Q: Mid 2010 macbook pro crashes when connecting usb stick from a photographer.

I have a mid 2010 macbook pro 15" that i bought off my girlfriend's aunt last week. Its updated to latest software and i just had a new apple battery replaced by apple.

I just tried to connect a usb stick that a photographer, i preview pictures and 20 seconds into the preview. The computer crashes, the screen goes multi colored lines with a lighter colored (still lined) box. i can move the box but thats the extent of it. i remove the usb stick and power off the macbook. Re-start it, it crashes then turns itself back on, and now works as usual without the usb stick. Is my graphics card or hard drive messing up? I'm not the smartest when it comes to computer terms, but any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Just not sure if i need to reconsider keeping this or saving up towards a new macbook.

Thanks for your time