Edges Flickering/Shimmering in all games! Help!

[Jswen4]

Alright, here it goes. I have been pulling my hair out over this issue, so any help here would be MUCH appreciated.

The issue is: in all my games; minecraft, skyrim, L4D, Dishonored, NBA 2k, (even youtube videos of gameplay) the edges of textures (in the distance) flicker and sort of crawl as the camera moves. It happens more to thin textures like ropes, rails, fences, etc... especially if theres a light source. It is really distracting and was NEVER there before. Again, my computer was looking great and out of no where this issue arose.

I have tried the following:
1. I tested 4 different graphics cards both amd and nvidia all with the same issue.
2. No amount of AA or AF or TRAA helps. It does its job because up close textures look amazing but distant textures still shimmer badly.
3. I tried re-positioning the graphics card 4 or 5 times. And tried putting it in different slots.
4. I tried the latest version of the nvidia driver, using driver sweeper and have the same issue. I have also tried older versions of the driver as well.
5. I checked all my hardware, there's enough power getting to everything, my cpu is running cool and smooth, even my games run amazingly well except for this issue.
6. I have tried 3 different monitors and different dvi/avg cables. Still persists.
7. I have updated the BIOS to its latest version. No help.
8. I have messed around with every setting in the nvidia control panel. Especially things like negative LoD bias and what not. Still no help.

Nothing is OC at the moment.

I have honestly tried everything i can think of [strike]except re installing windows[/strike] and/or trying to figure out what piece of hardware might be causing this. If anyone can help me out it would be much much appreciated. Thanks.

UPDATE: Here is a video I made of what this problem looks like in skyrim. Its much worse in-game (watch in 720p): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlg4C0_3fUM

Edit: I re-installed windows and the problem is still there, so theres that crossed of the list.

Specs: Windows 7 Home Premium SP1
GTX 670 (Nvidia) x1
i5 2500-k Sandy Bridge @3.3 ghz
Acer 1600 x 900 lcd screen
8k MB of RAM

 

[avjguy2362]

Wow, you really have tried everything, multiple monitors and GPUs! OK, I am reaching here, but you need to check you AC voltage. Should be a minimum of about 110 and max of 125 and steady. I would also like you to try getting a long heavy duty extension cord ( the kind for yard work or bigger ) and try plugging it into a different circuit breaker from the opposite side of your house. I lived in a house once where one leg of the house's Main circuit breaker was problematic, the other side was fine. Each side had about (12) 15 amp circuit breakers, but only half of them were causing problems. As you probably know there are 2 legs - 120v lines that come into your house, both combined make the 240v line for your Central Air, Dryer and Kitchen Stuff! The rest of the house splits the the two legs. My Master Breaker was causing all the weird problems. There are lots of AC voltage problems, like clipped or highly distorted sin waves, and sometimes when there are too many outlets on a single breaker you have impedance problem where you can't always draw current as instantaneously as normal, even under lighter loads. Maybe, just maybe!

 

[Jswen4]

Wow, you really have tried everything, multiple monitors and GPUs! OK, I am reaching here, but you need to check you AC voltage. Should be a minimum of about 110 and max of 125 and steady. I would also like you to try getting a long heavy duty extension cord ( the kind for yard work or bigger ) and try plugging it into a different circuit breaker from the opposite side of your house. I lived in a house once where one leg of the house's Main circuit breaker was problematic, the other side was fine. Each side had about (12) 15 amp circuit breakers, but only half of them were causing problems. As you probably know there are 2 legs - 120v lines that come into your house, both combined make the 240v line for your Central Air, Dryer and Kitchen Stuff! The rest of the house splits the the two legs. My Master Breaker was causing all the weird problems. There are lots of AC voltage problems, like clipped or highly distorted sin waves, and sometimes when there are too many outlets on a single breaker you have impedance problem where you can't always draw current as instantaneously as normal, even under lighter loads. Maybe, just maybe!

Thank you for the feedback! I'll have to get a voltage meter to check my AC and I will definitely try different outlets around my house tomorrow and report back. I do live in an older house known to have some electrical problems.

I was just wondering if you have had similar issues like mine due to AC current? Can it really cause this kind if problem? I ask because everything else in my pc seems to be functioning fine.

Here's a video with almost my exact problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzff6PxNah8&feature=youtu.be

 

[avjguy2362]

Sorry, I lost my internet connection last night, Charter was doing upgrades. Anyway, if you are referring to the shimmering that was going on with the guard rails in the background, that has nothing to do with power or anything except anti-aliasing, which is effectively the stair-stepping problem that we have with video and straight lines as they become less than perfectly horizontal or vertical. The only solution is to crank up the AA settings as high as your system will allow. It is one of the harder number crunching GPU and sometimes CPU ( on lesser GPU's ) tasks for a gaming system to overcome. You never said what GPU you use. You will sometimes see Tom's referring to the fact that a game can still work well for a lesser machine if you don't mind living with the lower AA settings and this stair-stepping problem. Here is Tom's article on the topic:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/anti-aliasing-nvidia-geforce-amd-radeon,2868.html

 

[Jswen4]

Sorry, I lost my internet connection last night, Charter was doing upgrades. Anyway, if you are referring to the shimmering that was going on with the guard rails in the background, that has nothing to do with power or anything except anti-aliasing, which is effectively the stair-stepping problem that we have with video and straight lines as they become less than perfectly horizontal or vertical. The only solution is to crank up the AA settings as high as your system will allow. It is one of the harder number crunching GPU and sometimes CPU ( on lesser GPU's ) tasks for a gaming system to overcome. You never said what GPU you use. You will sometimes see Tom's referring to the fact that a game can still work well for a lesser machine if you don't mind living with the lower AA settings and this stair-stepping problem. Here is Tom's article on the topic:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/anti-aliasing-nvidia-geforce-amd-radeon,2868.html

No problem, I too have to deal with charter a lot haha. I realize that it looks like an AA problem, but like I said this "flickering" was never there before (trust me I would have noticed) and its much worse in some games, even with maxed AA, AF, and TRAA. Also even if I watch gameplay videos on youtube (such as minecraft) I can see it still shimmering in other peoples videos. I just don't get it? Maybe AA isn't being applied to distant textures somehow? My GPU is under "specs", its a GTX 670 FTW edition (Brand new after RMA) and my PSU is a TX-850 watts.

 

[avjguy2362]

Perhaps I am not seeing the problem in the video you showed me, simply because I don't have the problem. If you play the same exact games on someone else's machine, you don't see it? In the UTube video, I do see changes in lighting effects on the back wall, but that seems normal as the scene moves up and down a bit. If you are seeing something more than I am then I guess it still couldn't hurt to try the extension cord and see if bad power is somehow effecting your video, although it seems so odd, I would have to guess the problem would be effecting your monitor more than your computer, but that doesn't explain why you don't see the problem in the foreground too! Unfortunately, it's less a matter of not trusting you than not being able to actually see the before and after comparison or "seeing" it at all! Your GPU and PS are very high quality, so it would be hard to point at them. Tough problem!

 

[romuald_geo]

I have exact same problem in Far Cry 3, Bioshock Infinite on Asus 650 Ti boost. everything started after switching from HD 7770 Vapor-x to 650 Ti boost. On Ati card everything was OK. Considering buying HD 7790 cause I think it's nvidia's graphics cards problem in general as almost everyone(90%) reporting this problem has GTXs.

 

[Jswen4]

I have exact same problem in Far Cry 3, Bioshock Infinite on Asus 650 Ti boost. everything started after switching from HD 7770 Vapor-x to 650 Ti boost. On Ati card everything was OK. Considering buying HD 7790 cause I think it's nvidia's graphics cards problem in general as almost everyone(90%) reporting this problem has GTXs.

Interesting. I can't say for sure, but my problem could have also appeared when I switched from my Radeon 6850 to my gtx-670. Although im 99.9% sure its not a driver problem so i don't know why that would happen. I would hold off on buying 7790 for now unless you know for sure its your GTX card and not something else. Reason im saying that is because I tried to switch back to my 6850 but the same problem was happening with that card as well. Have you tried switching back to your old HD 7770 to see if the problem is still there?

 

[romuald_geo]

I'd love to switch back but unfortunately I had sold it before it got 650 Ti Boost, so no way to verify now.

 

[romuald_geo]

Hi All! With the release of 320.18 drivers the issue practically solved.

 

[Jswen4]

Hi All! With the release of 320.18 drivers the issue practically solved.

Im glad you got this issue resolved! Unfortunately I have the latest drivers with my gtx 670 and still have this problem. It could be that they fixed this issue with your 650Ti, maybe they will do the same with the 670 down the road. I hope so. Happy gaming!

 

[Risla]

Ok , seems I'm not the only one having this aliasing problem .. There seems to be something wrong with the GTX 600 series , I have a Gigabyte GTX 660 (OC version) and have the EXACT same problem as the OP and as shown in the videos.

On the latest driver (320.18) .. tried the 310.90 driver as someone on the Geforce forum suggested but it changed nothing.

Clearly there IS some issue with these GTX cards (google it) , it is most noticeable on fences and ''thin lines'' ( if i'm not mistaken those are transparancy objects)

PLEASE someone tell us there is a fix for this, because this aliasing issue makes most games just unplayable

First noticed it in Crysis 2 (maximum edition) .. first part of game was just fine , but as i got further into the game it got worse and worse.

Now i see it in every game ! although admitted not every game has it so bad that it's unplayable but it's still there and it's damn annoying.

 

[heirapparent]

I have been having this EXACT problem, word for word. I've tried every single fix that you have, and I have a GTX 660 FTW. I was losing my mind thinking that I was the only person having this problem. I realize this is an old thread, but has anyone that's posted here found a fix?

 

[bystander]

This does appear to be an aliasing issue. The most obvious fix is to force SSAA through Nvidia Inspector, but you may first try using SSAA in the Transparency AA options. AMD has the same issue, and has a similar fix to the Transparency issue by using adaptive MSSA, or SSAA built in the CCC.

SSAA is better, but it kills performance.

 

[smeezekitty]

That just looks like aliasing. I suggest trying x8 AA to see if it helps

The truth is there will always be some due to limits of computer resolution. On a higher resolution monitor it should be less noticeable.

 

[Crispy12]

I know its an old thread, but have you found any fix? Im having the exact same problem. It all started happening after I upgraded from HD 5570 to a GTX 770, along with a new PSU. I think the new PSU is causing the problem as I am seeing the shimmering on my old HD 5570 (which wasnt there obviously). I'll see if changing the psu fixes the problem.

 

[bystander]

I know its an old thread, but have you found any fix? Im having the exact same problem. It all started happening after I upgraded from HD 5570 to a GTX 770, along with a new PSU. I think the new PSU is causing the problem as I am seeing the shimmering on my old HD 5570 (which wasnt there obviously). I'll see if changing the psu fixes the problem.

The PSU will not cause this issue. Did you change anything else? Monitor, distance between you and the monitor, or even the game you are playing?

Another very common issue is when you upgrade your PC, you look at everything with a microscope and notice things you never noticed before. Once it is in your head, you cannot not see it.

MSAA x32 will not fix that example in Skyrim, as it is not the edges of an object that is aliased. It takes SSAA or some form of it (Adaptive MSAA applies some transparency SSAA, similar to Nvidias Transparency SSAA option). FXAA, MLAA and SMAA will mildly improve this as well. Downsampling can also help, though all these things cause some blurring. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509076

Videos are also not fixed by this, though Downsampling may help some.

If you are seeing static or artifacts, that could be the PSU.

 

[Crispy12]

I know its an old thread, but have you found any fix? Im having the exact same problem. It all started happening after I upgraded from HD 5570 to a GTX 770, along with a new PSU. I think the new PSU is causing the problem as I am seeing the shimmering on my old HD 5570 (which wasnt there obviously). I'll see if changing the psu fixes the problem.

The PSU will not cause this issue. Did you change anything else? Monitor, distance between you and the monitor, or even the game you are playing?

Another very common issue is when you upgrade your PC, you look at everything with a microscope and notice things you never noticed before. Once it is in your head, you cannot not see it.

MSAA x32 will not fix that example in Skyrim, as it is not the edges of an object that is aliased. It takes SSAA or some form of it (Adaptive MSAA applies some transparency SSAA, similar to Nvidias Transparency SSAA option). FXAA, MLAA and SMAA will mildly improve this as well. Downsampling can also help, though all these things cause some blurring. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509076

Videos are also not fixed by this, though Downsampling may help some.

If you are seeing static or artifacts, that could be the PSU.

The viewing distance between me and the monitor is same as before, and yes, I've changed/upgraded my cpu, motherboard, ram and even got a new monitor by the last two months. But the problem is still there.

I've even compared Far Cry 3 (which shimmers like hell), and some other games with my brother's computer, and he doesnt seem to have the problem. I tried downsampling to 4k, but the shimmering is there.

 

[bystander]

Welcome to the real world. That is what aliasing is, and the difference is likely just you have a higher quality monitor than your brother, which allows you to see detail a bit more clear, or maybe higher settings that show more detail. SGSSAA is about the only thing that will truly fix it, but it extremely rare for a game to offer SSAA (usually SGSSAA), and it is extremely demanding if it is offered. FXAA, SMAA and MLAA may help a little, but around foliage, you'll still see it clearly.

Clearly it is not hardware as you've changed it all and still see it.

 

[sibml]

Sorry, I lost my internet connection last night, Charter was doing upgrades. Anyway, if you are referring to the shimmering that was going on with the guard rails in the background, that has nothing to do with power or anything except anti-aliasing, which is effectively the stair-stepping problem that we have with video and straight lines as they become less than perfectly horizontal or vertical. The only solution is to crank up the AA settings as high as your system will allow. It is one of the harder number crunching GPU and sometimes CPU ( on lesser GPU's ) tasks for a gaming system to overcome. You never said what GPU you use. You will sometimes see Tom's referring to the fact that a game can still work well for a lesser machine if you don't mind living with the lower AA settings and this stair-stepping problem. Here is Tom's article on the topic:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/anti-aliasing-nvidia-geforce-amd-radeon,2868.html

No problem, I too have to deal with charter a lot haha. I realize that it looks like an AA problem, but like I said this "flickering" was never there before (trust me I would have noticed) and its much worse in some games, even with maxed AA, AF, and TRAA. Also even if I watch gameplay videos on youtube (such as minecraft) I can see it still shimmering in other peoples videos. I just don't get it? Maybe AA isn't being applied to distant textures somehow? My GPU is under "specs", its a GTX 670 FTW edition (Brand new after RMA) and my PSU is a TX-850 watts.

 

[sibml]

Try this step add aa transparency to max i think its 8x and turn on fxaa + 16 x anisotropic filtering custom setting in nvdia control pannel .This is my own finding ,i do this steps result was amazing distant textures look amazing no shimmering at all.I tested it in all games & 100% success.

 

[SvediZZ]

Did you ever solve your problem? I got the same problem and even changing my GPU to a gtx 970 didn't fix it.

 

[bystander]

Did you ever solve your problem? I got the same problem and even changing my GPU to a gtx 970 didn't fix it.

There is no fix to an inherent issue. You can try to disguise it by softening your monitor settings or use different forms of AA, but MSAA/CSAA/MFAA won't touch the aliasing he was posting about.

 

[PaulSZ]

I read a thread in Geforce forums saying that it might be a "hardware virus" could it really be like that? Do I have to buy a whole new PC ??
Link for the topic:
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/831430/geforce-900-series/pixelated-shadows-texture-popins-gtx-960-970-980-ect-/1/

 

[bystander]

I read a thread in Geforce forums saying that it might be a "hardware virus" could it really be like that? Do I have to buy a whole new PC ??
Link for the topic:
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/831430/geforce-900-series/pixelated-shadows-texture-popins-gtx-960-970-980-ect-/1/

What is described on that post is different than what the OP posted about.