Dead Graphics Card?

[MetalMusicMan]

Problem: Garbled, distorted screen. Freezing, crashing.

Question: Dead card? or just a dead fan?

Hi, I'm the owner of a BFG GeForce 6800 Ultra OC graphics card, using the AGP 8x slot. I would be very happy if someone could offer some advice in the prediciment that I am in.

My problem is this, in the past day or two, the card has started making my screen display all kinds of wierd things. Underscores, symbols, garbled graphics, etc. And of course, to accompany this, the computer would freeze up if you tried to do any gaming with it during that time.

The card has worked fine since I have had it, with the exception that any game on the Half Life 2 Source engine has a random crash at random times during gameplay (memory could not be "read" error). This was the only problem that I had with the card for some time.

About a month after I got the card, I put the Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 5 cooling fan/heatsink combo onto the card, in place of the loud, obnoxious stock cooler. This worked great, because the fan was so much quieter. However, since I have this third-party fan on, I no longer have the ability to RMA the card back to BFG, as they will blame the problem on the fan and not the card.

A few weeks ago, my computer started making "rumbling" noises, which I assumed was my powersupply, but last night I found out that the noise actually came from my graphics card fan, the NV Silencer 5.

What I am wondering is if anyone can tell me if this is bad video card, or if it is only a bad fan. I'd like to know, because these cards are hard to find on AGP, and my mother board does not have PCI-E, so this will be a very costly upgrade if it is indeed the card. Is there any possibility that a new fan would fix this, or am I out of luck and forced to drop another $500 on a new video card?

Thanks alot.

 

[raildogg]

That happened to me too a few weeks ago. The company sent me a new one.

I believed the memory was corrupted. The only way to make sure if its the fan or not is to remove the case and then plug the computer in again. If the fan spins, then it works. But really, if you can hear the hum of the fan that means its working.

Contact the manufacturer, they will be able to help you out.

 

[Raduque]

It may be the fan, just take your side panel off, tilt the computer, and look at the fan, like raildogg mentioned. I had a card giving me similar problems, and I thought my PSU had killed it. Turns out, the fan didn't work anymore (I found this out much later, after I'd pulled the assumed dead card apart and made a keychain out of the 6800 chip. Most expensive keychain ever, $170 ). Good luck if you decide to RMA, but definately check the fan first!


Edit: Re-read your whole post. The "rumbling" noise you described soudns to me like the NV silencer's fan bearings died. Definately check the fan, if it's not spinning replace it before the card gets permanently damaged! If you can, take the side off and point a table fan at the inside, and see if that helps. Also, check your temps in the NV drivers. My BGF 6800OC (non ultra) idles at 51c.

 

[MetalMusicMan]

Fan seems fine... :\ I guess I'll RMA it... but I can't seem to find my old stock fan-- any suggestions there?

 

[thescreensavers]

All you have to do is put ur finger near the fan and lightly tuch the center of the fan and you will feel it moving. if it is moveing its working if its not then its not.

 

[MetalMusicMan]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
All you have to do is put ur finger near the fan and lightly tuch the center of the fan and you will feel it moving. if it is moveing its working if its not then its not.

Ouch... I must have really come across as an idiot or something! Hehe, I know the fan is working, I checked it and it's spinning and whatnot. But I tested it with my friend's fan (same fan) and got the same problem. I might have forgotten to mention that.