Another one from left field. I'm interested in thoughts, but I think I have the feeling my video card is prolapsing.. This started a while back, but mostly is reasonably innocuous. I initially suspected a failing power supply, but swapover didn't improve anything.

The video driver started failing and restarting, sometimes not gracefully so you could be left without picture or it might return. Not to long after
this, I discovered anything intensive like gaming will cause it to have a heart attack in short order even some basic games so long as enough display realestate is in use.

Presently I have odd characters, look a bit like flashing underscores in different colours pop up, sometimes the window headers lose portions and become unresponsive unless you close them on the taskbar. Along with when its struggling weird transparent flashing blocks on the second display usually.

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: < Scrawled in blood at The Lower Planes > (21:3/101)

You might try using its control panel utilities to underclock it and
see if that fixes the issue short term, maybe open up the PC while
its running and see if the fan's working or not.

Chuckle, she's got no fan, its only a HD5450... only the heatsink. But I'll try the underclock, don't tend to think about it. Its not a terribly grunty card though so I'll probably just have poke throught collection and pop something else in there.

spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: < Scrawled in blood at The Lower Planes > (21:3/101)

If you were diagnosing a Commodore 64 that is a Power Supply! Been

No you're doing well, that was my first thought. It was the first thing I swapped out too. I've have never had a video card fail in my life, so its pretty left field for me. Seeing as its a Card, not on board, I didn't think about "memory" but it could well be the memory on the card that is knackered.

In order to swap video cards for something comparable, I'm going to have to do some major surgery around here. I have a free 7100GS but its lower spec than the current one, and I need at least DirectX 11 to maintain compatibility with current software. The only other card I have is in the BBS box... not much joy there getting that thing out and tearing it down, it actually still has the best spec card though. I probably should've taken it out, when it became the BBS.. still leave sleeping dogs as they say. :)

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: < Scrawled in blood at The Lower Planes > (21:3/101)

fought with everyone telling me it was the vid card until a friend
of mine came over with an old isa card plugged it into the slot and
said now are you happy! LOL I still have that card! LOL It's sitting
in a box labeled don't be a jerk!

I think we've all been there... :) Mine was an old WD EISA MFM Drive Controller...

Confidence is high its a video card problem though, I was willing to try any other suggestions though..

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: < Scrawled in blood at The Lower Planes > (21:3/101)