Graphics card fried, or virus/malware?

Hi everyone

Thanks in advance for any comments/thoughts!

I'm using a gaming laptop that was top of the line 3 years ago (Xtreme CTX Pro, T72, Nvidia 7950 GPU).

Yesterday it suddenly started showing graphical gliches - don't know the cause.

These appeared as little horizontal blue lines dotted all over the screen. On reboot, I noticed that they also appear in the preboot screen, but as white dashes all over the screen.

Since then, it could only load Windows in safemode. On a normal load - as soon as it tried to load the desktop, it caused the screen to gliche and go blank.

I have now formatted the drive, but still same problem, except now it lets me load Windows in normal mode.

I haven't installed the video drivers yet: not sure if that says anything?

Would appreciate any help/advice on what you think this could be.

I've attached a photo of how it looks against a black background website.

I've also attached a picture of how my boot screen looks - notice the white dashes - those weren't there before either.

Is this a virus? Or is my graphics card fried? But if my card is fried, how is the desktop still loading - I'm using the same laptop to type on this forum. (after a full format). Video and picture files still load.

Thanks for any help.

 

This is a probable indicator that your graphics chip is dying. The while lines/dots are a good indicator of this, as is the refusal of the PC to work when drivers are installed. Safe Mode boots the PC without using third-party drivers, and as you have not installed the drivers in the reformatted copy I suspect that they are doing something with the card that causes it to crash.

 

I don't think it is a hardware problem, as it works fine in safe mode, but not in normal, which as Collin said, means that there is a driver problem.

 

Let's install the drivers for the video card.

Is there a reason why we haven't yet?

 

Reason I haven't installed the video drivers yet - I'm afraid the laptop will start crashing in normal mode again if I install the video drivers.

Now it loads to main Windows (non-safe mode), but before the format, it would only load in safemode.

Odd features of the blue streaks on the screen:

1. They don't appear on 'screenshots' sent to other computers.

2. Their location and size change depending on my screen resolution setting. Higher resolution means more streaks, but much smaller.

Anyone recognize these symptoms?

 

yep that gpu is FRIED (probably got to hot) more then likely bad vram (hench the change when changeing res lower res = less rvam used ) sorry to say that but shes done

 

I disagree, if it runs in safe mode, then the actual GPU is working. It doesn't magically stop working just because its in normal mode.

 

wrong
when in safe mode windows runs in GDI 256 or 16 color (aka 3d core is powered down and the gpu is runing at very slow speeds and the vram timeins are also relaxed ) hench you get a "stable" system
what has problem happened is that some of the vram modals or the gpu(cores) are damaged resulting in data corruption and display errors
viruses and malware CAN NOT cause this type of corruption

 

Plodr,

this said to me that it worked fine in safe mode, which would normally point towards a driver problem, but yes i now agree the gpu or vram has gone.

mark_om, sorry for any confusion.

 

Ah, damn, got my hopes up

So any suggestions on how I can salvage the machine? The screen is really nice and bright, so it seems a shame to scrap the whole machine just because the graphics card has gone wonky.

What are my options?

 

Contact the dealer and see if the graphics card is a replaceable unit or built-into the laptop motherboard. If you're lucky the video may be replaceable.

Sam

 

Unfortunately with laptops being the modern "disposable" items that they are, there is a small chance of replacement. These days the graphics chips are soldered to the motherboard, meaning that in most cases they would cost more to replace than fitting a new motherboard, and that may well cost more than a new laptop.

At this stage I would use what life the GPU has left to back up all your important data - perhaps consider buying a product like Acronis to make a hard drive image to put on the new laptop as long as it is the same make and model.

 

but his gpu is not its a Nvidia 7950 GO GPU and it should be a mini-pci-express card and there for replaceable the trick is getting the parts

 

My laptop has an 8600M GT. What does that suggest to you? Soldered or card?

It is soldered as are 95% of laptop graphics chips.