Probability of both graphics cards with probs within a short period?

Gaz1701 · 05 Mar 2011

A couple of months ago, I had one of my graphics card 'die'/Code 43 on me (you can see the thread about it here: Could my graphics card have died?), and now my second graphics card has done the same thing - except I haven't had the same 'monitor not displaying' problems that I had with the first one.

I was playing Just Cause 2 at the time (it's not that power-hungry at all really), and it wasn't that long into the game when the graphics went funny and crashed/froze my computer.

[Force] restarting my computer, I was greeted with these lines (sorry for the slightly blurry image - the RAM was still counting up at the time of this picture btw):

I still had the Code 28 [under "3D Video Controller"] even after I installed the latest graphics driver [80% sure of it], and I still have it now.

However one thing has changed since the previous problem: I installed a 64-bit Windows 7 [Home Premium still] back in January (2011) - so perhaps that's why I didn't get a BSOD this time.

ps. I have never overclocked my cards, and I don't think I ever want to (too risky for my liking).

Maguscreed · 05 Mar 2011

It could certainly be the graphics card. I would check the monitor cables and stuff before just assuming though.

Gaz1701 · 05 Mar 2011

Well if it was a cable that came loose, I'd have thought my monitor wouldn't work/turn on; I haven't moved my desktop PC or anything either.

Maguscreed · 05 Mar 2011

Well those lines could be caused by both a bad card or a bad connection to the monitor. I'm actually bringing this up because it does appear to be a older monitor to begin with.

Gaz1701 · 05 Mar 2011

So what's the next thing you want me to do?

Maguscreed · 05 Mar 2011

that was all I had for you that would take the graphics card out of blame. It looks like you have another dud.

Gaz1701 · 30 May 2011

Sorry this is so late, and my brain is frazzled, but I've managed to get the top/'dead' graphics card out, and it hasn't made any difference - other than it's not complaining about Code 28 now (but still says Code 43).

If I bought a new graphics card, do you think the same thing might happen to that one too (considering the timing of all this happening)?

I think that's my main concern now.

Maguscreed · 30 May 2011

If it happened to a third card I would have to move blame to the motherboard or power supply. The odds of three going bad should be practically non existent.

Fumz · 30 May 2011

Maguscreed said:

If it happened to a third card I would have to move blame to the motherboard or power supply. The odds of three going bad should be practically non existent.

I'm already there... what make and model PSU? Also, if your specs are accurate, you have 2 sticks of RAM installed, yet you're running in single channel mode. Is this intentional?

Gaz1701 · 31 May 2011

Fumz said:

I'm already there... what make and model PSU?

I've got a Tagan TG700-U25 700W PSU (I didn't know this until I checked actually)

Fumz said:

Also, if your specs are accurate, you have 2 sticks of RAM installed, yet you're running in single channel mode. Is this intentional?

Oh, I didn't even know it was running in single channel mode (whatever that means); it's definitely not intentional, anyway. how do I change it to dual/multi channel mode? Through BIOS I guess?