I´d like to know what the problem is.

[Alec]

I´d like to know if someone has the same problem. I have this problem since I can remember, but I thought it was a driver problem, and so I waited...

In most D3D and OGL 3d games I can see some annoying graphical glitches. Some seem like Z-buffer problems (that have been around forever), others are just a few flashing dots in the 3D wireframe.

Before you post, consider this:

- my card isn´t overclocked;
- my system is not overclocked;
- every driver version has this problem;
- tried with a 32-bit Z-buffer;
- tried AGP at 1x (it´s at 2x by default)
- no (visible) conflicts between hardware

What to do? Might it be my motherboard?

System:

G400 16Mb, Celeron 433, Intel Atlanta 440LX mobo, 192 Mb SDRAM PC100, Soundblaster PCI 128, 2 HDDs, 1 ZIP-100 IDE, CD-ROM drive, Intellimouse Optical, Standard keyboard and FDD...

Windows Millenium (fresh install)
DirectX 8a
AGP aperture 256 Mb
Latest BIOS on G400
AGP texturing enabled and working


HEEELP, I´m considering buying a new card!

[Joel]

Is there any way you can post us a screenshot of what you are referring to?

Joel

[Alec]

There´s no way that I can post one today, I´m going home tonight only. Also, I don´t have any webroom. Maybe I can e-mail you some jpgs tomorrow?

Games that I can remember: It happened with Vampire: the Masquerade, GLQuake, Hitman: Codename 47, and I´m sure that with a couple of other games. Can it be a driver flaw? It´s not serious, but I´m getting a little bit paranoid over it. Does anyone have ANY graphical glitch in any of these games?

Oh, and Quake 3 and UT seem plagued with Z-buffer problems, even if varying with the driver version. Quake 3 has some glitches even with certified drivers. UT is much better now, though.

[This message has been edited by Alec (edited 08 May 2001).]

[joelau]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Alec:
In most D3D and OGL 3d games I can see some annoying graphical glitches. Some seem like Z-buffer problems (that have been around forever), others are just a few flashing dots in the 3D wireframe.
</font>

Most likely it's your LX motherboard. I have asked a similar question last year.
There's something about LX m/b unable to provide the current needed by newer video cards.
At least your computer doesn't hang while playing games.

Regards.

[Gurm]

That's my guess too. LX motherboard = not enough juice. You're lucky it's just graphical glitches and not total system crash.

- Gurm

------------------
Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Alec]

That´s what I suspect the problem is, too. I suspected the drivers, but the problem couldn´t drag itself for so long.

Well, I guess that a new mobo and processor are in order (when I have the cash, that is).

Thanks for your opinions - one more time, MURC saves the day.

[Nuno]

It´s the drivers and in some limitations of the G400. Like the UT horrible z-buffer problems (actually that´s already been fixed in a patch) - that happened because UT was coded to run in cards with a W-buffer and G400 doesn´t have it.

Believe me I´ve tried the G400 in 3 different platforms (BX, AMD750, KT133) and some glitches never run away.

So don´t rush buying new mobo/cpu, that won´t solve it. Run 3dwinbench 2000 (the quality tests) and you´ll see some annoying limitations that never went away with any drivers release.

[Indiana]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Alec:
There´s no way that I can post one today, I´m going home tonight only. Also, I don´t have any webroom. Maybe I can e-mail you some jpgs tomorrow?</font>

If you want you can email them to me and I'll post them in this thread.

[Alec]

I´ve been taking some Hitman screenshots yesterday and found that in the still images the irritating dots (white pixels) were almost non-existant.

I found it strange, but I realized that the dots move around and flash when I play, so, in the screenshot, as it captures one frame only, the problem almost disappears.

So, I guess it´s no use to post images, because you can´t see the artifacts well. I´ll try my G400 in a friend´s computer with a BX board to see what´s up.

[Indiana]

OK, so now I've got a "Hitman" screenshot from Alec with only minor artifacts/dots, but I think it's enough o get the picture.

Here it is:



I had similar "popping pixels" with the G400 mostly in NFS5 - Porsche Unlimited, but also in some other games - they're always popping up at the conjunction/joining (don't know how to exactly say it in english) of polygons.

Those dots were also apparent (but a bit less) with my TNT, so I didn't think a lot about them. Now with the Radeon there are almost no popping dots, and they can be totally avoided using FSAA.

EDIT: When will I finally get those images right the first time?

[This message has been edited by Indiana (edited 10 May 2001).]

[Nuno]

Alec for the last time (now with pictures)

That´s not platform dependent. Every videocard has its design flaws. The G400 is no exception.
About the white dots: I wouldn´t worry too much. It must have to do with edge aliasing, and it must be worse or better depending on the hardware.

Here, white dots:



Now, if ask me for a more serious limitation, here it is: G400 is unable to do perspective correct color/specular/alpha/fog. It only passes the perspective correct texture in 3dwinbench2000. And that ever since the G400 was released, in every driver, in every OS, it did it. To be honest, I don´t really know if the other cards have this glitch or not.

Here´s the 3dwinbench test:


And here´s some possible consequences of it:

[Alec]

I guess I´m going to save me some money after all...

Thanks you guys, thought I was the only one.