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PC strange coloured pixels cant boot into windows

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - PC strange coloured pixels cant boot into windows

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Hi,
I am new to this forum, and I know a little about computers but not a great deal.
Anyway, here's my problem.
A few days ago, when i was playing a computer game I got the message 'xxx driver has stopped working and has successfully recovered'. The monitor then flashed black for a bit and then stopped working so I had to reboot and it ran fine after that. It had happened to me before, so I didn't think much of it.

But, the next day when I went to turn on my PC, there were coloured pixels sprawled accross the screen in a pattern. For the screen where it loads the mobo stuff (for me where it says Asus Lifestyle and shows the logo etc), there are purple, yellow and white pixels in a pattern all accross the screen.
Then, when it does the 'checking Nvram... ' some of the words are missing and some are squiggled up.
As it loads into windows, there are red pixelated lines running down the screen. After that the PC just automatically restarts.

Now the funny thing is, on the first day, it wouldn't boot into windows at all. Then, I waited a day and it booted into windows fine, but after a few minutes in the desktop screen red pixels started to flash on the screen and sometimes the BSOD would appear.
But today I can't even make it boot into windows.

PC specs:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66Ghz
Graphics: Nvidia 8800Gtx
Mobo: Asus P5K Premium
Ram: 4GB PC-6400 Geil Black Dragon
All bought about 1 and 1/2 years ago.
I have a Mirai 19" monitor as well, but that's not the problem, as I have tried it with another monitor and still the same problem.

Has anyone had a similar problem, or knows what the problem is?

Thanks in advance.

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Something is dead. Probably just the GPU, but could be the MB+Ram+CPU as well if you are seeing corrupted post data and not jsut an effect of the display being messed up.

------------------------------ CPU: Q9550 at 3.6ghz (FSB 425mhz) | MB: P5E3 Premium | Ram: 4*2Gb Corsair DDR3 @1417mhz | GPU: 2 HD4890 1Gb (925core/1025mem) CF | PSU: OCZ ELiteXtreme 800W | Sound: Creative Titanium Fatal1ty Pro | 2*120gb OCZ Vertex SSD Raid0 and 2 500gb Raid0 HDDS
Reply to daedalus685
- 0 +

Hmm. okay thanks. I'll try to take out a stick of ram at a time maybe and boot each time?
Also, what do you mean by 'corrupted post data'?

Thanks

Reply to fred_08
- 0 +

Those coloured dots are a classic sign of bad video memory, but not the only possible cause.
Check your memory, as you have said. If that fails, take out the card and clean the gold connectors on it carefully, an ink eraser is fine, but be gentle, the contacts can be stripped off fairly easily.
If this fails either try another card from a friend or put your card into another machine and see what happens then.
Corrupted post data means the information shown during post is garbled, missing or just wrong.

Reply to coozie7

Seems the fastest way to troubleshoot this one is to throw in a different video card. If it works as normal (3d stress test, benchmark, etc) then your mobo and RAM is okay and your 8800 GTX is fried (maybe). If you have another system (or a friend in the local computer shop) to check the 8800 GTX, you'll know then for sure.

Reply to HundredIslandsBoy
- 0 +

Okay, problem solved... well sort of. I just tired it with the GPU from my old pc and it booted up find... Fried 8800Gtx.
But now a new problem: New graphics card.
I have about a £150 strict budget.. I was thinking a Radeon 3870 512mb? is that the best for my money?

Btw, thanks for all the replies.

Reply to fred_08
- 0 +

As a direct replacement look at the 1Gb HD4870 or GTX260, their performance is equal
overall and you should have no problems finding either under budget.
If your screen is 1280x1024 you could save some cash and seek the 512Mb HD4870.
You have given prices in Pounds so here are a few places in the UK to look: Scan,
CCL, Novatech, Overclockers, Ebuyer and Pixmania.


Message edited by coozie7 on 05-15-2009 at 02:03:45 PM
Reply to coozie7
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