Graphics Card Suspect

[nrshida]

After booting the PC up, a few minutes later I get a little flicker, followed by the display turning to a stripey victorian wallpaper pattern and staying there or going black. Is this universally an indication of a failing graphics card - or could this be some kind of software / driver issue?

It's definately not the monitor, I've ran that with no problems off another computer.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[Bizman]

The stripey pattern sounds like a video card memory issue.

At the very best scenario the video card has got loose. Didn't you recently say you got your rig from another player? The big video cards may well move a bit during transport.

The memory may get overheated because of dust and debris in the video card cooler. A can of compressed air is your friend there. Don't let the fan spin loosely, it may cause further issues.

However, it might also be a symptom of a failing power supply not being able to feed the video card properly.

[Drano]

Silly thing I know but I've been panic stricken like this only to find my video cable had come loose. It was still kinda plugged in but not fully seated. I'd been fiddling around with other cables and moved the case around to get at them. Check it out. Might save you a new card.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[nrshida]

Thanks, actually I was in doubt about which cables to use. I also have a digital cable I was messing with. I assume that one is better?

Do you think I ought to remove the graphics card from the Motherboard and reseat it?

[Drano]

Which cable depends on your card's outputs and your monitor's inputs. I'm using an HDMI cable. And reseating the card ain't a bad idea too. Still cheaper than buying a new card.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Bizman]

If your monitor has a DVI input and your video card a similar output, that might be the best alternative. However, any matching cable should work.

And yes, as both Drano and I have said, reseat the card just in case.

[nrshida]

Now I’m really confused, but I daresay to someone more experienced with PC diagnostics there’s a good clue in here somewhere:

So I did what you guys suggested, carefully checked the cabling, removed the graphics card, cleaned all the dust out of it, reseated it. Restarted the computer. Got a normal startup, a few minutes of operation and then little horizontal lines started flickering into view and then boom, victorian wallpaper, black screen. Cobblers, says I.

At this point I’m wondering if it’s even worth saving up for a new graphics card. Could be the power supply for all I know. I haven’t got enough experience with PCs or the diagnostic tools to check everything.

I don’t know why but I’m fiddling with it, restarting it and one of those times the noise is different when it starts up - the mechanical noise. I can hear a fan with what sounds like a bad bearing, very noisy but the computer starts. I start filming with my phone to post a video of the failure but no, just keeps running. I was even able to run AHIII for 45 minutes, full shadows and reflections. Through cloud, over the water - no problems. Then I quit the game and the computer goes a little quieter. Then I start the game again and it stays quiet. Bad bearing sound not noticeable. But now there’s no ‘graphics crash’. Computer working perfectly.

So I’m thinking - I must have some sort of intermittent fault. The cable must be good, the monitor must be good and the graphics card, CPU, core of the computer must be good. Right? Could I have a dodgy fan that makes noise when it does run and is cold but without it running something overheats and causes the computer to go weird and the screen (eventually) black?

Any help much appreciated.

Really confusing plus I'm so close to flying AHIII online 

[oboe]

This sounds very similar to my experience.  I had an XFX Radeon 280X graphics card and a Corsair CM750 watt power supply installed in my system.  One day I got the same kind of weird artifacts running AH3.  Rebooting solved temporarily, but then they came back, and more frequently - always in AH3.

The new graphics cards coming out then were more powerful and efficient than my 280X.  I also knew the Corsair power supply was not highly rated, and I wanted to reduce my overall system power draw so I got a new RX 480 on sale and a Gold rated 550W power supply.

My neighbor benched tested the power supply and said it looked OK on the scope, with just a little bit a ripple at high current draws.  So I'm thinking it was the video card.

[Bizman]

The rattling fan noise makes me think about insufficient cooling of the video card leading to overheating memory failure. I mean, if the fan hasn't rotated at all the video card has got too hot. Did you check for dust and debris in the video card cooler?

Also, as you know video card fans are facing downwards. They may be attached to the axle by a mechanism similar to a push button. It just might be that the fan has fallen off the axle and in that case simply pushing it back so it snaps may do the trick. I've encountered a couple of such. Also, you might be able to lubricate the axle. That might be too tricky, though, since you'd have to detach the entire cooling system to reach the other side of the fan. New fans also seem to lack the lube cap. A syringe might help getting the oil in the right place, however if the cooler fan is defective getting a new cooler might be the best solution.

Anyway, open the case and start the computer. Carefully stop one fan at a time to hear which one makes the most noise. Fix that fan. For lubricating, this is good reading: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/quiet-noisy-computer-fans-with-a-drop-of-oil/, especially the warning for not using WD40 and the likes.

[nrshida]

Thanks for the help fellas, but I've really got nowhere fast. Yesterday after two attempts I got the machine to boot up and ran AH for 45 mins no problems while I investigated the fans. Tracked the noisey one down to the general case fan. When stopped I pushed it and sure enough it clicked back into place. Must have been a coincidence that time it booted properly making a loud mechanical noise.

Then I came out of the game to check there was no power setting that AH was keeping at bay. While I was looking for that little rectangles of screen started appearing in the wrong place, then stripes then black screen. Now I can't successfully boot the computer at all. I get through the boot screen to the black desktop with the blue Windows icon but then straight black. When I hold the power button in for 7 seconds and reboot it it goes to the blue 'Recovery' screen, saying 'It looks like Windows didn't boot correctly'. This screen has some feint broad stripes on it. When I restart back to the black and now I'm just cycling between these two.

Now I'm out of ideas. Don't even know for sure if it's the graphics card or perhaps even a driver / OS issue. I find it strange that when AH is running all is chooching along no problem.

Trouble is even when I get some spare cash for parts I don't know which bits I can trust or not.

Bloody PCs  I always have bad luck with these things. Just when I though I was about the get to fight again 

[Bizman]

If you get anomalies right at the start i.e. on the black screen, it's definitely a hardware issues. There are no drivers involved at that point.

There's two options: Either the memory chips of the video card are failing, or the power supply is failing and causing symptoms to the video card. Add a third one: The motherboard is failing and reflecting symptoms to the VC. I'd vote for the first, I used to have that happen with every new video card I got in half a year or sooner. The last one was DOA. However, before dumping the card, check the cooler. It may have got loose, causing it to overheat. People have had somewhat of a success with issues you've described by replacing the heat transfer paste to fresh.

Also, if at all possible, try with a known good video card of similar power consumption to find out if it still was a power issue. And/Or, try the video card on another computer.

[SPKmes]

try plugging it into the onboard graphics.... if all is sound for start up then it is a definite graphics card issue...you won't be able to play ah but you will be able to scroll the internet to find a good deal on a new graphics card....

[Bizman]

Tongs, although your advice is good and I've fixed numerous customer desktops doing exactly so, that doesn't opt out a failing power supply since the power consumption of onboard graphics is a fraction of that of a gaming level card.

[nrshida]

I have a large copper mallet off an old Riley perhaps a few good taps from that would make me feel better? 

Thanks all for the input. All helpful. Already learned a fair bit 

PM sent Bizman.