Video card reliability testing?

[kd5]

Looking for a Windows XP compatible application to test a video card to find out if the hardware is in good shape or is it failing? I see many testing utilities to benchmark, compare cards, stress, but I'm looking for a simple utility that will tell me if a video card is good or is it failing and needs replaced. I don't care about stacking it up against the latest and greatest cards, I don't need a 500mb application to show me pretty graphics on my monitor with different shapes and colorful designs, I just need an application that will test the video card and tell me in laymen's term if it's foobarred and needs replaced or if it's still in good working condition.

Is there such a critter?

Thanks, -kd5-

 

[Elcs]

Would FurMark be an appropriate tester?

 

[kd5]

Will it test the card and tell me if it's in good working condition or if it's failing and needs replaced? Or is it just for benchmarking and measuring performance capabilities? I really don't need a performance score, per se, I need more of a hardware testing utility, similar to memtest86 for testing memory, or WD Lifeguard Diagnostics for testing the hard drive and simply notifying me if it passes or fails.

Thanks again, -kd5-

 

[Joseph F]

Will it test the card and tell me if it's in good working condition or if it's failing and needs replaced? Or is it just for benchmarking and measuring performance capabilities? I really don't need a performance score, per se, I need more of a hardware testing utility, similar to memtest86 for testing memory, or WD Lifeguard Diagnostics for testing the hard drive and simply notifying me if it passes or fails.

Thanks again, -kd5-

That's more or less what furmark does.
But, for some reason, some cards will be furmark stable, yet won't be stable in games. So, I'd recommend that you run furmark and a high-stressing game.

 

[bononos]

Would FurMark be an appropriate tester?

It would be very good if only it had a built in error checking function. The problem with furmark (and others) is that you have to eyeball artifacts yourself or wait until it crashes which might be never.

OCCT loads the gpu even more heavily and give higher temps (theres an option to quit on hitting a user defined temp) and it has an artifact scanner.

 

[kd5]

Problem is, I don't play games on the computer so testing a card in that regard is not an option.

So, it appears there aren't any software applications out there that are intended to test whether a video card is pass or fail, like they have with other hardware. It's all designed to test graphics capabilities and give you an overall "score" on it's performance.

I wonder why nobody has ever created an application to test a video card's reliability (pass or fail) vs. its stability under a load (such as gaming)? -kd5-

 

[kd5]

Decided to try Furmark, even the earliest version won't test an MX4000, too old apparently...


Oh well, back to the drawing board. -kd5-

 

[bononos]

..... I wonder why nobody has ever created an application to test a video card's reliability (pass or fail) vs. its stability under a load (such as gaming)? -kd5-

Because it would be kind of pointless. If your computer boots and you can log in and startup your non-gaming apps - pass.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Man i remember buying a mx4000 for $15 at frys back in 2005,it was my first pc upgrade ever to a machine from a ati rage pro 128.:thumbsup:

No artifacts,no random system crashs no funny lines or business across the screen,it should be perfectly fine.

 

[kd5]

Because it would be kind of pointless. If your computer boots and you can log in and startup your non-gaming apps - pass.

No, it would not be pointless. As a computer repair person, I can tell you that I have experienced extremely odd behavior with failing hardware, not so that the hardware was so evident in it's imminent failure either. Failing/defective power supplies can create the oddest behavior that sometimes can be difficult to diagnose without testing. Same with memory, same with hard drives, and same with video cards. A piece of hardware that is not operating at it's rated efficiency can cause no end of headaches until tested. I can test the memory, I can test the power supply, I can test the hard drive, but apparently there is no such diagnostic utility to test the reliability of a video card beyond benchmarking and stress testing it for a "score".

It''s not pointless to need to test hardware, no matter the hardware. -kd5-

 

[taltamir]

http://www.ocbase.com/perestroika_en/
will test your GPU and tell you if it is in working condition (0 errors is working condition, 1+ errors = faulty).

Select "GPU: 3D" tab at the top.
Select "Automatic" test type.
Check the box that says "Error Check"

 

[bononos]

No, it would not be pointless. As a computer repair person, I can tell you that I have experienced extremely odd behavior with failing hardware, not so that the hardware was so evident in it's imminent failure either. Failing/defective power supplies can create the oddest behavior that sometimes can be difficult to diagnose without testing.....

What I meant by pointless was your assertion that Furmark/OCCT would not work for you - when those apps (esp OCCT with the artifact checker) are exactly what you are looking for.
Its just too bad that your video card is simply too old for those apps. Maybe you should try an old 3dmark like 03.