So my GTX 550 Crapped out....

[Butcher]

Was waking up and having my morning coffee when all sudden i got a black screen freeze and my PC rebooted.. When windows tried to start it eventually BSOD and told me nvlddmkm.sys had a problem.. After doing some research it seems nobody has a real reason what is going on.

I tried resetting the drivers (wiping out the new ones completely) and making sure it was erased, installing the original drivers - no luck. I could get into windows Safe mode - hell I could even get into windows as long as the Nvidia drivers were not loaded. I was able to save most of my stuff even though I really don't have anything on my C Drive, its on Raid 0 (two Western digital 2TB drives), my storage drive is a WDC 2TB 7200rpm - only thing I load on window is my programs and thats it - everything else is saved on the storage drive in case of Raid 0 failure. Also I keep a Western digital external drive (1TB) just for backup.

Anyhow this is the first video card I ever had fail like this, anyhow I decided to go out and bought myself an EVGA 770 GTX OC, along with an ASUS Maximus VI Hero and Intel I7 4770 Chip - I moved my old board and Chip to a new computer I am building for my wife for christmas.

I really didn't want to build a new rig this soon, but I figured why not my wife deserves it. I found it quite interesting after reading how bad the 550 GTX were, most people had cascade of problems where I haven't had any up till now.

If anyone ever gets a BSOD with "NVLDDMKM.SYS" - don't panic to much - Just go in safe mode and wipe your drivers out (make SURE you wipe them out completely or you will have hell) - and put a new video card in.
On the funny note, this is the second rig I have built in 15 years now, this computer I built in feb of 2012 being the first.

I went back to read up on an old Skuzzy forum post - I had to clean my old chip, take off the heat sink, and move it to my new board (with a new chip). I kept my 16GB of Ram in the process.
(Why did I buy a new chip and motherboard? Well it turns out I was going to build one for my wife but I was going to wait until Feb or so to get started, however TigerDirect had a deal on the Chip and Motherboard ($125 off for black friday?) they only had one in stock of each.

The only reason I bought the new chip instead of salvaging my old one... old chip was 1155 Socket, the new MOBO is 1150 socket. Oops...

Is it faster? you bet your ass... Generation 3 to Generation 4? I see about 25% if not faster then that, boot time is less than 15 seconds, as far as games go - I get notable improvements on gaming, Aces high full graphics I run a bunch more smoother then with my 550 GTX, I still run a 30inch Dell monitor, I probably need a new 27 inch monitor soon as this one is starting to have missing pixels on the top corner, otherwise it works fine for being 6 years old.

As for now my new specs are:

Intel 4770 CPU Socket 1150 @ 3.50GHz
Asus Maximus VI "Hero"
EVGA Geforce GTX 770
16GB Corsair Vengeance Ram
(2) RAID 0 Western Digital 2TB Black Hard drives
(1) Western Digital 2TB Green Storage drive
(1) Patriot 64GB SSD (Intel)
Thermaltake CLP0575 Heatsink

[Rich46yo]

So what card you getting? I have a GTX580 just sitting around.

[Butcher]

So what card you getting? I have a GTX580 just sitting around.

I bought a EVGA Geforce 770 GTX

[Brooke]

I've got a GTX 550 Ti, and it has been working fine for a couple of years.  Was yours overclocked?

[Rich46yo]

I bought a EVGA Geforce 770 GTX

nice. Ive noticed with these new NVidea 700 series they run awfully cool. Even when on high settings.

[Butcher]

I've got a GTX 550 Ti, and it has been working fine for a couple of years.  Was yours overclocked?

Nope, I use factory settings - I don't bother with the OC crap, long time ago I had to deal with the voltage and clocking on my laptop - for years I had to tinker with it - I won't bother doing it anymore.
I am not sure exactly what is wrong with it, but the only thing I can gather the GPU failed to start, ironically its a puzzling issue - I can turn the computer on, go in safe mode or windows WITHOUT nvidia drivers, if I install any nvidia drivers I get BOSD with normal logins, if i go safe mode I am fine.
Something on the card was not starting, however I could be in normal windows mode long as the drivers were not installed, second you install them - boom BSOD.

[WWhiskey]

Nice build,,, I bought the 4770k less than a month ago,,, it rocks,,,,,, but I went from 2.2 ghz amd to the 3.5 i7 intel
It's like getting out of a model A and getting into a new Z-28
Expensive,,,but it should last a long time!

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Nope, I use factory settings - I don't bother with the OC crap, long time ago I had to deal with the voltage and clocking on my laptop - for years I had to tinker with it - I won't bother doing it anymore.
I am not sure exactly what is wrong with it, but the only thing I can gather the GPU failed to start, ironically its a puzzling issue - I can turn the computer on, go in safe mode or windows WITHOUT nvidia drivers, if I install any nvidia drivers I get BOSD with normal logins, if i go safe mode I am fine.
Something on the card was not starting, however I could be in normal windows mode long as the drivers were not installed, second you install them - boom BSOD.

LOL if you were OCing a laptop then you should definately forget about trying it again. Like ever 

[Butcher]

LOL if you were OCing a laptop then you should definately forget about trying it again. Like ever 

I wasn't overclocking a laptop, the Gateway FX Series I bought basically had everything Overclocked and over voltaged manly because it was running at 80C and the safe shut down was 90C and thats just in aces high with NO graphics on, and nothing running in the background.
Problem was there was little EXHAUST for the massive heat it pushed - I actually started putting holes in the bottom of the laptop just to help out it as well as de-volt the system, from 3.2GHz down to 1.7GHZ and video card basically was set for performance.

I used this laptop almost 5 years before in feb of last year it burnt up the GPU finally from being overheated so many times. That laptop for its prime, was a desktop replacement laptop - it did what I needed it to do, play Aces high (no problems except for being around fire..) and office work.

Nice build,,, I bought the 4770k less than a month ago,,, it rocks,,,,,, but I went from 2.2 ghz amd to the 3.5 i7 intel
It's like getting out of a model A and getting into a new Z-28
Expensive,,,but it should last a long time!

My first build was an I-7 something, it was 3.2GHz but it was a generation 3 I-7.. In comparison I notice this 4770k runs about 25% faster overall, and way smoother. I wish I had an Aces account I would probably like to test around furballs on max graphics - most likely the same as my 550GTX - I had no problems with it on my desktop.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Problem was there was little EXHAUST for the massive heat it pushed

Which is exactly why I said OC on a laptop is just a bad idea.

[Kenne]

16GB Corsair Vengeance Ram

what Mhz is your RAM?

[Brooke]

Butcher, what brand was your GTX 550 that failed, by the way?