Windows 7 - GTX260 Video Artifacting/BSODs

I am having exactly the same problem as Shook.

[QUOTE=Shook;558012]Not Likely. As Frostmourne stated, the "rails" are usually divided: one for the 24 pin power connector, one for the PCI-e "plugs" (Video cards), and the other two divided up for the other peripheral plugs: SATA connectors and legacy Molex Connectors. Only by getting and looking at the advanced specs for your particular power supply could you determine where the power comes from for each of your connections (wires). But normally both PCI-e connectors will come off the same bus (rail).

(Keeping it simple) The "rails" are inside the power supply. A power supply with one "rail" simply takes all the power generated and dumps it down one "rail" to a single "outlet". Think of this as a single wall outlet in your home. All of the wires coming out of the power supply are "plugged in" to this single "outlet". In a multi-rail power supply the power generated is split up by electronics inside the supply to run down four "rails" to four "outlets". Each "outlet" can supply the designed amperage. The wires coming out of the power supply are split up into 4 groups and each group is "plugged in" to one of the "outlets".

Thanks TVeblen. I think I'll try RMAing the card and hoping that fixes it. If not then i'm thinkin its the PSU

So, what have you done so far to try and solve your problem?

I have tried everything shook has done except using a diffrent PSU as I don't know anyone that has a PSU that will be able to withstand my card. I've also tried putting the card and PSU on another machine, but still the same problem.

Give this a read and see if you missed anything.

"Display driver xxxxx stopped responding and was recovered"

Timeout Detection & Recovery (TDR) = "Display Driver Stopped Responding and has Recovered" is a useful feature that started in Vista and is also in Windows 7 that allows the OS to try and recover from a video timeout so that the system does not crash to a bluescreen. Symptoms included a screen flash with the TDR message appearing one or more times or the screen blinking out to black. If the system cannot recover it will crash. The issue is that the video card is not responding as expected. The solution is in the: why?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to TDR errors. But the problem is usually found in the local environment (your computer). Finding the cause is a matter of checking every possible cause and uncovering the culprit through a simple process of elimination. By methodically running down a checklist of diagnostic procedures you should be able to find the cause and can correct it.

There are numerous reports of hardware solutions to TDR's. The most common are:

• Poor Cooling
• Problems with the power supply
• Overclocking Issues
• Bad System memory or incorrect memory timings
• Defective PC Components

The order you do the diagnostics is not all that important. My personal strategy is to do the cheap & easy stuff first, the cheap & harder stuff next, and then the stuff that costs last. But whatever order you do it in you need to check or confirm the following:

SOFTWARE
Poorly written software and games will cause TDRs. But if this were the case it would affect lots of people, not just a few.
You could also be asking too much of your video card. Check to see if your video card is tested and recommended for the game/program.
Check the game's website & forums for patches and tips.
See if other people in the forums are having the same problem and if they were able to solve it and how.

WHAT ACTIONS CAUSE THE PROBLEM
It helps if you can isolate the actions that trigger the TDR. Most often it will be an application using 3D graphics. But if the incidents occur constantly it would point more towards defective hardware. If it happens more specifically (just when running Game X) it points towards overheating, settings, software, or driver issues.

GENERAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
You need to eliminate the possibility that your computer has a global problem. You can use a program like Prime95 to stress test your system. Free Software - GIMPS
You can run the "Stress Test" for a few hours or overnight. This will not tell you what the problem is, but it is helpful to uncover any issues your system has with instability and cooling.

OVERHEATING
Running a video intensive game for hours can generate some serious heat and overheating will cause errors. You can check your temps by looking at your BIOS readings or use a free program like Speedfan SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer .
A real easy test is to just pull the side panel(s) off your case and see if the problem goes away or gets better. If it does then the issue is definitely overheating. If you are overheating you need to look at installing some cooling upgrades. You want to look at ventilating the case (more or bigger fans), Upgrade your case to a larger gaming case (lots of fans, water-cooling), etc.
There are free utilities like BurninTest PassMark BurnInTest software - PC Reliability and Load Testing that you can use to test your system's cooling capability. Caution is recommended using these types of programs.

DRIVERS
Bad drivers happen and they can get corrupted. Completely uninstall all video software and the drivers. (Some people say to run a cleaner program from safe mode, some say this is unnecessary).
Let Windows 7 install it's own WDDM 1.1 driver. Check for the video problems using the generic Windows driver.
Install the latest drivers for your card. Or try older drivers. Always completely remove the old stuff every time you install or re-install drivers.
See This Tutorial: Installing and updating drivers in 7

POOR CONNECTIONS
Reseat video card and memory modules. Make sure the contacts are clean. Check all the electrical connections.

CHECK YOUR MOTHERBOARD VOLTAGES
In BIOS, check the listed voltages against the manufacturer recommended specs. Reset the voltages to factory defaults and see if the video problems disappear.

MEMORY
Memory errors can cause video problems. Run a program like Memtest for at least 3 passes to see if there are any memory errors. Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

OVERCLOCKING
Overclocking can be a trial and error process. The clocks you set or change for CPU, Memory, or GPU could be unstable. Eliminate this as a possibility by resetting the clocks to their defaults to see if that clears the video problems.

BIOS
Check for and install an updated BIOS, particularly if it says the newer BIOS corrects memory errors or bug fixes. You could also try loading the BIOS defaults.
While you are there, check the motherboard manufacturers forums to see if others are having issues with the same board.

POWER SUPPLY
You need to know that your power supply is delivering sufficient power. Power supply problems are the most common cause of video problems using high end cards.
Check the power supply's amperage ratings. Be sure it has the ample amperage for your card and the rest of the system.
Test the supply with multimeter to measure for a steady 12v to the card's power connectors. (The only true way to test a power supply would be to use the very expensive diagnostic equipment used in labs). But for us regular folks: I tested my power supply by hooking up my multimeter to the PCI-E connectors that I was using to power my video card (I used a spare pair from the power supply to run the card while I was testing). I then observed the meter while I used the computer, first watching the voltage, then the amps, to see if there was any drop-off or erratic behavior while booting or using the computer. My readings were rock solid. So I declared my power supply good.
Otherwise you need to replace the supply to eliminate this possibility. Or borrow one from another computer.

VIDEO CARD
I suspect that a video card must perform flawlessly to operate in a Windows 7 environment and run the most recent games. If you tried all the above diagnostics and no problems were found then that leaves you with only one possibility: a defective video card. Some brands have the problem more consistently than others. You could check their forums for clues.
You could try your card in another computer running Windows 7 to see if the problem goes along with the card.
You could try a different card in your computer. I bought an inexpensive card to use. My TDR's disappeared using a "lesser" card. Or borrow a card from another computer.
Otherwise RMA or replace the card.

TDR complaints have come from PC owners running virtually every PC configuration. They occur regardless of which video engine, manufacturer, driver, or system used. They are too numerous to write off as a random problem, but at the same time if people are getting their systems to run correctly using the same hardware and software that you are then it follows that your problem must be solvable.

More Info Here:
Timeout Detection and Recovery of GPUs through WDDM
NVIDIA Statement on TDR Errors - NVIDIA Forums

I'd rep you again if I could TVEB, but that a great amount of information. Aside from measuring my Amperage on the PCIe connector(Only got 2 coming off the PSU and my card uses them both), I've done everything. Will be RMAing the card and will get back to you guys with the results.

I'm pretty sure your card is overheating or its not getting enough power. Try taking the card out, getting a can of compressed air and blowing the dust out of it, then placing it back in. If that doesn't work, try unplugging everything from the PSU not needed for the system to boot (optical drives), extra hard drives, fans, etc. These steps can help narrow down the issue.

When I was with Velocity Micro this error was 9 times out of 10 caused by a overheating /failing video card.

Hi your problem is gpu related ,you gpu is knackered,I had artifacts and its a sure sign you card is dieing im afraid.Im pretty sure .
I had a 8800 gtx go one me just like that,have you ever over clocked your gpu.

I've tried unplugging everything from the PSU except for the 2 mobo plugs and video card and i left 2 fans plugged in. Same problems. Video card is in the mail as we speak being sent to BFG for an RMA.

Funny thing is the tech i talked to said he thinks i'll get my card and have the same problem........... his reasoning.......... because I have an AMD motherboard............