Question ❗ Random Colored Dots or Flickering Light Pixels in Some Games – GPU Fault or Just a Visual Bug?

[sarah5678]

Hi everyone,


I recently bought an AMD graphics card, and while everything seems to be running well overall, I've noticed something strange in some games (not all). Occasionally, I see tiny colored dots or flickering light pixels appearing on-screen — sometimes on character outlines, clothes, or dark backgrounds. They blink in and out randomly, and though not very frequent, they’re distracting once noticed.


🎥 Here's a video recorded directly from my own PC screen, clearly showing the issue:
▶️ https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7yok...ey=bhvlm4egl4gyxyq4lz40923i7&st=kqz4jq84&dl=0


📌 In my case, these visual glitches appeared in:

• Horizon Forbidden West → Around the edges of some character clothing
• The Quarry → Issue completely disappears when SSAO is turned off
• A Plague Tale: Requiem → Flickering dots occur only when the Resolution Optimizer is set to "Quality", but disappear when set to "Ultra Quality"

🛠️ What I’ve already tried:

• Clean reinstallation of GPU drivers using DDU
• All temps are stable and within safe limits
• Played with post-processing settings (TAA, SSAO, sharpening)

❓ My main questions:

• Is this behavior normal, or is it an early sign of a defective GPU (VRAM or something else)?
• Has anyone seen similar visual bugs, especially on AMD GPUs?
• Could this be caused by specific in-game settings or compatibility issues?
• Since my card is still under warranty, should I return it just to be safe?

This doesn't happen in every game, but when it does, it tends to appear in similar ways — especially involving lighting or post-processing effects. I’ve used AMD cards all my life and never noticed this before, so I’m not sure if it’s a hardware issue, a driver thing, or something else entirely.


Any insights or similar experiences would be really appreciated!


Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[USAFRet]

Please...keep this to ONE thread.

Question - Strange Colored Dots or Flickering Pixels in Some Games

Hi everyone, I recently bought an AMD GPU, and while performance has generally been good, I’ve started to notice a strange issue in some games (not all): Occasionally, I see small colored pixel dots or flickering specks in certain areas — often in dark scenes or during post-processed effects...

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