Video playback and game crash issue

[inkrektare]

Hey all.
Ive been experiencing problems with BF:Bc2 and Dead Space crashing, and set out to fix these problems. In doing so it seems ive just screwed things up even more.
The issue with Dead Space was that randomly it blackscreened and then the GPU apparently recovered from a crash and the game maximized and would play fine for a bit, to eventually "crash" more often up to the point where it wasnt playable any more.
Bf:Bc2 would just randomly BSOD or WSOD..
With the new drivers video playback is stuttery when maximizing VLC (only for a few seconds, then plays smooth) or when enabling the player control bar when VLC is maximized (clicking with the mouse) as well as ingame overlays like menus kind of flicker or dont display properly..
also, dragging around windows on the desktop generates flicker around the edges, as well as tabbing between windows. Maximizing windows leads to an "unrolling" effect
All in all it kind of feels as if hardware acceleration is turned off.
Worth noticing is that performance in Bf:Bc2 seemed to have gotten worse since latest graphic driver..

ive noticed GPU acceleration goes to almost 100% in games (probably supposed to be that way?)
and when tabbing to VLC it does the same thing.

Ive tried alot of things, but to no avail, including
-installing new graphics drivers, (clean install, everything removed using driver sweeper)
-latest sound driver
-trying different settings in games and on nvidia control panel
-cleaned GPU fan and heatsink, was alot of dust in there.

worth mentioning is that this is a laptop

Mobo is M571TU
Intel Core 2 Duo P9700
Apacer 1333 mhz 4gb CL7 memstick
nVidia GTX280M
Realtek HD Audio


Please I'm getting to the point where I just dont care anymore.. If anyone have some helpful tips or information , it would be greatly aprreciated!

 

[wa1]

I guess your laptop is going bad, buddy...

What about the temps? cpu and gpu temps?

 

[inkrektare]

theyre around 40-44 degrees C on idle... depending on game, they get up to 70-75 degrees... (was around 95 degrees C before cleaning)

I dont know.. Ive tried resetting hardware acceleration and nvidia control center settings and the flickering is gone..
The laptop is from sep '09 so the general feeling I get (for a 2500$ laptop) is that it should atleast hold out for a year..

Might it be that Dead Space and BfBc2 have know conflicts with my card or something? I know DS is a port, or multi-platform game.. So, I guess they tend to *** up more often than not.. BC2 is very resource hogging.. I just wish it wouldn't get to the point of TDR / WSOD..