Upgraded video card and still experiencing eye strain

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dave2849

Member
Mar 31, 2012
36
0
0
I recently upgraded from integrated graphics to a Radeon HD 7750 card in my desktop because I have been experiencing eye strain with my monitor and it doesn't matter what I set the brightness and contrast at.

Here are my system specs:

Computer:
Gateway Desktop 4710-07

PSU
-Rosewill Capstone 80+ Gold 450W

Motherboard
-Gateway G33M05G1

Processor
-Intel Core 2 Quad 2.5 GHz (Intel G33 chipset)

Memory
-4 GB Ram

Video Card
-Sapphire Radeon HD 1GB GDDR5 7750

Monitor
-Gateway LCD Monitor

OS
-Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

I just installed the new card and nothing has changed. The colors might be a little sharper but the image on the monitor is still causing my eyes to strain. I have been using the same monitor with a windows laptop and I get no eye strain at all with that. I have also tested this with a second identical model monitor and got the same results. I think I did everything right so far. I disabled my onboard video, then installed the graphics card and the radeon drivers and everything installed fine. I will note that I had to disable the onboard video through device manager because I could not find an option to disable the onboard video through the bios settings and I checked the bios settings menu multiple times. In the device manager, my 7750 card is listed and the onboard video is not. The last thing I did was install the lastest drivers for my processor and that made no difference. I can't find latest drivers for my motherboard on Gateway's website or anywhere on the internet.

How could the image on my LCD monitor still be causing me eye strain if I upgraded my graphics card? I will note again that I have adjusted the brightness, contrast, color temperature and tried different presets, restarted the computer several times and no matter what I do the image on the monitor always causes me eye strain. Is it possible the onboard video is still enabled and is overriding the radeon card. Does anyone have any suggestions for other things to try out?
 
Keysplayr

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,211
50
91
The only other variables are the monitor itself, or your eyes. Have you access to another monitor to try? After that, I'd recommend an eye test for yourself.
 
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dave2849

Member
Mar 31, 2012
36
0
0
I don't have access to another monitor to test with my desktop but my dad has an apple laptop and an imac and the image looks fine to me on those. I want to note again that I have no problems with the image on the windows laptop that I use.
 
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Pottuvoi

Senior member
Apr 16, 2012
416
2
81
If you are using VGA cable, it might pick up bad signals from environment and cause flickering etc.
Test with proper digital cable (DVI, HDMI, DP) and see if it gets better.
 
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dave2849

Member
Mar 31, 2012
36
0
0
I was previously using a vga cable but now am using a DVI cable and the DVI cable has made no difference.
 
lehtv

lehtv

Elite Member
Dec 8, 2010
11,897
74
91
You could try adjusting your monitor's brightness, contrast and color to levels more natural to the human eye. Too much brightness can be easily tiring. I would recommend a level of brightness that's low, but not lower than the ambient brightness in your room, and not so low you have to squint.

Warm colors are less straining than cold colors. E.g. this could work http://justgetflux.com/ - it adjusts the displayed color temperature according to time of day.
 
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Rikard

Senior member
Apr 25, 2012
428
0
0
How is the ambient light in your room? I find that I need at least one source of ambient light (outside of my direct field of vision) to ease eye strain. In situations when I really must use my computer in a dark environment I prefer light gray text on navy blue background for better eye comfort.
 
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dave2849

Member
Mar 31, 2012
36
0
0
The ambient light is pretty good. There are three sets of fluorescent lights in my acoustic panel ceiling. The fluorescent lights have always helped a lot. Typically I leave all three sets on but with my Gateway desktop I sometimes find that only leaving two sets on helps me see the screen better (picture rectangular room, only sets of lights on each end of room would be on and middle set would be off).
 
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imaheadcase

Diamond Member
May 9, 2005
3,850
7
76
Sounds like Monitor to me as well. I don't know what size you run it in, but that could be a factor to. Upgrading to a faster card and running at lower rez can cause eye strain.
 
Stuka87

Stuka87

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2010
6,240
2,559
136
Gateway monitors are horrible. I have no doubt that it may be adding to it.

But you mentioned you have florescent lighting. This could be the issue, as they are going to run at 60Hz, so lots of flickering. And if they glare off the screen, you are looking right at the flicker. Ditch the florescent lights and put in an incandescent lamp or something (if you have one) as a test. I bet it makes a big difference.
 
KingFatty

KingFatty

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2010
3,034
1
81
What technology is the monitor's backlight based on? Is it LED lighting, or CFL lighting?

I think you said the laptop is fine for you, so perhaps you should try to get a monitor that has a similar backlight technology as the one used in your laptop. If it works in the laptop, it should also work in the monitor to relieve the strain.
 
Stuka87

Stuka87

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2010
6,240
2,559
136
KingFatty said:
What technology is the monitor's backlight based on? Is it LED lighting, or CFL lighting?

I think you said the laptop is fine for you, so perhaps you should try to get a monitor that has a similar backlight technology as the one used in your laptop. If it works in the laptop, it should also work in the monitor to relieve the strain.
Click to expand...

Being a cheap gateway, I am sure its a CCFL. Which just induces more flicker along with his overhead lights. Switching to an LED backlit would certainly help him. His PC is several years old, so the display most likely is as well.
 
KingFatty

KingFatty

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2010
3,034
1
81
Well, regardless of what lighting technology, I think they all use PWM for the lighting, so you'd see more backlight flickering at lower brightness settings. Maybe try full blast brightness to see if that reduces the flickering.

Now, if you reduce flickering, I bet that helps eyestrain. But you're thinking crap, the brightness is too much, that will strain my eyes. Well, now you find out if you can find a sheet of tint, something like what's used on car windows, and just overlay that over your screen. Actually, maybe you can find one of those privacy screens that has the side effect of dimming the screen, because you want to dim here. So you do full brightness to reduce backlight flicker, and then some kind of filter to reduce the brightness back down to a comfortable level.

Or just use full brightness screen and turn on all the lights in the room to equalize the brightness.
 
dave_the_nerd

dave_the_nerd

Lifer
Feb 25, 2011
16,991
1,620
126
Yeah, monitor replacement time.

Can you return the video card? That's actually the last thing I'd worry about replacing.
 
mikeymikec

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
20,443
15,209
136
A vague possibility might be to reset the monitor back to factory settings. On a few occasions I've seen LCD monitors act very strangely until the reset is done.
 
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bystander36

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2013
5,154
132
106
Does your eye strain only happen in games, or do you also experience it at the desktop? If it is at the desktop, the problem would be the monitor, possibly the back lighting. If it only happens in games, then it could be lower FPS, high latency, microstutter/inconsistent frame times, distance from the monitor or the type of game.

I personally experience nausea with low FPS, others get eye strain from this as well. I need 80 FPS before it goes away in 1st person games, though 60 FPS isn't terrible, but I still get the nausea within 60 mins.
 
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BigChickenJim

Senior member
Jul 1, 2013
239
0
0
I'm going to be the odd duck here and say I still think it's your eyes or something anatomical. I have had similar issues in the past.

Quick question: Did the optometrist test for muscular imbalance in addition to visual acuity (walleye, crosseye)? Those conditions often aren't tested for at standard appointments unless you mention headaches or strain specifically and aren't usually readily apparent. I'm slightly walleyed and it causes major headaches from eye strain, but you'd never be able to tell from looking at me.

Have you had these issues while doing other things like reading, driving, typing, etc.? Do you get headaches? Do your eyes hurt when you press on one side or the other after straining them?

Sadly, there's no way to test my theory without another monitor or a second opto trip. I could be completely wrong.

Bad issue to have regardless of the cause. I've been there myself.
 
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GlacierFreeze

Golden Member
May 23, 2005
1,125
1
0
He said it doesn't bother him when he's on his laptop. So the difference in the two types of monitors is the problem, whether it's a setting or backlighting or something else.
 
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