GPU Dying?

**Kuishen** · 2013-10-23 02:40

So over the past couple of weeks I've come home to my main monitor in standby mode and my second monitor on but with a black screen. Unplugging and plugging them back in does nothing.

Moving the mouse and pressing keys on the keyboard would do nothing, lights on both were still on so they were getting power.

Every single time manually restarting my computer would fix the problem with seemingly nothing else wrong. There's no common thread in Event Viewer aside from apparently something wrong with my Microsoft Security Essentials not being installed properly or something, but I don't think that's the issue as it's happening on start up and it's an easy fix.

At first I thought it was my video driver crashing, so I did a clean install of it. Still happened. So then I tried the latest beta driver and that didn't fix it.

A couple days ago my Windows Theme reverted to default (window color) for a couple of minutes wile I was watching a video in flash then went back to normal without me doing anything.

I've also had my display driver crash while playing XIV occasionally but from what I understand that's a normal occurrence so it's probably not related.

Because I'm not seeing anything big in my Event Viewer crashing I'm assuming that when it happens there's nothing actually wrong with Windows, just that the input is no longer reaching my monitors.

If it's my GPU then that's fine I'm going to be ordering a new one before the end of the month but if it's something else then I need to figure out what the issue is.

The GPU is going on 3 years old now so I'm hoping that's the issue.

Specs:
Windows 7 64 bit.
CPU: i5 3470 3.20 GHz
GPU: GTX 460
8 Gigs of RAM
PSU is an OCZ Mod Extreme Pro 600W

Oh and because it's affecting both of my monitors and they're both completely different ages and models I don't think they're the problem either.

**The Stig** · 2013-10-23 04:24

I don't think it's a GPU issue. It seems like your computer doesn't know how to tell the monitor to wake up.

A work around ... not necessarily a fix but I don't think it's asking for too much:

Go to your Power Settings and see what it does to your monitor after X mins of inactivity. If it does power it off/standby disable this. Now, when you do go afk, just turn your monitor off manually on the button. When you get back, turn them both on. Takes maybe 3-4 seconds extra on a round trip. Not the most ideal workaround, but I think the trade off here is the time you spend fixing this would not equal the extra time you spend pushing 2 buttons back and forth (until your GPU dies or you replace your machine)

---

Alternatively, if you want to really decide if your GPU is the problem. Do this:

Go disable, or pull out your GPU, and revert to the Intel HD 4000 that's baked into your CPU.

Replicate the scenario (FFXIV runs on Intel HD 4000 fine if you set the settings to Laptop (Standard) @ 720p)

If it still happens, it's more possibly a Windows or Motherboard issue. Then in which case I won't even bother trying to diagnose further and just ride it out with my workaround.

I'm banking on that it's a Windows issue haha

As interesting as some problems are, I'm bored with tinkering/fussing around these days, hence my disinterest in trying to go further. Sorry in advance

**djzombie** · 2013-10-23 07:12

Go to your Power Settings and see what it does to your monitor after X mins of inactivity. If it does power it off/standby disable this. Now, when you do go afk, just turn your monitor off manually on the button.

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. I have this problem sometimes at work switching between computers with a kvm switch, depending on the computer sometimes when i switch back to it the monitor never comes back on. I use the same monitor with every computer so the problem is specific to the desktop that is plugged in. Other times its a keyboard or mouse that doesn't work because it doesn't recognize the switch.

**Demenic** · 2013-10-23 07:39

I've actually had the same problem with my computer recently. We have the same video card (actually pretty close to the same specs overall) with I'm assuming the most up to date drivers. From what I've read on Nvidia forums, my current conclusion is the drivers are causing this with my machine and maybe with yours too.

**Totien** · 2013-10-23 08:09

I've seen this issue countless times with no real explanation as to why it happens, but the fix is to go to power settings and disable sleep mode. For whatever reason, Windows sometimes just stops coming back from sleep mode. Sometimes this is virus related, so I would recommend you run Malwarebytes and SUPERantispyware just to be safe.

**Omnipotent** · 2013-10-23 12:31

I'm going to semi-hijack this with an issue of my own. My computer, sometimes after a restart or cold-reboot will have all random rainbow pixels all around both my dual monitors. Everything is a little distorted, and my screen is basically covered in small squares of green and red. Sometimes one restart fixes it, sometimes multiple... is that a GPU issue?

**Totien** · 2013-10-23 13:26

Either a GPU issue or a loose cable.

**Mojo** · 2013-10-23 15:16

Sometimes the stress the cable puts on the PCB can cause that issue (the weird pixel barf shit.) Make sure the cable is connected 'nicely' (not being pushed into or pull away from the monitor, or off the the side.)

**Sonomaa** · 2013-10-24 11:38

honestly Ive had very similar issues and theyve been because of the default GPU overclock that the manuf does on the card, such as gigabyte or MSI or EVGA. anything above stock and it occasionally decides to crash. I fixed the issue by getting some overclock utilities and underclocking the video card to the actual nvidia default stock speeds. I literally went from crashing 2-3 times per gaming session (regardless of how long) to having zero crashes in a 1 month uptime

omni your issue is either bad GPU or GPU not getting enough power, usually its bad GPU, sorry

**Omnipotent** · 2013-10-24 12:38

Originally Posted by Sonomaa

honestly Ive had very similar issues and theyve been because of the default GPU overclock that the manuf does on the card, such as gigabyte or MSI or EVGA. anything above stock and it occasionally decides to crash. I fixed the issue by getting some overclock utilities and underclocking the video card to the actual nvidia default stock speeds. I literally went from crashing 2-3 times per gaming session (regardless of how long) to having zero crashes in a 1 month uptime

omni your issue is either bad GPU or GPU not getting enough power, usually its bad GPU, sorry

Have a 200$ giftcard to best buy, no worries!

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