Muzman on 30/7/2009 at 10:02

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This always seems to happen when I put the computer on stand by instead of turning it off each night, for a few nights in a row. When I eventually do turn it right off, the next time I start it up again something doesn't work.

Now my graphics card appears to be dead.
I started it up this morning like usual only it wouldn't post (at least, I think it wasn't). I noticed that the dvd drive was repeatedly grinding away and thought that had broken yet again. But I tried opening it and changing disks etc and it seemed ok. In fact the system seemed like it was going through the self check, getting to a certain point and then resetting and starting again: the keyboard lights would come on, the mouse would come on, fans spin up, drives can be heard starting etc. Then nothing, and it'd do it all again.
All the while, no picture. No indication from the monitor that it was even connected to anything. It's an 8800gts. The card had power and the fan was working, but nothing else.

I swapped the VGA to the onboard video and away it went (after some awkwardness with drivers and things, but mostly pretty smooth).
I've taken it out and looked at it (as you do. Largely pointless, but you do), cleaned it etc. Nothing obvious wrong with it. I get nothing from either HDMI and the PC now seems pretty happy to ignore it completely.

Anyone ever seen anything like this and got any trouble shooting tips? I'm kinda resistant to the idea it's dead. Video cards were always the last thing of mine to die (I've still got a tnt and a 9800 runing in old computers handed down around the place.) This being my most expensive yet I was hoping to get a bit more than two years out of it.

Muzman on 31/7/2009 at 03:11

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NnnnOOOOOOOOooooooo! Why so young?! Why?!

(actually, looking around, better cards are pretty cheap these days. Guess this is that plateau thing I keep forgetting about).
But...man. I got it just the other day, it seems. Is everything shit these days or what?
It would also be somewhat remiss of me to just plug something else into a circuit that seems to kill things for no reason.

Anyway, I've got a Gigabyte m55+ s3g (AM2) with an Athlon X2 6000+, 2gigs of over stressed 600 RAM etc. The board apparently has a proper PCIe x16 port so that's good (I seem to remember there being ordinary PCIe at some point)

bikerdude on 1/9/2009 at 11:14

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have you checked the card in another pc..?

Muzman on 4/9/2009 at 09:50

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I have heard of people finding too much time spent in The Zone to be very depressing.
Perhaps I was neglecting my card's feelings.

But anyway, my RAM's not overclocked. It just doesn't seem to be coping all that well these days.

I'm also having trouble finding someone nearby with a PCIe port like mine. I just don't know enough PC gamers any more. Will continue plugging away.

ATIs are an alright option these days though right? just in case

Aerothorn on 6/9/2009 at 16:48

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If you just got it the other day (in a semi-literal sense), it's probably still under warranty. I think they pretty much all have one-year warranties, with some having more (my graphics card, for instance, has a 3 year warranty).