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<\/p>\nGraphics cards are a vital component of any PC. But how do you know when your graphics card is on its last legs? It’s not always easy to tell, but there are some common signs that can help you determine if it is time for an upgrade. If you’re experiencing frequent crashing while running graphically intensive programs like games or video editing software, this could be one of the early signs that your graphics card is dying and requires professional attention before it completely fails. Keep reading to learn more about how to spot these warning signs and what steps to take next!<\/p>\n\n
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A bad graphics card can be a real pain as it often results in the display dying or your system shutting down. However, there are a few things that may have caused your graphics card to die:<\/p>\n
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One major issue is that it may overheat causing the card to die. If you have overclocked your card, be sure to monitor how hot it gets with a program like the following:<\/p>\n
Another common cause of graphics cards dying is too much power draw from other components in your system.<\/p>\n
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Power surges are the most common issue to damage the graphics cards. If you notice how your computer shuts down during a power surge or how it crashes often when running graphically intensive programs, then there is a good chance that your card has been damaged and maybe dying.<\/p>\n
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If you live in an area with high heat or humidity levels (i.e., Florida), this can cause these components to fail more quickly than those in dryer climates because of how much heat they generate.<\/p>\n
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In addition, if you do not have enough air circulation in your case and it becomes too hot, this can also be a factor that causes graphics cards to die more quickly than normal. Because these tips are so common sense, many people overlook how much influence they actually have on how long their graphics card will last!<\/p>\n
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Another common cause of graphics cards dying is due to how the capacitors inside are made. If they’re not manufactured well, you may see a spike in power draw from your system but it will die quickly after that and never last as long as other components.<\/p>\n
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Another common sign of a dying graphics card is how your system behaves when overclocked. If you are running any components over their recommended limits, such as the CPU or Memory; this could be an indicator that your GPU is failing as well. You will need to reduce its clock and voltage settings and see if it makes a difference in how stable<\/p>\n
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One sign of a failing GPU is when your computer crashes or freezes often & won’t let you reboot. You may also notice a loss in performance, such as slow loading times and random freezes.<\/p>\n
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The following software can be used when it comes to checking your GPU’s health<\/p>\n
When you start to see graphic glitches when playing games. This can be anything from the screen twitching or flickering, lines on the edge of objects in your game appearing and disappearing, characters not responding to input, missing features like shadows and reflections, textures being stretched out of proportion with everything else – there are tons more examples but as long as something isn’t working in tandem with how it should, this could indicate a potential failure of your GPU as well.<\/p>\n
If your GPU is running too hot, the fan will start to make a lot of noise and it may be pushing out more air than required.<\/p>\n
Pro Tip: <\/strong>It is recommended to buy a GPU thermometer if you don’t have one already; they are usually around $20 online. See if it fixes the overheating issue & slows down the fan noises<\/p>\n Another sign of a GPU that is failing can be if your screen starts to stutter or shake. This may also happen during cutscenes in games and will usually start from the bottom of the screen, moving upwards as it becomes worse. In some cases, you could see flickering lines on your monitor while this happens as well!<\/p>\n Screen glitches are another sign of a GPU that is failing and can be seen when you have an anti-aliasing setting on. This will cause white lines or flashes to appear, even if it’s just for one second before the game refreshes itself again.<\/p>\n Another sign of a GPU that is failing can be when you notice strange artifacts in your game. This will look like one object or character appearing on top of another, making it difficult to play the game and see what’s going on!<\/p>\n If you are experiencing blue screens of death this could be a sign. These can happen during gameplay or when you go back into the game after leaving it for a while. You may also find that your system is lagging and struggling to load things quickly.<\/p>\n If you are crashing or seeing your GPU usage spike up during gaming sessions this may be a sign of an issue. However, it is important to remember that if you have any other overclocked components in your system they could also cause the same problem and make your GPU seem like it’s dying when really it isn’t<\/p>\n If you are experiencing significant frame drops this may be a sign that your GPU is failing. This can happen when the game starts to lag and things don’t seem as smooth anymore, or if it’s just not responding quickly enough<\/p>\n Running a graphics card under load is one of the best ways to diagnose it. How you do so depends on your GPU, but there are several free programs that can be downloaded to test GPU load.<\/p>\n If your GPU fails, the graphic card driver is one of the first things you should look at. Drivers are what allow applications to communicate with graphics cards. You can usually update drivers by going into device manager, clicking on display adapters (you’ll see more than likely only one), and updating it from there.<\/p>\n If you notice your GPU having high temperatures, particularly when playing graphics-intensive games or rendering videos, then it’s likely that the card is dying. Lowering the temperature of a chip can increase its life span by changing the clock speed and voltage settings on apps such as MSI Afterburner.<\/p>\n The power supply unit (PSU), which is the component that plugs into an outlet, can also cause GPU failure. If your PSU isn’t providing enough voltage or current to the card, it could disrupt the data flow between different components and lead to a crash.<\/p>\n If you have dust or dirt inside your computer, that too could be the cause of a graphics card failure. Dust buildup on components can make them work harder to cool down and maintain their integrity during high-stress game sessions.<\/p>\n One of the most common reasons for bad graphics performance is a damaged video cable. Disconnect and reconnect your monitor to see if that fixes it – or, try swapping out cords with a friend’s computer to diagnose the problem before you buy anything new.<\/p>\n Replace Damaged Video Cable<\/strong><\/p>\n If disconnecting and reconnecting still doesn’t fix your issues, then replacing cables may be necessary. To make this choice easier, familiarize yourself with what kind of ports are on the back of your card: HDMI vs DVI vs VGA. Swap out one connection (such as from HDMI to DVI) at a time until you find which port works best for you. If none work well enough, consider purchasing an entirely new cable.<\/p>\n If your GPU isn’t seated properly, it may be causing glitches. Make sure that the card is in its slot and has all pins inserted correctly – if not, then remove it from the computer (following instructions carefully) and reinsert.<\/p>\n As a last resort, if your graphics card is still experiencing problems and you can no longer find any fixes online, consider replacing the video card. If it’s in warranty or less than six months old, contact the manufacturer for repair – otherwise, you may need to pay them out of pocket ($200-$1000).<\/p>\n As you can see, there are a number of signs that your graphics card may be dying. However, not all these symptoms will necessarily mean it is the GPU’s fault. If you have noticed any other abnormalities on your computers like system errors then please let us know in the comment section below and we’ll do our best to update the blog to help our readers.<\/p>\n Thanks again for reading this guide and stay tuned for more blogs coming soon!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Graphics cards are a vital component of any PC. But how do you know when your graphics card is on its last legs? It’s not …<\/p>\n5. Stuttering Or Shaking<\/h3>\n
6. Screen Glitches<\/h3>\n
7. Strange Artifacts<\/h3>\n
8. Blue Screen Of Death<\/h3>\n
9. Crashes When Gaming<\/h3>\n
10. You May Be Experiencing Significant Frame Drops<\/h3>\n
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Diagnosing A Dying Graphics Card<\/h2>\n
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Test Your GPU Under Load<\/h3>\n
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Fix Your Graphics Drivers Before They Stop Working<\/h2>\n
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Update Your Graphic Card Driver<\/h3>\n
Lower GPU Temperature<\/h3>\n
Replace Power Supply Unit (PSU)<\/h3>\n
Clean Out Dust From The Inside Computer Case<\/h3>\n
Check The Video Cable<\/h3>\n
Keep The GPU Seated Properly<\/h3>\n
Replacing Your Video Card<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n