How do I know if my vid card is fried?

[Niloc]

I was building a computer and it smoked a little i think it was the video card but im not sure what it was. I dont want to put the vid card in another system and risk frying it so how can i tell if its fried or not? thanks a lot

[RainMaQer]

Look at it under some really good light to see if any pathways are blown OR capacitors, risistors and the such;)

[spazzkid]

as long as u keep on getting a display on monitor and u kud still run 3d games i think ur monitor is still alive and kickin'

[CrystalMethod]

Best way is to shut down the system, pull the cards out and smell them. (No, I'm not joking) Burnt components will have an acridic smell to them. You can also put them back in one by one to verify this. The last card you put in that causes any problems deserves a second look at.