Poll: Do you currently suffer from Scrolling, Flickering Horizontal lines (especially with Radeon 9xxx)

[SFang]

I have a Radeon 9700Pro with my new Nforce2 system, and loved it. However, the first thing I noticed after I upgrade my old Radeon 8500 128MB to this card, is the horizontal scrolling lines on the background. Ever since, I exchanged a new Radeon 9700Pro, put it on another computer, switch power supplies, etc, etc. Problem still exists. I searched the internet, come across some results, seems it has been a problem for many others too. I created a Poll to check how popular the problem is, and hopefully give ATI some attentions on this.

This 200+ posts thread on Rage3D Forum discuss the same problem with ATI Radeon 9xxx series. If you currently have problem with your video system, you may try some resolutions there (none helps me yet).

Scrolling, Flickering lines

Not only Analog monitors, some DVI LCD monitors also have been hit with horizontal lines (from ATI tech support).

Horizontal lines or screen flicker within Windows when using a DVI flat panel

Originally posted by: andyman53 at Rage3D
I actually got thru. I was told by an ati rep that we have to start sending these reports to ati thru the catalyst problem generator. If we generate alot of traffic and keep sending these reports, we might get some attention from ati and get a resolution. The level 2 rep told me that we can try to fix our grounds on the mobos, there should be some ground wires and all this interference can be solved by grounding the components. This is definetly something we have to do [=arial]Arial[/FONT] WE HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW OF THESE PROBLEMS!!! Don't JUST post on the forums, use the problem generator and let them know about this!!

DON'T JUST SHRUG THIS OFF!

Generating a Problem Report to ATI

 

[Peter]

Sounds like a low frequency interference to me. Might be poorly regulated incoming power (from the system power supply). Are you sure your PSU is up to the job? (Stressed PSUs tend to put more ripple onto the output voltages, which might cause symptoms like this one.)

 

[SFang]

My Video system as follows, PSU shouldn't be the problem.

PSU: Antec 430 TruePower.
Motherboard: A7N8X
RAM: Samsung 256MB PC2100 x 3

 

[Thor86]

It's interference from the power adapter to the vid card. You should try and use the DVI-to-Analog adapter, solved the problem for me.

 

[Brian48]

Yeah, that solves the problem in regards to the scrolling lines, but it also causes other problems. For some people (including me), I get a slight ghosting effect with text. It's especially bad if it's black text on a white background like what you would see under Windows Explorer, Notepad, Word, etc.. This is the first card in a long time that I've encountered that does this, with the last one being a Guillemot Maxi-Gamer Voodoo1.

Just FYI, I've tested this with 4 different PSU's. Only my 9700 Pro seems to have this problem.

 

[Auric]

Do any of the PSU's have PFC? If not, it could be EMI.

 

[Noid]

Sfang ...are you still running the card at 97fsb?

Try dropping or locking the AGP to 94fsb ... see if that helps.

If you remember I was running 97 also.
But, after a real mean stress test I did ,,, I found that either my NB or the AGPfsb created some performance problems visually at 97.

I posted a NO vote.

I thought you were going good there. You posted some positives while you owned the card until now.
Maybe try going back to defaults on the FSB and re-evaluate your overclock?

Good luck.

 

[SFang]

Nope. I never run the AGP at 97FSB. On the A7N8X, it has a AGP lock, to lock it at 66Mhz. I am running FSB at 192FSB 100% stable.

I can't remember whether I have scrolling lines when I was running at default 133FSB. Currently, the waving lines on my screen is not that bad that I can't bear, sometimes it goes away by itself, sometimes it comes back, just a little distracting though.

Overall, I have been happy with this card. I was wondering how these scrolling lines appears, and to what extent it affects other members. Long time ago, when I purchased my first Pentium 166 system, whenever I powered on the computer, my roommate's TV in the next room would had scrolling line, so he complained a lot. LOL.

I think 50% chance this is generated by power interference. But, in the same room, none of the Nvidia cards I used or the 8500 one had this problem. It is unfortunate to see this problem comes back with such a high-end video card.

 

[Auric]

...it may just be the first to stress the PSU.

 

[SFang]

Originally posted by: Auric
...it may just be the first to stress the PSU.

You mean the 9700Pro stressing the PSU, maybe. But, I also heard someone with 550W Enermax suffer from the same situation. That can't be the PSU, right? Otherwise, what other choice of PSU we have? Tons of theorys to solve the problem now.

1. PSU's problem
2. Adjustable Fans's "beating" effect
3. Electronic interference (by Speakers, TVs, etc)
4. Power interference (by power cord)
5. Monitor incompatibility

What I really wondered is, if Nvida can handle their cards well, ATI can handle their previous cards well, Why can't ATI handle the 9xxx series card well? It seems 9xxx series card especially vulnerable to interferences. If not the drivers problem.

 

[rbV5]

I'm not seeing it with my rig using an Antec 300 watt smartpower, your PSU should be more than plenty.

 

[Thor86]

Originally posted by: Brian48
Yeah, that solves the problem in regards to the scrolling lines, but it also causes other problems. For some people (including me), I get a slight ghosting effect with text. It's especially bad if it's black text on a white background like what you would see under Windows Explorer, Notepad, Word, etc.. This is the first card in a long time that I've encountered that does this, with the last one being a Guillemot Maxi-Gamer Voodoo1.

Just FYI, I've tested this with 4 different PSU's. Only my 9700 Pro seems to have this problem.

Hmm, I get absolutely no ghosting in text whatsoever. I run my desktop at 1024x768 @ 85hz, crystal clear.

 

[Auric]

Dare I state the obvious and suggest it may be a combination of the PSU and the environment? That is, if the PSU lacks PFC then under the higher load of the Radeon, prexisting problems with EMI from the PSU, bad wiring and other nearby devices are just becoming noticable.

 

[Brian48]

Originally posted by: Thor86

Hmm, I get absolutely no ghosting in text whatsoever. I run my desktop at 1024x768 @ 85hz, crystal clear.

I run at 1280x1024x32 @ 85hz. 21" Trinitron. My current 430w TruPower, as well as 2 of the four I've tried has plenty of shielding and setup of my wiring/cables is very sound.

Numerous people over at Rage3d has covered this topic on several occasions. There has been enough reported cases to rule out the possibility of this being an isolated issue. It is very prevalant, but some people experience this to higher degree than most, especially at the higher resolutions. For folks who don't see it, it's probably there only it's so faint, you don't notice it. ATI needs to address this issue before the R350 comes out.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I had some serious gimpage occuring with my old R8500. Dammit ATI, put RAMsinks on your cards if they make that much heat.

After adding a fan whooshing right over the card, everything was fine.

- M4H

 

[chizow]

Hmm since its happening on panels as well as CRTs, I guess its not simply a refresh/V-sync issue.

Just curious, is there info on the brand of cards its affecting? Could very well be a problem with PBA boards rather than BBA boards. I'm using the same mobo, a slightly buffer PSU (480W TrueBlue), and a 9700pro and don't get the wavy lines.

I'd unplug any shady add-in parts (bay devices, fans, CC's, LCD temp readers etc.) that might have poor EMI shielding and see if that doesn't fix the problem.

Chiz

 

[SFang]

Both of the boards I have ( v1.4 one, and exchanged v3.0 one) are retail ATI built by ATI Radeon 9700Pro from retail store, they are not Power by ATI boards by any third party. Since this happened to me on both boards, I thought it might be a very popular problem, so I stoped exchanging it and stay with the second board, hoping ATI may fix it by their future driver release.

 

[Thor86]

Originally posted by: Brian48

Originally posted by: Thor86

Hmm, I get absolutely no ghosting in text whatsoever. I run my desktop at 1024x768 @ 85hz, crystal clear.

I run at 1280x1024x32 @ 85hz. 21" Trinitron. My current 430w TruPower, as well as 2 of the four I've tried has plenty of shielding and setup of my wiring/cables is very sound.

Numerous people over at Rage3d has covered this topic on several occasions. There has been enough reported cases to rule out the possibility of this being an isolated issue. It is very prevalant, but some people experience this to higher degree than most, especially at the higher resolutions. For folks who don't see it, it's probably there only it's so faint, you don't notice it. ATI needs to address this issue before the R350 comes out.

Hmm, I will try it at the higher resolution desktop and get back here.

 

[BFG10K]

SFang I asume that you've tried running everything in your system at stock speeds and you still get the problem?

And that your system was not overclocked the last time you installed Windows?

 

[Mucker]

I have/had flicker problems with the VGA port on my Crucial (Sapphire) 9700Pro. Frequently in 2D, the screen would tear ever so slightly...absolutely unacceptable for a $300+ videocard. But, everything works normally when switching over to the DVI-VGA adapter. I have read about the same problems across all brands of 9700Pro's over at the rage3d.com forums. I would say that this is a MAJOR issue, and, so far I don't see any resolution from ATI. I am happy with everything else this card delivers, but I hope there is going to be a fix, although, you'd think there would have been one by now....

GPJ

 

[SFang]

Originally posted by: BFG10K
SFang I asume that you've tried running everything in your system at stock speeds and you still get the problem?

And that your system was not overclocked the last time you installed Windows?

Positive. I formatted the whole C partition and reinstalled Windows XP in order to make the newly purchased 9700pro run clean without any old driver conflicts. After that, I started overclocking the system.

I just lower the system setting to all default, FSB133, stock voltage, stock Video card speed. The problem still persists with all resolution/refresh rate I have tried.

As I said before, the scrolling line on my screen is noticible, but not as severe as other people experienced, and sometimes goes away by itself, but it always come back.

 

[TheWart]

Never had any problems with my 9700 on my LCD.

 

[IdBuRnS]

I had the problem at the desktop, see my thread here. But it was easily fixed by raising my refresh rate from 60 to 70.

I have an NEC LCD using VGA.

 

[beatle]

I didn't reply to the poll, but I'll post my results here because they're not specific to the video card I don't believe. I have flickering/scrolling bars on my 19" monitor depending on the refresh rate. I also have a 17" monitor next to it, which interferes with the 19", causing these problems.

 

[Thor86]

Tried running at 1280x1024 32bit @85hz desktop, and no ghosting of text whatsoever. Just too damn small to read on my 19" monitor though.