Asus Strix 1080 Ti OC Edition Artifacts + Screen Flickers (2 Problems)

Beta for MSI AB?
I think I rather not touch the voltage if I can. Would you suggest unlocking and increasing voltage?
How much OC would you suggest?
Core Clock +?
Memory Clock +?
Power Limit ? (worth raising? - what does it do exactly).

These are really weird artifacts. Like a post processing lens effect you get in video games. Trying to capture it.

I'm using MSI AB 4.3.0 Final and RTSS 7.0.0 Beta 17 - but I think I might downgrade to the non Beta last version

This is what I get - really bad flickering and rainbow lights in blue and green. Sometimes lines, but mostly blurry smudges and star-light.
That's with +40 Core, +400 Memory, 120% Power limit, Temp target 84 c.
My temps can easily reach the 80-82c after a while.
(The Witcher 3 uses 99% GPU load)
I don't understand why I get those artifacts.
I know Guru3D for instance, OC this card more, with 40Core and 400MHZ above what Asus added in OC Mode. And I know a person who OC it by 40/400 as well. I tried reducing the OC and I still get Artifacts. So what the hell?

As for temps, it's really frustrating. I've done all I could to improve my airflow in my case and upgrade it. It's clean and clutter free. Recently I moved a 140MM fan that was blowing air on the GPU upwards to the Optical drive bay - as seen here:

Didn't help as much as I'd hope.

Nope, I am not getting these freakish artifacts without the OC - if I reset MSI AB to default. What does it mean, that the GPU OC tolerance is low? Or what?


I also have another frustrating issue, I'm at my wit's end and out of ideas:
My screen, specifically the lower bottom half, flickers like crazy, at random, sometimes so severe the image will be lost momentarily. Mostly it just flickers like it shows the last frame torn and fragmented ghosting for a second before disappearing. This happens with and without OC, at normal temps and high, idle or load. Even at destkop.
And only happens on my TV screen which my PC is connected to through an Onkyo AV Receiverwith HDMI. All cables are top notch quality and AVR is super high end (TX NR656) and the TV also high end Samsung KS8500.

I've recorded this in a video:
https://youtu.be/KQNqcwmp3lg

I have no idea how to even start approaching this. Tried fixing it for hours.
This makes my entire 4K 5.1 surround setup totally unplayable

I did. And I've RMAd my 1080Ti Aorus Xteme. It wasn't very stable either and it had high temps and other issues.

Temps are high and I can't figure out why anymore.
If you look at my case you see there's nothing blocking the airflow and its been improved and clean up so frequently and throughly. Can't get better clean and neat than that.
So no idea why I get those temps, guess that's what happens with higher res and 99%load and these 1080/Ti series cards...no idda how others report lower temps, lessing demanding games at better climates or what?


Updated my post above, I seem to have another major issue (posted a video link.

Think I might narrowed down the flickering issue's source.
Will be back on this once I've confirmed and played for a while.

I have a different issue though:
The 1080 Ti Strix OC GPU boost is acting weird.
It is frozen on 1860. Doesn't cross that mark not for a second.
And I read from reviews and users reporting over 2000 MHz Core Clock without extra overclock with the auto boost !
Anywhere between 1960-2000+ MHz.. while mine is stuck at 1840-1860.

What can I do about this?
Didn't have that issue with the Aorus Xtreme..

UPDATE: OK so this was the flickering issue:
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQNqcwmp3lg"][/video]
After methodically and meticulously narrowing it down - I've found the source of the issue...and it's super weird.
Turns out that if I use HDMI 1 exit on my Asus Strix 1080 Ti OC GPU - with HDMI 2 port on the Onkyo TXNR-656 AV-Receiver (HDCP 2.2 HDMI 2.0B) - the flickering, loss of signal and distortions will happen rapidly and randomly.
However - if I used HDMI 2 of my GPU on the HDMI 2 on the AV-R the issue won't happen.
So I then thought - maybe it's the cards fault? But then it gets weirder:
If I use the HDMI 1 port on the GPU and connect it to the HDMI 1 or 3 (or 4-7) - AND NOT HDMI2 - on the AV-Receiver - the flickering is fixed and won't occur...

In other words - the problem only happens and persists if I connect a cable between HDMI 1 port on the Asus GPU and HDMI 2 port on the Onkyo AV-Receiver.
So the solution is either:
Connecting HDMI1 of the GPU to HDMI 1,3,4-7 on the AV-R.
or
Connecting HDMI2 of the GPU to HDMI 1-7 on the AV-R.

Doesn't make any sense, but heck - I take what I can have.

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As for the overclocking caused artifacts:
I believe I managed to find a steady overclock, which I'm happy with. Apparently increasing Memory to +300-400 and forward is pushing the card's limits - (maybe even 250..) and will cause heavy artifacts of blinking flares and sparkles, as seen in the image above. I guess I shouldn't push the card so much. I've only tested it with The Witcher 3 - so it could be that the game is more prone to artifacts than others, but it seems Guru3D's +400 Memory isn't realistic at all - unless you want to play with major artifacts and potentially risk your card.

Therefore I'm now using 2 Overclocks which seems to be stable atm:
The lighter version:
+25 MHz Core, +100 MHz Memory, 120% Power Target, 85 Temp Target, Voltage unchanged.
The more powerful version which I currently use:
+50 MHz Core, +200 MHz Memory, 120% Power Taget, 85 Temp Target, Voltage unchanged.

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Regarding the issue which I've mentioned previously, about Core clock boosting only to about ~1840 MHz:
Seems upping the Power Target to 120% helped the card cross the 1840 MHz Core Clock limit by Nvidia BOOST 3.0 and hit the 1900-2000+MHz mark.
It's strange, but it seems Power Target 120% is essential for that... I don't think the cards allows reaching the 1950-2000MHz+ mark without increasing Power Target.
Anyone else experienced this issue?