Artifacts

haymo · February 2011

I love this game but a few patches ago this started to happen. It seems that whenever a model that isn't the 1st person rifle, skulk, com chair, or extractor is present on screen my games graphics just wack out in artifacts. You know, lines of colour pointing towards the centre of the screen artifacts (fill your whole screen, nothing is distinguishable).

Anyone else getting hardcore artifacts, anyone have any solutions?

specs:
(CPU2) IntelÂ® Coreâ„¢2 Duo CPU E6850 @ 3.00GHz @ 3005MHz (ASUSTeK Computer INC. P5K mainboard) (RAM) 4GB
(VGA1) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 (1GB), 1600x1200x32, 85Hz (OS) Microsoft Windows XP Professional (SP2)

Ink · February 2011

I had this issue when i was using XP but that might not of been the issue, i actually have the same card and the same ram and a worse processor.(i can play on high at 70hz, window mode, 1280x1024, usually putting in "r_shadows false" in console.

Try lowering your graphics and resolution.

If you did that and didnt work.

Make sure your card is getting enough Voltage AND amps, that card needs a lot.

If you did that and didnt work.

Get the latest drivers.

If you did that and didnt work.

Check to see if windows XP is even using all 4gb of ram(i think it cant, i may be wrong)

If you did that and didnt work.

See if your motherboard supports 4gb of ram(some Asus ones cant)

If you did that and didnt work.

Clean your entire computer from dust.

If you did that and didnt work.

Close your eyes while playing so you dont see the artifacts, thus making the artifacts non-existent.

hope somewhere in this post you found help.

Harimau · February 2011

I have these issues (<a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/topics/some_sort_of_display_error_following_the_purchase_of_a_weapon" target="_blank">which I reported way back in build 159 or something</a>), seems to be an issue with the Geforce GT* 450/460 series cards, as far as I can tell. I've got a Gigabyte GTS 450.
Check out this topic on the nvidia forum: <a href="http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=189039" target="_blank">http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=189039</a>

This does not ordinarily happen with any other game. However, in one case, I was playing NS2, then closed it due to the artifacting, played a different game (Heroes of Newerth) and suddenly I had these seriously crazy artifacting issues which I never had with that game before; required a full power-down (not merely a restart) of my computer system to restore the proper functionality to the graphics.
The difference is that this <b>always</b> happens with NS2, and is currently the only reason I cannot playtest it - performance is fairly decent otherwise, and there is a good australian server available.

I haven't yet seen this issue be acknowledged by the developers, which is sad; it's fine if they have other things on their priority list but I'd like to at least see them acknowledge it.

haymo · February 2011

Harimau, same problem

endar · February 2011

I thought the 460 was pretty popular, any 450/460 users who have never seen this problem? Make some noise and get more people with issues, they will acknowledge it if the problem is big enough. (i have a 2xx)

edit: I like the link in your sig haymo.

Chris0132 · February 2011

Using a 460 myself and haven't had any issues with it.

THe z buffer is kinda crap on it but that seems to be the case with a lot of nvidia cards now, makes decals in HL2 render badly, but otherwise no issues with the card.

Death Dragon · February 2011

I'm getting pretty random artifact bugs which for example sometimes make the shotgun cover up my whole screen or make fades invisible.

Uh I think I have an ATI graphic card though.

Max · February 2011

Can you capture a screen shot of this?

Harimau · February 2011

There are screenshots of this problem on the getsatisfaction post I linked, from build 159, which I'll mirror here. I guess I'll update these with screenshots from 164 when it's finished updating, not that there'll be any difference.
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/satisfaction-production/s3_images/355220/ns2_error.PNG" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/satisfaction-production/s3_images/355236/ns2_error2.PNG" border="0" class="linked-image" />
I have some more interesting (as in, slightly different) screenshots from the next build (160), but I don't know how they can be reproduced.
<a href="http://img832.imageshack.us/i/ns2error3.png/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/9092/ns2error3.png" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a>
<a href="http://img413.imageshack.us/i/ns2error4.png/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3478/ns2error4.png" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a>
I'll also post my system specs, and link my dxdiag.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Mainboard : Asus P5K
Chipset : Intel P35/G33/G31
Processor : Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2400 MHz
Physical Memory : 4096 MB (2 x 2048 DDR2-SDRAM )
Video Card : Nvidia Corp NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 1GB 810MHz
Hard Disk : WDC (320 GB)
Hard Disk : WD (1000 GB)
DVD-Rom Drive : LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1P SCSI CdRom Device
Monitor Type : ViewSonic VA2226w-3 - 22 inches
Network Card : Attansic (Now owned by Atheros) L1 Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet Controller
Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
DirectX : Version 9.0c (May 2010)</div>
Running the latest Nvidia drivers as of the time of making that screenshot, and video resolution of 1680x1050.

dxdiag: <a href="http://pastebin.com/H32QN5hm" target="_blank">http://pastebin.com/H32QN5hm</a>

Some more info at the getsatisfaction post I linked.
Re-linking: <a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/topics/some_sort_of_display_error_following_the_purchase_of_a_weapon" target="_blank">http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/t...ase_of_a_weapon</a>
(Also on that post, in the first reply, are links to two other getsatisfaction posts with the same issue.)

endar · February 2011

Just curious, is that intentional still being on SP2? SP3 was almost 3 years ago I think.

Harimau · February 2011

Not really intentional, but I didn't care much for updating it. Might as well ask, Why XP and not 7?, you know. I mean I'm not even getting the most out of my ram because of my 32-bit OS, but I figure that when I have the money, time, interest and effort, I'll shell out for a decent rig. I don't see that happening in the next six to ten months, unless my computer suddenly and completely breaks down - and I don't even want to consider that.

Wheeee · February 2011

doesn't happen in other games?

Harimau · February 2011

As I said before, it has happened once in another game (Heroes of Newerth), but that was actually soon AFTER it first happened in NS2, i.e. before any reset. Restarting the computer (through windows) did not help at the time. Powering down the system (i.e. Turn off, then turn back on) did. It has never happened before in any other game.

Chris0132 · February 2011

If you're getting it on two separate games within the same timeframe, it's probably either your graphics card crapping out, or possibly a driver problem.

PseudoKnight · February 2011

Faulty or overheating graphics card is my best guess. Check the temps when this starts happening. (MSI Afterburner is a useful tool for that)

Crispix · February 2011

Funny. I totally should have mentioned I'm getting a similar issue but nothing too crazy like some of the screenshots I've seen.

I'm using a 470GTX myself. Usually what I get is that some marine structure models or alien structure models don't properly render and I get artifacts on them. It even happens in commander mode as well for these structures, where all the verts are stretched all over the place.

Edit: NS2 is the only game I've seen this happen with.

SN.Wolf · February 2011

I get that if i have to many layers open in the editor on my 7950GT 1GB card but nothing near that on my GT220 1GB card but, I do get that from fear combat (artifacts and invisible players) and that was server performance as when i rebooted the server all was back to normal. We ran into this issue several times with the fear server so maybe there is a problem there, ya never know.

Was this on a listen server or dedicated?

Death Dragon · February 2011

But it's still strange that the graphic card only overheats while NS2 is running, isn't it?

endar · February 2011

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Death Dragon @ Feb 20 2011, 10:19 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1833879"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'>But it's still strange that the graphic card only overheats while NS2 is running, isn't it?</div>
Who are you referring to about the overheating? Harimau has had it happen in another game (HON), and on the forum he linked to other people had it in other games.

How does your card fare running Furmark Harimau?

Death Dragon · February 2011

I was referring to Harimau. He said he only got artifacts in one other game and that was after his card was probably already overheating after playing NS2.

I myself am not actually sure if I only get artifacts in NS2 because I'm not really playing other games at the moment.

endar · February 2011

Ah, didnt know you had a 4xx as well, how does Your card fare in Furmark?

Death Dragon · February 2011

I have a completely different card, sorry for the misunderstanding.

Harimau · February 2011

Sorry, could you guys please link me to any appropriate benchmarks and monitoring tools and such so that I can test?

And it was as Death Dragon said, this has never happened to any other game I've played. The one case it did happen to another game, it was during the same session where it had first happened to NS2 - where it always happens.

Also, I don't think that it's a bad driver, or rather, that if it is a bad driver it's due to my setup, because
A) This has happened to others, and
B) It was a totally clean install. I uninstalled the old drivers. Restarted in safe mode. Ran driversweep to clean the drivers. Powered down, installed the new video card. Turned on, installed the new drivers.

It does seem like it's specific to this card, or similar cards, (and specific to this game) but before I go out and buy a new card (which is not really something I'd like to consider, considering my budget, and just so that I can play the one game that causes it to fail), I'd like to know if there's anything that I, or the card manufacturer, or the game developer, can do to fix this. I have the receipt for my card, which I only purchased two months ago, but I'm unsure whether it's covered by any sort of warranty.

Also, to answer SN.Wolf, this happens regardless of the server. On online servers where I've played NS2, it happens; and if I create a lan game for myself, it happens. It's probably likely that the online server will break it more often, but then there are more entities and actions and such which could cause it to break.

*It should be noted that most of the time this occurs, it is when a weapon is purchased, or a lifeform is evolved to. The only thing that fixes this is the "kill" command. This is all pretty much what the OP stated though.
**However, occasionally, it will happen merely based on whatever position and whatever direction you're facing in the game world (so you can walk forward a few steps and it'll be back to normal, or you can turn around and it will be back to normal), so it could be related to rendering level geometry or entities and such, I don't know. I can't be sure whether this second case** is a consequence of it already breaking in the first* case, but it could be.

lwf · February 2011

I believe <a href="http://www.ozone3d.net/benchmarks/fur/" target="_blank">FurMark</a> is pretty much the standard for stress testing your GPU, but I'm not really in the loop.

Skie · February 2011

I have similar artifact problems sometimes with Radeon HD4870. Might be an overheating issue, happens randomly sometimes in games.
Enabling OpenGL Vertex Buffer from the game settings (not NS2), whatever that is, caused a lot of artifacts like those in another game for me.

Had it happen once in NS2 when I was having Fraps on and Steam overlay on. After I disabled/closed both, I haven't had it happen again. Fraps works on its own.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/5gB4P.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

PseudoKnight · February 2011

I have a GTX 460 too and I've been noticing some oddness in a Source-based game. The view-model flickers every once in a while. I'm thinking it might be an issue with the current driver, actually. I've already done temp checks.

Narumies · April 2011

i got the exactly same problem. i got Geforce gts450 aswell. so its the card related problem? it dosnt do any artifacts with any other games... =( i just bought the game and im pretty sad panda over here.

Harimau · April 2011

There's a theory that it's a video ram issue, caused by running a 32bit OS (which can only allocate a total of 4gb of system and video ram). I haven't yet upgraded mine to 64bit to see if there's any improvement.

Shilorius · April 2011

I've got a GTX460 too, but on Win7 64bit and no Problems with it.

So I guess you are right and it is a WinXP or 32bit Problem.

gamester_5 · April 2011

I have noticed the artifacting in just the last 2 builds. I have 2 of the EVGA 480 GTX SC in SLI and they get warm but I have not seen ANY artifacting on any other games. I will try to capture a sceen shot of this as well.

Racer1 · April 2011

I had this same problem back during the NS2 engine test and in a few of the early alpha releases. Eventually, one of the releases fixed it. This behavior has never come back since.

Win XP 32bit
GeForce 9600GT

Artifacts

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