I bought a used PC that works normally for a short time, but then the display starts showing graphical artifacts. The graphics card appears to be seated correctly, although the retention clip on the motherboard's PCIe slot feels loose. Reseating the card didn't solve the problem. The artifacts also seem to appear when the desk or computer is jolted, so I'm unsure whether the GPU itself is failing or whether the slot is damaged. What should I test, and would replacing the graphics card likely fix it?
1 Answer
This is much more likely to be a failing graphics card than a loose PCIe slot. A bad or poorly secured slot would more commonly cause the card to disconnect, fail to initialize, or produce crashes—not consistent visual artifacts. Stop hitting or shaking the desk, since that could damage the card or motherboard further. Document the issue with photos or video and push for a full return or refund rather than accepting a partial refund. If the rest of the system checks out, replacing the GPU is the most likely fix.
Could movement still trigger artifacts if the GPU is failing? The seller is only offering a partial refund, so I’m considering replacing the card myself if that would probably solve it.