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Graphics Card Issue...any help out there ?
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george harries
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#1 - 2014-03-17 11:13:10 UTC  |  Edited by: george harries
Apologies if this is the wrong part of the forum but I know there are a lot of people around who may be able to help.

Gfx card is freezing up- and looked in 'problems' and it's the graphics card (though screen suddenly going one colour - not blue - was a hint)

My system is a tad old but does what I want, I may upgrade in the next 12 months but for now would like to keep this running

Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q9550 @2.83 Ghz
NVidia GeForce GTX 280
Motherboard is Asus P5-ND
4 GB RAM

edit - screen is a Samsung 223BW running it 1680 x 1050 (that could be wrong as well so feel free to feedback)

Apart from ripping the whole thing apart & rebuilding is there a compatible graphics card I can use - I can't find a GTX-280 apart from used (no shock) and I'd rather not get something that could die on me within a few weeks.

Any suggestions are much appreciated

thanks
DJentropy Ovaert
The Conference Elite
The Conference
#2 - 2014-03-17 11:22:18 UTC
george harries wrote:
Apologies if this is the wrong part of the forum but I know there are a lot of people around who may be able to help.

Gfx card is freezing up- and looked in 'problems' and it's the graphics card (though screen suddenly going one colour - not blue - was a hint)

My system is a tad old but does what I want, I may upgrade in the next 12 months but for now would like to keep this running

Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q9550 @2.83 Ghz
NVidia GeForce GTX 280
Motherboard is Asus P5-ND
4 GB RAM


Apart from ripping the whole thing apart & rebuilding is there a compatible graphics card I can use - I can't find a GTX-280 apart from used (no shock) and I'd rather not get something that could die on me within a few weeks.

Any suggestions are much appreciated

thanks



Your hardware is more then able to enjoy Eve at a decent framerate.

I'd start by checking the obvious - get all your drivers up to date. This includes video drivers, audio drivers, system drivers, any patches or updates for your OS, etc.

After that, make sure you don't have something else running while trying to play Eve that may be screwing with the client.

Failing all of that - you might be looking at hardware failure.
Azami Nevinyrall
172.0.0.1
#3 - 2014-03-17 12:41:36 UTC
The Video card has had it!

There's nothing wrong with the PC specs, it does what you want!

You can replace the card for a newer and better one for $100 or less.

...
george harries
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#4 - 2014-03-17 12:44:25 UTC
All drivers are up to date, but good point and worth checking thank you.

As far as a new/replacement card goes I am a complete n00b, happy to fit stuff etc but no idea as to what would be compatible with my current system...without putting some uber card that will be throttled by the CPU or something else old in the PC....any suggestions
Organic Lager
Drinking Buddies
#5 - 2014-03-17 13:52:05 UTC
I'm not sure what budget you're working with but your comp is pretty dated all around. You can get a cheap gaming rig that will preform 10x better then what you currently have for under $500.

If you're not technical replacing the gpu can be tough (trust me i went down this same road) but a great learning experience. Some things to watch for that i got caught on after my friend said it would be sooooo easy.

Make sure your power supply has the wattage to support a newer card
Make sure your case is big enough to fit and cool a newer card.

I had to replace both in order to accommodate the gpu i bought.
Kubire-oni
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2014-03-17 14:06:19 UTC
Pull the card out of the mobo completely. Blow the dust and crap off the card then reseat the card back. Sounds like the card is overheating and dust is *generally* the cause.
Sturmwolke
#7 - 2014-03-17 16:06:47 UTC  |  Edited by: Sturmwolke
george harries wrote:

Any suggestions are much appreciated

If it's a confirmed card issue (taking your word for the "freezing" episodes), looks like a BGA solder joint issue that commonly affected NVidia cards during that period - in all likelyhood of probability. The card is dying.
Certainly possible to refurbish it but the equipment needed isn't worth the effort. You can check out YT videos on how they're doing this.

LCD issues tend to follow wherever you go in 3D/2D mode. Whether you're running EVE, some other programs or just idling on the Windows desktop. Not always a reliable indicator until you isolate it by connecting the monitor to a different system. Most common issue is the LCD power board capacitors (just Google "bad capacitors in LCD monitor" or equivalent). Easy to fix, but some tough ones may also have a damaged logic board from possible overvoltage.

You may want to confirm if you get "artifacting" effects on screen, this is a very strong indicator it's the GPU.

I'd suggest taking a look at the mainstream el cheapo Radeon HD 6000/7000 series. Afaik, Nvidia has no decent equivalent that competes (in terms of price and performance/watt) with those series.
If you want to stick to Nvidia, basically any el cheapo mid level cards you get nowadays is overkill for EVE (and is on-par or surpasses the old GTX280) if you're not trying to multi-screen and multibox. Personally, I prefer cards with best TDP when performance isn't a critical factor. Run cooler, better reliability.
Riot Girl
You'll Cowards Don't Even Smoke Crack
#8 - 2014-03-17 16:14:25 UTC
Organic Lager wrote:
You can get a cheap gaming rig that will preform 10x better then what you currently have for under $500.

You'll have to show me where I can get a PC that runs games 10x better than a quad core processor with an x80 GPU for only $500.

Oh god.
george harries
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#9 - 2014-03-17 17:15:07 UTC
Sturmwolke wrote:
george harries wrote:

Any suggestions are much appreciated

If it's a confirmed card issue (taking your word for the "freezing" episodes), looks like a BGA solder joint issue that commonly affected NVidia cards during that period - in all likelyhood of probability. The card is dying.
Certainly possible to refurbish it but the equipment needed isn't worth the effort. You can check out YT videos on how they're doing this.

LCD issues tend to follow wherever you go in 3D/2D mode. Whether you're running EVE, some other programs or just idling on the Windows desktop. Not always a reliable indicator until you isolate it by connecting the monitor to a different system. Most common issue is the LCD power board capacitors (just Google "bad capacitors in LCD monitor" or equivalent). Easy to fix, but some tough ones may also have a damaged logic board from possible overvoltage.

You may want to confirm if you get "artifacting" effects on screen, this is a very strong indicator it's the GPU.

I'd suggest taking a look at the mainstream el cheapo Radeon HD 6000/7000 series. Afaik, Nvidia has no decent equivalent that competes (in terms of price and performance/watt) with those series.
If you want to stick to Nvidia, basically any el cheapo mid level cards you get nowadays is overkill for EVE (and is on-par or surpasses the old GTX280) if you're not trying to multi-screen and multibox. Personally, I prefer cards with best TDP when performance isn't a critical factor. Run cooler, better reliability.



Thanks, - some of that goes over my non-tech head but my personal thoughts are that the card is on the way out - no complaints as I've had great use out of it for the 4/5 years I've had it.

Is there a simple way to determine what card will fit the rest of the system (from a complete n00bs perspective) The case is large and I can look up the PSU details (as someone previously mentioned) or does anyone have specific cards they know would be fine and I can go about ordering one (and hopefully fitting it !!)

Thanks all for the responses so far, most helpful
Baneken
Arctic Light Inc.
Arctic Light
#10 - 2014-03-17 17:21:23 UTC  |  Edited by: Baneken
OP's problem is likely over heating.
My system had the exact same problem to a point that even a few degrees of C in the room temperature made my system crash.

For a while I though that my rig had just simply reached at end of component life time but then I noticed that the plastic tube in the casing that goes at the top of my CPU fan was loose.

I refitted the tube and my computer stopped crashing, evidently that loose collar let heat from CPU to escape inside the case which then over time heated some of the components on the MB which caused the system to crash at irregular intervals.
Icarus Able
Refuse.Resist
#11 - 2014-03-17 17:31:17 UTC
Organic Lager wrote:
I'm not sure what budget you're working with but your comp is pretty dated all around. You can get a cheap gaming rig that will preform 10x better then what you currently have for under $500.

If you're not technical replacing the gpu can be tough (trust me i went down this same road) but a great learning experience. Some things to watch for that i got caught on after my friend said it would be sooooo easy.

Make sure your power supply has the wattage to support a newer card
Make sure your case is big enough to fit and cool a newer card.

I had to replace both in order to accommodate the gpu i bought.



Replacing the gpu is literally plug and play:S. Its not tough at all.
Harbonah
Short Bus Window Licker
#12 - 2014-03-17 17:31:27 UTC
Anything in the 200,300, 400 line will likely fit your system. Most GFX card as backwards compatible with the slots. You just need to make sure your power supply can handle the load of whatever you put in there. Most 800 watt or better silver or gold rated PSU's will handle most cards. As long as the 12 Volt line has 30 amps or more it should be fine.
Icarus Able
Refuse.Resist
#13 - 2014-03-17 17:33:27 UTC  |  Edited by: Icarus Able
george harries wrote:
Sturmwolke wrote:
george harries wrote:

Any suggestions are much appreciated

If it's a confirmed card issue (taking your word for the "freezing" episodes), looks like a BGA solder joint issue that commonly affected NVidia cards during that period - in all likelyhood of probability. The card is dying.
Certainly possible to refurbish it but the equipment needed isn't worth the effort. You can check out YT videos on how they're doing this.

LCD issues tend to follow wherever you go in 3D/2D mode. Whether you're running EVE, some other programs or just idling on the Windows desktop. Not always a reliable indicator until you isolate it by connecting the monitor to a different system. Most common issue is the LCD power board capacitors (just Google "bad capacitors in LCD monitor" or equivalent). Easy to fix, but some tough ones may also have a damaged logic board from possible overvoltage.

You may want to confirm if you get "artifacting" effects on screen, this is a very strong indicator it's the GPU.

I'd suggest taking a look at the mainstream el cheapo Radeon HD 6000/7000 series. Afaik, Nvidia has no decent equivalent that competes (in terms of price and performance/watt) with those series.
If you want to stick to Nvidia, basically any el cheapo mid level cards you get nowadays is overkill for EVE (and is on-par or surpasses the old GTX280) if you're not trying to multi-screen and multibox. Personally, I prefer cards with best TDP when performance isn't a critical factor. Run cooler, better reliability.



Thanks, - some of that goes over my non-tech head but my personal thoughts are that the card is on the way out - no complaints as I've had great use out of it for the 4/5 years I've had it.

Is there a simple way to determine what card will fit the rest of the system (from a complete n00bs perspective) The case is large and I can look up the PSU details (as someone previously mentioned) or does anyone have specific cards they know would be fine and I can go about ordering one (and hopefully fitting it !!)

Thanks all for the responses so far, most helpful



Grab a 750ti. Incredibly powerful for the price and Its compatable with any Psu as it doesnt use the psu cable for power at all.
Edit some of the aftermarket Cards have 6-Pin power connecters. The MSI version doesnt and will probably be your best bet, feel free to message me if you have any questions im fairly well versed in hardware.
george harries
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#14 - 2014-03-17 17:54:00 UTC
So....you're saying i can rip out the old card and the 750 ti will go in....looks like motherboard is compatible....no need for separate power supply and (I think) will give better performance than the existing card....am I missing something - sounds too good to be true, am I isk doubling Lol
Sturmwolke
#15 - 2014-03-17 18:33:17 UTC
Yep, the 750Ti looks good with 60W power. It's a straight plug and play, no hassle.
I don't update on GPU news that often. New fangled stuff from Nvidia is looking good vs equivalent AMD's offering.
george harries
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#16 - 2014-03-17 18:37:07 UTC
Well, GD has exceeded my expectations today - I cannot thank you all enough for being so helpful it is much appreciated and 'likes' all round for taking the time to post.

Thank you all Big smile
Icarus Able
Refuse.Resist
#17 - 2014-03-17 18:41:44 UTC  |  Edited by: Icarus Able
george harries wrote:
So....you're saying i can rip out the old card and the 750 ti will go in....looks like motherboard is compatible....no need for separate power supply and (I think) will give better performance than the existing card....am I missing something - sounds too good to be true, am I isk doubling Lol


Yes. But as i said a couple of the aftermarket cards have 6 pin plugs. Although your 280 most likely has one so it shouldnt be an issue. Also find what your motherboard is called and check if it has PCi Express 3. If it doesnt no bother but you just wont get the best possible performance out any modern card.

I tried to get performance stats for the 280 but its so old noone does benchmarks anymore:)


Edit ok i found the 285 and yeh the 750ti should be an performance increase. Not by a huge amount but for reference it can play all modern games on medium to high settings at above 30 fps.
Caviar Liberta
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#18 - 2014-03-17 18:51:32 UTC
If you want to keep the mobo, then you might as well upgrade the video card to something with DDR5 memory. This way when you do upgrade the computer at least your video card will up to date then.