Help with my graphics card

[lilboss049]

Hey! So I have a very nice high end laptop! It's a hp dv7t-6b00 with the following specs:
16gb of RAM
2 TB hard drive
Intel i7-2820QM CPU @2.30 GHz with turbo boost up to 3.40 GHz
Blu-ray DVD and writer
Display: Radeon HD 6770M with 2 gigs dedicated memory (switchable graphics)
Display 2: Intel HD graphics

When common programs require little work from my graphics card, it uses the Intel Hd graphics (eg: browsing the internet), But when I play games (I play league of legends a lot) it uses my Radeon Hd 6770M graphics. I was playing League the other day and my fps dropped to as low as 5 fps and wouldnt go up past 20. It just kept changing.

Is it possible that I need some more thermal paste? Is my graphics fried? If it was fried would it even run league?
Also something I should mention, at startup, my computer says that the system fan has stopped working. I've had problems with overheating so what I have don for quite some time is used an external fan put on high when I use my laptop which has prevented overheating. Is it possible that I could be facing damages now? Anybody out there know what I'm talking about?

 

[JaysonMesecar]

Well I know more about desktops than I do laptops. However I CAN tell you that in laptops, a fan going out is a MUCH bigger deal in a laptop than in a desktop. Currently your laptop is getting 0% airflow. This is VERY BAD. Without airflow its just a ticking time bomb before things start breaking in your computer. The only reason its probably lasted this long is that its a quality computer. It is entirely possible that your graphics card pooped. I am not sure if ur GPU failed or not. However I can tell you using an external fan just plain is going to help VERY little, if at all. My suggestion, if you still got a good warranty, send it in to be fixed.

 

[lilboss049]

Man, I'm in some trouble! My warranty has expired so I can't send it in. What are the chances that it is just thermal paste that needs to be reapplied and that my laptop's graphic card isn't fried? Also I am replacing my internal fan this week.

 

[JaysonMesecar]

I am not sure that if it burned out, it would auto change to integrated graphics. Often times when video cards burn on you will get black screens on start up. So from what I know, you may still have a chance. My advice would be to NOT RUN any graphically demanding programs on the laptop, in fact dont run it at all until the fan is fixed. Your FPS drop could be attributed to loads of things, as thats usually how computers go. So my advice is dont jump to the worst conclusion. I would follow these steps
1. Educate yourself on your laptop as you will probably have to tear it apart and it can be complicated
2. Install the new fan
3. Clean out ALL Dust in the laptop
4. Make sure all wires are plugged in, things are seated properly, etc.
5. Once you put it back together, as long as everything works, you then need to do some computer testing. First download something like HWmonitor. It will allow you to monitor the temperature of the internal components of your computer. If you see that your proccesor is running over its suggested limit (Which can be found by goggling the proccesor) then I would apply some new thermal paste.

Chances are doing all those things will at least improve your computers performance.
In regards to the graphics card, after you fix the heat issues if it doesnt run properly (or at all), its probably a bad sign at that point.
I would give you more information but I do not know that much about laptop components, and I dont want to give you any false information.

 

[lilboss049]

Thank you very much for your response! I am going to try what you suggested and post updates as they come! Once again thanks!

 

[JaysonMesecar]

No problem!