Question User Interface glitches, flickering windows, garbled text,... Affects Windows *AND* Linux.

[JFox762]

I'm having issues with UI glitches. Windows flicker, UI Elements (menu items, buttons, etc) flicker or twitch about. Libre Word, for instance, the top menu will have the words replaced with absolute scribble... and when you hover your mouse over it, it sometimes corrects itself but then goes back to corrupted again.

Windows Error message dings and rings also stutter a bit, and sometimes are followed by crackling or clicking noises. Oddly, Youtube plays perfectly fine without issue, as does the audio. The only time I encounter audio issues is with the error noises... and only some of the times.

Drop down menus will sort of flicker/twitch. Words on the menu will sometimes be missing the upper half...
In other programs, I've noticed letters squeezing into one another...

This started fairly suddenly.
I tried swapping out Graphics cards with an older one I had laying around. Issue persisted, so I swapped back.
I went down a rabit hole thinking it was an issue with a recent Windows 10 Update. Tried reinstalling Windows 10... issue persists.
Tried installing linux installation on another drive, booted into it... and I'm getting eerily similar issues. They present slightly differently, but very similar. Windows flicker, UI elements become disjointed, text gets corrupted, things flicker and move around seemingly randomly. Moving Windows around, will leave a sort of "Trail"... and there is visible "Tearing" in the background image....

Everything just looks like crap.

Playing games has become spotty. Some games I've been able to get to run OK, but other games have some serious glitches going on. Doom Eternal, for instance, will run... but everything looks like the geometry of the game is "vibrating". Not sure if that makes any senses

Oddly, watching actual videos, doesn't seem to have any issue at all. It seems to play videos without issue.
Also, a lot of websites seem to run perfectly fine.

When I run the Google Speedtest... the "Meter" that runs Clockwise... will glitch. The colored meter line, will "jump the curve" and seemingly "Cut corners" for a split second.... almost like the colored meter line wants to escape the confines of the semi-circle. It just looks glitchy.

What should me troubleshooting steps from here on out be?


Things I believe I've eliminated as possible causes
-Bad Windows Update (This affects linux installations as well)
-Video Card (Issue persists on other card)
-Malware (Reinstalled Windows)

I did run Memtest86... but only ran 1 pass, and it passed without issue. Not sure if I should try more passes.

I also noticed a lot more issues with getting errors when I try to open websites. I keep getting "Status_Access_Violation" errors...

System Specs:
-Ryzen 3600x
-MSI Performance Gaming AMD X470
-16GB of Ram
-XFX RX 5600 XT THICC II PRO Graphics Card

 

[Colif]

if its on windows and linux its not software.

Do you have latest bios on motherboard?
what ram? is it on the matisse listing (if it loads as a blank page, click compatibility on left and then rx-3000 on next page) - https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/X470-GAMING-PLUS#support-mem-19
What PSU do you have?

 

[JFox762]

This is what I got....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143UM4TC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Model number based on that site is

CMK16GX4M2B3200C16

I can't find it on the compatability list. Does that mean this RAM is incompatible? If so... why did it work for several months until just now?

I do not believe I have the latest BIOS.

 

[Colif]

i think you will find CMK16GX4M2Z3200C16 is pretty close to what you have. One is marked for ryzen, other isn't.
this is the non ryzen pack - https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Memory/VENGEANCE-LPX/p/CMK16GX4M2B3200C16
this is the ryzen pack - https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Memory/VENGEANCE-LPX/p/CMK16GX4M2Z3200C16
they are the same speed and latency/voltage.

I doubt that is cause.

What PSU do you have?

try updating bios

 

[JFox762]

@Colif

Are you saying that my RAM should be OK? Or are you telling me I need to buy the Ryzen pack?


I have a Antec Truepower Trio 550W PSU. I had it tested a while back, and it is functioning properly. I'm willing to have this PC taken into my local PC repair shop to have them look at the PSU, if you think that is the issue.

 

[Colif]

I have no proof but those packs are so identical that I don't think there is a great difference between them. I don't know what difference is between Ryzen and non ryzen sets. they have same latency, cas and voltage. Could just be labels all I know.

well. whatever is cause is hardware. its not software, you don't have the same problem in 2 different OS and not have it physical.

Its not GPU as the same thing happens to 2 cards
its not software
it has to be something left in PC

It could be power or motherboard, but they both the 2 hardest things to test
PSU are difficult to test, but a store would have a spare they can swap in and see if they get same problem.
Motherboard impossible to test too.

most times with motherboard you test everything else and once you know it works, it has to be the motherboard. Process of elimination.
So once again store would have ways to test all your hardware and figure out cause.

 

[JFox762]

@Colif

How likely is it, the problem is with the CPU?

Also, how are PSU difficult to test? Don't PSU Testers work well?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

You've all left out one very important item here. This problem may very well exist in the display itself. Has this display been tested on another known working system?

And, there ARE differences between the Ryzen labeled memory and the other. It's not just a label thing. If you aren't using memory certified for Ryzen then that may very well be the problem.

 

[Colif]

It could be. CPU is like Motherboard and PSU, involved in everything.

good point bubblehead

 

[JFox762]

@Colif and @ex_bubblehead

Unlikely to be the Monitor...
MY work Laptop is also hooked up to the monitor.

And the screen works perfectly fine with the work laptop. I also tried swapping cables, and even ports... and the issue persists.

Also, how would a display issue affect sound? Not sure if I forgot to mention, but when Windows Error sounds play, they come off distorted towards the end. Like crackling, fizzing, or popping sounds. Sometimes they play OK... but they very frequently sound messed up.

Oddly, this doesn't seem to affect sound from Youtube or other audio sources.

Another question. IF the issue is with the RAM, why was this not an issue until VERY recently? I've had this set up since March.

 

[Colif]

I was going to mention the sound errors when he said it.
It looks like you need to have it tested

 

[JFox762]

And just to be clear... the audio does not play through the monitor but rather through an Audio Out cable to a 2.1 speaker system.

Plugging in headphones to my front panel Audio Out... and I can hear the same audio artifacts as I do from the speakers.

I dont trust this machine to download a BIOS to try and flash the BIOS on the motherboard...

Do you recommend I do this from my Lenovo T430s laptop? It runs Linux and still runs like a champ.

My concern is if there are issues with my desktop PC, it might corrupt the BIOS File I download.

 

[Colif]

Makes sense to me to use a working pc to download it

 

[JFox762]

Just installed the newest BIOS version.

Issue still persists. This really sucks. 🙁

Going to take my PC to a local PC Shop to have them run some diagnostics. I hope they have the Socket Cover, just in case I have to RMA The MOBO. I'm worried I may have lost that item...

 

[JFox762]

Ugh.... Computer shop got back to me.

I remembered explicitly saying that I've already ruled out the Graphics card. They left me a message on my Voicemail saying that the drivers are "bad" and I need to wait for new ones to be released.

I can understand there is a possibility that Radeon released some bad drivers... but why would the issue persist regardless of what Graphics card is installed? I even swapped the drivers too.
The issue even persists with the default Windows Display drivers.

 

[JFox762]

One thing I haven't tried... swapping PCI Slots on the graphics card.
Is that something I should try? I'm wondering if maybe the PCI slot has something wrong with it.

 

[Colif]

Did they even swap GPU out and see if the problem was there with another card?
I think I assumed the two cards weren't both AMD, and used different drivers.

you also said it was happening in linux. I know it wouldn't use the same drivers.

I don't know how good AMD drivers are on linux but it sure sounds to me that it more than just the drivers.

 

[JFox762]

@Colif
So I had to go to the shop myself, and kind of help the kid along with diagnosing the issue. LOL! Only reason I needed the shop, was because I dont have a spare Ryzen compatible board available.

So anyways they narrowed it down to the CPU. He ended up switching the CPU To another machine, and sure enough, it had the same strange issues. Looks like I'll be RMAing this. I sure hope AMD does cross shipping so I dont have to wait two weeks before I get a replacement.

 

[Colif]

Glad you narrowed down the cause

and didn't just believe the shop. Get expensive replacing GPU if you went and bought another and still had same problem. That to me says GPU isn't problem and obviously one of the other parts was (you know that now)