Clearly visible issues appear across every gaming device.
Clearly visible issues appear across every gaming device.
Since spring last year I've faced recurring graphical problems with my gaming PC. Initially it was limited to driver timeouts and occasional crashes during long sessions in demanding 3D titles, especially RE8 Village. Later I noticed corruption in DirectX 12 after initial setup, which I resolved using an OS repair from the USB image. At first I thought this was expected given my RX 5700 XT and known driver issues for that model. I managed to get through the timeouts and finish RE8, but tried various fixes—updating drivers, reinstalling, and even underclocking—but the problems continued. Over months the timeouts lessened, yet artifacts remained.
One day (exact date uncertain) my PC was idle when a severe BSOD appeared, accompanied by visible corruption and a distorted blue screen that made reading messages impossible before it crashed. After that, timeouts disappeared but artifacts persisted. Eventually I replaced the GPU, cleaned the case thoroughly, swapped the exhaust fan for a better model, and rebooted. The bootloader showed lag, the logo was odd, and the GRUB menu displayed strange behavior. Once logged in, I installed new drivers and GeForce Experience directly from EVGA, but artifacts continued across multiple titles.
Testing numerous games revealed consistent issues: aliasing, jagged shadows, low render distance, flickering, stuttering, reduced FPS, lower textures, and poor lighting even on games like Civilization V that should have handled them well. I waited until late 2021 for a more stable market before replacing the RX 5700 XT with an RTX 3070 Ti. The new GPU performed better overall, though I still experienced some performance drops in demanding titles.
In October-November last year I searched for alternatives and had to wait until after the market cooled down enough to purchase an RTX 3070 Ti. Recently I replaced the RX 5700 XT, reinstalled AMD drivers in safe mode, cleaned the case, updated fans, and swapped the exhaust fan. After rebooting, I noticed a significant delay in Linux bootloader and unusual display behavior. Installing drivers and GeForce Experience from EVGA helped, but artifacts remained.
Hunt Showdown became corrupted after running it once, Civilization V showed persistent issues even after reinstallation, and Metroid Dread on the Switch displayed severe aliasing. My PS5 also exhibited shadow and LOD problems, especially in Elden Ring following a recent power loss. This pattern has affected nearly all my gaming systems—PC, Switch, PS5, MacBook Air—and I’m unsure if it’s limited to my current rig or could be spreading to other devices, possibly even my phone.
I suspect electrical instability might be involved, but without a clear cause I’m at a loss. The situation is frustrating, and I’m trying to understand what’s happening before it impacts more of my gaming experience.
Are you connecting everything through an external screen (TV or monitor)? If yes, it might stem from cable issues or the display itself. Consider using a surge-protected power extender with a digital display—avoid basic fuses. This could point to a broader power problem. Have you tested the devices in another home or location?
I'm working solely on the PC connected to an external monitor. The Switch and MacBook are impacted even when disconnected or without power for several days. These issues appear consistent across multiple systems, which makes me suspect a hardware or software problem rather than a vision issue. I've attached photos showing these problems on various devices. It's worth noting that Dread and BOTW run natively in handheld mode, while the CIV V screenshot comes from my MacBook Air using medium settings—camera focus doesn't seem to affect it, but the image itself is noticeably blurry. You can search for "Isabella of Spain Civ V" online; the background in that scene looks distorted regardless of settings. I've played both games for years and am aware they shouldn't look this way. After a few days since launch, I left for months on an international trip, and suddenly the Switch started showing similar problems in 3D titles as well (I usually play 2D indie games there without issues). Only recently did I restart Dread and BOTW, but the visuals remain off—especially in motion. In Dread, the aliasing is most apparent when the camera moves; the pixelated areas shift and create a shimmering effect that shouldn't exist. This is especially distracting in 3D scenes. All these glitches are visible even when I'm just a few feet away from the screen. On my PC, the Civ V video runs at 2K resolution with maximum settings, and the artifacts appear across borders and on moving objects—clearly noticeable even at moderate zoom levels. The problem persists at 1080p with default graphics.
File references:
20220509_041433.mp4
20220509_043330.mp4