# Computer Guy needs Computer Help
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931
**Category:** Shift518 Off Topic
**Created:** [September 18, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931 "2009-09-18T22:54:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/1 "2009-09-18T22:54:17Z")
So…
My friends and I have been playing COD4 online for the last few weeks.
We decided to do another 3hr session today. When I went to join my friends HLSW server, the game loaded fine and then within a minute or two everything became pixelated, etc. and my computer froze up. Fine. I’ll reboot and be done with it.
Not so much.
After rebooting, the fricken PC still had pixelation issues (in windows) and if I right-clicked it would actually display a picture of the map I was just on instead of the menu (weird). Windows is unusable. It did this without even me loading the game. It somehow stored this in memory (very weird to me as I had completely powered the machine off).
So I re-installed the drivers. Still crappy. The desktop still pixelated and froze up.
Went into safe mode and re-installed the drivers. Windows works fine now. But if I launch the game, it still gets all pixelated and crap.
So then I decided to put the video card itself into another PCI-X slot and same thing. Windows is fine now, but when I try to play the game, it pixelates and freezes up.
Is my card toast? In 2 months, it will be 2yrs old. I’m planning on taking it to my brothers and throwing it into his case and see what’s up but I was wondering if you guys had any ideas.
I ran ‘sfc /scannow’ (Windows System File Checker) just to be safe that no DLL’s or SYS files were f’ed up.
---
### Author:  [@99FRC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/99FRC)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/2 "2009-09-19T05:20:47Z")
First guess is that the card is toast.
What RAM are you using?
---
### Author:  [@CustomLowz](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/CustomLowz)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 6:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/3 "2009-09-19T06:21:34Z")
My first guess would have been the card too…
---
### Author:  [@Shady](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shady)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/4 "2009-09-19T06:44:38Z")
…
---
### Author:  [@Shady](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shady)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 6:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/5 "2009-09-19T06:45:44Z")
Sounds to me like a video card as well.
but I have seen the PCI E bus go bad and do some funky things like this as well
run speedfan and see what the temps are like when it does this as well…
overheating issues can cause this same problem as this as well.
---
### Author:  [@Shady](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shady)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 6:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/6 "2009-09-19T06:47:32Z")
sorry but wtf?
i only posted once and it came up twice… gayy
---
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 8:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/7 "2009-09-19T08:36:33Z")
> [@Quick IQ test... v. how smart are you](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/quick-iq-test-v-how-smart-are-you/23223/12):
>
> First guess is that the card is toast.
>
> What RAM are you using?
DDR3 1600. 4GB worth (XP only detects 3.5GB though).
> [@Quick IQ test... v. how smart are you](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/quick-iq-test-v-how-smart-are-you/23223/14):
>
> My first guess would have been the card too…
> [@FS: 2000 Jetta GLX VR6](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fs-2000-jetta-glx-vr6/22141/8):
>
> Sounds to me like a video card as well.
>
> but I have seen the PCI E bus go bad and do some funky things like this as well
>
> run speedfan and see what the temps are like when it does this as well…
>
> overheating issues can cause this same problem as this as well.
Well I went to bed…and just tried playing (PC has been on a total of 3 minutes) and it did the same thing. It only does this crap in game now, not windows anymore.
Here is the SpeedFan results:
I’m guessing that little fire symbol isn’t good? Lol.
The Card fan is spinning, all of my other fans are spinning.
---
### Author:  [@ninety1two40](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninety1two40)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 8:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/8 "2009-09-19T08:39:15Z")
card issue.
Try running a program that uses a similar amount of resources like 3dmark or prime95 (?) to load the machine and see what test it fails on.
edit: yeah fire symbol cant be good :lol
---
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 8:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/9 "2009-09-19T08:42:35Z")
Okay well…this card is 2 years old this November.
With COD: Modern Warfare 2 coming out soon, and a bunch of other games like Splinter Cell: Conviction…I may just upgrade.
Any cards you guys recommend? I only use NVidia chipset cards, so no ATI’s please. $350 is probably the max that I would spend but if you know of a really good card for less, let me know.
---
### Author:  [@99FRC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/99FRC)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 8:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/10 "2009-09-19T08:53:49Z")
65C for that CPU is pushing it. Having you adjusted your clock settings at all?
Either way, you need a new card.
---
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/11 "2009-09-19T08:54:54Z")
> [@iPhone Profit Margin...HOLY SHEEIT!!](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/iphone-profit-margin-holy-sheeit/23226/9):
>
> 65C for that CPU is pushing it. Having you adjusted your clock settings at all?
>
> Either way, you need a new card.
I don’t O.C. at all on my machines. My power is straight from the box. It’s always enough for me.
I’m thinkin this card:
> **[GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 275 Video Card GV-N275UD-896H - Newegg.com](https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-275-gv-n275ud-896h/p/N82E16814125279)**
>
> Buy GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 275 896MB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Support Video Card GV-N275UD-896H with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!
or this
> **[MSI GeForce GTX 275 Video Card N275GTX Lightning - Newegg.com](https://www.newegg.com/msi-geforce-gtx-275-n275gtx-lightning/p/N82E16814127443)**
>
> Buy MSI GeForce GTX 275 1792MB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Support Video Card N275GTX Lightning with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!
---
### Author:  [@Jimmerz](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jimmerz)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/12 "2009-09-20T18:23:06Z")
video card sounds like its fucked…
buy new call it a day.
unless you just updated windows then i would suggest rolling the drivers back… but more than likely its the card is just fucked.
---
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/13 "2009-09-20T20:03:46Z")
I re-installed XP SP3 like 3 weeks ago so I don’t think it’s windows. My other card (the spare that I have from an old machine) is working fine in the game (although I have the settings turned down so it can actually run lol).
I’m getting the second card that I listed above.
---
### Author:  [@Cossey](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cossey)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/14 "2009-09-20T21:10:54Z")
Ilya, if you haven’t ordered one, I have an Nvidia N285GTX I bought a couple months ago I may be getting rid of soon in favor of a 295.
"14-127-403 VGA MSI N285GTX-T2D1G-OC GTX285 RTL
1
$329.99"
That’s the info off of my invoice. I’ll talk to AMD IS BEST about it and get back to you, if interested.
---
### Author:  [@Singh1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Singh1)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/15 "2009-09-20T21:17:35Z")
buy a 295GTX and pipe down
:rofl
dude btw, dont call yourself a computer guy, not saying you are not, just saying its no title anyone wants to self proclaim
---
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/16 "2009-09-20T22:05:24Z")
> [@We all should go see this movie...](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/we-all-should-go-see-this-movie/23283/7):
>
> Ilya, if you haven’t ordered one, I have an Nvidia N285GTX I bought a couple months ago I may be getting rid of soon in favor of a 295.
> "14-127-403 VGA MSI N285GTX-T2D1G-OC GTX285 RTL
> 1
>
> $329.99"
>
> That’s the info off of my invoice. I’ll talk to AMD IS BEST about it and get back to you, if interested.
I haven’t got one yet but I’m ordering tomorrow. How much you want for it?
---
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/17 "2009-09-20T22:06:02Z")
> [@\[May 4-6\] Carlisle Performance & Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/may-4-6-carlisle-performance-sound/22877/53):
>
> buy a 295GTX and pipe down
>
> :rofl
>
> dude btw, dont call yourself a computer guy, not saying you are not, just saying its no title anyone wants to self proclaim
It’s how I make my living. It’s all good.
---
### Author:  [@Singh1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Singh1)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/18 "2009-09-20T22:26:08Z")
ok no doubt 🙂 i just found out the hard way to not associate myself with pc know how because it always seems to be more stress than its worth at the end 😛
---
### Author:  [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/19 "2009-09-21T12:11:40Z")
Turns out my card is still under warranty until November 2009 (parts and labor) and then November 2010 (just parts). My card was made in Jan. 07 so I fall into the November 2010 category so I gotta pay something.
I’m getting this bad boy fixed. $65 or whatever it’s going to cost me is better than $200+ for a new card. This card, to me, ran everything just fine. I didn’t notice any performance issues up until this happened.
---
### Author:  [@Shady](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shady)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931/20 "2009-09-21T12:13:04Z")
> [@In continuation of LSX swaps](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/in-continuation-of-lsx-swaps/23293/28):
>
> Turns out my card is still under warranty until November 2009 (parts and labor) and then November 2010 (just parts).
>
> I’m getting this bad boy fixed.
then sell it and upgrade
[Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/computer-guy-needs-computer-help/246931.md?page=2)