Minor artifacting.

[Peppel36]

Hey all. I'm new here. Unless this is the same ComputerForums from 15 years ago, in which case I guess I'm an old member.

I have been experiencing minor artifacting lately with my PC, and been curious about the cause.

My first thought was that it's my GPU dying. It's an RTX 2080 from 2019.
Then I realized that the artifacting started somewhat after I installed new RAM back in June.
Could this be the cause?

Before I installed the RAM, I made sure to reset the BIOS setting and set the new RAM up with the recommended settings for my MB. After, I did a memtest that came up clean.
I'm not even sure if faulty or poorly installed ram could cause artifacting?

I'm having artifacts mainly when watching videos (youtube, netflix etc).
The artifacts are black squares that appear for a split second. It happens maybe once per 30 mins or so.



My specs are:

Intel Core i7 8700K 3.7 GHz 12MB
Seasonic Prime 750W Gold
ASUS PRIME Z370-A
RTX 2080
The new RAM is G.Skill 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3600MHz CL16 Trident
The old RAM was G.Skill 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3600MHz CL16 Ripjaws V
The PC itself was built with a 1080TI in late 2017, which I RMA'd for a 2080 in 2019.

Any input on how I can troubleshoot this issue is greatly appreciated!

 

[ChatGPT]

Hey all. I'm new here. Unless this is the same ComputerForums from 15 years ago, in which case I guess I'm an old member.

I have been experiencing minor artifacting lately with my PC, and been curious about the cause.

My first thought was that it's my GPU dying. It's an RTX 2080 from 2019.
Then I realized that the artifacting started somewhat after I installed new RAM back in June.
Could this be the cause?

Before I installed the RAM, I made sure to reset the BIOS setting and set the new RAM up with the recommended settings for my MB. After, I did a memtest that came up clean.
I'm not even sure if faulty or poorly installed ram could cause artifacting?

I'm having artifacts mainly when watching videos (youtube, netflix etc).
The artifacts are black squares that appear for a split second. It happens maybe once per 30 mins or so.



My specs are:

Intel Core i7 8700K 3.7 GHz 12MB
Seasonic Prime 750W Gold
ASUS PRIME Z370-A
RTX 2080
The new RAM is G.Skill 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3600MHz CL16 Trident
The old RAM was G.Skill 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3600MHz CL16 Ripjaws V
The PC itself was built with a 1080TI in late 2017, which I RMA'd for a 2080 in 2019.

Any input on how I can troubleshoot this issue is greatly appreciated!

Hey Peppel36! Welcome to the forum. It's always great to have new members join us, whether they're new or old.

Artifacting can be quite frustrating, but don't worry, we'll try to figure out the cause together. While GPU issues can sometimes lead to artifacting, RAM can also be a potential culprit. It's great that you've already considered the possibility.

Faulty or poorly installed RAM can indeed cause artifacting and other display issues. Since you installed new RAM in June and the artifacting started around that time, it's worth investigating further. Sometimes RAM modules may not be properly seated in their slots or there could be compatibility issues.

Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can follow:

1. Double-check the RAM installation: Make sure the RAM modules are securely and properly inserted into the slots. Ensure that they are seated evenly and locked in place.

2. Test each RAM module individually: If you have two modules, try running your system with each module separately to see if the artifacting still occurs. This will help identify if one of the modules is causing the issue.

3. Verify compatibility: Check your motherboard's manufacturer website and ensure that the specific RAM modules you have are listed as compatible with your motherboard model. Sometimes, certain RAM modules may have compatibility issues with certain motherboards.

4. Update BIOS and drivers: Ensure that you have the latest BIOS installed for your motherboard and the latest drivers installed for your GPU. Outdated firmware and drivers can sometimes cause display issues.

5. Test with different RAM: If possible, try borrowing a different set of RAM from a friend or testing your system with a known-working set of RAM to see if the artifacting still persists. This can help determine if the issue is indeed related to the RAM.

By going through these steps, you should be able to narrow down the cause of the artifacting. If the issue persists or if you need further assistance, feel free to provide an update. Good luck, and I hope we can help you resolve this issue soon!

 

[root]

Hey @Peppel36 , welcome to CF. You may indeed be an old member, I ran a similar site a while ago and retained the domain before relaunching in 2019 though all the 'old' posts and data is long gone I'm afraid.

You've pretty much done everything I'd try in this case. As ChatGPT has attempted to point out, it might be worth reseating the RAM and potentially the GPU also, and general PC maintenance if you don't already do it - clean dust out, etc.

As a completely different troubleshooting route - are you accessing Youtube, Netflix etc via the same browser? It might be worth trying with another browser, preferably one that doesn't share the same engine. So if you're a Firefox user, try watching in Chrome/Edge or vice-versa.

It might also be worth downloading a video or two and playing back in VLC or similar to see if the artifacting is still presenting itself.

 

[Peppel36]

Thank you for a speedy reply, Root!

I have not been doing anything different since I got the new RAM.
I will start by testing a new browser, then I will try a reseat. Thank you very much.
If all else fails, is it safe to assume that a stick is faulty? Would the next step be to run with a single stick and test each individually to see if one is faulty? Wouldnt a memtest pick up on a faulty stick? I realize there are margins of error with the memtest, but chances should be fairly low I feel.

EDIT: On a side note, I was part of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare CF clan back in the day and played a few tourneys. If you were a part of it back then, maybe we played together!

 

[root]

I would absolutely go for running the RAM sticks one at a time. I think we're assuming as that's the only change to the system that it's the cause of the fault - it may not be but it's worth ruling out. I have sometimes found symptoms of faulty RAM to be actually caused by a faulty SSD and things like that, with memtest 'running clear'. Diagnostics just don't catch the issue sometimes - frustrating but that's computers for you!

Must admit that I'm not much of a FPS player. I know that there were lots of gaming groups on and off on the site back when the forum was a lot busier though I have never had a machine capable of playing anything too decent!