Crazy colors and then freezing

[Derekj032]

A while ago i noticed my desktop cooling fans started to get a little bit louder, I payed little attention. Whether it is a coincidence or not I'm not sure, around the same time i started having my computer freeze intermittently and it became progressively worse. When i turn on the computer there are weird colors and shapes everywhere and it will eventually turn into where there are so many lines and such on the screen I cannot see anything and then it will freeze. From boot up to the time it freezes is about 1-3 minutes. I cannot boot from safe mode to see if it is software or hardware because of encryption.

Any help would be great. I figure it is either a video card or motherboard issue, but then again I really have no idea. I also have sensitive material on the computer so taking it somewhere to get fixed is out of the question.

 

[swwelsh]

Check all the fans, including the one on the video card, and replace any that are not working or running slow. Clean all vents and around the power supply and make sure the power supply fan is working. To check whether this is an overheating problem (sounds like it), take off the side of the case and run a window fan at the innards, see if it lasts longer before freezing up. The video artifacts suggest that it is a video card problem, they are prone to burning out. It may not help to replace the card fan, you might need a new card, it does not take long for things to get permanently damaged when running hot. Check in the bios to see if there is a temperature monitor for the cpu, and/or a monitor for the cpu fan speed