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Miscoloured pixels

Forum Graphics & Displays : Graphics Cards Miscoloured pixels

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Sometimes while I'm playing games sometimes I get discolourations to red/green/blue on my screen in tiny patches (I think more than a single pixel though). Is this due to my graphics card? It's drivers? Not enough power (though my system seems stable at full load)? Or is there another cause. I know it's not the program because it occurs in multiple programs, but never outside of games, so only while my card is in full 3D mode.

System specs:
XFX Extreme Edition 7900GTX (Purchased as overclocked to: 690Mhz on the GPU and 1.75Ghz on the VRAM)
AMD Athlon X2 64 4200+ (939, Manchester)
ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe Motherboard
2 GB of RAM
430W Thermaltake PSU (Came with my case)
2x 200GB Seagate Baraccuda (7200.9)
DVD Burner

Just wondering if it is a problem with the card itself whether it's something I can get fixed under warranty...

Reply to VodeAndreas
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No worries my friend. It probably is your video card. It is either overheating or is too overclocked and does not get enough voltage on the GPU. You could easily solve the problem by downclocking your core a few MHZ. Try in 2-5MHz steps until you see it diminished. Then take it another 1-2MHz down to make sure that u won't even get a single one in any case.
Good luck!
Of course alternatively you could just improve the cooling of your case altogether or your card, but that probably means spending money.

Reply to darkguset

My card stays pretty cool, I've never seen it above 50 Celcius
You mentioned voltage, would a larger power supply possibly remove the problem?
EDIT: Also my video card is factory overclocked, I have done no overclocking to this computer myself. If it's an instability problem at those frequencies do you think it'll be a warranty replacement?

Reply to VodeAndreas
- 0 +

Try stock settings (650MHz GPU, 1700 MHz VRAM) and see if the problems disappear.

Reply to true_hw

How would I go about downclocking it? Would I use nTune? That sounds like it may affect my warranty, I know I'm going down not up, but still - I'd rather not, if it can't handle the clock speed they sold it as I should be able to get a replacement.

Reply to VodeAndreas
- 0 +

You can downclock with the software provided with your graphics card or you can try RivaTuner, PowerStrip, CoolBits.

Reply to true_hw
- 0 +

Personally, I would use CoolBits. It is a simple and effective way. All you need is to create a DWORD in your registry and reboot. This will unlock Advanced settings in your driver control panel and will allow you to set your core and memory clocks to whatever values you wish.

I agree that you should write down current clock settings and downclock them to reference card defaults. This will not void your warranty. If the problem goes away you can then begin overclocking in small increments (like 5 MHz at a time), rebooting and running games or 3DMark05 / 06 until you see the problem return. Then go down about 5-10MHz on both GPU and memory clocks. This way you will have the highest OC which does not cause problems.

EDIT: I realize that you bought a factory OCed card because you wanted the meanest beast possible. But in truth, the card is plenty fast without OC. So don't feel bad if you have to downclock a bit.

EDIT2: I would start with downclocking the memory, actually. 1.75GHz? Wow, sounds a bit much.

Reply to Slava

Actually I went factory overclocked as due to a wonderful technician of a friend I managed to get it at a bit of a discount, why buy a stock card when I could get a factory overclocked for the same price? :D (Though I could have got the stock card through the same friend for less too...)

I'll look into this CoolBits program tonight and see how I go with it.

Reply to VodeAndreas

Unfortunately a bigger or better PSU will probably not help unless yours is really crappy or dying. As far as the temps concerned it does not matter if you see 50C. Check to see that your heatsink is firmly attached on your GPU, if in great doubt, remove it altogether, apply some paste where and if needed and reattach. If your problems still persist just take it back and ask for another card, or downclock it and leave it there, or do a GPU voltage mod. But that last option is really only for those who are technicaly educated and really KNOW what they are doing. If you fry your card by voltmodding, forget all the warranties and goodies.

In short:
1) Check the heatsink on the card
2) If its ok just take the thing back and get another one

Good luck my friend

Reply to darkguset
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Is my video card defective?
By babarv2, 5 hours ago:

Dude... increase your fan speed to 40% and raise your 2d clocks ... you will have to do...

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