3 Common Problems with Graphics Cards You Might Experience
3 Common Problems with Graphics Cards You Might Experience
A graphics card is a vital piece of equipment if you play major multiplayer online (MMO) games or work with rendering software. Whether you have built-in graphics or you have spent a few hundred dollars on a new one, all graphics cards at some point will start to give some problems.
Troubleshooting the problem and finding a solution can be tricky. There will be some issues that are more complicated than others, but these are the most common ones that you might face.
Your Device Reboots or Freezes
The worst thing is to be in the middle of an important project or playing a game and your PC shuts itself down or completely freezes. The first thing that you need to rule out is your power feed. Whether it’s the cable that plugs into the wall or the power supply, a lack of power is a common cause of misdiagnosed graphic card failures. To be sure, try switching out the power supply with another one. This is the easiest way to test if you just need a new one, or if your graphics card is indeed on its way out.
If everything seems to be in working order, then you need to manually adjust your graphics card settings. It could just be that your OpenGL version needs to be updated. You might be overclocking your system without knowing it. With overclocking, eventually, the graphics card becomes less functional because there is extra stress placed on the GPU cores and RAM.
The Device is Making Weird Noises
A graphics card moves at an incredible speed. Every model needs a cooling fan to keep the graphics card at a cool temperature. A faulty fan can cause a mechanical fault on the bearings and if your graphics card gets hot, some pieces may melt or break off from the sheer speed that it rotates.
More often than not, a noisy graphics card is a sign that it is failing. You might be able to salvage the pieces if the damage isn’t too bad, but you will need to get a new one soon. The moment the fan fails, that’s it for your graphics card. Look at these Lenovo Intel® Arc™ Graphics cards if you want something with a good reputation for processing power that lasts for years.
It Can’t Be Detected
Either you are presented with a black screen, are directed to the BIOS menu, or your resolution doesn’t look right. This common issue is an easy fix. The cause is either that the graphics card hasn’t been installed correctly, the motherboard is crashing, or your video cable has some problems.
First, try to reinstall the card and see if the problem corrects itself. If not, try another motherboard. Check your video cable if nothing else works. Another possible but unlikely cause is that your BIOS settings have changed. This only happens if your computer or laptop’s core OS settings have been updated.
Graphics card issues are quite common, but luckily most of the time it is easy to diagnose and fix up in a jiffy.
