Is my video card faulty, or it something else? (game crashes)

[midnitemaximum]

Hey guys, I'll try to explain my problem the best way I can...

I've having trouble running games for quite sometime now. Games like BFBC2, Mafia II, Dead Space - mostly modern games that take up more CPU, GPU usage. When I run these games, they either crash (windows says they stopped working);the AMD driver stops working, or in some rare cases the system freezes.

I've pretty much tried everything, reinstalled drivers, reformatted etc.. The only time I can really get any stable game play is if I don't OC my CPU, which is strange because I'm not OCing my CPU like hardcore - the max I OCed is 3.4GHz @ 1.235v, I de-clocked to 3.2GHz @ 1.235v since I had the same problem months ago, but this week I've been getting the same problems I had before, and I didn't change ANYTHING at all, so now I'm running standard clocks on my CPU (2.8GHz). Raising the voltage on the CPU didn't help at all when OCing, I went all the way up to 1.5v-1.6v and nothing, still crashes etc.

The reason I'm asking if either something is wrong with my GPU is because when games crash on my system, my entire computer starts acting up, the graphics/pictures in games become distorted (kinda like artifacts on defected GPU), and the sound becomes all static (like feedback), I can't explain it - it's weird. I have to reboot my PC in order to fix it. Also I get the "Display driver has stopped working" in some occasions, usually when I play dead space. My CPU, nor my video card are overheating - the max temp my CPU has gone is 48-50c, and my video card is 57-60c.

This pic shows pretty much what happens after a game crashes and try to play it again:

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/7302/26032010210.jpg

So should I RMA my card, or could it be something else?

(click on my system specs below my name)

 

[yowanvista]

the graphics/pictures in games become distorted (kinda like artifacts on defected GPU)

This is a clear sign of a defective GPU
RMA it

 

[jrealing]

What are your Temps like i.e. CPU, GPU, case temps. You mentioned that when you are not OCing your CPU you can run the games. It could be that your CPU temp as caused the Graphics card to overheat. Leading to early demise or that it just overheating. Are you OCing the GPU and memory on your Graphic Card?

 

[thefabe]

The best way to make sure it's your GPU would be to borrow one from a friend if it's at all possible, and try it. If this corrects the problem then their you have it RMA the card. Or if you have a different card to try.
Fabe

 

[UKMedia]

There is a lot of forum room dedicated to BFBC2 causing crashes and black screens on Windows 7 64 bit - although mainly on Nvidia cards. It happens on my setup sometimes but I can't find a repeatable situation to focus on a solution. I'm not sure about the other games. Probably not what you want to hear but you're not alone.

Regards
UKMedia

 

[midnitemaximum]

Hey guys, I already RMAd my video card to XFX. The graphics glitches led me to believe that something was wrong with the GPU.

What are your Temps like i.e. CPU, GPU, case temps. You mentioned that when you are not OCing your CPU you can run the games. It could be that your CPU temp as caused the Graphics card to overheat. Leading to early demise or that it just overheating. Are you OCing the GPU and memory on your Graphic Card?

I doubt it was my temps, the max temps I ever got with the card was 61c, but usually I would get around 52-57c when OCed, and somewhere around 51c when not OC. Plus, I have a side fan blowing air to the video card. My CPU temps were 30 idle, and 40 @ load. I even ran FURMARK for 45 mins, and it didn't crash.

The best way to make sure it's your GPU would be to borrow one from a friend if it's at all possible, and try it. If this corrects the problem then their you have it RMA the card. Or if you have a different card to try.
Fabe

I tried to a month before on my brother's computer, but for some strange reason, his system couldn't detect my card and the screen wouldn't post after booting. It led me to believe that his PCIe port was dead. Most of my friends don't really game or have good systems to run my card, not that the 5770 is powerful, but I doubt I could run it on their systems'.

There is a lot of forum room dedicated to BFBC2 causing crashes and black screens on Windows 7 64 bit - although mainly on Nvidia cards. It happens on my setup sometimes but I can't find a repeatable situation to focus on a solution. I'm not sure about the other games. Probably not what you want to hear but you're not alone

Hey UKMedia, this problem really wasn't leaned towards a single game. It was mostly all of them. Back a month or two ago, my GPU was freezing/crashing on games like Half Life 2, yeah that old game and Left 4 Dead 2. But like I said, I declocked my CPU to 3.2 GHz, and the games were running like nothing until this month when BFBC2 would start to crash again, MAFIA II as well, and Dead Space the AMD driver would stop (and if it didn't recover, the PC would freeze); for some strange reason HL2, L4D2 were not freezing or crashing. And I didn't change a single thing in my settings, the clocks on both CPU/GPU were the same when I changed them a month ago, as well as RAM (I don't OC my RAM because my RAM is not really meant for OCing).

Anyway, thanks for the help guys. Hopefully XFX can find what is wrong and replace it if possible, but either way, I maybe thinking of upgrading to a 6870 or 6950. The 5770 is starting to show its age, but that upgrade wont happen for another couple months or so, so I hope to get a replacement 'till then. I will update if XFX replaces it or not.

 

[Maguscreed]

Yeah, those are artifacts from a overheated gpu, or burned out graphics ram.

Honestly with all that overclocking it's not a big surprise.

 

[DrBejar]

I was OCing my video card and caused my comp to turn off
went on for about 3 days and i asked around & know one knew what was wrong.
i know my comment dont have much to do with your post, just wanted to be part of the convo