Resolved - Graphics Card Problem

[Griswold]

Name: Joshua Griswold

Rank: GySgt.

Type of issue: Hardware/Software

Brief Description of Issue: My Graphical card seems to artifacting and we have already replaced the thermal grease on the GPU but i was wondering if i could get more input before I decide that it is damaged and needs to be replaced.

I use a AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series Graphics Card and i currently have 2 monitors plugged into it right now.

Once again any help with figuring out how to fix or any input if weather or not i need another graphics card would be greatly appreciated

***Medical Supply Staff ONLY Below this line***

Current Status: Resolved

Main Technician: Cutts

Supporting Technician: Bryant

[Cutts]

First, just in case, have you tried connecting the card to a different display device?

Sometimes artifacting can be caused by a malfunctioning chip in the display... and in some

cases, its only specific video modes (resolution/refresh rate etc.) that are affected.

Assuming it is definitely not the display, what is the nature of the artifacting?

E.g. Is it all the time, from the moment you boot, in BIOS and windows? If so, its likely

that the card is buggered. You could try the card in a different system to be sure.

If you can boot to windows, or in safe mode, then it might be a driver problem, which

is usually solvable by downloading the latest ones, or finding an older one by trial and

error.

How old is the card? It could well have just burned out at the end of its "natural" life.

I've had at least 5 cards burn out in my time, and unfortunately that is the most likely

scenario.

If returned to manufacturer it might be repairable (although it might just be cheaper

to replace it... in the UK I've got lucky a few times, and they've just sent me a newer

model for free).

[Griswold]

It happens only in games, that is when the graphics freak out and i see a whole bunch of random lines and previous image in sections that show back up on the screen.

The Card is maybe 3 years old but i cant remember how long i have been having this problem, i might have to get a new one but i dont currently have the money to get a new one.

[Cutts]

If its only with new games, you might be lucky and just need a new set of drivers.

Check out the AMD website, and they should have easy directions to find and update your drivers.

If its with older games, especially games that were previously working fine, then it is probably a

hardware fault. You might have some luck by changing the video mode settings in the game (difficult

if the menu is all screwed up...). It sounds like only some video modes are affected, so possibly

it might work at a different colour depth, resolution, or refresh rate.

Would you say it looks like chunks of the picture appearing but sort of staggered around the screen

like a weirdly symetrical jigsaw puzzle? If so, and you've definately ruled out the display causing the

problem , its almost certainly a fault with the GPU... most likely the chip that encodes and outputs

rendered video, rather than with the main 3d accelerator core.

One other thing you could try:

Disconnect one display at a time, and seeing if the games work with only one or the other monitor connected.

If its the output chip, theres a slim chance it will work with just one, connected to one or other of the outputs

at the back.

Not sure what else I can suggest really, other than trying your luck with the manufacturer... they might

be feeling generous, or be able to fix/replace it cheaply.

[Griswold]

i downloaded the newest driver and it seemed to help, but i still get the artifacting problem. To answer your question, yes it does look like a symmetrical jigsaw puzzle on my screen when the problem happens.

i can try removing the extra monitor and see what happens with that but something tells me that if i do that it will happen anyway.

[Lafy BAR]

i downloaded the newest driver and it seemed to help, but i still get the artifacting problem. To answer your question, yes it does look like a symmetrical jigsaw puzzle on my screen when the problem happens.

i can try removing the extra monitor and see what happens with that but something tells me that if i do that it will happen anyway.

try taking a screen shot of the issue. if the artifacts show up in the screen shot then it's not your monitor or cabling or anything like that.

[Griswold]

i can try, but the timing will be really hard

the artifacts dont stay on my screen very long.

[Cutts]

Hmmm... do you only get them when a game first loads, or jittering on and off in an instant throughout the game?

If its the former, then I guess you might be able to live with it until you can get a replacement.

If the latter, then it probably is a GPU hardware fault and I don't think I can help you, I'm afraid.

Incidentally, I'm going to be disappearing on vacation tomorrow, so I won't be able to reply here for a while

(unless I get some kind of connection there... unlikely)...

I've basically run out of ideas to help though, other than whatever I said before. Sorry

- Cutts

Edited June 22, 2012 by Cutts 1st MRB

[Griswold]

i guessing this is what your talking about Lafy, i took awhile but i was finally able to get a screenshot were you could actually see the problem.

Then again this is a old game i got it off of so that could be part of it aswell

[Lafy BAR]

Is that how the graphics bug usually looks in other games too? I would call that smearing. It actually looks like the video game doesn't use a clear on every frame and is failing to complete the entire render.... very odd.

[Griswold]

this thing will happen in League Of Legends to except that they dont stay around for so long, and so up as nothing more than black triangles or smear like it does above. More often then not it will have the black triangles so up though

[Bryant 1st MRB]

Has this issue been resolved ?

[Griswold]

i do believe so. I have downloaded the newest drivers and i have moved my computer to a more ventilated room so there is less of a chance of this happening because of overheating.

The only thing that i still have a problem with is that my computer black screens, which i attribute to overheating.

But, since it has been over 100+ degrees over the last couple of weeks here i can really say it surprises me.

[Bryant 1st MRB]

Awesome, if the issue arrises again just respond to this post