The GPU of a computer works to render pictures and movies to provide a fluid visual experience. The GPU’s function is utilized whenever I play games or run applications that demand a lot of computing power. As a result, a GPU handles many demanding tasks for your PC. You can experience strange visual abnormalities as your GPU ages; these are artifacts. Though it’s not unheard of for GPUs to have artifacts as well, so it’s not just a problem for older cards.
Overclocking your graphics card is the main cause of GPU artifact. Most of the time, artifacts are caused by a GPU’s growing temperature. Your GPU won’t crash or display any BSOD errors at this stage, but it isn’t showing the visual data. Most of the time pops and flashes that shouldn’t be there will appear on your screen. Let’s talk about how to fix gpu artifacting.
What is GPU Artifacting?
GPU artifacts imply that your GPU is having issues and cannot perform the required activities without stuttering. It might range from displaying dots or lines to having significant color incoordination and flashing while your GPU is used.
What does Artifacting look like? When a frame from a game is rendered incorrectly by the GPU due to computational mistakes, it is called Artifacting. It is broken and not performing its intended function, plain and simple. Imagine that while rendering a scene of a car, your GPU renders the car as a bright, flat pink rather than the intended color.
For instance, your GPU is artifacting if you see yellow trees in some games, little black glitches in the backdrop, or poorly rendered firearms. It might have happened due to the game’s incorrect, perhaps higher graphical settings, which required the GPU to execute more calculations. The GPU overheats as a result, which leads to jerky graphics.
The monitor may be problematic if you see artifacts while the GPU isn’t used. Most GPU artifacts disappear only while the GPU is actively used, primarily during gaming. They do not present during routine tasks. Therefore, you must be certain that the artifacting comes from your GPU.
However, we must emphasize that it is not always the GPU’s fault. Due to the video card’s VRAM, you can encounter various artifacts, such as miscolored games. Let’s examine what causes the GPU Artifacting:
What Causes GPU Artifacting?
GPU Artifacting typically happens when you overtax your GPU’s operating limits. Overusing a GPU can cause it to become much hotter and experience a problem. In addition, if your GPU is old, its performance may have decreased, and you see such artifacts as a result.
The main reasons for GPU Artifacting are mentioned below.
- GPU overheating
- GPU being clocked up
- Damaged or unsecured GPU cables
- Insufficient power supply for the GPU
- Incorrect graphics driver
- Incompatible Programs
- Vintage Graphics Card
- Faulty VRAM
- Faulty GPU
First, know the exact causes before getting in-depth on how to fix gpu artifacting. Some of the major reasons mentioned below:
1) Overclocking
Your GPU is probably operating too hot in this situation, which is the cause of the artifacts. The GPU is working a little bit beyond its pay grade due to your overclocking, and the only way it can handle the graphics settings you’ve set for it is by surrendering some of the screens to maintain your perfect image.
2) GPU Damage
Artifacting can most definitely have physical harm to a graphics card as its primary cause. Physical damage, wear, and tear from years of playing games at their highest settings, and even the smallest GPU malfunction can result in these problems.
Nowadays, most graphics cards come with a cooling system, but for those who don’t, you can notice the overheating problem has become a serious issue. Therefore, it’s worth checking on it sometimes.
3) VRAM Problems
There is one more possible origin for artifacts, which is also the most intricate. The phrase VRAM had certainly come up before, even if you weren’t sure what it meant. Simply said, your card tracks all the various data types using VRAM. These somewhat distorted photos may appear if this card area is damaged.
VRAM-related artifacts most frequently appear as subtle color changes on your screen. For instance, when seeing a sky in a game, you might notice thick lines that are grey or other colors that distort the sky. If you notice this, your VRAM is probably at fault.
By eliminating part of the data that VRAM uses, you can reduce the burden on your GPU when it is determined that VRAM is the cause of the artifacts. Overheating your VRAM, which overclocking is the quickest method to accomplish, might permanently harm it. Let’s now go on to fixing your computer’s GPU artifacting problems.
Most Effective Fixes for GPU Artifacting On Desktop
After defining videocard artifacts as ugly and irritant, let’s investigate some of their sources. Overheating brought on by overclocking the GPU is the primary cause of Nvidia graphics card Artifacting.
The GPU may overheat to a level exceeding the stipulated maximum temperature limit due to overclocking, and in rare situations, the GPU may malfunction. The GPU will then stop functioning properly and begin to produce artifacts. Depending on the level of warming, these artifacts can range from moderate to severe.
Here are some practical answers for how to fix GPU Artifacting:
1) Reduce the Temperature
Is graphics card Artifacting not overheating? Rising temperature is the primary source of GPU artifacts. Consequently, reducing the temperature of your graphics card might aid in the resolution of this problem. One approach is to minimize the in-game settings until your GPU is not being strained any further. A guide to the GPU’s safest temperature range is also available here.
Adding extra fans to the PC chassis is another approach to increase airflow. Make sure your PC casing is roomy and encourages better airflow. The temperature inside a PC case may rise due to heat buildup caused by bulky components. Increased heat dissipation may achieve by installing aftermarket CPU fans.
2) Reinstall Your Drivers
Update your drivers for the simplest solution. The simplest method is to download GeForce Experience and use that to update your system each time you start a new game. You can also do this manually through your settings. By keeping your drivers up to date, you maintain your system ready to handle any strain placed on it by the new, graphically demanding game you intend to play. It also applies to VR games.
The most recent drivers may not always be visible here because they are occasionally only on the NVIDIA website, but 99% of the time, the driver there will be sufficient to keep your system prepared to run any game you throw. If your drivers are up to par and artifacts are still plentiful, it’s time to perform more thorough housekeeping.
3) Stop Overclocking
Running your graphics card at a rate higher than that advised for it is known as overclocking a GPU. Your GPU’s performance can improve through overclocking. However, when it comes to overheating, you are putting a lot of strain on your GPU. Your GPU may no longer be able to perform as intended and may be producing images inaccurately.
If so, I strongly recommend that you stop overclocking right away. Your GPU cannot withstand the load if it displays artifacts, and overclocking it further risks total damage. Simply removing the application used to overclock the GPU and restarting the computer will reverse the process. You could also reset the BIOS settings by following the procedures if you utilized the BIOS for it.
- Press F2, ESC, Delete, F12, or the appropriate key immediately after your computer restarts to access the BIOS page.
- Locate Load Default Settings and click the key there in the lower right corner of the page.
- Press the Save and Exit key.
4) Replace the Thermal Paste
If lowering the GPU’s clock speed doesn’t eliminate the artifact problem, you’ll need to work on your graphics card more technically. This problem may resolve by switching the thermal paste on your graphics card. Over time, the stock thermal paste tends to stiffen. Therefore, reapplying high-quality thermal paste can aid in bringing your graphics card’s temperature down. But to apply the new thermal paste, you must first remove the GPU’s fans and heatsink, which is a somewhat complicated process.
The display driver cannot properly show the frames on the screen due to the incorrect monitor refresh rate. Then there are artifacts, which are problems caused by hardware limitations.
No, it isn’t always the case. When you notice artifacts, you push the GPU too far. This action has the potential to render the GPU useless.
Your computer should restart to remove artifacts; however, if they persist or always happen simultaneously (for example, after playing a game for 10 minutes), it may indicate that your GPU is beginning to fail. It’s important to investigate any potential graphics card issues.
GPU artifacts are frequently mostly unimportant and are brought on by user settings that push a GPU too far or make it run too hot. The damage and VRAM problems are additional possible offenders that may indicate a failing GPU.
