT much better with the stock cooler? that must be some pretty crummy stock thermal paste...

Depending on how long that paste had been on there, it's no surprise.  If it was old it would have dried up and started to crack/flake thus leaving gaps between the HS and Chip(s).  My 7900GS stock paste (lord knows how old that stuff was, over a year) was so flaked/cracked putting new paste on lowered temps 5-8C.

[CRYPTIC]

Good to know change past every year. My card was not that old when I did mine guess I'm due again.Just had the case apart for winter cleaning and didn't even think to do that.Writing note on forehead for spring cleaning. I'v herd lapping will help also but you better be ready for wax on wax off a lot of times.