I'm experiencing some serious problems with my laptop while gaming. The screen freezes, and I notice certain pixels turning into weird colors—like green and pink squares. After this happens, I can't play any audio, and my laptop becomes completely unresponsive. This freezing issue seems to build up over a couple of days and can hit me multiple times in an hour. I've tried various troubleshooting steps, including reinstalling my network driver, checking for any driver updates, running a Windows memory check (which is currently stuck), and attempting a repair in safe mode, but I can't access the network. Interestingly, it always seems to happen when I try to send a chat message in-game. Today, it crashed with a BSOD showing an error code: IRQL_not_less_or_equal. Given that my laptop has taken a few falls, I'm really worried this might be a hardware issue. I can't afford a new laptop right now, so I'm looking for ways to keep using this one without triggering more problems.
3 Answers
It sounds like your GPU might be failing, especially with those strange colored squares on your screen. The fact that your laptop has taken a few tumbles could mean that a component is loose or overheating when under pressure. You might want to try using a cooling pad or dropping your game settings to see if that helps, but it definitely feels like a hardware issue rather than just software glitches.
You should try to get some dump files from the BSODs for accurate analysis. If you can boot into Windows or safe mode, look for files in C:WindowsMinidump. If you find any, zip the folder and upload it to a file sharing site. Multiple dump files give better insights, so if you only have one or none at all, still upload what you have. You can follow this guide on configuring Windows to create Small Memory Dumps too.
Sorry to break it to you, but your GPU likely needs replacing. The green and pink pixel issues along with the BSOD are pretty clear signs that it's failing. It's unfortunate, but that usually means an upgrade is on the horizon.
oh no 🙁 anything I can do to prevent further damage? I can't get a gpu replaced as it would cost as much as a new laptop. Might just have to write this one off.
aw man 🙁 thanks for your help