Graphic corruption and freezing. Help!!!

[PJeronimo]

Hi there guys. I ´ve got a big problem and i searched everywhere, did everything, but i couldn´t fix it, and it´s driving me crazy!
About 2 years ago, i bought a MSI FX5600 128mb AGP card, and it has worked fine. Until about a few weeks ago. Now whenever i try to play a game that uses 3d graphics (like most of the games in this day ´n age), two things happen:
Either the image freezes completelly (yet the sound keeps coming in normally), and i have to RESET to get out of there.
Or, a few seconds after it freezes, it resumes but with major graphic corruption. It´s like 50% of the pixels were missing. I took a screen, when i was playing Medal of Honoracific Assault. Note that this screen shows only a mild case of corruption, in comparison to other times. It´s usually much worse. Look here:
http://images5.theimagehosting.com/shot999.jpg

I´ve been told that this could be heat related, that the card could be overheating, but i don´t get why this would happen only now. My case has 6 fans, and the card´s fan is working. So why would it start heating now, and not before? I haven´t changed anything.

My specs:

Pentium 4 at 2.6ghz
MSI 875P NEO motherboard
MSI FX5600 128mb AGP card
1 gygabyte of RAM
ThermalTake Lanfire case
Windows XP Pro with SP2
1 Maxtor 20GB HDD on IDE 1
1 80gb HDD on IDE 2
1 Western Digital 200gb HDD on S-ATA
ASUS DVD writer DRW-0402P/Dual
And a 450watt PSU.

Any ideas? I need to know wether this can be fixed or not, so that i can buy a new card. Warranty is expired.

 

[cleeve]

Hardware never needs an excuse to break. It just happens.

One of two things is happening: 1) it's overheating or 2) your card is almost completely dead.

It sounds like your cooling is covered...

The only other thing you could try to do is remove the card's cooler and put some good AS3 thermal paste in there. If you're really lucky, the cooler isn't sitting well and you can help it's efficiency.

Unfortunately, it's most likely that your card is smoked for good.

There are alot of cards out there that are much, much better than the 5600. This is a great excuse to buy one!

________________
<b>Geforce <font color=red>6800 Ultra</b></font color=red>
<b>AthlonXP <font color=red>3200+</b></font color=red> <i>(Barton 2500+ o/c 400 FSB)</i>
<b>3dMark05: <font color=red>5,275</b>

 

[Ned_Flanders]

This happened to my 5600 when I o/c'ed too far.

______________
Welcome to my Shed of Pleasure

 

[addiarmadar]

Could try putting a case fan over the HSF of the card but from what I saw on that pic you may wanna start shopping for another card.

<i><font color=red>Only an overclocker can make a computer into a convectional oven.</i></font color=red>