GPU Artifacting?

[anveena]

So I've had these colored squares pop up on my screen while using my computer. The squares pop up, the screen freezes and then turns black for 10 or so seconds before turning back to normal(it crashes games if I have any opened at the time). Sometimes the Nvidia display driver has stopped responding error pops up afterwards.

Now this has been happening for like a couple months, but it only happened maybe around once a week or so back then, so I didn't really think much of it. As of late though, it has been happening like once day almost. I'm fairly certain it can't be bad drivers since I've reinstalled the drivers lord knows how many times. I've also tried different versions as well. This would still happen with the older driver versions.

So I guess my question is, is this a bad video card? Could it possibly be the motherboard going bad? I did switch the 560 to the second PCI Express slot and it still happens.

I haven't messed around with overclocking the 560 if anyone was wondering.

[Cyanotical]

have you cleaned out the heatsink on your gpu with compressed air?

[anveena]

have you cleaned out the heatsink on your gpu with compressed air?

I did that a couple weeks ago. I haven't noticed any high temps, 71-72c is the highest I've seen it get according to HWMonitor.

[chazus]

Also, are your drivers updated?

[anveena]

I have 310.70 installed at the moment.

[chazus]

While I don't think it will solve your problem, it wouldn't hurt to totally wipe your drivers, and update to 310.90.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

Rule of thumb for this kind of troubleshooting would be to:

- Use a program such as Driver Sweeper after you uninstall the graphic drivers through control panel and then reinstall
- Return clock speeds to stock if OC'ed / downclock
- Swap out GPU
- Swap out PSU

Unfortunately, it's not usually an easy solution since we all don't have a spare GPU or PSU lying around to source out the problem. While you have found that the issue transfers itself from one PCIE slot to the next, it really doesn't narrow down the usual suspects as to what is causing the artifacts.

Since it appears to be getting worse and if no software changes were made during the period it went from bad to worse, my wild guess is it's the GPU and some of the solder joints may be getting loose(r) in which case it would be an immediate RMA unless you want to throw it in the oven.

[anveena]

While I don't think it will solve your problem, it wouldn't hurt to totally wipe your drivers, and update to 310.90.

It's worth a shot. Now the waiting game for another crash begins.

Rule of thumb for this kind of troubleshooting would be to:

- Use a program such as Driver Sweeper after you uninstall the graphic drivers through control panel and then reinstall
- Return clock speeds to stock if OC'ed / downclock
- Swap out GPU
- Swap out PSU

Unfortunately, it's not usually an easy solution since we all don't have a spare GPU or PSU lying around to source out the problem. While you have found that the issue transfers itself from one PCIE slot to the next, it really doesn't narrow down the usual suspects as to what is causing the artifacts.

Since it appears to be getting worse and if no software changes were made during the period it went from bad to worse, my wild guess is it's the GPU and some of the solder joints may be getting loose(r) in which case it would be an immediate RMA unless you want to throw it in the oven.

I do have another computer to swap stuff out if need be. I just don't want to have bother my brother with it if I don't have to. I think I'll RMA the video card over baking it.

---------- Post added 2013-01-14 at 04:07 PM ----------

Well the 310.90 drivers didn't work and it still crashed. I switched the 560 into my brothers computer and his 560ti into mine. The 560 crashed in his computer similar to what it was doing mine and his 560ti hasn't blue screened or crashed yet. So it seems like it has to be the 560 going bad.

[fatalwario]

is v-sync enabled? if so it's heat related or bad Card

[Confined]

same thing happens here, I think its related to firefox (Are you using it?) either that or the 310.xx drivers.