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    How long before GPU starts to wear

    Discussion in 'Alienware 14 and M14x' started by Jmindamix, Oct 30, 2011.

  1. Jmindamix

    Jmindamix Notebook Enthusiast

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    Guys, I was wondering how long it takes before the GPU starts to wear out? Ive had mine like 2 months but it gets pretty heavily used. Ive noticed some weird patterns on some textures while playing games, its probably nothing but I wanted to reassure myself.
     
    Jmindamix, Oct 30, 2011
    #1
  2. custom90gt

    custom90gt Doc Mod Super Moderator

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    It should last for years and years before it degrades. What kind of weird patterns?
     
    custom90gt, Oct 30, 2011
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  3. Jmindamix

    Jmindamix Notebook Enthusiast

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    Just some kind of weird interference on the screen...Im sure its more the game and less the GPU but i thought it was worth mentioning :)
     
    Jmindamix, Oct 30, 2011
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  4. custom90gt

    custom90gt Doc Mod Super Moderator

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    custom90gt, Oct 30, 2011
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  5. dragonx254

    dragonx254 Notebook Geek

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    Ah, so that's what artefacting is.

    I get that a bit. But nothing THAT bad. Just like, one or two pop up every game or two.
     
    dragonx254, Oct 30, 2011
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  6. custom90gt

    custom90gt Doc Mod Super Moderator

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    Humm, you shouldn't have anything remotely like that. Is it in every game?
     
    custom90gt, Oct 30, 2011
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  7. dragonx254

    dragonx254 Notebook Geek

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    Well I'm overclocking the GPU, so I assume that's why.

    But no, not in EVERY game. It just pops up every now and then (only one artefact, not like a bunch at one time).
     
    dragonx254, Oct 30, 2011
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  8. JohnnyFlash

    JohnnyFlash Notebook Virtuoso

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    Always thoroughly test your overclock before committing it. OCCT is the program I use to stress and a error check. If it can pass an hour without throwing up an error, it's stable. Be sure to watch your temps while testing.
     
    JohnnyFlash, Oct 30, 2011
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  9. dragonx254

    dragonx254 Notebook Geek

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    Well, I figured I'd be okay. I have it set to the same as most people here (750/1500/1000), and my temps are always mid 60's.
     
    dragonx254, Oct 30, 2011
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  10. niko2021

    niko2021 Notebook Evangelist

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    Processor, cpu and gpu, don't really wear out for a long time. Unless it was defective, had a bad heatsink/thermal paste so it went over the heat threshold, it should be fine no matter how much you use it. Try drivers, new and old, to see if that fixes any problem. I would say talk to dell support, but they're not very computer literate, not all of them though, but they're basic troubleshooting routine is a waste of time.
     
    niko2021, Oct 30, 2011
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  11. JohnnyFlash

    JohnnyFlash Notebook Virtuoso

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    Every piece of hardware is different; there's an average, but that doesn't mean it'll work across the board. Test it and see what happens. If it passes, that means the issue is elsewhere.

    Running your GPU when it's unstable can degrade it permanently, even if temps are in the safe range.
     
    JohnnyFlash, Oct 30, 2011
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  12. custom90gt

    custom90gt Doc Mod Super Moderator

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    Agreed, my guess is your oc is too much for your card and that's what is artifacting...
     
    custom90gt, Oct 31, 2011
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  13. anant1993

    anant1993 Notebook Geek

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    Whoa! This is artifacting? :O :O
    This happened to me once, without OCs, on NFS HP.
    But I think I know why it happened. I used alt-tab to get out of the game, and when I went back, then this sort of thing happened, vague trees flickering on the middle of the road.
    I raced around 3 races with that. I hope I didn't hurt my GPU much :D
     
    anant1993, Oct 31, 2011
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  14. Jmindamix

    Jmindamix Notebook Enthusiast

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    yeah that happened to me while playing NFS too...just the game id say :)
     
    Jmindamix, Oct 31, 2011
    #14