I took my second-hand GPU to a local computer store for evaluation before selling it. I had already run FurMark 1 and 3DMark several times over the previous two weeks without seeing visual artifacts, glitches, triangles, tearing, or other signs of failing VRAM. At the store, the technician ran MSI Kombustor and FurMark 2 simultaneously, and FurMark 2 reportedly detected three artifacts. However, nothing visibly went wrong on screen. The card has usually been undervolted, so I'm wondering whether the result could be a false positive caused by FurMark 2, running two stress tests at once, or the undervolt itself. Should I be concerned that the GPU is actually starting to fail?
2 Answers
Running two GPU benchmarks at the same time can produce unusual results because both programs are competing for GPU resources and VRAM. A reported artifact count without any visible corruption is not automatically proof that the card is dying. I’d retest it by running one current, reputable benchmark at a time, with the GPU at stock settings, and see whether the result is repeatable.
Some FurMark 2 versions have reportedly flagged artifacts when the benchmark window is moved, resized, or otherwise managed while it is running. Multiple benchmark programs may also interfere with one another. Since your earlier tests were clean and there were no visible glitches, this sounds inconclusive rather than clear evidence of failing VRAM. It would be wise to verify the result with several separate tests instead of relying on that single store run.
I appreciate the explanation. It’s possible the store’s testing method caused the detection, although I’ll verify it myself before drawing conclusions.
That makes sense. I’ll try testing it again individually and without the undervolt before assuming the card is defective.