Hi, I have been having a problem with my graphics card (Sparkle Geforce 6600GT). It keeps freezing when i'm on the internet and it sometimes freezes when I just open up the 'start menu'.

I have found out that it is a problem with the hardware acceleration, and if I turn it off my PC runs fine. I have to turn it back on to play games and it runs them absolutely fine, but I have to turn it off again to do normal activites on the desktop. So i'm quite confused.

Is there something that I can do to fix it or is the GFX card beyond repair?

AMD AthlonXP 3000+
1GB PC3200 Crucial DDR (512 x2, dual channel)
80GB HDD
Onboard sound
Sparkle Geforce 6600GT 128mb DDR
Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe
Windows XP Home Edition

Hi Inkpen.
Are you comfortable entering and making changes in your system's bios?
If you are, make the following changes where needed, save, bootup and test.
VGA Pallet Snooping: Disable
Video BIOS Shadowing: Disable
Video RAM Cacheable: Disable
USWC: Disable/UC
Pipeline Cache Write: Disable
AGP Turbo Read Mode: Disable
AGP Turbo Write Mode: Disable
If it doesn't cure it, click start>run. Type "dxdiag" (no quotes) in the run box and hit your enter key.
On the "system" tab, at the bottom of the list, is the version of directx currently installed.
If it's lower then 9.0c, then go here, download and install it, reboot, then test again.
If the issue still remains, from the desktop, click "My Computer" and select "properties".
Click the "hardware" tab then click the "Device Manager" button.
Click the + sign next to "display adapters, right click the adapter and select "properties".
Click the "driver" tab and note the version number. If it's lower then version 81.98, go here, download and install the latest drivers and reboot. Read the "driver installation hints document" while you're there.

Thanks, I have tried all of those. I'm running DX9.0c and Nvidia Driver 81.98.

I did change the BIOS settings but they haven't changed anything else, they might have made it worse to be on fact.

Here's a screenshot of what it looks like:



The most common way it looks when it freezes, a bar (about 5-10 pixels in height) comes along the screen with all mixed up colours.

I'm still under the impression that it is my graphics but want to be sure before I spend anymore money.

Well, thanks for your help, but i've came to the conclusion that it's buggered. I tried to load a game and the intro screen just froze and went all garbled as it would on the desktop, then it just restarts my computer.

Looks like a new card is needed now...

Have you lowered your resolution and color to see if it clears up. Also adjust your refresh rate. This may not giv you the setting you want to platy your games but it may let you know how much more car you will need.

Yeah, I tried to change resolution and the refresh rate. But the problem is still there. So i've ran out of ideas now...