If your computer crashes when using the graphics card, there are a few steps you can take to resolve the issue. Below, you will find a comprehensive guide on how to troubleshoot and potentially fix your computer’s graphics card crashing issue.
Step 1: Check if your graphics drivers are up to date
One of the most common causes of a graphics card crashing is an outdated or incompatible graphics driver. If your graphics driver is not up to date, then it may not be compatible with the newer applications, games, or operating system that you have installed. Therefore, you should always make sure that your graphics driver is up to date before starting any software or game.
To check if your graphics driver is up to date, you should first open the Device Manager on your computer by pressing Windows Key + X and clicking on the option labelled “Device Manager”. Once you have opened the Device Manager, locate and expand the section labelled “Display adapters” and then look for your graphics card. Right click on the graphics card, select “Properties”, and then click on the “Driver” tab. The Driver tab will tell you the version of the currently installed graphics driver and whether or not it is up to date.
If the version of your graphics driver is not up to date, then you should go to the manufacturer’s website to download the latest version of the driver. However, before you install the driver, make sure to uninstall the old driver first. To do this, right click on the graphics card in Device Manager again and select the option labelled “Uninstall device”. Once the driver has been uninstalled, restart your computer and then proceed to install the new driver.
Step 2: Check for overheating
Another potential cause of your graphics card crashing is overheating. If your graphics card is overheating, then it is not able to perform to its full capacity and may unexpectedly crash. To check if your graphics card is overheating, you can use a tool such as GPU-Z or MSI Afterburner to monitor the temperature. Most modern graphics cards should not exceed 80°C when running high intensity applications or games.
If your graphics card is running too hot, you may need to take measures to improve its cooling. One way to do this could be to open up your computer case and add additional fans to ensure that there is sufficient airflow around your graphics card. You may also want to check if there is any dust or dirt build-up on the fan of your graphics card that could be blocking the airflow. In some cases, you may even need to replace your graphics card cooler with a better cooling solution.
Step 3: Check for hardware incompatibilities
Your computer may be crashing due to an incompatibility between the graphics card and the other hardware components in your computer. For example, if you recently added a new piece of hardware to your computer such as a hard drive, RAM, or a CPU, then this could be causing conflicts between your graphics card and the new hardware.
To determine if this is the case, you should check if all the hardware components in your computer are compatible with each other. To do this, you should start by looking at the specifications of your graphics card and other hardware components to see if they are all compatible. If one of the components is not compatible with the others, then you may need to replace it or remove the incompatible hardware from your computer.
Step 4: Check your power supply
The power supply of your computer might also be causing issues with your graphics card. If the power supply is not delivering enough power to the graphics card, then it may not be able to perform correctly which can lead to crashing or other issues.
To determine if this is the case, you should inspect the power connectors on your graphics card and make sure that they are properly connected to the power supply. Additionally, you should also use a tool such as PSU Calculator or PCPart Picker to calculate the minimum wattage required by your computer. This will help you to determine if your power supply is capable of providing enough power to your graphics card and other components. If your power supply is insufficient, then you may need to replace it with a higher wattage power supply.
Step 5: Check for software incompatibilities
Software incompatibility issues can also cause your graphics card to crash. If your software is not compatible with your graphics card, then it may cause conflicts which can lead to crashes. To check if this is the case, you should make sure that you are running the latest version of the software that you are using as well as make sure that the software is designed to work with your graphics card.
If you are running an older version of the software, then you should update it to the latest version. Additionally, you should make sure that the software is optimized for your graphics card. You can usually find out if a software is optimized for a particular graphics card by checking the specifications for the software online.
Step 6: Check for hardware defects
In some rare cases, hardware defects can cause a graphics card to crash. To determine if this is the case, you should run various stress tests and benchmarking tools to check if your graphics card is performing as it should. This can help you to identify any hardware issues with your graphics card such as faulty memory or defective chips.
If you suspect that your graphics card is defective, then you should contact the manufacturer and arrange to get it repaired or replaced. Additionally, you should also check the warranty of your graphics card and see if the issue is covered under warranty.
Conclusion
There are a number of potential causes that could be causing your computer to crash when using the graphics card. To resolve the issue, you should start by checking if your graphics driver is up to date and make sure that it is compatible with your computer. You should also check for hardware incompatibilities and ensure that your power supply is capable of providing enough power to the graphics card. Additionally, you should also make sure that any software you are running is compatible with the graphics card and that there are no hardware defects. If all else fails, you should contact the manufacturer and arrange to get your graphics card repaired or replaced.