> -----Original Message----- > From: Paul Ihrig [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, July 04, 2006 3:39 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: how do i tell if my Video card is dead > > after getting blue screened after playing the PREY demo. > i can no longer get my GeForce 6800 gt to do any thing above 800/600 4 > bit...
Most cards/OSes fall back to minimum settings when they encounter a problem. Usually this indicates a software problem (since most hardware problems would render the card incapable of displaying anything). Some cards have a dedicated chip to do this - essentially an old S# or similar emulator. This allows an image to be displayed when using the OS's fall-back drivers. In theory this could mean that the fall-back chip is working but that the main GPU is hosed. I don't know if I've ever even heard of that happening however... I'm not even sure if the GeForce cards take this route of if they emulate the standard VGA hardware some other way. Make sure that you're actually running the nVidia drivers and not the default MS ones. The MS ones are minimum fall back drivers that kick in when the regular video card drivers seem hosed. If you're running the nVidia drivers then you should have access to the nVidia "Advanced Settings" in display properties. Under "Screen Resolutions and Refresh Rates" make sure that higher reses/refresh rates are actually listed - sometimes systems can be become confused about the capabilities of the monitor and limit you when they don't need to. If "Hide Modes that this Monitorcannot Support" is checked try clearing it and trying a higher resolution. If that works try deleting your monitor from device manager and letting the system find it again. There's also a simple "Troubleshooting" control in Display Properties. It's just a simple slider that progressively hamstrings acceleration functions. Try knocking it back a step at a time and rebooting and see if your system comes back to life. > i am really starting to freak! > last week power supplie craps out now my vcard... Well... since you replaced your PS let's start there. Have you done a lot of heavy gaming since you replaced it? If not do have the card plugged into the PS correctly with two separate lines (not, as you can often get away with, two plugs from the same wire)? (I'm assuming here: my two geForce cards both take two loex power connectors.) Most motherboard monitoring tools will give you a reading on your voltages. If you don't have one most modern BIOSs will do it also. Are they good? Next look at heat. Could the card be overheated? Remember that if the problem happened while you were playing it might take a while for a card to fully cool down (give it a good 1/2 hour). If, after cooling completely, the system works look to heat as the number one suspect. You might trying running the system with the case off/open and blowing a regular fan into it. Note that you can see the current GPU temperature in the nVidia "Advanced Settings" applet under display properties. Mine runs in idle at about 54 degrees C (I've got a 7900GT here). Finally remember that there's more in play here than you might think. Video card drivers can be find but will still screw the pooch if DirectX is corrupt. Other drivers might step on them (the normal question of "have you added anything recently comes into play) and, as I said, remember that monitors are PnP devices as well and can add restrictions. Hope this gives you some paths to explore. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:210618 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
