Sager 8690 \ GTX 280M - Graphics card dying?

Lately my video card has been getting worse and worse. I used to be able to play almost any game on max settings but now I really can't play much without constant crashes.

It's not a driver issue (I don't think), and I'm not sure if maybe it is a heating problem but my temps seem to be fine when using CPUID. I've redone the drivers several times and used driver sweeper but it's the same always. Constant "driver has stopped responding" ctds.

Games that I used to be able to play fine are unplayable now.

I think it's either..
1. The paste needs to be redone, which I did awhile back but didn't fix anything.
2. The internal fans need to be replaced, but they seem to work.
3. Or it's my video card is just dying.

However, everything works 100% with just normal usage and with games that aren't as graphically demanding (walking dead game, bejeweled, divine divinity etc.)

Games that used to work fine but now CTD constantly.
League of legends (blackscreen flicker driver crash, but auto then fixes)
Skyrim (CTD sometimes, but still playable on max settings)
Guild Wars 2 (can't play at all even on low, it just freezes)
Diablo 3 (blackscreen flicker driver crash, but auto then fixes)
Arma 2 (blackscreen crash or stops responding)

Thing is these games all run smooth... they just lock up and crash now.

So before I replace my video card I was wondering if anyone else ran into the same problems?

Should I try replacing the fans and doing paste again or just replace the video card with a new one?

It's kind of old, from 2009 and I've ran it hard over the years.

Another thing is where would I even find a GTX 280M? I couldn't find one on ebay at all.

I don't want to shell out 200-300 bucks for a new card and find out my old card is still good somehow. Anyway to know for sure?

Sager 8690
i7 x920 @ 2.00ghz - 8gig ram - gtx 280m - win7 64x

 

when was the last time you cleaned your fans and vents out with compressed air.
also check your temperatures with nvidia inspector, gpu caps view and core temps all found in my sig below. these seem to be much more reliable at reading temperatures lately.

do you get any artifacts like lines or patterns on your screen as that is the first signs a video card is dying.

if it is the card then you could try the baking method but only at a last resort as if its not a dead card it would most prob be after you baked a good card.

 

I would say 80% chance the 3D controller on your vga card is broken. This is the only possible your unit can run normally, but down on some video games at certain points.

 

This is one of the first things I tried, and I do blast it with air on a regular basis.

I normally play with just the power supply so I rarely have the battery in. Because I rarely have the battery in I have removed the bottom panel to give more airflow, along with a Zalman cooling pad & a mini-fan pointed at the video card section. This doesn't make any real difference but I do get cooler temps.

Also I do not get any artifacts, lines or patterns. Games run fine and then all of a sudden it'll freeze and usually always gives me the "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" error, then it fixes by itself and the game usually stays frozen. I've tried both Nvidia's new drivers and the sager recommended ones, and they both have the same problems.

I will give the nvidia inspector a shot tonight.

Is this something that can be fixed?

I will do some googling on the subject.

 

I have had the EXACT same problem with my Clevo D900F..I actually replaced the graphics card with a brand new one and it was fine for a couple of months, but then the exact same thing started happening with the new card as well. I've tried everything, hardware and software, I could think of to fix this problem. But no luck. It seems to happen most often when I'm running or have been running flash of any kind (like watching youtube vids, or going on Facebook)..Have you had any luck with it? Any solution?

 

You can maybe look into baking it, but all the chips you buy now are quite old so issues are more likely to occur.

 

Thanks, but I'm hesitant to do that..The card works just fine when I'm not playing games or anything, and I don't do that very often anyways..Plus, since I already replaced the card once, and the same thing happened again I have a feeling that the graphics card itself might not be at fault. I don't know, I've just about given up on the problem at this point.

 

Oooh I shutter when I think of baking any board. It's not quite as scary with a card but I recall doing it on an ATX board - easy enough but you heat every solder joint rather than only what needs the reflow.

Handle with kid gloves if you try this.

 

and dont use a microwave like a member did a few years back.

The Oven Trick (repairing your broken video card with an oven) | Overclockers

http://forum.notebookreview.com/zep...znote-6224w-but-works-all-brands-modells.html

 

I lol'd and then felt really bad at lol'ing.

I baked my 7950 GTX card in my old XPS once and it brought my laptop back alive for a few months before I needed to do it again. Just decided to buy a new machine at that point. Trying to find a replacement card was pricey and didn't want to spend the 2+ hours disassembling, cleaning, baking, reassembling and praying to see if it would work again. Can't complain, got 4 years of good use out of the laptop.