Graphics problems (bad gfx card?)

Swamp Kitten
05-14-2008, 12:40 AM
Computer Specs
CPU: Intel Core2Duo E6750 @ 2.67 GHz (stock)
MOBO: ASUS P5K
Gfx: eVGA 8800GT 512mb (stock)
RAM: 2 gigs Corsair XMS2 6400, labeled 800 mhz, not sure about actual clock speed
PS: Silverstone AD0812UB-A70GL -- Zeus SLi 650W
OS: XP SP2 32bit

I've tried 174.16, 174.74, 175.70 on the 8800 GT (using DriverCleaner and uninstalls between each one) with no success. I have the most recent drivers for my MOBO's sound (Realtek HD audio).

Here's the problem: In recent games such as Age of Conan and Gears of War I get strange screen flickers with odd artifacts and color, eventually becoming unplayable. If I hit escape, the letters in the game's menu screen are all blocked out, etc. I seemed to have solved this problem in Age of Conan by turning off soft particles and soft shadows, however I can't do this in Gears of War. I don't have these problems with other games, like World of Warcraft or The Witcher (it happened a couple times with this game until I rolled my drivers back, but that didn't help with GoW or AoC).

See photos:
Blocked letters - ImageShack 404 File not Found (http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1...w1errormy3.jpg)
Flicker - http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/5...w2errorum3.jpg
Color - http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/905/gow3errordt7.jpg

Though you can't see it in these pictures, sometimes the facial mapping of the characters, etc. (what you might see on a skin editor for coloring, etc.) will show up on the screen... weird, I know :/ Normally the problem is preceded (in Gears of War) by flickering red dots in a grid-formation starting to show up on my screen. Sometimes the graphics problem is accompanied by a quickly looping sound error in the background, and other times the sound is fine.

I thought it may be an overheating problem, so I set my fan cycle to 100% (RivaTuner 2.06 previously--now 2.09), but that didn't help. My 8800GT idles between 42-44. I also have 3 large case fans (1 front, 1 back, 1 top) that cool the case.

Halp! :(

[MD5]Hash
05-14-2008, 01:51 AM
Try relinking those files, 2 of them don't work.

Arcanox
05-14-2008, 09:40 AM
8800GT? Most likely a bad memory module. If you could fix those first two links it would make it easier for me to figure out but I remember seeing several odd color artifacts from other people, most likely caused by a couple bad memory chips.

Swamp Kitten
05-14-2008, 12:16 PM
Fucking imageshack

Blocking letters: http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1713/gow1errormy3.jpg
Flicker: http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/3781/gow2errorki3.jpg

And by bad memory module, do you mean bad RAM or a bad memory module in the 8800 GT?

[MD5]Hash
05-14-2008, 12:25 PM
Fucking imageshack

Blocking letters: http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1713/gow1errormy3.jpg
Flicker: http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/3781/gow2errorki3.jpg

And by bad memory module, do you mean bad RAM or a bad memory module in the 8800 GT?

Bad Memory on the GT, or overheating, either way it's not normal, definately originating from the video card.

Swamp Kitten
05-14-2008, 12:53 PM
Hash;13194803']Bad Memory on the GT, or overheating, either way it's not normal, definately originating from the video card.

Unless the card is overheating at 60C (unlikely) then it must be bad memory. I'm idling at 42C and it doesn't break 60-63C under load. Time to RMA!

ugh

but thanks :)

godswill
05-14-2008, 12:58 PM
Yep definitely a bad video card. Just to confirm.