Artifacts 30s after turning on...???

Lee K · 18 Jul 2010

Got this problem, just started, allows me just enough time to get into my bios to check on system before computer locks. My voltage is 11.77, EVGA tech support said that this card needs between 11.9 to 12.2 voltage to run.

Because only 11.77 volts with no load the tech support thought it might be the power supply. I would probably agree there. I can try to switch out to another power supply but not going to be easy.

What do you think, feedback appreciated.

stormy13 · 18 Jul 2010

Have a multimeter? If so might want to check the voltages as software readings (including the one in the bios) are not the best. If so here is how to test,

Testing Your Power Supply With a Multimeter - Tech Support Forum

Lee K · 18 Jul 2010

Thanks I shall do a test, I have a good multi-meter.

Lee K · 19 Jul 2010

I tested the voltage with a mulitmeter and it is down to like 11.1 volts in crashed state, this could still mean the video card is fried. The power supply does test like 11.67 unloaded (thats not hooked up to anything) so that seems weak (outside the 11.9 - 12.2 range for operation)

I tried to see if my older computer power supply would fit to test video card but it doesn't have the PCI-E connector, so going to have to take the unit in to make sure. It could be both the power supply and video card, or a weak power supply and aging video card. I think the mainboard is okay as I can get into the bios in the first half minute before monitor gets artifacts and freezes. The real test would be to pull the vid card out and just stick it in another computer, unfortunately I don't know anyone with a PCI slotted mainboard. Have to take it in and get confirmation, the vid card is under warranty, the power supply and mainboard are inexpensive to replace, the vid card is not...

Lee K · 08 Jun 2011

Resurrecting this thread as I believe I have new information I have recently discovered. I believed I had complete failure on my replacement 8800 GTS (under lifetime warranty). I decided to test it on another system and it gave a post screen. So I put it back in on my new main board and it runs for a while and starts producing artifacts, sometimes failing (black screen but OS not reset), sometimes restarting OS. This time I was able to have it running long enough to get a temperature reading on it and it is running hot, hence the artifacts and subsequent failure.

Now this gets me to thinking, at times these cards have worked flawlessly and although they due run hot they were running maxed out games with no problem. Like run for months at a time, then suddenly problems.

I started playing around with nTune, then Riva and was able to get this same card to absolutely clear up and run stable again. All by setting the fan manually to the 80 % range instead of auto setting fan speed by load or temperature. I can hear the fan jump to life from the regular driver controled auto speed control setting to the manual run at this setting. After more research people are saying set it to 100 %.

So why did it run for so long, and reliably, then fail? Then get a replacement unit to have do the exact same thing? Now I remember when I talked to EVGA support the first time, I remember the agent telling me about a botched nVidia driver that set the fan to 0 speed and fried every card that loaded that driver within seconds of getting into the OS. The driver was pulled but not fast enough, wondering was there a class action over this? Hmmm. I believe the newer nVidia drivers are not setting correct time speeds for the GPU cooling fan or over-riding proper cooling speeds under load. My problems seemed to always creep in when I updated my drivers, co-incidence? Or not?

Older expensive video card with new nVidia drivers equals video toast. You seem to have set fan speeds manually. Under stress and load, it is not speeding up the fan properly. These cards are known to reliably run at 75 deg C. But when you get much higher they start flaking out.

Will they ever get heat under control for video cards, this seems to be the problem, with excellent CPU coolers available, the CPU cooling seems way ahead of the GPU market.