Crappy Card?

I've noticed in the last few weeks my screen has artifacts and such when playing games. Hell even right now. People said it might be an overheating issue.

Well, I moved the computer downstairs in a very dark and cool room, if not a slightly damp. However, the artifacts have not left. So my concern is that has my card worn out on me??

It's a Nvidia PNY 7900GT. I think I may have abused it. I used to run my tower 24/7 upstairs in my room. I've had the card for over a year now. However, it's only within the month or two I have noticed a serious increase in outside temperature. So like I said I moved my tower downstairs in next to the air conditioning vent. Still nothing has changed.

Am I screwed?

 

Do you overclock your card?

 

have you checked what temps you get?

 

nope i don't over clock. too afraid to.

i wouldn't know where to look for gpu temperatures.

I'm running vista.

 

Yes, mostly you are... If there is still warranty on it, send it back to the shop and get it fixed. But do remember that you ll need another card to replace the card that you sent for fixing coz the fixing will take about 2 months time (well, i m still waiting for my card to return)

 

after so long the thermal paste in between the die and the heat sink wears out. and u do need to replace that after a while. but if u r still under warrenty u should send it in. if not just replace the paste. i recommend arctic silver 5. ive used it on all my desktops that i have built. even put it on the north bridge and gpu's that i have used. best stuff out there imo

 

My ATI Radeon 9800 Pro started artifacting, without any OCs the first day I installed it. It got progressively worse over the next 2 weeks until I RMA'd it. So it's not necessarily a heating issue. Something internal could be messed up.

 

RMA'd?

What's that?