Common Symptoms of Graphics Card Problems include:
1. Flickering or Distorted Screen: This is one of the most common signs that your graphics card may be failing. If the screen appears to flicker, distort or otherwise show visual artifacts like random lines or shapes, then it’s possible that the graphics card itself is damaged or malfunctioning.
2. Incorrect Resolution: If the resolution on the screen appears to be incorrect or strangely formatted, then this could be a sign of a problem with the graphics card. Often times an incorrect resolution will appear when the graphics card is not properly communicating with the rest of the system.
3. Slow Performance: Poor performance can also be caused by a malfunctioning graphics card. If you’re experiencing slowdowns or stuttering when using applications that require a lot of graphical power, then it’s possible that the graphics card is to blame.
4. No Output: If the system is unable to display any output on the monitor at all, then this can be caused by a faulty graphics card. In some cases, you may see BIOS or error messages on the display but no other output.
5. Overheating: Many graphics cards feature built-in temperature monitoring and will reduce performance or even shut down completely if the temperature gets too high. This can be caused by a poor cooling setup or if the graphics card is defective in some way.
6. Visual Artifacts: While this is similar to flickering and distorted output, visual artifacts refer to more specific issues like colors that are too bright or faded, strange patterns or textures, or even characters from certain fonts being replaced with random symbols.
7. System Hangs: If the system seems to freeze or hang up for no apparent reason, then this could indicate that the graphics card is to blame. This is especially true if the hang occurs when trying to launch a graphically intensive application.
8. Unusual Sounds: Another indication that something may be wrong with the graphics card is an unusual noise coming from the system. This could indicate a fan failure or other hardware issue with the graphics card.
9. Color Issues: If the colors on the display seem off or washed out compared to what they normally should look like, then this could point to a problem with the graphics card.