Graphics cards are the most expensive component of a PC, and more so now that they are so scarce. Therefore, we must take good care of them to avoid problems that complicate our lives. Therefore, if you are having graphics problems and want to know if it is your GPU, we will tell you how to determine it.
In the same way, we remember that we refer to external graphics, integrated graphics cards have another way of relating to your motherboard. So this little guide won’t do you much good if you have one of these.
The pink lights
The problem that many look for this type of guide is almost always the “artifacts”. These are graphical glitches that are mostly seen in demanding games and that are hard to ignore. They are usually pink, blue, or even red. They are represented at any moment of a game and turn on the alarms of any gamer
If you have just assembled your PC and it is new (less than 6 months of use), go directly to the store and ask for a change. Artifacts almost always represent hardware problems, although if you are lazy, have exceeded the warranty time, or want to try other solutions first, you are within your rights.
Artifacts are the first sign that something is wrong. However, it is not always a problem with the graphics, but with the game. It is best to test other similar or demanding titles and see if those artifacts are always present in all games. If it was something punctual only once, you can rest assured. If it repeats, then there are problems.
Software first
On rare occasions the drivers of a graphics card can cause problems in some or all games. Artifacts are almost always related to hardware problems, but don’t lose hope and do this:
If you installed a new driver recently, uninstall it and revert to the previous version. Both AMD and Nvidia allow this by googling the version of the driver, GURU3D.com also stores all the drivers, so you have several options.
If you didn’t install anything new, then update to the latest version. In the end, you will have to retest the games and check if there are artifacts or not. If the problem persists use MSI Afterburner, a free program that gives you information about your GPU. There go to “Power Limit” and make sure it is at 0, 10 or 20, it should not be in negative numbers.
General cleaning
If none of this fixes the problem, get ready for what’s next. You should open your cabinet and take a look at your graph. The goals are to see if it is properly connected to the motherboard, check its connection to the power source, and see if there is visible physical damage.
In any case, you will have to disconnect it and do all this. Take advantage and clean it in case it has dust, you can separate the case with a screwdriver and use a blower to remove the dust without having to touch anything directly. Then plug it back in and try again.
If the problem persists, start looking for your invoice to request a change through the guarantee. If you are past the date you have bad luck and you will have to buy a new graph since it is dying little by little. In some cases they can last weeks or even months as long as you do not force their power with some game, while in others only hours.
Lost FPS
As we said, artifacts are a more scandalous and well-known symptom, but there are others. If the performance of your GPU drops in a specific game, it could also mean that it is dying. However, remember that there can be demanding graphics settings, poorly optimized games, and high temperatures that undermine the performance of a title.
Just worry if a title that was going at 60 FPS starts moving at 12 FPS constantly. A drop from 60 FPS to 45 FPS when there is an explosion and 20 characters on the screen is not a flaw in your graphics, it is simply a special effect that may not be fully optimized.
Therefore, if the game goes to 12 FPS in a normal graphic configuration and only a few days ago it was going well, then it is time to test the graphics in other titles. If it offers similar performance, you should start to worry, but before condemning your graphics you can always check your PC for viruses or even mining software.
To “get healthy”, it is best to format your PC, install Windows again in its newest version and install all the drivers in its latest version. If this doesn’t fix the problem, your graph may be getting too hot.
Attentive to temperatures
To check it use HWinfo. When you download it and open it, go to “Sensors” and go down there until you get the “GPU” section, then go to “Memory Temperature Junction” and put a difficult game to run. If the temperature exceeds 85ºC, you have an overheating problem and the solution may be to clean your PC and your graphics since the dust does not allow air to flow.
If your PC is clean because you are careful or your PC is new and still the temperature exceeds 85ºC, then it is your graph. Check if the fans of this one are working properly when playing, if not, you can buy others and you can still save it. If the fans are working fine, it is directly that the GPU has a problem beyond your control. Then it’s time to guarantee or buy a new one.
Then they are the main symptoms of a faulty graph, learn to differentiate them to avoid unnecessary urgencies and so that you can act on time. Remember to be attentive to artifacts, considerable drops in performance and overheating due to dirt. And above all how much guarantee you have left
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