major video issue need help quick!!!!

[mikee]

about 5 minutes ago a whole bunch of random artifacts started showing up on my computer see screenshots. I don't know if it will show up but there are artifacts all over my screen Is there any way to fix this? Is my video card bad? I need help quickly to get this resolved since I am taking online classes and very seriously depend on my computer for these things and cannot use it in this condition.

 

[GibsonSGKing]

about 5 minutes ago a whole bunch of random artifacts started showing up on my computer see screenshots. I don't know if it will show up but there are artifacts all over my screen Is there any way to fix this? Is my video card bad? I need help quickly to get this resolved since I am taking online classes and very seriously depend on my computer for these things and cannot use it in this condition.

You were playing GTAIV. That's half of your problem XD

Has it happened outside of games at all? It might be overheating or a game type glitch...

I just noticed the first picture has discoloring in it, it's definitely a dying video card IMO, I've see the exact same conditions with an old Geforce 6 card

 

[wol-va-rine]

you OC'd a 8600GTS...? the potential headache from OCing a video card isn't really worth the minimal gains in games on low end cards, dude, clock it back to stock speeds and see what happens and check to see if the fan on the video card is working, it's probably either a heat issue or a dying card (as already suggested), also, have you updated the drivers recently...? sometimes a, update can crew up a video card and you have to roll back the drivers...

 

[mikee]

This card came overclocked and hasn't been otherwise modified in any way.
I haven't updated drivers in quite a while. Maybe I'll see if there are any new ones available. The artifacts might actually be clearing up a bit. it all came on so sudden. I was just playing GTA and all of a sudden it went to what you see in the gta screen. I exited and everything looked normal for a few seconds then everything just started going fuzzy even to the point of the screen being unreadable. most if it cleared up for a few seconds when I took the desktop screenshot.

So my plan is:
1 try new drivers then
2 take the card out and look it over for signs of overheating and maybe trying to boot the computer without it in to see if it is indeed my video card then
3 look for a replacement if it comes to it.

I have a budget of about 150$ canadian to spend on a new card if I have to but I have to keep in mind that I have a ~400w psu that I don't want to have to replace if I don't have to given my budget.

 

[wol-va-rine]

This card came overclocked and hasn't been otherwise modified in any way.
I haven't updated drivers in quite a while. Maybe I'll see if there are any new ones available. The artifacts might actually be clearing up a bit. it all came on so sudden. I was just playing GTA and all of a sudden it went to what you see in the gta screen. I exited and everything looked normal for a few seconds then everything just started going fuzzy even to the point of the screen being unreadable. most if it cleared up for a few seconds when I took the desktop screenshot.

So my plan is:
1 try new drivers then
2 take the card out and look it over for signs of overheating and maybe trying to boot the computer without it in to see if it is indeed my video card then
3 look for a replacement if it comes to it.

I have a budget of about 150$ canadian to spend on a new card if I have to but I have to keep in mind that I have a ~400w psu that I don't want to have to replace if I don't have to given my budget.

before all that I would fire up the computer with the video card installed and the side panel off to see if the video card fan is actually spinning...

if gaming is a must then it's probably time to get a new card if the new drivers don't fix it, these 9800GTs are much better gaming cards than the one you have now and will be well below your budget in some cases (the cheapest ones)...

if you want to push your $150 limit you could get a better card like a 4850 1GB or GTS250 and still power it with your psu if it's a quality 400w psu...

just look at Newegg.ca to see what you can afford and want, their search function is your friend...

 

[mikee]

I know the fan works. When my computer starts the fan goes full tilt until part way through windows booting then it slows down.
Here's my psu info I really don't know what to look for to tell if a psu is good.

I took the card out but do not and looked it over and it looks perfectly fine the fan moves freely.

 

[Holysky]

What brand is it?

 

[mikee]

What brand is it?

Ultra

Also if it comes to it is this a good card, better than what I have atleast?

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5642516&CatId=3585

I'm not too knowledgeable with ati All I know is the 5000 series are dx11