Troubleshooting an evga GTX 660

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Alright so I got a new video card for an old build with a dying video card. The new one is an evga GTX 660 (non ti, non overclocked)
The problem is upon installing the drivers the PC bluescreens while at the starting windows screen. The message says attempt to restart the graphics driver and recover failed (or whatever it is along those lines). the stop message ix 0x00000116. driver in question is nvlddmkm.sys

I have eliminated, as far as I can tell, the possibility of a driver problem. I tried driver sweeper once, tried two versions of drivers (the one on the disc and the latest, 320.49 from online), and I simply just uninstalled and reinstalled numerous times.

Anyway, I have eliminated the possibility of drivers im fairly sure, and the possibility of a bad motherboard, as my 9600GT is working perfectly as I type this on the PC in question. (Noteably, the 9600GT bluescreens about once a week or so with the same message of driver recovery failed. I could not tell you if the stop message is the same, if it happens again ill update thread. This only happens after a while of gaming or sometimes tabbing in and out of games (Temperatures are reasonable, not a cause))

I might also say that the card DID boot ubuntu live off a USB and display the screen in 1080p quite well. It also works fine in safe mode for windows. I couldnt get any of the GPU diagnostics tools in ubuntu to work though-most seemed to be unavailable to download, the nvidia drivers didnt like live copy)

So my question is, could the OS itself be the problem?Should I attempt to make a small, linux partition?

Or is it more likely than not just a faulty card?


Im about done here, I just want to know by tommorow if I can send the bloody thing back if it is indeed faulty.


Specs: core 2 quad Q9400
4GB ddr2 800
450w PSU (card appears to be working fine on it in terms of fan spinning, slight heat generation)
Intel DG41CN (example link: http://compare.ebay.com/like/310648485013?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar)

I know its not a good system to put a gtx 660 on but the rest will be replaced eventually.
If its relevant my case has more than adequate cooling.


This is not what I wanted to do upon receiving a new card. I wanted to game :/ Please, please help. and thank you.
 
Download the latest driver from here: http://goo.gl/Uxxtp. Once you have downloaded and opened the installer, chose the "Custom Install" option. Check the box that says "Clean Install". If that doesnt help, report back.
 
I tried as you said, and same result. I also completely reinstalled my OS (something I had sort of been wanting to do anyway) and installed the latest drivers (with clean install checked, as why not, I think I had checked it once before anyway) and the same result. I put my old graphics card back in and its working fine.

I went ahead and scheduled a replacement with amazon. Theres really no other possibilities as far as I can tell.
 
If that replacement doesnt work, then it may be that you do not have enough power to run the power hungry Q9400 and a 660.
 
I just got my replacement today and its running the drivers without crashing. Gonna go play some games but everything is looking ok!
I am very, very, excited...
 
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