Flashing and crashing

[Bulldogsvk]

Flashing and crashing

Hello

Yesterday I started playing my WItcher 3 GOTY edition. Everyting went smoothly until the quest Devil by the well. After running around, using Witcher sense, examining the clues and looting the chests around I start getting red flashing dots (not the witcher sense, I know how it looks like). Then the textures start flashing black also with random black rectangles until it crashes eventually.

PC specs - Intel core i5 6600k, Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 8 GB (Gigabyte G1), 16 GB RAM

I tried some of the advice found online (disabling Nvidia Experience, changing limitations to PCI slot, using Borderless window/fullscreen, lowering foliage)

I just don't understant why is it crashing. I believe that with my rig it should be running smoothly on ultra settings. I am starting to worry that there is something wrong with my graphic card.

Please help!

 

[dragonbird]

The symptoms you described do usually relate to graphics card or monitor problems. I know this is going to sound dumb, but check the connections to the monitor first. Then look at clean installation of drivers, not overclocking, and check temperatures and power usage. Does it also happen at other times of high graphics activity, such as combat when spells are being used?

And you're either the second or the third with this problem this week, I think... That's unusual, I've only seen a couple of instances in the year before that. Has there been a graphics driver update recently? It may be worth checking Nvidia forums too.

 

[Bulldogsvk]

Ok so I have tried to switch between HDMI and DVI, clean installed the drivers with DDU to the latest one, set the power management to high performance, unchecked all the limitations on PCI slot, the temperature reaches maximum of 70°C, tried to change different ingame video settings, disabled geforce experience streaming. The mentioned issue just starts after about 2-3 minutes of playing and continues or the game crashes. I also went through nvidia forums and have not found a sigle info that would be of help. I also tried running Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0 and it does pretty much the same the only difference being that in benchmark it flashes purple and black. So I guess it will be the graphic card after all.

 

[dragonbird]

unchecked all the limitations on PCI slot

This is a new one for me - can you explain what you mean by this?

Before you do something drastic like buying a new graphics card, try reseating the existing one, and also try putting it in a different slot, if that's feasible with your mobo layout.

 

[Bulldogsvk]

There is a setting on PCI slot both in Nvidia Control Panel and Windows Power options where you can turn off power limitation to PCI slot in order to reduce power consumption. It applies mainly for laptops running on a battery but you can change it on desktop as well.

Anyway. I tried stress testing as well as benchmarking my GPU in our computer lab at work. No flashing, 10°C lower temperature (60°C instead of 70°C) and steady performance so the GPU is ok. I tried to update BIOS which did not help either. Now I really have no idea what could be the problem. Some of my collegues suggested it could be caused by weak PSU but my set-up requires a minimum of 373 W. Currently I am running it on a 600 W PSU so I guess it should not be the problem. I am getting really hopeless here.

 

[dragonbird]

So when you tested it at work, you were seeing lower temperatures with the same tests? Even though the temps weren't excessive, it could point to a power supply problems, as your colleagues said, or to a fan problem.

It's hitting the limits of my expertise now, but the last thing I can suggest is to troubleshoot the fans.

If the fans ramp up (more noise) before the problem occurs, then it could be a problem with the fans themselves, drawing too much current, or with the PSU.
If they DON'T ramp up during periods of high activity, such as combat, then maybe try tweaking the fan controls so that they do?

Oh, and just thought - how does your own PC compare generally to the work one for ventilation? When did you last clean the cat hair out of it? (Sorry, maybe not cat hair in your environment. Just self-projecting there...)

 

[SigilFey]

@Bulldogsvk

It sounds like your GPU may be damaged. What you've described sounds like artifacting, and if you're only hitting 70°C, that's not a good sign, unfortunately.

Try opening your case and ensuring that your components are firmly seated on the motherboard. Are you seeing this in any other programs? What is the wattage for your PSU? Where did you get the system?