Graphics card dead?

[fantasticdan]

My laptop froze yesterday while just firefox was running, and I eventually got a blue screen about nv4_dsp.dll or something like that, which I know is related to my graphics card drivers. After rebooting, I have columns of dots across my entire screen (including while windows is loading), and my resolution is stuck at 640 x 480 with 4 bit color. My graphics card doesn't show up anymore under display properties > settings, I only have "default monitor", which is using some driver called "vgasave". My graphics card does show up under device manager thou, and it says "working properly" there. I've tried system restore and reinstalling graphics drivers but no go.

I can actually run video, albeit it obviously looks terrible.

So uhh, what do?

[Sonomaa]

try re-installing the drivers and choosing clean install. if that doesnt work yeah its probably a dead stick

[fantasticdan]

The dots even appear in my bios, is that indicative of anything? I can't imagine vgasave mode has anything to do with that.

[Buffy]

The dots even appear in my bios, is that indicative of anything? I can't imagine vgasave mode has anything to do with that.

As a trouble shooting step, you can throw a monitor on it. If the dots go to the monitor, problem is your card for sure. If the dots don't go to the monitor, it could be your screen.

I would bet something overheated though, I hate laptops for that reason, heat kills them.

[fantasticdan]

Borrowed a monitor, and yeah, dots still show up. This is my only computer, and I'm poor as shit, so this is pretty terrible. Guess I'm on the lookout for people throwing out old PC's now, lol.

As for something melting, I wouldn't be surprised. It's ran pretty hot for the past 2 years or so, despite me constantly claning it out, and using a 3rd party program to keep the fan on max.