Attack of the red pixels

Cao Cao · Post by **Cao Cao** » 2007-05-24 01:00pm

For the past couple of weeks I've been experiencing an ever increasing problem of red pixels appearing on my PC screen. Sometimes green, blue and black as well but mainly red. In games they pop up frequently and are quite irritating in low resolution games like Fallout and Arcanum.
Outside of games they appear less, but tend to streak into horrible red stripes when I scroll up and down in Firefox or whatever.

I'm certain it's not a monitor problem as the pixels are captured with print screen. Is my videocard dying or something?

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2007-05-24 01:04pm

Do you have a magnet or a electrical field close to the screen?

Same thing, I know but it is easier to think about a strong lamp a transformer or somthing as an electrical field and not a magnetic one.

Cao Cao · Post by **Cao Cao** » 2007-05-24 01:25pm

Not as far as I'm aware, no.

Laughing Mechanicus · Post by **Laughing Mechanicus** » 2007-05-24 01:26pm

Sounds like your graphics card might be on the way out - is it possible for you to swap in a different graphics card and see if it still happens?

sparrowtm · Post by **sparrowtm** » 2007-05-24 01:31pm

Aaron Ash wrote:Sounds like your graphics card might be on the way out - is it possible for you to swap in a different graphics card and see if it still happens?

I think Aaron is on the spot. I had the same occurences a few months ago prior to my graphics card crossing jordan because of overheating.

Cao Cao · Post by **Cao Cao** » 2007-05-24 01:36pm

Well.. crap. I just checked and my GPU core seems to be averaging a temperature of 75 degrees.. that's a bit high isn't it?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » 2007-05-24 02:44pm

Yeah, that is pretty high. Improve airflow around your fans and clean out the case for starters. However, it is possible you've done irreversable damage to your GPU.

Covenant · Post by **Covenant** » 2007-05-24 04:08pm

Cao Cao wrote:Well.. crap. I just checked and my GPU core seems to be averaging a temperature of 75 degrees.. that's a bit high isn't it?

Celsius or Farenheit? I just want to know for my own reference. My computer is around 34 degrees one way and 93 degrees the other.

Cao Cao · Post by **Cao Cao** » 2007-05-24 04:10pm

Covenant wrote:
Cao Cao wrote:Well.. crap. I just checked and my GPU core seems to be averaging a temperature of 75 degrees.. that's a bit high isn't it?
Celsius or Farenheit? I just want to know for my own reference. My computer is around 34 degrees one way and 93 degrees the other.

Celsius.

Executor32 · Post by **Executor32** » 2007-05-24 07:04pm

Yikes, that's damn hot. My 7600GS idles at 40C, and gets to about 50C under a full load, for comparison.

Braedley · Post by **Braedley** » 2007-05-24 10:21pm

5 bucks says your GPU fan died (as it did on one of my old ones). I try not to let my CPU get above 45, and the same is true for my GPU.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-05-24 10:25pm

If the fan is still running, try removing the card and blasting the shit out of the fan. Many GPUs ship with awful, tiny fans that fill the huge heatsink's fans with dust.

EDIT - err, I don't mean blast the shit like BANG BANG I'm a bad man, I mean blow all the accumulated dust and crap out of the heatsink vanes.

Alan Bolte · Post by **Alan Bolte** » 2007-05-24 10:38pm

The hell is with that, anyway? Why would I buy a video card that comes with a fan and heatsink when I'll just have to replace them to prevent the damn thing from overheating constantly?

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-05-24 11:46pm

Alan Bolte wrote:The hell is with that, anyway? Why would I buy a video card that comes with a fan and heatsink when I'll just have to replace them to prevent the damn thing from overheating constantly?

They're cheap. There's no reason to use a tiny 2" fan on a part worth hundreds of dollars - particularly when smaller, faster fans are noisier. The whole 'heatsink with plaster top on it' thing is an attempt to get airflow without actually spending more than $5.

Cao Cao · Post by **Cao Cao** » 2007-05-25 06:10am

Alright well.. on a related note.. anybody know how to open a Dell XPS case?
Yes. Laugh if you want. I lost the manual and am too dumb to figure it out on my own.

Edit: Nevermind, I finally figured it out.
It turns out that my GPUs and their heatsinks were quite dust free... however, the vent at the front of my PC and the CPU fan were completely blocked by dust. Nasty. I cleaned the gunk out and now my GPU is idling at 55 degrees. Good enough until I can make a thorough cleanup, I think.

.. I should've gotten one of those liquid cooled systems. Though it's my fault for being negligent I guess. Anyway, thanks everyone for your input. Hopefully my GPU wasn't permanently toasted. But knowing my luck, it probably is.