My TNT2 Is Starting To Mess Up!!! Artifacts in 2D only :(

[UsUrP3R]

Well, crap. I've had my V770 since about a month after it came out, and it's finally starting to show it's age. I just put a new cooling fan on it, and it still has this problem.
Comp Specs:
Viper V770 Ultra
256 megs RAM
AMD K6-2+ 500mHz
22 gig HD
Win 98 SE

Motherboard:
Epox EPMVP3-G5

Problem:
I can't leave my computer on with just the desktop showing for over 10 minutes before it starts artifacting, and my comp freezes. I thought it was the cooling fan, so I just replaced it, and it still does this. I tried changing the drivers, using the Detonator Reference drivers, and Diamond's V770 drivers. I'll leave the comp to sit for a few minutes, and it will look like nothing's wrong, then when I mmove the mouse, the screen starts to fill with lines, and funky things. Then my comp stops working all together. Oh, and it's not an overheating issue on my processor, either. I have a niiice fist-sized Alpha heat sink on my CPU. The weird thing is that when I play 3d games, it works perfectly giving me between 30 and 72 FPS in Counter-Strike and never crashes.
ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!

 

[UsUrP3R]

oh, and I'm using the 2.80 Detonator drivers. Very nice and stable. If you could ICQ me, that would rule! ICQ UIN# 57394976

 

[Dark4ng3l]

I think the chip is just degrading and starting to fail

 

[UsUrP3R]

crapola

 

[UsUrP3R]

anything else?

 

[Stealth1024]

Are you running through any kind of pass through cable for a TV tuner or DVD decoder?

 

[UsUrP3R]

no. No DVD to pass through. No voodoo 2. Just the card

 

[hominid skull]

If you are getting artifacts on the screen after some time it's usually a sign that the memory on the card can't take it, i get rows of dots on my screen when i overclock the memory on my G400 too much!

If it's only happening in 2D then i sugest getting an overclocking util for your TNT2 and UNDERclock the memory on the card, see if that helps with the artifacts.

Bottom line though, i think a new card is the way to go as it sounds like the TNT2 is gving up the ghost, start saving!

 

[BFG10K]

UsUrP3R, have you ever overclocked the card? In particular the memory? You might have blown it.

If it's only happening in 2D then i sugest getting an overclocking util for your TNT2 and UNDERclock the memory on the card, see if that helps with the artifacts.

Yep that's exactly what he should do.