Are these graphics card problems?

[Peuri]

Not so important history:

I decided to ask you people for a little help since my computer retail store has failed me utterly. I suspected that my graphics card is somehow broken since the screen is often filled with strange dots and long lines coming out of 3d objects. So I sent it to the retailer, who then sent it to the importer. Then I waited for about three weeks and called the retailer. The retailer said that the importer had sent them a new graphics card, and that they would send it to me and I was overjoyed. Oh boy was I pissed yesterday when I finally got my OLD graphics card back instead of the new one I was promised.. So it's either that I broke it and they sent it back, or that it isn't broken and they sent it back, or perhaps they are just evil. I can't call the retailer since the retailer thought that it's a new one himself, and because they are closed on weekends.

The part dealing with the anomalies:

So, today/tomorrow I'm going to go to my nearest computer store and buy a new graphics card, because I can't stand waiting for another month if I send it to the retailer I last bought my graphics card from. But I'd like to make sure that these errors are indeed caused by a faulty or otherwise broken graphics card.

The anomalies are as follows:

-While in BIOS some letters appear in different colors. (I'm decently sure this didn't happen before)
-While playing triangular or quadrangular, long stages appear from objects, like trees in CivIV, and they have the same textures as the mother objects, only prolonged.
-While playing objects, in a way, implode into their central point deforming the textures.
-Sometimes while glancing through files or Firefox horizontal multicolour lines appear.
-Sometimes in different environments small dots appear on the screen, the color varies alot.

So what do these anomalies point towards? Is it other than the graphics card? I'm a terrible noob at computing, so I don't have a clue anymore.

My hardware + OS:

Motherboard: A8V-E Deluxe
Graphics Card: NVIDIA 7900 GT 256MB
Memory: DDR 400 PC-3200 1024MB x2
Processor AMD Athlon 64 Processor 4000+
OS: Vista 64bit

I would be very grateful if I get some help

 

[kuukkeli]

At least some of the anomalies sound similar to what I had with my faulty 7900 GT. I had long stages running from 3D-objects to the corners of my monitor, very distorted shapes and color, and crashes under slightest of load.

After I got a replacement the reason for the anomalies was clear - the cooling fan in the first card didn't work at all. Replacement sounded like a vacuum cleaner after getting used to one without a fan

 

[Peuri]

It seems that the anomalies have gone away now after I bought a new card. So I guess I broke my previous card or something..

At all? How did you fail to notice that?

 

[Mulholland]

Not so important history:

I decided to ask you people for a little help since my computer retail store has failed me utterly. I suspected that my graphics card is somehow broken since the screen is often filled with strange dots and long lines coming out of 3d objects. So I sent it to the retailer, who then sent it to the importer. Then I waited for about three weeks and called the retailer. The retailer said that the importer had sent them a new graphics card, and that they would send it to me and I was overjoyed. Oh boy was I pissed yesterday when I finally got my OLD graphics card back instead of the new one I was promised.. So it's either that I broke it and they sent it back, or that it isn't broken and they sent it back, or perhaps they are just evil. I can't call the retailer since the retailer thought that it's a new one himself, and because they are closed on weekends.

The part dealing with the anomalies:

So, today/tomorrow I'm going to go to my nearest computer store and buy a new graphics card, because I can't stand waiting for another month if I send it to the retailer I last bought my graphics card from. But I'd like to make sure that these errors are indeed caused by a faulty or otherwise broken graphics card.

The anomalies are as follows:

-While in BIOS some letters appear in different colors. (I'm decently sure this didn't happen before)
-While playing triangular or quadrangular, long stages appear from objects, like trees in CivIV, and they have the same textures as the mother objects, only prolonged.
-While playing objects, in a way, implode into their central point deforming the textures.
-Sometimes while glancing through files or Firefox horizontal multicolour lines appear.
-Sometimes in different environments small dots appear on the screen, the color varies alot.

So what do these anomalies point towards? Is it other than the graphics card? I'm a terrible noob at computing, so I don't have a clue anymore.

My hardware + OS:

Motherboard: A8V-E Deluxe
Graphics Card: NVIDIA 7900 GT 256MB
Memory: DDR 400 PC-3200 1024MB x2
Processor AMD Athlon 64 Processor 4000+
OS: Vista 64bit

I would be very grateful if I get some help

I had that card and there was indeed a problem with the Memory controller on it. It is a fairly widespread issue. I got weird artifacts corruption in windows and its boot screen. The whole shebang. I RMA'ed it. But the process was painfully slow and problematic so my comp was down for two months.

 

[kuukkeli]

At all? How did you fail to notice that?

For the first time I bought a case that was supposed to be a silent one. I was just like "Wow! These silent cases are really silent."