How to Tell If Your GPU Is Dying?
The growing power and complex management aspects of graphics card design are advantageous to gamers but can become problems for users who aren't clear on troubleshooting unexpected behavior. Most troublesomely, ignoring improperly-maintained GPUs' symptoms can do permanent damage or hasten an already-encroaching entropy at the end of the product's lifespan. Some causes of unwanted graphical symptoms are software-based, and others are physical – and users can resolve most of them without third-parties.
Most graphics cards should shut down before they damage themselves or other hardware by running with unacceptable conditions or requirements. However, sometimes these fail-safe triggers also fail. Users should respond to extreme symptoms, such as smoke immediately, which usually requires replacing the damaged graphics card.
However, the above emergency is rare. Instead, users often experience problems such as graphical anomalies in demanding video games or modeling software or crashes. An initial step that's appropriate to almost every circumstance is to check the graphics card's driver and be sure that it's using the latest, most appropriate patch. In Windows, System Information (Components > Display) and Device Manager (Display Adapters > Properties) include details on the GPU and its driver.
Windows users encountering repeated crashes may check the Event Viewer's logs. Be attentive to Critical event types, which should be uncommon in any well-maintained PC. Event IDs such as 41 (for unexpected power loss) and 6008 (for overheating) are two examples that can provide hints about the source of a potential GPU problem. For even more technical information, a hardware monitoring app can be helpful.
Users shouldn't forget the tangibly-physical side of their graphics cards, which are more than just software. Dust buildup is a frequent cause of performance problems, and in extreme cases, can cause overheating and physical damage. Non-working internal fans (both graphics card-specific and independent) – due to dust, improper installation, or buggy software – are also worth considering.
As a hardware lifespan-preserving measure, many graphics cards include automatic fan controls that slow the fan as long as the additional cooling isn't necessary. Inappropriate graphics card configurations, outdated drivers, and the like can cause the fan not to turn on as required, which can provoke crashes and other problems during GPU-intensive events like gaming on max settings.
Users who still encounter crashes might consider their motherboards for more information. Many motherboard models will provide beep-based audio error codes, and others will display digital ones. Like in the Windows Event Viewer, users can map these ID numbers to particular problems to troubleshoot. Consult the motherboard's manufacturer for details on your product.
Before doing any physical, internal maintenance, users always should counteract any static buildup, which can damage components with an unleashed electrical discharge. Users should unplug all peripherals and the power source before removing dust or re-seating their graphics card.
It's not easy saying farewell to loved ones, but even more than real-life mortality, the lifespan of a GPU is incredibly manipulable. An owner who treats their PC well, cleaning, updating, and securing it, will encounter few problems. Meanwhile, one who takes their graphics card for granted might be bidding farewell to one of the most expensive parts of their computer unhappily fast.