Graphics Card Not Well?

[Washac]

Just had my Mac Pro freeze with all little squares right across the screen, turned it off and re booted and all OK, but I assume this is the first sign of my graphics card folding, or could it be a over heating problem ?

 

[ActionableMango]

From what I've seen over years of reading computer and video card forums, there are three common reasons for this:

1) Card is failing. Replace card.
2) Card is over heating. Fixes include blowing out the dust, replacing the stock sinks/fans with improved aftermarket cooler, removing the heatsink and replacing the thermal compound, and improving airflow in the case.
3) Bad drivers, solved by a driver update (but I've only seen this about Windows, not OS X).

 

[Washac]

From what I've seen over years of reading computer and video card forums, there are three common reasons for this:

1) Card is failing. Replace card.
2) Card is over heating. Fixes include blowing out the dust, replacing the stock sinks/fans with improved aftermarket cooler, removing the heatsink and replacing the thermal compound, and improving airflow in the case.
3) Bad drivers, solved by a driver update (but I've only seen this about Windows, not OS X).

I will be one of the top 2 most likely 2, thanks.

 

[Mac Moof]

Thats exactly the symptoms my Mac Pro as the Graphics Card died. I had a chequered type screen and then lots of lines and corrupted graphics. At first i thought it was the Logic board as i hadn't heard of many graphics card failures but it was indeed the ATI 4870.

 

[MattDSLR]

Just had my Mac Pro freeze with all little squares right across the screen, turned it off and re booted and all OK, but I assume this is the first sign of my graphics card folding, or could it be a over heating problem ?

I had the same issue replaced card and it work like new

 

[Washac]

Not happened again yet, just that one incident, fingers crossed =)

 

[pastrychef]

Check your fan and heatsink. Make sure the fan is working right and dust is not clogging things up. It could cause overheating which can result in the symptom you described.

 

[Gav Mack]

If the fans and heatsink in the MP and the card are clear, be prepared for it happening again soon. I would make plans anticipating it going wrong again by looking around for a replacement.

 

[Washac]

If the fans and heatsink in the MP and the card are clear, be prepared for it happening again soon. I would make plans anticipating it going wrong again by looking around for a replacement.

Yea, not looked inside for dust yet, but do have plans to replace if all does go really wrong.

 

[gpzjock]

If you still need Slow Leopard you can flash a cheap 5870 to replace your dying card. They have dropped in price since the Bitcoin miners lost interest in them. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sapphire-Radeon-5870-1024-MB-Graphics-Card-/151186990029?pt=UK_Computing_Computer_Components_Graphics_Video_TV_Cards_TW&hash=item23337263cd

6870 cards are cheap too: http://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-Radeon-HD6870-Graphics-Memory/dp/B004O0OKXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386857024&sr=8-1&keywords=6870
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sapphire-Radeon-HD-6870-1024-MB-111790920G-Graphics-Card/291036169126?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D286%26meid%3D3346771626845243148%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D151186990029%26

If you can move on to Mavericks or ML the Nvidia world is your mollusc:http://www.amazon.co.uk/GeForce-DirectCU-Graphics-DisplayPort-Surround/dp/B0098VKIRC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1386857139&sr=8-4&keywords=GTX660ti