Problem with artifacting in games and adjusting the monitor
Problem with artifacting in games and adjusting the monitor
Hello, I have a ASUS PG27AQDP 1440p 480hz monitor and just recently got a 7900 XTX that I put in my system.
So, I previously had my old 2080 TI in my new PC whilst waiting for my Sapphire Pulse 7900 XTX that I got off of Amazon.
My 2080 TI had ZERO issues prior just for reference.
I only used DDU after installing my 7900 XTX, which in hindsight, I am now starting to regret because I just figured that windows won't use the Nvidia drivers and I'll use DDU/uninstall geforce afterwards with little to no problems (because of the 5 PCs I've had, I haven't ran into many issues ever).
https://imgur.com/a/WYDSZXv
View: https://imgur.com/a/WYDSZXv
Here is a link showcasing my issue.
At first for a while, the problem was my HDMI not being detected when turning on my monitor and I annoyingly have to replug it in, but now this morning, I turned on my monitor and I was met with these weird pattern artifacts.
I turned my monitor on and off about 4 times after replugging twice and it finally went away.
When I first got the card, I was having what looked like periodic HDCP snow/horizontal static line flicker in espeically modern games ONLY.
Baldur's Gate, Devil May Cry 5, Marvel Rivals, etc
A fully modded Skyrim that pretty much fully utilizes the 24gigs of vram, I haven't seen an artifact once or pixel games like Quasimorph; games where system temps are lower seem fine.
I have always had a second TV/Monitor plugged in and that display has had zero problems or issues. (no cross display artifacting so hopefully not a GPU problem)
I previously was using DisplayPort instead of HDMI, but I noticed that the artifacting was a bit less on HDMI so I opt'd for that; I have also tried every DP port and all have static horizontal line artifacting issues.
I have tried 3 different DisplayPort cables that I got off of Amazon, one that came with the monitor, 54gbps, and 80gbps until I realized that this monitor is permanently capped at 32.4gbps....
Unfortunately, I kind of got scammed as I was a fool to look at Amazon reviews saying that this monitor supports DP 2.1 but it actually doesn't (it's a complete waste) and I couldn't return it because it was 4 days after the 30 day return window (waiting for all my parts took so damn long that I couldn't test everything); I do not know if this is a bandwidth problem or not as I'm new to artifacting issues.
Just to clarify, I have the horizontal staticy artifacting happen consistently both on DP and HDMI but I have only tried one HDMI cable (which is the one that came with the Monitor); it is just less frequent on 2.1 HDMI vs 1.4 DP. This used to only happen in espeically more modern games but now, this is the first time I've seen it on my desktop which is more concerning.
I also read that this specific artifacting pattern might be a RAM instability problem and I do have my Corsair CMK96GX5M2B6000Z30 overclocked.
CL30 6000 DDR5 and the latencies have been tightened following Buildzoid's video on 9800X3D.
I also use Wallpaper Engine and have read that it could also cause problems sometimes but I haven't really much of a clue if that's true or not.
I am here trying to figure out if this is a monitor problem, driver issue, HDMI or DP cable/some kind of weird DSC bandwidth issue, or if my GPU needs to be returned because these issues are seeming to get more frequent and would appreicate any help.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
I own an ASUS PG27AQDP 1440p 480hz monitor and recently added a 7900 XTX to my setup.
When sharing troubleshooting threads, it's important to provide complete system details. Please list your specifications clearly, for example:
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After installing the 7900 XTX, I only used DDU, which I later realized might not be ideal since Windows won't use Nvidia drivers. I plan to uninstall GeForce after installing the latest GPU driver from AMD's support site in an elevated command—right-click installer > Run as Administrator.
I also use Wallpaper Engine, but I've heard it can sometimes cause issues. It might help to disable unnecessary items in your StartUp entries and test one by one. Once you confirm no artifacts appear after disabling them, gradually enable them one at a time and restart after each change.
CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D with OC PBO activated at 5.4ghz
CPU cooler: Thermalright Frozen Infinity 360 Black AIO
Motherboard: Asrock X870E Taichi | BIOS Version 3.16
Memory: CMK96GX5M2B6000Z30 | CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 96GB (2x48GB)
Storage: Crucial T705 4TB NVMe M.2
GPU: Sapphire 11322-02-20G Pulse AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (one of the PCIE PSU cables is connected to the GPU side)
Power Supply: [Link](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C33H937C?ref...title&th=1)
Performance: GAMEMAX Rampage 1250W | PSU is approximately two months old
Case: CORSAIR 7000D AIRFLOW Full-Tower ATX PC Case
Operating System: Edition - Windows 10 Pro
Version: 22H2
Installed on: 3/1/2024
OS build: 19045.5371
Experience: Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19060.1000.0
Display: ASUS ROG Swift OLED 27” 1440P Gaming Monitor (PG27AQDP)
I used DDU initially when installing the AMD card, but Nvidia drivers remain on my system.
After installing adrenalin with the driver, I followed instructions to run it twice during a brand switch (only executed once).
I plan to download the driver from AMD’s site, run it twice, and then install the minimal version to test if issues resolve.
I would reinstall the 2080 just to eliminate the possibility of the monitor and cable issue.
If the same problems persist, please return the new card.
I've uncovered some interesting developments.
It seems that even after applying DDU, Nvidia still maintains numerous service processes and telemetry features remain active.
I disabled all those Nvidia-related tasks, cleared the folders, and am now preparing to execute DDU a couple of times to confirm everything is completely removed from my system.
I realized that running 1440p at 480hz combined with a TV at 60hz creates an excessive load for my monitor during certain games, leading to HDCP snow, forced DP 1.4, and bandwidth constraints at 32.4gbps/HDMI 2.1 45gbps—alongside horizontal static flicker. Older titles seem unaffected.
After unplugging the TV, I experienced no more artifacts when playing at 1440p 480hz.
For modern games, I must adjust my settings to 360hz; otherwise, I face artifacting and am forced to disconnect the TV.
Switching to another window or monitor eliminated the static when I exited games with issues. However, returning via Alt-tab restores the flicker only when I re-enter the game.
I also suspect this might relate to a VRAM or GPU clock issue, or possibly a low clock speed setting on my GPU.
My VRAM clock remains stuck at 900 across all sessions, and I cannot lower it further.
GPU Tweak sets the minimum clock speed to 5000, yet in-game it reports around 4925—though my card doesn’t reach that threshold.
Additionally, I found something unusual: enabling VRR causes my monitor to artifact completely.
For reference, FreeSync hasn’t worked reliably on my 7900 XTX, causing constant flickering and frustration. I disabled it for a week.
Now, a fresh problem has emerged: every time I enable VRR, the artifacts persist consistently.
I could reinstall the 2080 Ti to test, but it performed flawlessly for 25 days with both my TV and 1440p 480hz monitor before my 7900 XTX arrived—suggesting an AMD-related issue.
This seems to point toward a driver or GPU problem.
Edit: After re-running DDU, I discovered that the drivers for my 2080 Ti and any remaining Nvidia components weren’t fully removed during the first execution. Now they’re gone from my PC.
I attempted to enable VRR again, but it still caused artifacts on my desktop. However, once inside a game, the flickering vanished completely. Freesync is now working perfectly with no issues when I switch to the desktop via Alt-tab.
It appears that since my monitor isn’t consistently running at 480hz due to VRR being off in certain games, the variable refresh rate has eliminated the artifacts as well—thanks to more recent titles averaging around 170–350 FPS.
It seems the issue is likely a driver-related one, and DDU didn’t fully uninstall my 2080 drivers on the first try. Still, I remain uncertain if the fix is complete.