GPU or what?

Hey, so out of nowhere my computer screen just started acting possessed. I’m getting these weird streaks—like, imagine a totally white screen, but then there are these yellow vertical lines cutting through every couple of inches from top to bottom. It happens both before Windows boots up and after. Is this a GPU issue or what? Like, what am I actually looking at here... what do I need to go out and buy to fix this mess? Thanks.🙂

Looks like Grafulja finally kicked the bucket. Try swapping in your buddy's GPU just to see if that’s actually where the glitch is hiding...

Keith Myers14 said:Hey everyone—so, I just ran into a total nightmare with my PC. Out of nowhere, the screen started acting completely possessed. It’s like this weird, distorted mess where everything looks drawn on—specifically, the whole display turns white, but then there are these bright yellow vertical lines cutting through every two inches or so. It's happening both during the initial boot sequence and once Windows actually loads. Is this a sign that my graphics card is officially kicking the bucket? Or am I looking at something else entirely? What should I be shopping for to fix this—a new GPU, or is it something else? Thanks in advance!🙂

Graphics, look—if you can, try doing a completely clean install of the latest drivers from scratch. If that doesn't do the trick—and honestly, if it doesn't, we're looking at a problem—then you might just be looking at a new GPU.

First, just double-check that all your cables are actually plugged in tight—both on the PC itself and at the monitor... you'd be surprised how many times a loose connection is the culprit!

So, I turn it on and there's this "D-SUB" message sitting in the top right corner. What does that even mean when it pops up like that? It shows a little icon of a connector, too. I've checked everything and it all looks plugged in tight. If the hardware finally kicked the bucket, I might just bite the bullet and buy a whole new rig. This one was my dad's, and he really only uses it for gaming on his Mattel. Honestly, would it be smarter to drop 200-$100 on a fresh setup rather than just trying to replace the graphics card? Thanks.

Keith Myers14 said:When I turn it on, there's this "D-SUB" message in the top right corner—what does that even mean when it pops up like that? It shows a little icon of a connector, too. But I've checked everything and all the cables are plugged in tight. If the hardware is actually fried, I might just grab a new PC... this one was a gift from my dad, and he mostly just uses it for games on his Mattel, so would it really make more sense to drop $200$100 on a whole new setup rather than just replacing the graphics card? Thanks!

D-sub is just shorthand for the monitor connection type—you know, that specific port.(image)

Maybe try plugging the PC into a second monitor just to be safe? It’s probably a graphics card issue. Check Craigslist; you can probably snag something for less than $33 if it's just a gift for your dad. Honestly, whatever you pick up will probably be more than enough for him. Just make sure you double-check the slot—you'll need to know if it's AGP or PCI-E.

So, how old is this rig actually? Like, what’s the age on the tower itself and all the individual components?