From video games to professional 3D works, graphics cards are an essential kit for those who want to push their computers to the new graphic output level. Unfortunately, as usual when adding additional hardware to the computer, the graphics card comes with some private problems and incidents.
If your graphics card does not work, it can cause discomfort, especially for those who have no experience in graphics cards and error diagnosis. Here are the symptoms of an faulty graphics card and how you can fix it when the graphics card does not work.
Causes of faulty graphics card and how to fix it
Symptoms of faulty graphics card
The game works inefficiently
A story is not strange: you buy a new gaming laptop or GPU when you hear that it will run at extremely fast frame speed, but when actually running games, it works less than 30% or bad. More than expected.
When the frame speed in the game is low (or higher) a little more what you expect – there are many variables to consider. But if your GPU is operating lower than expected, then you should start reviewing the solutions.
Computer incident
Error graphics cards can cause PC to have problems. These incidents may vary, from simple blue screen errors, PCs are frozen (but do not display blue screen), to random restart and power off. Not all incidents are caused by the graphics card, but if you have enabled the memory output and the error is caused by the graphic card driver, you can be sure to say that it is the culprit.
There are strange phenomena on the screen
When an incident occurs with a graphics card, you may notice this through a strange image on the screen. This is because the graphics card is how PC “draws” on the screen. The color will look different, the 3D model will be stretched out without reason, etc. If the graphics card fails.
Large cooling fan sound
When starting the software using 3D graphics (or even when starting a computer), you can hear the sound like a small jet air plane taking off in a PC. This is the sound fan sound in the operating system. If this fan is a fan on the graphics card, it may be a sign that something is wrong with it.
Driver incident
Sometimes you are using a normal PC when the screen turns black for a few seconds. When it comes back, you will be informed that the video driver is faulty and must restart. This will not damage the entire PC but it may be very uncomfortable if it occurs often.
Black screen
Sometimes you will not see any visual clues! A broken graphics card may simply stop working and do not display anything. You will have to use an integrated graphics card or a cheap graphics card to see if it is due to your card or screen. If either of them work, it is likely to be due to the error of the graphics card.
The graphics card corrections do not work
Although many of the above are the symptoms of an upcoming graphics card, but not always. There are several ways for you to try to repair the graphics card before making a final ruling about it and buy a new one.
Make sure the GPU has been activated
This is especially applicable to laptops, but can also be applied to desktops if your CPU has integrated GPU on it.
Many laptops have an integrated feature that when you withdraw them from the source, they will automatically disable specialized GPUs to maintain battery life. Sometimes, this feature can still be turned on even if you have plugged into the power source or you may have put it into “always turning” at some time.
There are several ways to make sure the GPU has been activated:
If you have NVIDIA GPU, go to Nvidia Control Panel, then in “Manage 3D Settings”click on the tab Program Settingsnavigating the game you are having a problem, then in the Drop-Down menu “Select the preferred graphics processor”select “High-Performance Nvidia Processor”.
Some laptops provide separate software that allows you to activate and disable GPU with just one click (for example, Asus Armoury Crate laptop). In “System Configuration”you can turn off “IGPU Mode” To activate NVIDIA GPU or just convert it into “Off” Let NVIDIA GPU be activated permanently.
If both of the above ways do not work, go to the BIOS Laptop (press the specified key – usually F2 or F8 – When starting PC) and see if you can activate your dedicated graphics card from there. Also, try turning off iGPU, this can activate specialized GPUs starting to operate.
API swap
If the problem you meet only appears in specific games, maybe they are not really a problem.
Modern GPUs create 3D graphics through 3 different APIs: DirectX, OpenGL and Vulkan. Most games allow you to select APIs when accessing their advanced graphics settings.
But things become more complicated when there are different versions of those APIs, with different levels of support depending on the combination of driver, GPU and operating system. For example, NVIDIA's reliable old GTX 970 is said to have no problem with all three APIs in Windows 10. GameCube games with pale colors. Then, with a APIGL conversion tool to OpenGL, everything is perfect.
Driver changes
The graphics card driver can change. If the driver is outdated, they can cause problems when playing more modern games. If the old graphics card, newer drivers can be more harmful than to benefit the stability of the system. Sometimes, even though you have a very new graphics card and updated driver, the computer will still have a problem!
If you haven't updated your graphics card driver for a while, update them via Nvidia, AMD or Intel, depending on your type of card. Also, if you have recently updated the driver, try recovering the driver on the previous day or installing an older driver via the supplier's driver storage.
Delete the entire driver
Recently, you may have upgraded your GPU and has switched to a new brand – for example: switching from GPU AMD to GPU produced by NVIDIA. In this case, it is best to completely uninstall the previous GPU drivers. Unfortunately, the official uninstalls often do not remove everything. Thankfully, there is a third party solution for that problem: Display Driver Uninstaller.
Download Display Driver Uninstaller (abbreviated DDU) and run it before swap GPU or set the desired driver. Use it to remove any traces of the existing display driver, then turn off the computer and replace the new GPU, or restart and install other display drivers.
This is also helpful while fixing the display problem, as it allows you to ensure that their causes are not due to driver conflict.
Cool down
It is likely that the graphics card is having a high heat problem. This will be particularly related if the error only occurs after the 3D graphics output at a time or if you notice the graphics card fan is very large while the output. If so, try checking the temperature of the graphics card to see its heat level.
You can resist the high heat phenomenon by removing graphics cards and cleansing dust with compressed air. You can even open the card and replace the heat sticker inside, although the beginning should not try this. There are also tools to adjust the fan's fan and graphic output, such as MSI Afterburner.
Improve the ability to cool the system
Another reason why your graphics card is too hot is due to something that hinders the cooling process. If the graphics card does not receive enough cool air from the fan's fans, it may be overheated. Check your Case fan to see if there is dirt and hygiene properly. You may also want to check your cable management to see if there is any cable that hinders the airflow inside the case.
Make sure the graphics card is placed in the right place
The graphics card should be placed in the right position in their PCI slots to operate effectively. If an additional power plug requires to operate, they need to be plugged in solid. Do not do either (or both) this can cause errors related to graphics cards. Make sure the card is plugged into PCI and tighten, as well as every source connector needed for operation is plugged in the device properly.
Check the video cable
If the cable from PC to graphics cards have problems, it can create strange visual effects. If something strange happens, make sure the video cable is properly plugged in both sides or replacing the cable.
Check the screen
Image problems may not be even caused by a graphics card but instead a sign that the screen is faulty. If there is no way above, try replacing the screen or graphics card. If the problem disappears, whatever you replace will be the culprit.
Check power source
Computer source (PSU) may be the cause of continuous display if it cannot provide enough stable power sources for the graphics card. If the errors you encounter only appears during the game loading or 3D output, your PSU may be faulty. Try checking your graphics card with another PSU to see if it works normally. In this case, it may be time to replace PSU.
Instead of graphics card
However, sometimes, the simple symptoms are signs of a card that is time to be needed. If you really doubt that nothing can be brought back to the current state, you can try to buy a very cheap graphics card to see if it works on your PC. If the problem is solved, consider buying a new card better!
Reference: List of the best graphics cards in the 2025 price segment for more details.
