Screen Tearing when playing a game

[AlphaJack]

For a very long time I have had this issue. It usually happens about 1-2 hours playing a game. Even if I exit the game screen tearing is still on, even when I'm at the desktop. Only way I can fix this is to restart the pc and then screen is back to normal. But if I immediately go back to playing a game this isssue starts within few minutes. The more I repeat this process the sooner I encounter it.

This problem accutally began with previous hardware as well. Didn't matter if I got newer motherboard, monitor or graphic card. The higher the game settings the sooner problem occurs. I have aslo tried playing in Window Mode at 1366x768 resolution with this method problem occurs a bit later. But it doesn't prevent it.

I have tried forcing V-Sync on or set to adaptive, none of them work. Problem still exists.

Here's my computer specs:
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit SP1
Intel Core i5 750 @ 2.67GHz
16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz
Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. P55-UD3 (Socket 1156)
BenQ V2220H (1920x1080@60Hz)
1023MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Gigabyte)

Here is a screenshot what it looks like(Playing Might Magic Heroes 6:
http://www.upload.ee/image/4118093/MMHVI.png

Note I already posted this to Nvidia GeForce forum, but still no one hasn't answered.
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/755202/geforce-500-400-series/screen-tearing/

 

[bccorrupt]

That's not tearing. My guess would be your graphics card is overheating or dying. Since you say it's happened for a long time that would lead me to believe it's the temps. Check your temps on the card under the load of a game.

 

[bccorrupt]

Tearing is where there is basically a line across the screen because the refresh from the video output isn't in sync with the monitor.

Check out this picture here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_tearing#mediaviewer/File:Tearing_(simulated).jpg

 

[AlphaJack]

That's not tearing. My guess would be your graphics card is overheating or dying.

Dying ? No it can't be. Overheating, could be. How can I prevent it from "overheating" ?

It really doesn't matter if I got better graphic card, problem would still exist, right ?

 

[bccorrupt]

That's not tearing. My guess would be your graphics card is overheating or dying.

Dying ? No it can't be. Overheating, could be. How can I prevent it from "overheating" ?

It really doesn't matter if I got better graphic card, problem would still exist, right ?

Most likely the problem is related to the video card so replacing it would fix it, but I wouldn't be so hasty. Since you said it's been doing it for a while and it only does it after 1-2 hours I would guess heat first. Here is gigabyte's link to their monitoring software. Install it and then check what the temps get up to while in the middle of a game.
<70C great, 70C-85C ok, 85C+ probably the problem

http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/utility.aspx?cg=3

 

[AlphaJack]

That's not tearing. My guess would be your graphics card is overheating or dying. Since you say it's happened for a long time that would lead me to believe it's the temps. Check your temps on the card under the load of a game.

Temps ?? What, you mean temperature? I new to this thing, so try to explain as you were talking to a idiot, like me. So you would like me to check the temperature of the grapic card, while i'm playing a video game, yes ?

So is it okay to load Speccy, the program, while i'm playing? In normal state it's 51°C

 

[bccorrupt]

Yes, the temperature while it is idling and what it gets up to under the load of a game for a couple minutes. 51C at idle isn't bad. What does it get up to after 5 or 10 minutes of a game? Speccy might work. It doesn't seem to show what the max was or any type of graph of the temperatures movement, just the current. If you can run it while in the game it might work.

 

[stavros58]

If it is overheating you might find replacing the thermal paste on the heat sink with good quality non conductive paste, I did it with mine and I got a 10c drop immediately and it never goes over 60c in crossfire under load. Its a cheap solution that was certainly very easy to do on my MSI 7870 OC cards so its worth a try before you bin it. Once you have seen how factories apply thermal paste with a bucket and trowel you will no what I mean. The GPU and board were covered in the stuff, they must have big peas in Taiwan if they were using the pea measure that's for sure.

Secondly and this probably isn't anything to do with your problem but if it was tearing setting your monitor on Game setting on its OSD may help I have a Dell and doing this bypasses some of the hardware that you would usually use for photo editing etc this improves performance for gaming.

 

[AlphaJack]

Okay I noticed something, something I would never suspect. It's not the Graphic card, it's the CPU. It got 82°C when I played Might & Magic Heores 6 on my computer for 7-8 minutes. If I had played longer, It would have got even higher.

Screenshot of Speccy:
http://www.upload.ee/image/4121868/CPU_Overheat.png

 

[bccorrupt]

Not exactly what I was expecting, but still heat related. Your GPU is running relatively cool so you probably have decent case airflow. Try cleaning and new thermal paste on the CPU and if no change try a new cooler. Even if it turns out not to be THE problem, it's still A problem.

 

[AlphaJack]

Okay, so I took my PC to IT specialist to change the thermal paste and clean it up from dust. I told him what was the problem. As soon as he opened the case, he told me that processor cooler's legs aren't completely locked. So they were open like for 2-3 years since it was last put together. You can blame only one person for that, that amature IT guy, me. So yeah. I hope I never EVER repeat that mistake again.

Oh and, thanks guys for helping me out.

 

[bccorrupt]

No problem, glad you got it fixed. Intel heatsinks can be be a pain to get all 4 locked in sometimes.

 

[stavros58]

Okay, so I took my PC to IT specialist to change the thermal paste and clean it up from dust. I told him what was the problem. As soon as he opened the case, he told me that processor cooler's legs aren't completely locked. So they were open like for 2-3 years since it was last put together. You can blame only one person for that, that amature IT guy, me. So yeah. I hope I never EVER repeat that mistake again.

Oh and, thanks guys for helping me out.

 

[stavros58]

Hi glad you got it sorted, don't beat yourself up I've been building my own PC's for years and I still do some really stupid things, that's half the fun of being an amateur sorting it all out after.