graphics problem

[mackid24]

I have had a power mac G5 for 5 years and i still love it. i am running os X 10.4.11 and a couple of days ago i opend up a game (warcraft 3, which i've done hundreds of times before) and my graphics gave out. the images were distorted and broken into geographic shapes at out lined in different colors. I quit the program and notices my dock (or tool bar), the icons on my desktop and my apple menu looked pixilated and grainy. they basicaly looked like several lines of white "lllllll" where passing through them. the desktop picture itself and other applications like safari and microsoft word, look completely normal. but any other game i open has the same distortions. can you help? is this a softwear or hardwear problem? do i need a new graphics card?

i have tried restarting. reconnecting my monitor. oppening the display control pannel and adjusting my resolusion and detecting current settings.. nothing works! any ideas?

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Sounds like the graphics card is either overheating, or going south.

Have you opened up the computer to check for dirt, dust and airflow-blocking debris? First and foremost, with a powerful graphics card, it's essential to make sure that airflow is good and that dust and grime haven't accumulated on the heatsinks and fans.

If the graphics card is good and clean, and you operate your computer in a nicely-cooled room (85 degrees or lower), then the problem could lie with some hardware problem with the card itself. You may want to call Apple and inquire about servicing options.