Lines and dots with different colors appear on LCD screen

[JVSF]

Hi

My computer has worked fine untill yesterday. I was working with Adobe After Effects and suddently small purple rectangles appeared on the screen. About 30 seconds later the screen went black and i was unable to getcontact with the computer. When i start the computer after what happened i appears light blue and red lines on the screen. Some of the letters during start up is also deformed and pixel like. Sometimes when i start the computer it works fine for about 10 minutes and the screen turns black.

What should i do to fix this problem? Could it be a proble with the video/graphics card?

Any help would be appriciated!

Thanks

 

[sirkillalot]

yes its the video card
if u have another 1 swap it to double check or borrow a friends
ps is it a 8800

 

[JVSF]

Thanks! I don't have another one, but i have tried the computer on different screens and the problem still exists... Yes, it is a nVidia 8800 GTX 756 Mb. Are there many problems like this with the 8800?

 

[sirkillalot]

immmmmmmmmm yes funny cause you are the fourth person including me thats had this problem with the 8800gtx in the last 30 days
how old is it?
i just brought the ATI 5870 to replace it

 

[JVSF]

Really!!!

It is about 2-3 years old.

Do you know a lot about graphic cards, because i wondered witch card i should buy to replace it. I need a very good card, because i work with 3D programs, Adobe After Effects, etc. (I also play games)

By the way, thanks for answering me so fast

 

[sirkillalot]

mine was only 2 years old almost to the day with my warranty
3d stuff or for games get the 5870 but give me your specs of the pc

 

[JVSF]

Is there another way to fix the problem than buying a new card?

 

[sirkillalot]

not as far as i know
what about your warranty

 

[Twoboxer]

If you are buying a high-powered card today (as our 8800GTXs were in their day) you'll probably want to look at a 5870 (faster than a 285 $60 more. Almost as fast as a 295 for $80 less). Or a 5850 (pretty much as fast as a 285 for $50 less) Not only are these cards fast, they support DX11.

Here's a list of vid cards ranked in tiers by power. The 5870 and 5850 aren't in there yet, but other card choices are. You'll find the 8800GTX (near the top of the list):

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2404-7.html

 

[JVSF]

I don't know... I hope it still valid! But isn't it possible to fix it in another way? The card you mentioned, is it ATI or nVidia?

 

[Twoboxer]

5850/70 are ATI.

 

[sirkillalot]

thanks twoboxer

 

[JVSF]

Thanks Twoboxer!

Is the list up to date? And do you know any very good cards for 3D moddeling, etc? Is nVidia Quaddro good for that?

 

[sirkillalot]

the 5870 is only a week old its very strong and can handle 6 monitors
3D moddeling no problem man [:jaydeejohn:5]

 

[JVSF]

Nice, do it cost just around 60$!

 

[JVSF]

Thanks By the way,is it hard to install a graphics/video card?

 

[coozie7]

This may work, it has for some others but, obviously make sure the card warranty has expired before trying it:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1421792.

The list linked by Twoboxer is, indeed up to date.
If you have been using the 8800 with your 3D software without problems then another 'gaming' card will be just fine, and a fair bit less expensive than a workstation class card like the Quadro or ATI Fire.

 

[JVSF]

If the warranty still valids, it will maybe give me a new nVidia card. What card should i choose if the warranty only works for a nVidia card?

 

[JVSF]

Thanks for the reply Coozie7

The card worked okay, but since I have to buy a new one I might as well buy a better one! Do you recommend the Quaddro cards?

 

[sirkillalot]

no about $379
how much u have to spend

 

[JVSF]

Ok, thanks

 

[hardwaretechy]

What you experienced is called Artifacts, and this generally happens when a graphics card overheats and gets corrupted data passed to the screen. It is possible that the Fan on the card itself stopped working. If it works "sometimes" for a few minutes, this could definitely be the case -- in which case its possible to replace the fan. If you haven't opened and cleaned out your case in a while, you should take a look.

If you get the card to boot, you should try removing your current display drivers. If the problem still occurs after you've done this, then there is not much point in reinstalling what you had or newer drivers -- that is not the issue.

Check both these things before jumping on a new card. The card model is still quite strong and can handle all modern games. If you do upgrade then the 5xxx series from ATI as was suggested above is the path to go.

If you get your warranty fullfilled you *might* be able to get an upgrade to a GTX 260, but more than likely a 9800 GTX at best. Both of which are also respectable, but nothing near the new ATI cards.