Video card burnout?

Today I have red vertical lines running through the dark portions of my screen that I cannot take a screen capture of. Before all this started, when I tried to log into SL today I suddenly got red flashes of geometric shapes and then everything froze and the screen went dark.

Has something burned up my video card? I've barely been in world at all lately, so I don't see how it could be that. I've installed the latest (NVIDIA GeForce 8800) drivers but it didn't help. This system should have ample muscle to handle SL.

If it persists, I may not even be able to come back and read any answers.

I've had a similar problem in the past, and it was indeed a component that burned out on the video card. I got a new one, and it did not recur. You can first try re-seating the video card into it's slot, but if that does not work I think you do need a new card (or get the card repaired/replaced if it is under warranty).

I used to have an 8800 gtx. It ran extremely hot. It cost a mint as I got it when it was new tech, but it lasted just two years then burned up. I haz a 275 nao - it runs much cooler.

Yes this is video card burnout. It's what I had with my Dell. I have an ASUS on order with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M. It's supposed to work. Look into that.

take it out, clean it up, put it back in, if it persists, yeah it's probably gone.

A quickie test would be to connect your monitor to your onboard graphics. You might have to phsycally remove the card first. If it works, you can try one more time by putting the card back in and connecting it back up........but my bet is that the card is indeed gone.

The higher end of the 8*** series card do run quite a bit hotter than other cards of the same performance level. The problem has probably been showing itself in little ways for some time...........random computer lockups, black screens, error messages stating "your video card has failed but has recovered" (or similar messages). For you next card get some hardware monitoring software and keep tabs on temps of such things as graphics cards and CPU's. Most cards/chips have a max threshold of 105 degrees celsius.......things in the 90's it's time to investigate the why's.

I have an 8800 gtx. It's about 2 years old.

I have a routine of de-fluffing everything with an air can. That's very important, although it's difficult to clean inside the 8800 case without opening it up.

Recently, the thing started to overheat despite being de-fluffed.
I hear a click and the screen reports no input.
After it cooled down, all was Ok for a while. It was a pain.

But ..... I had the graphic setting on Ultra.
After winding down the graphics options, the issue went away.
The poor thing just doesn't like to be worked too hard in its old age.

Have you recently installed Windows 7? This happened to me a few days after we had 7 installed.

sounds like overheating has caused a solder point to become unglued, or perhaps you burnt out a component that ceases to make contact when it's hot (I did that to a hard drive).... it'll give out eventually.

For me, those symptoms were the final death cries. Other, smaller things, before, mostly overheating and constant crashing in SL but once I got those geometric shapes, and red lines, I was done for, was the vid card. Well in my case (laptop) I got a whole new motherboard. Like you say, you may not even be able to get back here, because I could not get online at all, no internet, period. Good luck, Weston.

The Nvidia 8x00 series is well know for issues caused by the soldering that they used. Repeated heating (like running a graphics-intensive app like SL) will cause the solder to weaken, and eventually the card will fail. Any replacement that is either a 9600 or above or a 230 or above will run SL, a 9800 or a GTX 260 are ideal.

I had an nVidia 8600GT before this 9800GTX+. It consistantly ran 90 to 95 degrees C while running SL. That eventually took it's toll.......that card failed about 9 or 10 months ago. As far as I know the card never ran more than 95 C so one would think since the 105 C threshold was never reached that heat was not the cause.........I don't believe that though. 95 C is 203 F.......that will burn the hell out of your fingers if you touch it (it will also cook bacon). And I understand the 8800 runs even hotter.

Yes, I did clean my case often. As much as twice a week if the temp ran at 95 for more than a few minutes. I made sure my case was clear of anything that could disrupt the air flow both inside and out. That series of cards just has a heat issue and if you own one, unless you use some really creative ways to keep them cool they will burn up. The card lasted just under 2 years........in my opinion, about half the life expectancy of a similarly spec'd, well designed card.

The 9800 I have now runs 60 to 75 C depending on how warm it is in the room I'm in and how active I am in SL. Quite a difference for the better.

I made it back to read the replies. This is the last straw of a long series of mishaps with this computer from its arrival including hard drive check disk mishaps, not to mention Vista, itself an abomination.

I'm opting for a whole new system. Thanks for the suggestions of what I should get in the way of a vid card. And thanks for the well wishes.

Bidding you all goodbye, till further on . . . not too long I hope.

Weston, I dunno how much money you have to spend but I am just getting into my ASUS J51J. It's costing me roughly 1500 real dollars and with my add-ones it'll run me up to $2000 BUT it's gonna be worth it.
Serious, pet why NOT??

Probably cheaper to build a desktop system yourself, but...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227193


Guaranteed to run anything with graphics maxxed

Weston,
I dont have a desktop and frankly none of my friends or associates do either. They may suit the "home office" which is new word for a wardrobe but if you do any amount of travelling then a lap top is preferable as I have always known. But the man who has heled me pick my new system advised against desk tops since newer lap tops are just as efficient and a larger screen can be added as well as a printer for the desk you use when your "home" or you can use a hotel's.
I went over my time with my last computer because I was too busy and so I was too lazy to bother to walk in and buy a new one. But give it two years and then replace it. Three at most (like a car, really). In a real sense they are disposable.
They're not a pair of flannel pjs you wanna keep coz their comfy, theyre a machine so treat it as such.
Good luck with your quest. And dont forget your chequebook!
Jigs
(I also bought a notebook which is too cute and looks great on a bistro table even if its just playing youtube)
(And a blackberry which is magnificent for sending emails that read "This message comes to you from Jig's Blackberry) which is really cool and allows for much razzing)

that man LIED lol... good for people that travel al ot, check, good for people that want to use their computer wherever they happen to be, check. comparable in price or options or power, not a fucking prayer, unless all you do is word processing, and maybe some web browsing, and email, and you'll still pay more. meanwhile they are more expensive to repair, and more prone to damage.

don't get me wrong, you can get some really sweet setups for a notebook, but you'll pay through the nose compared to what it'd cost you to get a desktop with the same options.... and you just can't get the same top end you can with a desktop.

Weston if you're still checking back in, Ghosty's lookin for you, so hit him up if you get a chance.

If anyone still is having problems with the 8800 overheating, download and install the extra Nvidia tuning tools and do a manual override on the fan. The fan defaults to running at 30% and at that setting, my card heats up rapidly in SL. I was able to increase my fan speed up to 80% before the noise got too loud and that keeps my temps running at 60C with graphics cranked in SL.

I'm having the same problem with a NVidia 8600 GT, which is about 3 years old (not coincidentally right after my rezday). The malfunction occurs very occasionally, but when it does it shuts down my whole computer. I blamed this on SL until I proved to myself that it was the video card. I'll be looking for a new video card under my tree this Xmas.

There is a free program called FurMark that you can use to stress test your video card. It has a feature to log your card temperature. My card never gets over 83C, but that is apparently too high.

At that price it better!

I've been doing some browsing for a new computer and I am considering this one:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5466847&sku=SYX-1024-7

It's at the top limit of my budget, and probably way overpowered for my needs . SL is the only heavy thing I'll be doing on it.

Still limping along enough to read forums at least - if I ignore the red lines everywhere..

Thanks, Jig. I have seriously considered it. But I'm still slightly skittish of lap tops. Sounds like something I might be drinking water out of. Someday I know you'll drag me into the 21st century.


I can't get in world, so I will try to send him a PM. BTW, your new avatar pic looks awesome from what I can tell, Treasure.


I'm starting to think they owe me a replacement!


I better not leave this running too long -- I might need to shop online. I've learned so much from all the replies here. Y'all rock!

That should be more than enough AND have enough juice left over for any other things you want to do with it.

Is it a 3 Ghz Quad Core Laptop with 8 GB RAM, Nvidia GTX 280, and 1 TB Hard Drive?

Laptops have ONE tiny issue- heat. Even with those fancy coolers people use, they'll eventually burn themselves up.

Ok, then there's the whole "Upgrade" issue. There's limits to how much a laptop can handle and with how much it's going to cost to do it.

They're nice if you travel around a lot. But as a Main Computer.... bleh.

If I can get it to wash my car and clean my house.......


*And maybe one other thing.