Pink sqaure-like dots on my monitor

[sonicboom510]

Windows XP SP3
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400(2.13GHz)
7600GS (Just under 2 years old)
2GB DDR2
PSU - 300 Watt

During my usual session of playing Team Fortress 2, my comp froz, and rebooted by itself. I tried a different game, and got the same results as well. It believe it was a graphics card error considering I saw pinkish like squares on the screen. I don't believe their dead pixals since the pink objects are all over the screen in a sort of pattern and the results were still the same on my second alternative monitor.

When I manually turned off my PC, I was prompted by the safemode option screen where I had to choose a way to boot my computer. Since I did not know what was happening, I choose the "last working state" (or whatever it says). The computer then continued to load the Windows XP start up screen as usual, but I noticed that there was some pink squares on the text of the Windows XP start up screen.

As it finished loading, it just left me with a blank screen and restarted by itself automatically. I was left with no other choice, but to use safe mode with networking (good thing I can still use the internet, haha!). Some of the text were highlighted in pink in that option screen where I had to choose which way to run safemode. In safemode, I still continue to see the pink square patten on the screen.

Furious at this problem, I went to check if my card is loose or something, and to my surprise, the fan isn't spinning anymore on the GPU! This leads me to believe that it is the GPU! I went to sleep, and in the next morning, I was surpised to find out that I was able to get pass the Start-Up screen and into my desktop through normal boot! A few minutes later, when I went to try a game, the same thing happened!

Occasionally, the pink dots would go away in safemode, but would come again later.

So could this be a possible graphics card error?

I ordered a ASUS HD Radeon 4670

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121274

and a Antec PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371007

which should be on it's way soon.

 

[eklipz330]

yes, overheating problem. if you blew it with some compressed air, it might have solved the problem... but the new stuff getting should solve the problem, and than some.

 

[sonicboom510]

^Thanks for the reply. It definitely eases my stress.

As for the can air, I tried it already, but no avail!

I'll just wait for the parts to come in.

 

[4745454b]

The pink squares are artifacts. They happen when the GPU gets to hot. This is why it worked for a bit the next day, it was able to cool off over night. The new parts should work just fine, as everything else should be alright.

You might be able to make the artifacts go away by pointing a house fan as the side of the computer with the cover off. As long as the card stay cool enough they shouldn't show up.

 

[Ares_]

It is most likely GPU memory. If you really want to know that it is not your screen you can press "Print Screen" and look at that on another computer. They should still be there.