Graphic corruption in 3D apps

[Mordrach]

Hello to all, and thanks for having this site...

I am having some serious problems with corrupted graphics in 3D applications, though primarily games. The polygons simply fly all over the place in games, making the view very distorted and rendering the games unplayable. I have updated the drivers in my video card and do not overclock my machine's processor. If anyone can assist in this problem, it would be greatly appreciated! The following are my machine specs:

Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz processor
1 Ghz Kingston DDR RAM (don't know the speed)
nVidia GeForce FX 5200 256 MB card
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
120 GB HD

I think that's all the necessary details!
 Thanks again,

Sincerely,
Mordrach

[Fed]

DirectX 9.0c?
dxdiag>display...
Refresh rate?
Mobo drivers?

[Mordrach]

Fed,

Thanks for replying. In response to your question, I am using DirectX 9.0c, but I do not see any information regarding my refresh rate in dxdiag. Also, I do not know what MOBO drivers are, so if you could please explain that to me, that would be appreciated. Again, thank you for your help!

-Mordrach

[Fed]

DirectX 9.0c?
dxdiag>display... Did you run the directx tests?
Refresh rate? Monitor refresh rate, right click desktop>properties>settings>advanced.
Mobo drivers? Sorry, I didn't notice your video adaptor.

Some things to think about.
Update video & sound drivers from the manufacturer's website and check the game sites for patches.

[Mordrach]

Thanks again for your prompt reply! Yes, I have run the directx tests and they all passed. My monitor refresh rate is 60 Hertz. Yes, I have updated the drivers for sound and video to the latest standards. I have the newest patches for the apps, and the problem persists. I think the answer is inevitable, but I'm in denial right now, I guess... Thanks for the help, though!

- Mordrach

[Fed]

Set your game to the lowest settings.
Disable all other running programs as a test.
What games are you having trouble with?

[Mordrach]

Now this is bizarre... I turned off the machine so I could rearrange the wires for my internet connection, and now it seems to be working fine. I do keep this computer running for days at a time, so I suppose it could be a case of overheating... The problems, btw, occurred with 3D-heavy games, like Guild Wars and various FPS's, but now it seems to be operating properly. I don't understand it...

[Fed]

Sometimes you need to re-boot so that changes will take affect, like new drivers.

[Mordrach]

I do understand that. However, I had rebooted several times after the new driver installations, so I suppose that means the graphics card is overheating for some reason. Guess I need to buy another fan, now...