Graphics Blues! - The Jitter Bug...

[MarkFahey]

Hi Everyone,

I am having a very strange graphics problem. I just installed an nVidia eVga 6800 AGP into my ASUS P4C800-E. I am running a P4 2.4b, Corsair 512M PC3500 stick, Audigy 2, 2 x WD 120G 2mb HD's, Antec True Power 550W, Dell 2001FP Monitor. Before this nVidia card, I was running an ATI 9700 Pro and was experiencing the same problem with that card. I did a fresh Windows XP SP2 install with this new video card, latest Intel chipset drivers, nVidia drivers and all the latest XP updates. I have also tried several older Forceware drivers.

The problem I am having is jittery, jerky, ghosting graphics not only happening on my desktop but in games as well. When I scroll through text or images in IE, Firefox, Word, etc... the movement is not smooth and is stuttering/ghosting. As well as when dragging a window across my desktop. It gets worse the faster I increase the movement or scroll. If I move the mouse super slow it is nice and smooth with no jitter but as soon as I start to speed up the movement is starts. It not only happens with the mouse but also with the keyboard arrow keys as well. So it is not mouse related. I'm running a Logitech MX1000 and have tried switching back to my old corded Microsoft Optical just to confirm this. This problem was happening even before I upgraded to my new MX1000 when I was still using my Microsoft Optical. I have also tried using my MX1000 on both the USB port and PS/2 port with no impact on this issue. So for sure it is not mouse related.

It's similar to a Vsync tearing, but the text, image, or window has a blurring effect that is jittering or ghosting while its moving and leaves a bit of itself behind that has to catch up with itself. Where with only a Vsync tear you get the stepping tearing but not the blurring that I am getting. When I'm in a game like BF2 or Americas Army, when I turn with the mouse or strafe with the keyboard objects like trees, edges of buildings, other players, etc are ghosting and jittery where again it takes a second for the image to catch up with itself, like a graphics lag. My monitor is running at it's native 1600x1200 resolution @60Hz. I run all of my games at 1024x768 and this monitor can do both 60Hz and 75Hz at the resolution. I have tried both and still get the jitters.

I have so far replaced my mobo with another brand new ASUS P4C800-E running the latest BIOS. Heat is not an issue, I am not overclocking and processor and GPU are running cool. CPU 32-Idle / 38-Load - GPU 49-Idle / 53-Load. I swapped out my Corsair 512M for a Kingston 512M stick and even tried running with 2 Kingston sticks for a total of 1 GIG RAM. Replaced the P4 with a different P4 2.4b. I replaced the power supply with another Antec 550W, tried another Audigy 2, tried another CRT monitor, replaced both WD Hard Drives and replaced all the IDE and floppy cables. My eVga 6800 is hooked up to a power molex with nothing else connected to it except the video card and I have confirmed that my Antec 550W PSU's voltages are tight on all the rails.

I have replaced almost every part of my rig except the case which is a good quality Antec Performance II tower, and my optical drives, one is a Pioneer DVD slot drive and the other is a Pioneer 16x DVD Burner. I also disconnected all of my 80MM case fans to see if they were causing some kind of interference. And disconnected my two optical drives. As well as disconnecting all the case wiring leads like speaker, LED, reset switch, etc and only left the power switch lead connected to the mobo. Has anyone ever heard of a case causing this issue?

I also tried running another OS using the Knoppix Linux 4.01 Bootable CD version and the jitter/ghosting was even happening under Linux. So that definatly rules out any problems with Windows XP.

What's really weird about this issue is that my stytem used to run great, no graphics jitters and smooth like silk. Even when I had my ATI 9700 Pro in it. Then all of a sudden one day several weeks ago it started having this problem. I thought that it may be graphics card related, and anyway it was about time to upgrade my card so I thought that would fix it.

To this point I guess I have eliminated just about everything I could think of that would cause this problem. This should not be happening, my 2D scrolling and dragging and my 3D movement in games should be smooth without jitters/ghosting. This problem really has me stumped.


Does anyone have any suggestions or have you seen this issue before?


Many Thanks

Mark

 

[Plekto]

Video jitters and lack of proper focus - it's a dying monitor. This even happens to flat-panels. If you push the monitor to its maximum limits - probably 10245*768 at 80-90hz - watch the edges - are they wobbling? If so, your monitor is dying a slow death. If you run your monitor all the time with heavy EM interference(halogen lights/arc lamps on a nearby circuit(outdoor lighting for instance) - and you get wobbling when the lights are on/microwave/etc - and run it this way for months or years, the monitor will have a built in wobble and lack of focus over time.

Thankfully, monitors are inexpensive enough a solution.

 

[MarkFahey]

Interesting observations but my monitor is only a few months old. I also tried my rig on two other monitors one of which was a CRT and still the problem persists...

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Sound like a 'clean' power problem. First do you have a line conditioner or UPS leading to the Antec? Second can you try another PSU?

Considering the fact that this is happening across card, OSes etc. I'd say it's likely either the PSU or the Motherboard that is the culprit. Troubleshooting that won't be easy unless you can get your hands on other parts.

Of course that's just a guess based on what you've said, so don't go out an buy new stuff to test the theory. Hey, it could be Gremlins, but make sure at least the dust bunnies are cleaned out of the rig first.

 

[Plekto]

Ah - then it is external EM interference most likely(bad power). My parents computer does this because the garage circuit has a refrigerator on it and the outside lights - all go through the same junction box as that side of the house. The first thing I'd try is moving the computer. If it still is there, then it's most likely a dying power supply.

 

[MarkFahey]

I tried moving the PC to a different location, even to another house and the problem still persists. So that rules out any EMI interference.

UPDATE:

Here is a small fraps video from a game that clearly shows this problem. Look carefully at the edges of the boards on the window and the edge of the roof as I move. First part of the video I am moving with the keyboard, then with the mouse.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

 

[ChipDeath]

I couldn't see anything weird on that video. Framerate seemed a litle low, but all other issues look just like standard issues you always get with video compression. So Either the problem only appears when viewed on your monitor, or it's no longer noticeable after the vid was squished.

Have you tried a different monitor? Yours is supposed to be 16ms refresh rate, but it sounds like it's just got a lot slower for some reason.

 

[Rugger]

Love the new siggy!! :lol:

 

[ChipDeath]

It's not very original, but it is very true. :mrgreen:

 

[AlG]

Sounds a very strange problem. you could try a different make of power supply (althougth antec are good). the only other thing i could recommend is to remove all HDD and optical drives and try and boot knoppix using a mates drives.

As for the videoyou posted, it just is a bit jerky (have you only viewed it on your machine ?!) as no ghosting appears when i view it.

also try using the machine outside of the case, take it apart and put all the components togeather on a desk (make sure it is not a carpet !) and try to power it up. there is no reason why the case should be a problem but it is worth a try.

if you can test each of your components in another PC this should also help. It may even be multiple components are causing it.

its a bit of a detective game with many of these problems. also try everything like using different power cables, keyboard/ mouse(try a non-optical one) (basically test EVERYTHING), even if there is no reason for it to cause the problem.

remember you don't need much more than a mobo, CPU, RAM, graphics,keyboard,mouse and an optical drive to boot knoppix. so test it as bare bones as well.

and good luck - it sounds like a very wierd and annoying problem

 

[anqra]

The only culprit is Mouse or Keyboard Button. Because thats where you control your game through.
Hassan
hassanchughtai786@gmail.com