Is my video card going bad?

[Shargrath]

Hello,

I was wondering if someone can give me some advice. I built my computer about 4 years ago, and recently, it started crashing only while playing video games, especially Overwatch and sometimes when watching YouTube videos.

What happens before a crash in a game, is that the graphics gradually start going black with "waves" of black going over the screen until most of the screen is black, the sound then loops and the computer crashes, or freezes (requiring hitting the reset switch).

This is what it looks like right before it crashes,

I suspect it might be the video card. I opened my case and dusted and cleaned the card's fans in case it was overheating, and it's still doing the same thing. When I am not doing anything "intense" and am just web browsing it works fine withour crashes or defects.

So, my question is, do you think it's my video card or can it be something else? Anything I can try to fix or diagnose before spending money on a new one? I hate to buy new components for an old PC, but I can't afford a brand new build at the moment.

My specs are as follows,

Intel Core i5-4570
EVGA GeForce GTX770
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB
MSI Motherboard Z87-G43
Samsung (SSD) 250 GB Sata 2.5-Inch
Seasonic M12II-650 BRONZE ATX 650 Power Supply

The strange thing is that I bought the card for $429 4+ years ago and it's still sold on Amazon for $299. I thought I'd be able to buy the same card for like $50 knowing how old it is.
Any advice you can give me is very much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[fralexandr]

Sounds like a gpu issue.

If you take a look at Event Viewer for critical errors it might help determine what is causing the crash, or you could try running OCCT or any GPU benching program like one of the Unigine benchmarks to see if it crashes.

https://www.howtogeek.com/123646/ht...ndows-event-viewer-is-and-how-you-can-use-it/

the 770 is a bit faster than a 1050 ti (~$170), so a 1060 (~$280) would be a good replacement. Used 770s are available for close to $100 on ebay.
If you wait a few months the next gen is coming out soon, but that could leave you without a GPU for a while.

 

[Shargrath]

Sounds like a gpu issue.

If you take a look at Event Viewer for critical errors it might help determine what is causing the crash, or you could try running OCCT or any GPU benching program like one of the Unigine benchmarks to see if it crashes.

https://www.howtogeek.com/123646/ht...ndows-event-viewer-is-and-how-you-can-use-it/

the 770 is a bit faster than a 1050 ti (~$170), so a 1060 (~$280) would be a good replacement. Used 770s are available for close to $100 on ebay.
If you wait a few months the next gen is coming out soon, but that could leave you without a GPU for a while.

Thanks for the suggestion. Event Viewer showed a lot of Kernel Power critical errors, but that's about it in critical error field. I just popped in an old Radeon HD 4890 that I had laying around the house, and OW plays fine on it (choppy, but no crashes), however, before I buy a new card, do you think it could also be a PSU issue?

 

[Rifter]

What is the temp on the card when it crashes?

 

[Campy]

It sounds like you have a malfunctioning GPU. Assuming nothing else changed recently, I can't imagine any other possible explanation based on the symptoms you described. RX 580 or GTX 1060 6GB are both good candidates to replace your broken card.

 

[fralexandr]

Thanks for the suggestion. Event Viewer showed a lot of Kernel Power critical errors, but that's about it in critical error field. I just popped in an old Radeon HD 4890 that I had laying around the house, and OW plays fine on it (choppy, but no crashes), however, before I buy a new card, do you think it could also be a PSU issue?

I can't imagine watching youtube videos would be as demanding on a power supply as Overwatch, unless you're watching h.265 4k videos or something? The gpu or cpu fans would spin up due to the load though.

If you access the bios at startup you might be able to check the voltage readings on some of the rails. If values are significantly out of spec it could point out a power supply issue.

 

[Shargrath]

Do you guys think it's worth to buy a new card as an upgrade like the aforementioned GTX 1060, or is it going to be a waste considering how old the rest of the machine is?

Thank You.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Power supply is good. Did you check to make sure the fans are spinning on your GPU? If one or more of your fans are not functioning, that can cause the card to overheat. Power up your GTX 770 and use a flashlight to check that both fans are spinning correctly. You can use lube if a fan still spins but is stuck to bring it back to new performance.

 

[fralexandr]

I upgraded my gpu in my ~2010 i7 860 from a 7870 to rx 480. So I'd say go for it

 

[Shmee]

Sounds like it is time for an upgrade, and now is a pretty good time too. Grab an RX 580 or or 1060 (I would only look at the larger memory size versions) or even a 1070. They are all getting cheaper now.