Constant issues with every Windows version

Hey everyone... I’ve got a PC that’s about four years old now—I actually did a clean install of Windows 8.1 back in November—but after leaving it sitting idle for a week, things have gone sideways. Now, when I boot it up and try to run something like FIFA 15, the screen turns into this bizarre, garish mess of colors after just a few minutes. It’s even happening when I hover over icons. I originally jumped to 8.1 because the previous setup kept hitting a black screen right after the Windows logo and loading sequence—usually forcing a hard reset. I tried moving up to Windows 10, but the moment I attempt to install the graphics drivers, it hits that same black screen loop. I even rolled back to Windows 7, but that just gave me the same distorted color issues. I’m honestly at a loss here.

time to swap out that GPU...

wearymason4 said:just upgrade the GPU...

Because it’s all just vanity...The rig belongs to my brother...And a card like that is $167 total overkill

Saving up for a new GPU—I honestly don't know what else you want someone to tell you at this point. 🙂 Unfortunately, it isn't some software glitch or driver issue; it’s just a straight-up hardware failure.

Larry Ortiz5 said:Start saving up for a new GPU—I'm not sure what you're looking for me to say here, but 🙂 unfortunately, it isn't a software issue; it's a hardware failure.

What can you do... I'll sell off some gear to scrape the cash together. The card in question is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX series... It’s used, so it shouldn't break the bank, but I can't exactly walk into a store and grab a new one right now.

mellowfalcon3 said:Man, I don't know... I'm planning to sell off a few things to save up some cash. The card I'm looking at is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX series... It's used, so it isn't too pricey, and I can't even find a new one in stock locally right now.

I'm not quite sure why you're focusing strictly on that one specific card, though? You could honestly plug in just about any other card—as long as it fits the PCIe slot, your heart can be your guide. Honestly, don't even bother looking for a new one in a retail store; that particular model is pretty old by now, so it's no surprise stores aren't stocking it anymore. Why don't you list out your full system specs? If you aren't sure what you have, just download Speccy https://www.piriform.com/speccy. Once you install it, just copy over your hardware details. You might even have integrated graphics you can use to get by until you've saved enough for a dedicated upgrade.

Look, I’m not clueless here... I know my way around a PC and I have my doubts about the GPU too, but I was really hoping for a win here... I don't have integrated graphics, and my budget is capped at $233—which, honestly, served me just fine until now. My current setup is an Intel Athlon running at 3.00 GHz paired with 4 GB of GDDR3 RAM.

What kind of power supply are we talking about here? Honestly, your best bet would be checking Craigslist—you can find some really solid graphics cards there for $233—but just make sure you mention your location so people know if a local pickup makes sense.