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Graphics lockups in WoW with GTX 280?

Hreidmar

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Messages
6
For the past two weeks, I've been experiencing frequent and infuriating lockups while playing WoW. During routine running around, the screen will flash with a tiled pattern of some random graphic (about 1" square or so), with a different pattern about 1" square where the mouse was. This locks up Vista 64, and my only option is to do a hard reset. Whatever sound was playing keeps looping sometimes, other times stops.

I'm trying to determine what could be wrong. My specs are:
Vista 64, GTX 280, E8400, Corsair 750W PS, 6GB DDR2. No overclocking at all - WoW is pretty much the only game I play so no need to push it. I never experience any lockups or issues outside of WoW, and it has been pretty stable up until a few weeks ago.

Initially, I was inclined to blame it on a bug introduced in latest WoW patch, but someone on their forums suggested my graphics card was going bad or my PS was not up to task. I downloaded SpeedFan and temps are 50-53* at idle, rising to 60-64* when running game (at 2560x1600 res).

I did notice that the voltage on the SpeedFan app was listed as a very steady 11.40 on the 12V line - is this within spec? Any suggestions on what to try?

Any playable demos you can recommend that would let me know if my card is going or not? I tried downloading Mini Ninja's but the installer barfed with a DirectX 9.0 error (damn Vista!).
 

3.0charlie

3.0 "I kill SR2's" Charlie
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
10,054
Location
Laval, QC
Your card may be about to let go. Run 3Dmark06 in loop, to see if the same patterns are back.
 

Hreidmar

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Messages
6
Thanks! I downloaded 3dmark06 and it fails with a similar pattern on the 2nd test (Firefly Forest or something like that). I guess my card is going. It's an EVGA, but looking at my warranty information I suspect I'm SOL since I don't think I ever registered it.
 

Gellidius

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
349
Location
Quebec
you're having the same problem with your GTX 280 as i've had twice already. I send the card back and they give me a new one.
My problem arose when folding.

When my card runs in 2D mode, it's ok, but not when running full steam.
 

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