Replacing GeForce GTX 550 Ti v355.82?

Kit wrote on 1/5/2016, 5:45 PM
Recently I have been getting a lot of blue screens especially when using Vegas (but not exclusively so). I've also seen artificats on my monitors. I've tested the memory and found no errors so am wondering if the video card is the culprit. I use my PC primarily with CorelDraw and Sound Forge but am planning to do more Vegas work this year. Any suggestions for a replacement card, any to definitely avoid. Price is a consideration but not the final one. I'm looking for stability then performance. Have always used nVidia but am open to change. Here's my system:

---------------

System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Version 6.1.7600 Build 7600
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz, 3501 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)
Asus P8Z77-V Pro Motherboard
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 1504, 01/08/2012
Memory: 8GB
Power: Corsair AX850
Case: Carbide Series� 500R White Mid-Tower Case: CC-9011013-WW

----------------

Thanks for any suggestions.

Comments

john_dennis wrote on 1/5/2016, 6:17 PM
Do you have any of the message presented at the Blue Screen? The only ones that I've ever seen were actual hardware failures, one failed memory DIMM and one motherboard that soon went to a black screen.

I've been looking at this middle-of-the-road card but deferred it for a few weeks. Maybe you'd like to jump out there and test the waters for us.
Kit wrote on 1/5/2016, 7:56 PM
Thanks for the link. Here's the info I got using Nirsoft BlueScreenView.exe

Dump File : 123015-10155-01.dmp
Crash Time : 30/12/2015 12:07:39
Bug Check String : SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
Bug Check Code : 0x0000003b
Parameter 1 : 00000000`c0000005
Parameter 2 : fffff800`0378615f
Parameter 3 : fffff880`090cb020
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver : ntoskrnl.exe
Caused By Address : ntoskrnl.exe+735c0
File Description : NT Kernel & System
Product Name : Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company : Microsoft Corporation
File Version : 6.1.7601.18933 (win7sp1_gdr.150715-0600)
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+735c0
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\123015-10155-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7601
Dump File Size : 365,512
Dump File Time : 30/12/2015 12:08:14
john_dennis wrote on 1/6/2016, 12:35 PM
Way more information about Bug Check Code 0x0000003b than you ever wanted to know.
astar wrote on 1/6/2016, 2:57 PM
I would disable any overclocking, including Intel's Turbo boost, and run memory in a stock JEDEC profile. Then check for heat issues while the pc is under load, and correct any heat issues. An app like Speccy can help determine heat and other operation modes of devices.

You say you have checked your memory already. Was this with Windows memory checker or Memtest86 V4+?

Have you verified you Boot disk has no errors, or event logs indicating errors?

Run SFC /Scannow and verify that your windows source is good.

Reset all the cables, GPU, RAM, power supply connectors, and then verify the proper voltages are present on the power supply poles in Bios system status.

Artifacts on screen to me seems like a failing card or memory on the card, but verify the other aspects 1st.
Kit wrote on 1/6/2016, 3:48 PM
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out. I used Windows Memory Checker. Is Memtest86 better? Their website indicates it is up to version 5 now. Any thoughts on a new graphics card - I have a hunch that that is the culprit.
Kit wrote on 1/6/2016, 3:49 PM
Thanks for the link - I'll need a pot or two of coffee.
astar wrote on 1/6/2016, 4:24 PM
I very recently returned some year old PNY memory that Window Memory Checker failed to diagnose. Memtest86 V4 (version depends on BIOS or UEFI motherboard) found bad blocks on one DIMM. Once that dim was removed the stability returned to the system. While the bad dimm was installed, I was having problems with the same BSOD, and the boot drive was behaving like it had bad blocks.

So yes there is a difference between the 2 memory checkers.

You may have to pull the RAM and test each dimm individually to find a bad DIMM, but start with just running the test through all 10 exams. You should get ZERO errors on all tests, any errors logged at all means you need a new DIMM in that slot. Some recommend running the test over night, so you get 2-3 passes on 10 exams. Memtest86 also tests each individual cores interface to memory, and does not just run on one core.
Beatdemon wrote on 1/6/2016, 6:53 PM
Hey Kit,

I'm currently running the same processor but with 8 GB of RAM. It's STILL a good system, albeit I'm having a lot of trouble with a brand spankin' new NVIDIA Quadro M5000 so I would recommend you steer clear of NVIDIA for Vegas (pretty much most people here will tell you that). Sony doesn't support the newer cards very well, apparently. Had I known that, I would have gotten the AMD R9 Fury X like everyone suggests.

Now to your audio problems. It's Vegas, make no mistake. I don't know what audio interface you've got but I'm using a MOTU Ultralite MKIII and if I do more than stereo tracking I get a lot of dropouts/glitchy audio. Also, adding more than a couple of VST plugins from 3rd parties like WAVES when I'm just processing stereo audio will bring it to its knees. I don't have any of these kinds of issues with Ableton. I don't know if you will ever find good surround sound performance with Vegas, I'm sorry to say.

With your bluescreen issues do you have an SSD that you are using for your boot drive? Using one for rendering or recording real-time to? Once SSD's reach a certain capacity they will completely barf and blue screen, particularly if you are using Windows Swap Drive as that can fill it up quickly (and it's bad to keep writing to an SSD unless you have one of the higher end ones that are designed for it). 8 GB of RAM is pushing it. If you do have your Swap Drive enabled on your C drive and you are using an SSD, move it to another drive that has more space and make sure you keep plenty of room free on that C drive.