Sager-4750 / 3D Graphics problem with Mobile RADEON 9700

[ProtoProtoss]

For some reason while playing WarCraft 3 The Frozen Throne or other games utilizing 3d graphics... my graphics go crazy to where you start seeing ridiculous colors everywhere as seen in the screenshots I attached. I have the latest BIOS, updated drivers and everything, and it still won't cease to stop doing it. This leads me to believe it is a bad video card, but I'm not sure, please help if possible.

My setup is: Windows XP Corp with Integrated SP2 / 1 GB Ram on 1 DIMM / AMD Athlon 64 3400+ (2.2ghz but equivalent to 3.4 ghz on intel) / etc. etc.

 

[gasstronamicle]

i assume u got latest drivers right. did u check u connected your vidoe card to a molex connecter if it requires one.
i dont think its a video card problem. run prime95 for a a couple of hours. that would rule out ram cpu, or psu as a problem.
has this happened before? when did u get this problem? did you do something before that? is anything overclocked?

 

[ProtoProtoss]

I actually just received the laptop about 3 days ago and it's been doing it ever since I received it. The video card was installed before I received it. The graphics don't go crazy immediately, but after maybe one hour to two hours of playing. Sometimes it fixes itself then starts back again awhile later, and I just don't get it.

As for overclocking, no. I've never experimented with overclocking nor do I care too. I spent too much on this laptop to risk voiding the warranty on it.

 

[gasstronamicle]

its not the video card then. as if it runs the game fine for awhile then its not the video card. it sounds like overheating. so try better cooling perhaps, but i suggest you contact dell for this as notebooks are tricky, and much harder to repair as you cant open it up and check if it is overheating.
try to run prime 95 see waht happens

 

[ProtoProtoss]

It's actually made by Sager. I thought it might be overheating also actually. I heard about AS5 heatpipe cooling, but I think that may vid my warranty if I applied it. I had mobile meter running and saw it get up to about 72 degrees C or so.

 

[gasstronamicle]

i think its voerheating i dont think video cards should be 72*c in laptops my 9700pro runs at 35*c (desktop computer) i suggest you rma it

 

[ProtoProtoss]

Mine is around 72*c during intense gameplay, but in idle doing nothing, it's around 45*c. I heard on another forum many people managing to get theres to be as low as 60*c during intense gameplay through internal heatpipe modifications, etc. but I don't know much about doing that sort of thing.

RMA? Return Merchandise authorization?

I spoke with the company and they had me to send them photos of what was going on taken by digital cam so there tech support can take a look at that. They haven't responded yet since it's the weekend, but I imagine they will have at least something to say about it.

I'm running Prime95 v23.8 now. I set it on the one to use maximum heat to see if the video will start acting up again. I might try to play the game while it does it to see also.

 

[gasstronamicle]

prime 95 doesnt test video card it tests ram, cpu and power supply. im asking you to rn it to rule out other problems. 70*c is pretty darn hot post abck when u get a respond form the company, try to go into a cold room or let the ac blow onto the laptop and see if the problem takes longer to manifest

 

[ProtoProtoss]

Well with Prime95, I was thinking that since while running it got up to 73*c that I could just let that run for 2 hours, and see if the problem pops up without me being in a 3d game. I'm monitoring it with Mobile Meter at the same time to see. I plan to let it run maybe 2 hours so I can find out.