Fuzzy green pixels.

Karl Hungus · 14-11-2008 11:32am #1

Having a problem with my new PC, it's been fine since I got it, but lately, there's this green fuzz everywhere. It's odd, before I simply restarted my computer when it happened, and that solved the problem. But I switched it on this morning, and the fuzz is persisting now after 4 restarts, a driver update, a full driver reinstall from CD, a few change of resolutions. I don't think it's an overheating issue, because it's been like this since I turned on the PC, and just to be sure, I opened all the windows in the room, it's freakin' freezing in here and no difference to the green fuzz.

It's an ATI 4870 512 card.

I'm hoping this isn't a case of the card being faulty or anything.

Please, I'd really appreciate any help.

h8red · 14-11-2008 11:59am

Could you post a screenshot? I'm wondering is the graphics card or your monitor.

Karl Hungus · 14-11-2008 12:13pm

h8red wrote: »

Could you post a screenshot? I'm wondering is the graphics card or your monitor.

Did a print screen, saved it and uploaded it here. Does it look like anything's wrong?

h8red · 14-11-2008 12:23pm

Can't see any fuzzy green pixels! Looks perfect. Might be your monitor or monitor cable. Can you get a howld of another monitor to try?

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 4:09pm

I've tried using my old monitor, but I'll get the windows boot, and it's completely blank from there on in. Tried a different cable with the new monitor; the same.

It's a very strange problem, in that it's just coming and going now. Seems fine half the time, but it's flickering in and out with this green pixelated interference, and I'm really at a loss and can't really find out anything about it, what's causing it or what the problem is exactly. Not sure why my old monitor wasn't displaying anything either, I made sure to set a resolution I knew it could run.

yoyo · 16-11-2008 4:31pm

Karl Hungus wrote: »

I've tried using my old monitor, but I'll get the windows boot, and it's completely blank from there on in. Tried a different cable with the new monitor; the same.

It's a very strange problem, in that it's just coming and going now. Seems fine half the time, but it's flickering in and out with this green pixelated interference, and I'm really at a loss and can't really find out anything about it, what's causing it or what the problem is exactly. Not sure why my old monitor wasn't displaying anything either, I made sure to set a resolution I knew it could run.

Tried using another vga cable? I don't see any visual defects on that screenshot which should rule out video card error

Nick

h8red · 16-11-2008 4:46pm

Very strange indeed. Maybe there is something wrong with the card then. Don't know how easy it's going to be for you to get another that you can try out. Might be your best bet though.

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 4:48pm

Tried using different DVI and VGA cables. The VGA only made the issue worse.

The monitor is a Samsung Syncmaster 2493HM Digital, if that helps at all.

Sherifu · 16-11-2008 4:52pm

Can't see anything wrong in the screenshot either.

Jonathan · 16-11-2008 4:55pm

Karl Hungus wrote: »

I've tried using my old monitor, but I'll get the windows boot, and it's completely blank from there on in. Tried a different cable with the new monitor; the same.

Lower the resolution to the minimum on the new monitor and save the preferences.

Then connect it to the old monitor and post the results.

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 5:01pm

Tested a third cable here, and the problem persists.

jmccrohan wrote: »

Lower the resolution to the minimum on the new monitor and save the preferences.

Then connect it to the old monitor and post the results.

Already done that twice, the results were the same, no display apart from the boot screen.

Jonathan · 16-11-2008 5:08pm

Karl Hungus wrote: »

Already done that twice, the results were the same, no display apart from the boot screen.

The fact that you can see the boot screen on the old monitor suggested that the gfx card was outputting at too high a resolution, hence the monitor turning off.

Overheal · 16-11-2008 5:09pm

whats your power supply? it might also be that your desktop resolution doesnt meet the screen's default resolution: if you have it set lower than the standard res (unlikely) that can explain fuzz.

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 5:11pm

First I set it at 1280x1024, the same resolution I used to run the previous machine with that monitor on it, when that didn't work, I tried 800x600 which was the lowest resolution available to me, and it was the same.

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 5:14pm

Overheal wrote: »

whats your power supply? it might also be that your desktop resolution doesnt meet the screen's default resolution: if you have it set lower than the standard res (unlikely) that can explain fuzz.

Corsair 750watt.

Resolution is set at 1920x1200, which is the screen's default. I've also tested different resolutions with the same results.

Overheal · 16-11-2008 5:15pm

and the old monitor doesnt work with those resolutions?

if you have an HDTV handy, check it on that.

The next thing to try is uninstalling the 4870 and testing the machine with the internal graphics.

PogMoThoin · 16-11-2008 5:19pm

Download the latest Ati driver and Catalyst Control Centre 8.11 to your desktop, download and install Driver Sweeper, uninstall the full Ati driver and Catalyst Control Centre in control panel Add/Remove programs, Reboot and boot to safe mode by pressing F8 on startup, run driver sweeper in safe mode to remove all traces left of Ati drivers, reboot to normal Vista and install the new 8.11 driver which will require another reboot. Use this procedure every time you change driver as it ensures all traces of the old driver are removed, its very important. You shouldn't install a new graphics driver over an old one

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 5:20pm

Overheal wrote: »

and the old monitor doesnt work with those resolutions?

if you have an HDTV handy, check it on that.

Not exactly handy, but I could try that tomorrow. What sort of cable would I need to do that?

Overheal wrote: »

The next thing to try is uninstalling the 4870 and testing the machine with the internal graphics.

Alrighty... I'll give that a go.

Overheal · 16-11-2008 5:25pm

HDMI cable for HDTV. the card probably either has the HDMI port or it came with a DVI to HDMI converter plug. Although many HDTVs take DVI direct.

PogMoThoin · 16-11-2008 5:35pm

What internal graphics? most modern boards don't have onboard graphics

Clean install of the driver could work wonders, can't do any harm.

Overheal · 16-11-2008 5:42pm

the vast majority of OEM boards I've run into do however.

Sure fresh drivers couldnt hurt but id be impressed if a driver was making fuzzy greens?

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 5:59pm

Did a fresh install as you advised PogMoThoin, no effect, the fuzzy green pixels are still there.

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 6:16pm

Right, I don't think there's any internal graphics on this PC, there's no way to connect a monitor to the PC without a graphics card.

Stop me if it sounds silly, but is there anything that could be interfering with the monitor in any way?

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 7:05pm

Oh for the love of god...

Thought I fixed it, but as soon as I go to post of my success, the green fuzz comes back. I had followed PogMoThoin's advice a second time, but installed drivers from the disc this time. Seemed to have worked for all of 2 minutes...

Christ, this is a facepalm if there ever was one...

Overheal · 16-11-2008 7:09pm

it must be something askew with the card then. probably need a warranty swapout.

PogMoThoin · 16-11-2008 7:55pm

Karl Hungus wrote: »

Oh for the love of god...

Thought I fixed it, but as soon as I go to post of my success, the green fuzz comes back. I had followed PogMoThoin's advice a second time, but installed drivers from the disc this time. Seemed to have worked for all of 2 minutes...

The drivers on the disk are 8.7, very old, there have been many optimisations and hotfixes for games included since then. I'd definitely go to 8.11 anyway, your issue is probably something other than a driver issue but at least you've ruled that out. Have you checked the temperature the card runs at? Have you increased the fanspeed? Have you tested for artifacts?

Karl Hungus · 16-11-2008 8:15pm

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Have you checked the temperature the card runs at? Have you increased the fanspeed? Have you tested for artifacts?

No to all. How do I go about doing this?

PogMoThoin · 16-11-2008 8:47pm

You can use a utility like Ati Tray Tools to adjust fan speeds and monitor temperatures. You'll have to use this ATT Vista 64 loader if you're using 64bit Vista to bypass digital driver signing. I use this utility myself as Rivatuner never supports the latest Ati drivers.

AtiTool is another utility, it has a good artifact tester, I've used this before on Vista64 although it doesn't list it as a supported OS

Soundman · 17-11-2008 1:41am

Have you got any speakers near the monitor that might get moved around a bit?

The magnets in them can affect monitor displays, depending on their type.

PogMoThoin · 17-11-2008 9:11am

Actually, now that I think of it, the latest Ati driver 8.11 has fan control

Karl Hungus · 17-11-2008 12:38pm

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Actually, now that I think of it, the latest Ati driver 8.11 has fan control

Right, did another fresh install of drivers this morning, messed with lowering the clock speed and upping the fan speed. That's seemed to have fixed the problem, but I'll give a while and see if the problem reoccurs.

Thanks.

Fuzzy green pixels.

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