[Timbydude]

Occasionally, my computer locks up and freezes, with light multicolored rectangles overlaying the screen. It seems to only happen when playing a game; first it happened twice with World of Warcraft, then Half-Life 2. Also, when it crashes, sometimes it goes back to the desktop and I receive an error message telling me that my display drivers are not functioning properly and that I should reboot to get data on how to solve this problem.

The thing is, this exact same thing happened to me before when I had an Nvidia GeForce 6800 (I use a GeForce 7600 GS now). When I restarted, my computer was unable to output an image to the monitor and I had to have my video card replaced. However, because it is happening again, I'm very sure that this is not hardware related. I'm running Windows XP Service Pack 2. Thanks a lot for your help!

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Hi Timbydude...

It really sounds like your video card is overheating. If there are sensors in it, SpeedFan may be able to shed some light on that. There's a possibility that the power supply may be weak, too....SpeedFan will also show you the voltages while the madhine is running.

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hi Timbydude...

It really sounds like your video card is overheating. If there are sensors in it, SpeedFan may be able to shed some light on that. There's a possibility that the power supply may be weak, too....SpeedFan will also show you the voltages while the madhine is running.

wannabe1

[Timbydude]

Wow, two visits to a tech support shop with no results, and you can pinpoint the problem without even seeing my computer. Yes, it looks like the video card is overheating; SpeedFan is picking up CPU temperatures as high as 57 degrees Celsius just when I start playing a game.

But, how exactly do I fix this? Is there some type of fan I can buy (not one you have to install but rather just plug into the computer)? If so, where should I put it and what type of fan should I get? Thanks a lot, you're a great help!!!

[wannabe1]

If this is a desktop machine, a good cleaning and another case fan would probably help...if a laptop, look into a laptop cooler.

[Timbydude]

OK, thanks. Last question: (I have a desktop) Would you recommend a certain fan in particular, and how would I install a fan? (I'm not very savvy at installing stuff)

[wannabe1]

If you have a PCI slot available under the video card, I'd recommend This One.

If not, any 80mm or 120mm case fan should work. Something like This would work fine at the rear of the case...blowing outward.

You should be able to get fans locally at a computer store. To connect them, some connect to a small connector on the motherboard, some connect to a power supply lead. The PCI fan would be the best and the easiest to install.

[Timbydude]

The only thing is, it doesn't really seem like overheating. SpeedFan is recording temperatures in the mid-50s whenever I check (the temperatures at which it always seems to crash), but by putting the computer through all the most strenuous effects possible (my own test), I got it up to 61 with no ill effects.

I'm not doubting you, as I'm sure you know what you're talking about, but I just think that there could possibly be something else wrong and I want to make sure before opening my computer to install a fan (something which I know I won't be good at). Now, it's crashing sometimes within 20 minutes of opening a game (for some reason it occurs much more frequently in World of Warcraft than any other game). Sorry for the long delay in replying, and thanks again for all your help.