What causes this to happen?!

[Allestaria]

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/Jessianna74/WoWScrnShot_122109_233357.jpg

All of my screens will do this after some play time. Can be 30 minutes or even up to 3 hours of play. I have to shut down and restart. Its not
always yellow. It varies in color. One screen will lock up and I have to ctl alt del to close it . I have close the other wow session from the tool bar.
My computer bogs way down when this happens also.
Hubby keeps thinking my video card is over heating. But it never seems to go above 60 Celsius.

FYI It doesn't matter if I go into a city. Though it does seem to happen more often when I do. The above happened after I took each one
of my toons solo into Stormwind. I figured that would keep it from happening but it didn't. I do get a bit of warning before it happens. My
screen starts to flash. Then the odd shapes will start to appear on random screens. If I don't close them the above happens.

Any idea's?

[HTeam]

That is your video card. Whether it is overheating, bad ram or bad drivers, the sure thing is that it is your video card.

If you have a main stream card with up to date driver playing a main stream game like WoW, you can probably rule out drivers.

Personally, I would use this as a reason to run out and purchase an absurdly cool video card. Make sure it is better than your husband's card.

[alcattle]

Definatly first chpoice is video card. Next it might be RAM. Given that it takes a while before a problem starts, it is almost always heat related. Maybe list your specs and someone might have seen it in their rig.

Hteam <--->Make sure it is better than your husband's card. <--you bad !! :)

[Bettysue]

I had that exact problem just before my video card died. It was an Nvidia Geforce Go 7600 in my laptop. It was defiantly an overheating issue.
Anyway I hope there's another explanation because video cards are expensive :( well for laptops they are...

[Allestaria]

It is a new video card!!!

I just got it a few months ago. Upgraded my Gforce 7900 gtx to a 9800GT.. I had to send it back once and got an upgraded 9800gt.. With a different fan on it.. Well bigger.

Hubby had the same card and his burned out about 2 weeks ago and he is using my old 7900. Which is working like a charm.

Ram is rather new also upgraded it about 6 months ago or so..
My case has 4 fans on it.. 2 up front blowing on the motherboard and video card. An 8in fan on top and a fan in the rear. The side panel is left off as this computer runs very warm.. That is not including the fan thats on the motherboard, video card and side panel (thats off).

Drivers are up to date. And that didn't help.

But thanks. Looks like I'll have to look for another video card. This one cost me 150 bucks. my 7900 was 79 bucks and it works better then this one.. go figure.

Off to look at newegg. Maybe I can talk hubby into another card. Seems I have more equipment problems then he does..

[MiRai]

It is a new video card!!!

I just got it a few months ago. Upgraded my Gforce 7900 gtx to a 9800GT.. I had to send it back once and got an upgraded 9800gt.. With a different fan on it.. Well bigger.

Computer hardware can be bad right out of the box. And sometimes you'd never know it until you put it under some real stress. I had a video card that would work perfectly fine until I tried to game with it, then it would flip out. This definitely looks like a video card issue though. And as always....bigger is not always better. ;)

[Allestaria]

LOL That is so true!!

Now to decide on another card.. Any suggestions? Radeon I have heard still isn't worth a crap for WOW.
But seems Geforce has gone to crap also.

[MiRai]

LOL That is so true!!

Now to decide on another card.. Any suggestions? Radeon I have heard still isn't worth a crap for WOW.
But seems Geforce has gone to crap also.

I am running 2x nVidia 260's and they're quite sexy. ATi did me wrong in the past [multiple cards, including the card I mentioned in my last post], so I have become an nVidia fanboy.

EDIT:
Here is a link to a benchmark which says it's from July 2009. --> Link (http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,689378/WoW-Wrath-of-the-Lich-King-Benchmarks-with-Ati-and-Nvidia-graphics-cards/Practice/) <--

[Allestaria]

Oh I would love to be able to run 2.. But when the last video card died it took the pci slot with it. So I'm down to one slot..

Humm wonder if I can sweet talk hubby into a new computer!! Maybe I can get him to break this one like he did my last one.. He managed to zap my motherboard when I bought my new case.
Now how to pull this off again!?!!!

[alcattle]

Sounds like he likes working on computers so there is hope. He can break it or will see you need a newer system.

[Naysayer]

Wrap a blanket around your tower before he gets home and rev that baby up until you smell the sweet sweet silicon dripping inside. Tell him you're going to split time with him on his pc until you can pay for a new one by yourself. He'll buy you another within a week.

[Khemikal]

I would assume it is a heat issue as well. I would check the fan speed of your video card. If you find it running at 50-60%, why not bump it up to 80+? If it solves the problem, it will save you money on a new card. If it is too loud for when you aren't playing, turn it back down when you get done with a gaming session. Freeware program cost < new video card cost

[Fursphere]

Could be overheating.

[Nitro]

My case has 4 fans on it.. 2 up front blowing on the motherboard and video card. An 8in fan on top and a fan in the rear. The side panel is left off as this computer runs very warm.. That is not including the fan thats on the motherboard, video card and side panel (thats off).

It is very important to make sure you have proper airflow through the case. Sometimes people will install fans in bad directions (all blowing into the case) and they just end up cancelling each other out and your box overheats. In some situations taking the side off of the case does not help much at all either. Take a moment to think about how the air is getting into your case and out and what path that entails.

[Toonarmy]

I'll buck the trend here.

I had the same issue a few years back with an nVidia card (8600m I think...but don't quote me).

It turned out to be a driver issue (i.e. hadn't bothered installing the latest greatest)

[Allestaria]

Its not a driver issue. That I've kept up with. Last update was 11/26/09. Double checked that one.

I did have a fan that was out of the 6 that are in my computer. Rear exit fan. Replaced it and installed a new Vcool van below the video card.
Turned all fans from medium to high. Can feel the air flow and its loud now. But I can deal with that.

The fan flow is facing the proper way. 3 leading in 4 leading out. I've never had a temp problem until now. And it started with this video card.

After doing some more reading on this card. It turns out to be the one hubby and I tried to avoid buying. The 8800gtx just rewraped with a minor upgrade..
Oh well I'll wait till next year and buy me a good card.