Problem

[Lusted]

The picture above shows a problem i've been having with all my games. I can play them fine for awhile, then suddenly they will go insane, like in the pciture above.

System specs:
1ghz athlon processor
256 mb ram
128 mb Geforce fx5200 graphics card
36gb hard disk

Ive downloaded and installed the latest drivers and reinstalled directx. Im getting anew computer soon, but i would like to be able to play games until then. Would increasing the page file size help?

And my computer used to be able to play all games fine, is this just windows being stupid and degrading?

[Proximus]

The only time I ever had any problem with artifacts or other graphical problems is when the card is overheating. It could be worth to check if the fan on the card is working. Sometimes dust can assembly on the fan and render it immobile.

You haven't changed anything shortly before you begun having problems?

[Lusted]

No, not to do with my graphics card. Thanks for the tip, ill try it and see what happens.

EDIT: on investigation i found that the inside of my computer was COVERED in dust, especially my processor fan. After a good dust, things sound better but i haven't tried any games yet. Ill report back when i have.

[Lusted]

Oh, and also, when i try to load game ssometimes i just get a blank screen. I can hear the music form the game but can't see anything.

[Proximus]

Oh, and also, when i try to load game ssometimes i just get a blank screen. I can hear the music form the game but can't see anything.

I've had that problem a lot of time on my old rig, whenever playing demanding games the screen would just go black after a while. I solved this by installing another case fan, and it has worked fine ever since. 4 years+.

[Lusted]

So you think i just need another fan?

[Proximus]

So you think i just need another fan?

I don't know. I think that most I don't know. I think that most plausible explanation for your problem is overheating. To fix this problem you should first verify that the cards fan is working. If it is and you still has problem, there might be another source of your problem.
If the fan isn’t working first clean it from all dust and make sure any power cable (if needed) is correctly attached. If that doesn’t solve your problem either you might need to buy a new GPU fan, but your card should be able to run on a passively cooled solution also.

[Lusted]

Well my card feels cool at the moment, and all fans are working, and much better since i cleaned out all the dust.

[HorseArcher]

Well my card feels cool at the moment, and all fans are working, and much better since i cleaned out all the dust.

Small things can do very big problems. I heard about a whole network crash somewhere in china or malaysia, that brought down a whole network of computers (more than 10000 pc's) and it was from a little moth that flu into the server and caused a short circuit.

[Proximus]

Well my card feels cool at the moment, and all fans are working, and much better since i cleaned out all the dust.

And you still has problem?

[Guderian]

That looks like an overheating or voltage problem.

[Lusted]

Yeah, still got it, even after i removed a LOT of dust from my fans, my computer had been overdue for a dust.

So what do you guys recommend i should do? Just not play games until i get my new computer, do a temporary fix, or get the new computer now?

[Proximus]

For a quick fix try to removing the side panel and have a regular fan blowing directly onto the card. If that doesn't stop the overheating, nothing will.
How old is the card BTW, it could just be getting old. Even thought I think that's not very likely.

[Lusted]

Its a couple of years old, in a computer that is 5 years old. Yes, its an old computer.

[PyrrhusIV]

Old, that is, average . I have a computer upstairs which is 9-10 years old, 64MB RAM, 16MB Graphics card, with a Pentium I processor, and a PSU which on a max total load is 200w, and 2 1gb HD's.

That my friend, is old :laughing:

[Lusted]

So this you think is because of overheating?



Trying to cool it down by leaving the case off didn't work, and i don't have any fans

[Proximus]

So this you think is because of overheating?



Trying to cool it down by leaving the case off didn't work, and i don't have any fans

Yes either overheating or a bug in the drivers, but since you installed the latest drivers I don’t think that it’s that causing those artifacts.
It could be that the dust and overheating may have damaged the card; much dust may lead to a static electricity discharge.
If it is possible try the card in another computer.

I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful but this was a tricky issue indeed.