8710w (Quadro FX3600) - Need help (flickering/bsod etc)

Hi guys,

Need some help on this one - I think i've got a graphic card failure, but want to run it past you lot before I fork out on a replacement.

hp workstation 8710w (Running Vista 32x) Nvidia Quadro FX3600.

Few weeks ago started to get some screen flickering, leading to BSOD blaming Nvidia. Driver would occasionally crash and attempt to recover. Now has gotten worse and within a few minutes of turning the machine on, I get flickering and death.

I am able to start in safe mode (but again, the longer it runs the more likely it is to bsod) - updated all drivers, BIOS etc to latest stable versions but not having any luck.

Computer has been fine since dec '08, only recently been a problem. Has, however, ran rather hot - so it could be that something important has melted in there.

Is this a graphics card failure? Or something more serious? My first thought is that because the laptop is fine for the first minute or so of starting, it's only as the machine heats up that it all goes crazy..?

Your advice is needed, and I bow to the collective genius of the forum.

Thanks in advance...

 

i would check to see how dirty the cpu fan is. could be a thermal issue now, as it's only 'recently' happened.

if you could tell us the numbers on the BSOD that would help us more.

Thanks

 

Thanks Siorah,

BSOD:

'uncorrectable hardware error'

STOP: 0x00000124 (0x00000000, 0x87B5D3F0, 0xF2000040, 0x00000800)

Moments before, the display driver (nvidia) crashed repeatedly, restarted maybe 3/4 times before the above.

The laptop had been on for a good 5 minutes or so.

Thanks again.

 

Check your GPU temps. Like Siorah said, could be a thermal issue (fan malfunction, vents obstruction, dust, etc)

 

yea stop 0x124 is a pci-e error. your GPU is having heat issues my friend.

Clean out and repaste time!

 

Righto,

Thank you all - I shall prise the old boy open this evening and replace the paste - check fans etc.

Shall update you!

 

Looks like I owe all of you a drink... ever in central london, let me know.

 

np jarders,

glad it resolved your problems