Does artifacting always mean a bad video card?

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RobbieV

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Jul 16, 2006
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I have a Sapphire 1950 pro that is starting to artifact really bad in Company of Heroes. I had no poblems playing GRAW a month ago, but CoH is all I have been playing lately and it seems to be getting worse. What I am wondering is if the artifacting is for sure caused by my video card going bad or if it is ever a software issue. I'm using Vista RC1 with beta catalyst drivers.

I'm pretty sure it's the card as it could never finish the self-overclock test, and a manual overclock of even 15 mhz on the core would create a bunch of fuzzy white dots on the screen during a game, but I just wanted to make sure before I send it back to the egg.
 
I don't have a solid answer for you, but I will say that a beta OS and beta video drives cannot be relied upon to flawlessly perform, and I would suspect that may be causing some of your poblems...
 
No, not always.

What you might want to do is check for heat problems. Try running the computer with the side of your case off, maybe angle a fan at it. If it stops artifacting like that at stock speeds, you're pretty much guaranteed it's not heat--low tech, but sure fire :) . Get back to us.

If you know how to check temperatures, do that as well. Post them.
 
Could be that the heatsink wasn't properly applied when the card left the factory. Happens sometimes. I got my X1900XT from the egg as an open box item and it was artifacting like crazy. Removed the heatsink, watercooled it, and now it runs at 730/1600 rock solid.

EDIT: Whoops, wrong clock speeds, fixed
 
I've had issues with my card when trying to overclock. It started artifacting real bad when I went above 10 mhz on the core or memory. Some cards just will not overclock the way people expect them to. Mine went away after I turned it back to default speeds. I have an X800XT PE Saphire with a zalman cooler. Sounds like you just have one of those cards that will not take an overclock.
 
digital_exhaust said:
I don't have a solid answer for you, but I will say that a beta OS and beta video drives cannot be relied upon to flawlessly perform, and I would suspect that may be causing some of your poblems...
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QFT


@OP: Try running it in Windows XP with proper drivers because running Vista RC1 has no advantages but a tonne of disadvantages and just makes you look like an idiot at this point.
 
Well I'm going to try the newest catalyst drivers for vista to see if that helps. Idle temp for the card is 44 degrees while load temp fluctuates between 64 and 69 degrees, so the temps seem fine.

If the new cat drivers don't help I think I'll send the card back as I doubt my OS being a release candidate would cause artifacting would it? I sure didn't read about any artifacting while looking up game reviews using vista.
 
tisb0b said:
QFT


@OP: Try running it in Windows XP with proper drivers because running Vista RC1 has no advantages but a tonne of disadvantages and just makes you look like an idiot at this point.
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LOL! How does running RC1 make me look like an idiot? I havent had any troubles with it until this point, and the problem is probably the video card. I think anyone who has used vista RC1 or RC2 would agree that there are some advantages to them over xp even in the unifinished phase.

Anyway, the only copy of xp I have is an OEM version for a different computer, That's why I'm using RC1 until the real deal comes out.
 
RobbieV said:
LOL! How does running RC1 make me look like an idiot? I havent had any troubles with it until this point, and the problem is probably the video card. I think anyone who has used vista RC1 or RC2 would agree that there are some advantages to them over xp even in the unifinished phase.

Anyway, the only copy of xp I have is an OEM version for a different computer, That's why I'm using RC1 until the real deal comes out.
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Vista RC1 is a BETA os and your using BETA drivers and you wonder why something doesn't work. Then you wonder why I call you an idiot when the answer is straight in front of you.

LMAO and your still blaming your card when I guarantee to you if you were running XP not a buggy BETA Vista OS it would work fine w/o any issues.
 
tisb0b said:
Vista RC1 is a BETA os and your using BETA drivers and you wonder why something doesn't work. Then you wonder why I call you an idiot when the answer is straight in front of you.

LMAO and your still blaming your card when I guarantee to you if you were running XP not a buggy BETA Vista OS it would work fine w/o any issues.
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How the hell do you know it is the OS dumbass? Do video cards never go bad or artifact even with proper drivers? Of course they do, it has happened to me twice in the past.

Don't you know how to comunicate politely? Think you're some kind of tough guy calling me an idiot? This was turning in to a useful discussion until you came in here, so give me some useful feedback in a civilized manner or otherwise FUCK OFF!
 
tisb0b said:
Vista RC1 is a BETA os and your using BETA drivers and you wonder why something doesn't work. Then you wonder why I call you an idiot when the answer is straight in front of you.

LMAO and your still blaming your card when I guarantee to you if you were running XP not a buggy BETA Vista OS it would work fine w/o any issues.
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Dude shut the fuck up. You don't know if its the card or the drivers. It sound more to me like the card. Just because this guy is a "noobie" doesn't mean you can be an asshole. From my experience rank aint shit.
 
ITSTHINKING said:
Dude shut the fuck up. You don't know if its the card or the drivers. It sound more to me like the card. Just because this guy is a "noobie" doesn't mean you can be an asshole. From my experience rank aint shit.
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heheh
 
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