Graphics issues

[ExPat Bobcat]

Howdy all - I want to thank you all in advance for any advice you may be able to give me here. So on with the problem...

I have an early 2009 iMac 24 with the radeon hd4850 card. Life was going well until recently when Blizzard upgraded to 64bit graphics. Initially, the machine took it o.k., but was running noticably warmer. Last thursday Blizz did a hot fix restart, and the moment I logged back into the game, boom, instant and total grafic tearing. Entire screen looked like an old-school fractal screen saver.

There were other graphic anomallies, like thousands of blackened pixellations at times. Framerates were in the toilet as well. But it was all inside of the confines of the Blizzard game tile. So, must be a game problem...

BUT the same thing is happening all over the place now - desktop, opening log-in screen, opened software windows, pull down menus, you name it.

Ran the hardware test from disk, complete 2 hr. Version that found nothing abnormal. Tried booting from Snow Leopard dvd and got blue screen of death. Am only in now in safe mode, but am glad to see names next to files again, but have no idea for how long this will work.

So any ideas you have are welcome, while I take this opportunity to back up the hard drive. Thanks again!

 

[Brian Y]

Sounds like you need a new graphics card tbh.

 

[Torrijos]

My MBPro died like that due to the GPU overheating I assumed (Damn you HLF2... (WORTH it ^^)).

The problem with MBPro and iMac is that they pack quick a lot of power (and heat) in such a small package that the cycles hot-cold have to end up killing it after some time.

I really think that Apple also improved its design and quality (first generation MBPro was a nightmare), and will keep getting better with handling discreet GPUs (until they probably discard them altogether for iGPUs).

My Poor MBPro the day it died.

 

[Cockney Rebel]

It's your video card ...

My iMac is currently in for repair ... having a new video card fitted. Only my screen went completely black! So be quick and make a backup of your system while you still can, and undertake any important work that needs doing, before it fails completely.

And don't completely trust diagnostic software ... my iPhone 4S's battery had been going funny of late, turning off with plenty of charge left. Went to an Apple Store and their diagnostic software claimed that the battery was perfectly fine.

Anyway, the "Genius" replaced the battery for me anyway (she offered to replace the whole phone, but I did not want to do that as apart from the battery issue my phone is a winner - no dead pixels, bleeding or anything).

To the point ... the diagnostic software was WRONG. The battery was faulty/knackered, as the issue has now disappeared and this battery in my iPhone 4S running iOS 6 is AMAZING! It has never lasted so long, even when I first bought it! After two calibrations the thing lasted two days of standby and something like 6 hours of use ...

So ... backup your data and prepare for a video card replacement.

Good luck, buddy

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my poor mbpro the day it died.
View attachment 371190

... Rest In Peace.

 

[CASLondon]

99 percent chance he's right, you've blown your video card (like blowing an ACL).

I once had an old G5 iMac that had display issues that stemmed from a faulty capacitor on the logic board (known manufacturing defect), so you can get this sort of thing from other causes, but....first guess is best

 

[ExPat Bobcat]

I think you are right...

I knew I was simply in denial, but am now digging the box out of the attic and preparing it to mail it in for repair...ugh.

But since I will have the thing busted open, is there an upgrade for that card that will fit nicely in its place? I am really happy with it overall, but wouldn't mind stretching a few more years out it. Again all suggestions are welcome - thanks again.