Major Graphics Issue

frogfrog Join Date: 2012-10-17 Member: 162551Members
edited October 2012 in Technical Support
This error probably has a name, but I am unaware of what it is. Essentially, giant polygons of random colours shoot every which way across my screen and I can't see through them. This happens whenever an exosuit fires and its line of fire is in my sight, or when I see dynamic infestation (plain infestation does not cause the problem). Attached is a screencap from NS2, where I am watching an exosuit fire. It's a little dark, make sure to view it full-sized:

<img src="http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/7248/2012103100001.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

This issue also occurs for me in the games Empire Total War, Shogun 2 Total War, and Red Orchestra 2. I've been told it's my graphics card, however the last time I reformatted my computer, the issue disappeared for a number of months, and occasionally the issue will just stop of its own accord for a random number of weeks. I am fairly certain it has to do with lighting--for example, if I play RO2, the issue crops up outdoors or near windows, virtually not at all deep inside buildings. Further example, this time of dynamic infestation:

<img src="http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/535/2012103100006.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

I have searched for a long time and been unable to find any remedy for this, or even find out what the problem is called. I would greatly appreciate any help, guys. Thanks in advance!
Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome

Comments

  • ajaxajax Join Date: 2005-06-21 Member: 54306Members
    Same problem for me and have had it in other games too, most recently Skyrim.
    A huge problem for me has been that, because I use a laptop, the graphics drivers needs to be downloaded from Acer and not AMD. Unfortunately Acer hasn't made available new drivers for a couple of years now. If anyone knows a way to do something about that, that would also be greatly appreciated! (having the technical knowledge of a neanderthal I'm not sure if what I ask is ludicrously stupid or impossible so bear with me...)

    Specs:
    Acer Apsire 3820
    Win 7 Home premium 64-bit
    4Gb Intel i5
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
    Um... yeah.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • frogfrog Join Date: 2012-10-17 Member: 162551Members
    Dude I have the exact same laptop. That's gotta be a big hint.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    Those are graphical artifacts, usually a result of an overheating GPU. Try downloading and running a program like OpenHardwareMonitor or MSI Afterburner and see how hot your GPU is getting.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • ajaxajax Join Date: 2005-06-21 Member: 54306Members
    Huh, guess we didn't make the best buy then Frog =)

    Ok, yeah my CPU reached over 100 degrees. What's the most effective way to decrease that? What settings to reduce and stuff like that?
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=2003570:date=Oct 31 2012, 03:57 PM:name=ajax)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ajax @ Oct 31 2012, 03:57 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2003570"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Huh, guess we didn't make the best buy then Frog =)

    Ok, yeah my CPU reached over 100 degrees. What's the most effective way to decrease that? What settings to reduce and stuff like that?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    0_o

    That's a stove top, not a laptop.

    Either get a laptop cooler or <a href="http://youtu.be/N9Gc4PHFBQg" target="_blank">make one out of bottlecaps</a>.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • frogfrog Join Date: 2012-10-17 Member: 162551Members
    <!--quoteo(post=2003570:date=Oct 31 2012, 11:57 PM:name=ajax)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ajax @ Oct 31 2012, 11:57 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2003570"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Huh, guess we didn't make the best buy then Frog =)

    Ok, yeah my CPU reached over 100 degrees. What's the most effective way to decrease that? What settings to reduce and stuff like that?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    My CPUs are between 90 and 98, depending on settings, GPU hangs out in the 80s. Propping up the back of my laptop made a temperature difference of around 10 degrees, but the artifacts are no different. In the other games I mentioned, my CPUs average around 80 and GPU slightly less, but they still cause the problems.

    Is it possible that the heat has caused permanent damage? And anyways, what kind of temperature would I be looking at as a "healthy" running temperature?
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • WhosatWhosat Singapore Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58301Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    In general, you should never let computer cores go past 80 for long periods of time.

    A good temperature to run at (on load) is around 70 degrees max, 60 degrees should be the normal that most computers get.

    Your computer's cooling system must be quite crap.

    Leaving your core at 100 degrees will eventually kill it. Could be the explanation for artifacting on your screen if you do not see these artifacts when your core temp is way below 100.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • BigImpBigImp Join Date: 2010-11-19 Member: 75036Members, NS2 Playtester, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester
    The graphics options affect the amount of CPU used (the game's graphics are more CPU intensive than most games... most games are more GPU intensive than CPU intensive). Try turning off (or at least down) ambient occlusion, lowering your resolution, turning off (or down) shadows, and turn textures to medium. Try with all of them off, if that works, you can try turning them on one at a time and see where it 'breaks'. If it doesn't work with all of them off/down, then you might need to look into cooling as other people said.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • frogfrog Join Date: 2012-10-17 Member: 162551Members
    Even on the lowest settings, I get artifacts. The problem with this line of laptops (the TimelineX 3800 series) is that they are as small as a netbook but as powerful as a desktop computer. It's pretty damn hard for them to stay cool. Idling, my CPUs are between 40-50 degrees. I imagine if I were to try to maintain the computer at 60 degrees, I'd have to set the laptop on a giant block of ice and play outside. What kind of cooling effect can you expect from a laptop cooler?

    What confuses me though is that it's only certain games which give rise to the problem. I can run two different games at similar temperatures but only one will cause artifacts. Basically if I play games whose graphics engines were produced in 2009 or later, I get the artifacts--did something major change in the way games were programmed around then?
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • METROIDMETROID Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165171Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    The problem is that games usually not optimized and not tested to work on the mobility videocards (nor Intel, nor AMD, nor nVidia). Plus the vendors doesn't like to keep the drivers up-to-date.

    In case of mobility videocards try to use different driver versions (update to a higher version or rollback to a lower version).

    Try to find the latest driver from AMD site
    <a href="http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx" target="_blank">http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx</a>
    or
    try to find a newer driver from the other vendor's sites (DELL, Sony, Asus etc, just videocard must be the same).
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
Sign In or Register to comment.