1. Driver Incompatibility: Outdated drivers can cause a conflict between the operating system and the video card, resulting in graphical errors such as screen flicker or distortion. Additionally, incompatible graphics drivers can cause your card to crash or lock up.
2. Overheating: Heat is the enemy of any component, including the graphics card. When temperatures become too high, the graphics card can fail to function correctly.
3. Dust Build-up: Dust build-up can be a major cause of graphics card problems. Dust acts as an insulator, preventing proper airflow across components, leading to overheating.
4. Low Power: Another common cause of graphics card problems is insufficient power supply. If there is not enough power to support the card, it can lead to instability and even damage the card itself.
5. Damage: Physical damage to the card can prevent it from functioning properly. This could be due to mishandling, poorly made or faulty components, or even simply age or wear and tear.
6. Faulty Components: Faulty components can cause issues with the graphics card. This could be anything from a broken chip or capacitor, to a defective bus connector or GPU.
7. Overclocking: Overclocking a graphics card can be beneficial, but it can also cause problems. If the card is pushed too far beyond its limits, it can cause instability, which can lead to crashes or blue screens of death.
8. BIOS Conflict: A mismatch between the BIOS settings and the graphics card can lead to issues. This is usually due to either incorrect settings or outdated BIOS versions.