Friends card drivers keeps crashing

So my friend had a prebuilt not long ago off some Ebay seller, and a couple of weeks after having it, his video card would constantly report 'The display driver has stopped responding and has recovered', without downloading speedfan to check if it was overheating, he just straight up bought a new fan. Installed it, problem still happened. The graphics card wasn't brilliant anyway and he had a ton of money, so I suggest a replacement. He buys a 660ti, and the problem happens, MORE OFTEN. So I say, replace your power supply (from a cheap crappy 550w) to a Corsair 750W Bronze, and the problem happened less often.

I found this on the internet to give him, it worked for a small while then his PC just blue screened.

(I can't link, so just google 'Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" error in Windows 7 or Windows Vista' and click the first link'

Now the error is back.

Anyone got any clues?

Thanks

Hiya,

My first guess (as you have already investigated) would be an over-heating card. My second guess (as yours) would be the PSU. Failing all that, I would try a fresh install of Windows with a fresh download of the NVidia driver from their website (not the supplied one with the card), in case something has got corrupted / incompatibility between something in windows.

I'm assuming you've got a Windows license key stuck to the case. Even if you don't have any media supplied, you can borrow someones Windows disk to re-install and then re-activate with your key.

Cheers!

Yeah I would also recommend getting a new PSU that is not total crap :p It's a very bad idea to be running expensive components on a cheap PSU, you're friend is asking for trouble :p

Before trying a complete fresh windows build:
1. Run Memtest86 on the computer with all hardware as it is. Does it pass or fail?
2. Try disabling everything you can in the BIOS whilst still allowing the computer to boot, downclocking the memory and making sure no overclocking is happening.
3. Run Memtest 86. If it failed and now passes, do the memory first then add/enable everything one at a time, testing each time to identify the culprit.
4. If Memtest86 says it passes in both cases, it is still a matter of elimination. First, I'd do the memory. See if the problem recurs, then plug bits in and test, one at a time. Finally, start enabling motherboard features, such as sound etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by badass

Before trying a complete fresh windows build:
1. Run Memtest86 on the computer with all hardware as it is. Does it pass or fail?
2. Try disabling everything you can in the BIOS whilst still allowing the computer to boot, downclocking the memory and making sure no overclocking is happening.
3. Run Memtest 86. If it failed and now passes, do the memory first then add/enable everything one at a time, testing each time to identify the culprit.
4. If Memtest86 says it passes in both cases, it is still a matter of elimination. First, I'd do the memory. See if the problem recurs, then plug bits in and test, one at a time. Finally, start enabling motherboard features, such as sound etc.

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Couldn't have put it better myself.

You can also use Prime95 to test for CPU/RAM stability. And Furmark to test the GPU for overheating.

TDR issue by the sound of it, guessing the BSOD code is 116

Upgrade motherboard and gfx card BIOSes, latest drivers etc.....and pray.