Testing your Video Card

[CofyCrakCocaine]

That is, testing a video card to determine its stability and whether it has any serious problems with it: how do you do it?

I ask because my computer keeps randomly crashing and all that tech support + computer repairmen can tell me is that it's due to a 'hardware failure' and could be 'either the PSU, CPU, RAM, Video Card, Hard Drive, Cd-Rom' and so on. Helpful, I know.

I've determined PSU is not the problem. Now for the rest of this shit... starting with vid card. Are there any online diagnostics I could use?


EDIT: I use a Nvidia Geforce GTX 7800, and I updated the drivers to the latest WHQL update (12/19/2007). I might not have completely uninstalled the drivers beforehand though I did use the add/remove function in the control panel... not sure if I was supposed to do more than that.

[HBox]

Random crashes sound like either power supply problem or an overheating problem. I don't know how to test for either so sorry.

[DolaMight]

Random crashes sound like either power supply problem or an overheating problem. I don't know how to test for either so sorry.

Underpowered PSU is possible, generic power supplies are usually weak on the +12V rail of the specs and make up for it on the +3.3V and +5V rails to bring it up to a high output like 500W, when it is actually closer to 350W. Videocards draw from the high current 12v rail so if it's low rated there that could cause the PSU to shut itself off.

Go get a program like 3dmark05 or 03 and figure out what part of the demo it crashes on then look it up on some forums.

[bnceo]

I've had this problem with overheating. So i tend to lean that way. If you got an nForce chip, make sure you got heatsinks or fans on both the NorthBridge and SouthBridge chips. Moreover, get your motherboard on stock settings.