[SOLVED] Is my video card failing

[Machines run life]

I apologize if this was already answered, I did not find a thread that was similar, maybe I got impatient.

My question is, how do I tell my video card is going out or not? I have heard stress tests can cause damage to the video card and also heard they do not.

So I had just purchased a video card used, and it seemed to be working fine until I played the game it was intended for. The card meets minimum required but not recommended. (I know, it was all I could afford for the not so near foreseeable future.) I started receiving the following errors and don't know if the game is just over taxing the card and I would be fine playing if I can live with the errors, or if the card is failing.

Errors:
1. Playing "DCS World Su-25" the game would flash black when using my joystick hat switch to look around. this is a Flight simulator, it would be like someone blinking their eyes, and crashed about 20 minutes into the game.
A. Changed all video settings in game to low.
B. Adjusted my page filing from 1670MB and finally decided at 64000MB. A bit excessive, but the game is happier. {Increased RAM without changing Pagefile}
a. While adjusting page filing, two different settings caused the whole machine to crash in the game with a static screen, like tuning an old analog TV antenna to a channel with no broadcast signal. (I might have set to no page filing? Cant remember what the settings were.
*** This resulted in a stable playing environment without the black flashes or crashes, but introduced freezing and stuttering with my FPS dropping to 5 at times. I received one or two blue screens of death with the error "TDR FAILURE / atikmpag.sys.
A. Created the Registry key : Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers TdrDelay and added a value of 15 although it was recommended for 8.
*** This cleared the stuttering, although at times in intervals of about 5-7 minutes the game will briefly freeze with maybe a 1 second drop in FPS to below 10. The game is running about 85% - 95% of the GPU, and does commonly reach 100%.

2. I tried playing another Video game another one that I meet minimum requirements but not recommended, "For Honor". This game was freezing a bit, but with changing the in game settings to low, it was fixed with acceptable graphics.

3. Playing videos I downloaded from the Interweb, I receive artifacts but I suspect the files I received are corrupted as the time bar in VLC player will not allow you to move and does not record total time. I do not receive the artifacts in any other video that displays properly in the VLC Player.

Windows 10 64bit
CPU: from Core2Duo > I-5
GPU: Radeon RX460 4GB
RAM: 12 GB

 

[shknawe]

You are asking too much out of what you have. I have 4790k overclocked to 4.6 and a gtx1080 gpu with 16gb ram and I have to tweak some settings in DCS. You are basically driving the 24 hours of LeMans in a Yugo. It just isn't enough to get the job done.

 

[Machines run life]

You are asking too much out of what you have. I have 4790k overclocked to 4.6 and a gtx1080 gpu with 16gb ram and I have to tweak some settings in DCS. You are basically driving the 24 hours of LeMans in a Yugo. It just isn't enough to get the job done.

Thanks for your quick reply. I was wondering if it was that, I just got a bit concerned when I seen the artifacting in video files albeit suspected to be corrupted. Continuing with the game you do you think that can cause damage? The freezing is not bad and I can deal with it. Pauses for maybe two or three seconds not frequently.

I might think about overclocking, but that scares me a bit, like running a car beyond red line non stop. But in a way, I guess thats what I am doing to the video card in this game at least running it at red line.

 

[shknawe]

You can't really "hurt" a gpu by using it. It will just try its best for what you throw at it. TDR FAILURE/atimpag.sys is literally caused by asking too much out of your gpu. When your gpu basically gets overpowered by the program and starts to stutter or drop out, windows steps in and says "time out" your gpu is getting beat to death basically.

 

[shknawe]

Maybe go with 16gb ram and overclock the gpu if you can and turn on windows power setting to high performance will keep your cpu "spun" up always. This may help about 10%

 

[Machines run life]

Thanks so much for your input, really appreciate it. I think I will turn things up a bit and see how that works.

 

[Achaios]

Your GPU is basically a low-end Fiat Panda. You go out on the street and you stop at the red light with a 2019 Corvette sport next to you. You get a green light, and while you are struggling to change to second gear, the Corvette has already gotten to to 120 mph and it's 4 miles down the street.

You then stop at the side of the road, you kick the Fiat Panda and open up the bonnet to check the engine. There's nothing wrong with the engine man, you are just driving a Fiat Panda. It will never drive like a Porsche.

 

[Machines run life]

Your GPU is basically...

Yes, I am aware it is a lower end video card after suggestions from shknawe, the game is playing just fine. Although the RAM upgrade was not required, the game is not tasking beyond 8 at my current acceptable performance. Thank-you for your comment that was neither helpful or constructive.