Pixel flickering

[e-freak]

As the Orangebox was released yesterday I updated my graphic-card's driver.

I'm using a GeForce 7800GT 256MB from Club3d and updated the driver before the release to version 164.71 (latest one)

Yesterday I didn't have any troubles and could play through Portal and Episode 2 without facing any graphicclitches (but maybe just didn't saw them).

Today I started Portal again and on the 2Dimensional Loadingscreen I saw some Pixels flickering. They had the basecolor of the image but seemed to be way brighter. Then the Backgroundmap appeared other pixels flickered and during the game it seemed that some pixels flickered as well (hard to say because with constant moving you can't spot them so fast if they are just a little brighter or real flickering).

So I started Episode 2 and the same phenomen showed up. I didn't care so far but then I just started Digital Photo Professional (Canon Tool to work out RAW-Photos) I had those flickering pixels as well again.

I tried to move the window and those pixels moved along so I don't think it is a problem caused by dead or dying pixels on my LCD (Benq FP91V on DVI)

I think it has to be the driver who's causing the problem but I wonder why it should do so. The old version ran stable and without any problems and I couldn't find any related topics at google

I made a Portal Screenshot and looked at it in Photoshop - same effect. So it is defineatly a problem with the graphics card in general not with 3D-Rendering or what ever.

Made a (fake) animation to show what it does and painted the pixels in the matching color so you can see what it looks like:

[Thrik]

I used to get artefacts on my display exactly like that back with my GeForce 6600 GT in 2004. It was because the card was incompatible with my motherboard and after six months of no drivers fixing it I just got a new motherboard. I also got really nasty warped polygons too, though.

A driver incompatibility (with other parts of your hardware) could theoretically cause the same issue, so I'd suggest either rolling back to the last ones that worked, or using the latest beta drivers.

NVIDIA beta drivers often end up 'promoted' to official status if they're deemed to have changed significantly enough; for example, the 163.69 on the official site was exactly the same as the beta 163.69 I was using weeks earlier. If they do have to make changes they simply use a different number.

The latest beta is 163.76, so I suggest trying that just in case it's fixed a particular issue that was causing your problem:

XP: http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=1752

Vista 32-bit: http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=1748

Vista 64-bit: http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=1749

NVIDIA's beta drivers are almost always exactly as reliable/etc as the official ones. As you've discovered, the official ones themselves aren't necessarily totally reliable.

If that fails, just roll back to the last ones that worked and wait for a new beta. I doubt there's much you can do to fix display corruption as it's usually caused at such a deep level.

[e-freak]

I will update to that beta - thanks Thrik. It just happens it works atm after I put the DVI Cable out to test it on my dad's lcd and then that one didn't work at all and i put the cable to my own lcd again the artifacts were gone (at least for the moment).

edit:

forget it - it's even worse :/

[dissonance]

I used to get artefacts on my display exactly like that back with my GeForce 6600 GT in 2004.

Strange, I have that same card, and I get all kinds of weird artifacts, text glitches, etc. I'd always thought the card's ram was dying.

[e-freak]

I should say that the very same picture is flicker free on my secondary monitor (a 15" TFT on VGA)

[dissonance]

I should say that the very same picture is flicker free on my secondary monitor (a 15" TFT on VGA)

Dead/dying pixels, then?

[e-freak]

No - the Pixels move with the picture. If I open up a screenshot with those colors which seem to cause the flickering and move it around the pixels move around as well - and I doubt that all my pixels die at the same time

[Thrik]

I used to get artefacts on my display exactly like that back with my GeForce 6600 GT in 2004.

Strange, I have that same card, and I get all kinds of weird artifacts, text glitches, etc. I'd always thought the card's ram was dying.

Well you can't rule the RAM out entirely if the card hasn't always done it on your hardware. If it has though, you could be suffering from the well-known issues between the 6600 GT and VIA/SiS motherboards (and probably others).

[e-freak]

Mh, I'm using an ASUS A8EN and had no problems till yet. I think I'm gonna give the card back on mondy *looking for the original box and cash*

[Zacker]

It can be overheating.

[-HP-]

It can be overheating.

yeah, I had those flickering problems, when I OC my gfx card a while ago.

[e-freak]

Neither did I overclock my card nor did I have any Temperature Problems yet - I think I'll have a look for the temperature though...

[-HP-]

Run a temperature monitor

[e-freak]

Seems to be that the Video Ram is having problems at low temperature increase so I'll get my card back to the shop tomorrow and maybe I can convince the seller that I get a new DX10 by paying the price difference

[dissonance]

No - the Pixels move with the picture. If I open up a screenshot with those colors which seem to cause the flickering and move it around the pixels move around as well - and I doubt that all my pixels die at the same time

Try taking an eyedropper (in photoshop or gimp or whatever, even paint) to one of those pixels and filling the screen with that color... does the same thing happen?