Weird Artifacting Issue with Gigabyte Geforce GTX 460 on Desktop and Windows Splash

[limniscate]

Ok, I've searched all over and cannot find an answer to my issue.

I just built a system with these components:
Intel i5 750
ASUS P7P55D-E LX
Corsair Power Builder 500W
G. Skill RipJaws 4GB DDR3 1600
Gigabyte GTX 460 1GB OC
ASUS VW266H 25.5" LCD
Dell 1707FP
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus

Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
Nvidia 260.99 drivers, also happened on 260.89
All other drivers are up-to-date as far as I know.

The Issue:
When the ASUS monitor is plugged into the left DVI connector, there is a weird artifacting that occurs during the Windows splash screen and on the desktop. The artifacting is comprised mostly of red dots. This happens when just the ASUS monitor is connected to the left DVI connector and when the ASUS monitor is connected to the left DVI connector and the Dell monitor is connected to the right. However, it does not occur when the Dell monitor is connected to the left DVI connector and the ASUS is connected to the right, nor when the ASUS is just connected to the right one.

I don't know if I should go through the trouble of RMA'ing the GTX 460, if it is indeed the culprit because I don't know if newegg will be able to replicate the problem.

Have any of you guys ever heard of this problem?


Thanks for your time.

 

[notty22]

Could it also be the cables or dvi-vga dongles ?
That 17 inch uses dvi ?

 

[limniscate]

The 17" uses DVI as well. I suppose it could be the cables.

Here's something that adds to the confusion:

I don't remember noticing the problem before I installed the new heatsync and fan (CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus) and started messing with overclocking. So at first, I thought it had to do with overclocking, but the problem remained even after I set everything back to stock. Moreover, I think I had the monitors in the same configuration before I installed the new HSF, and the problem wasn't there. That is why everything is so confusing to me. I tried re-seating the video card, but that didn't work either.

Right now the problem is gone, but I'd like for my ASUS monitor to be the one that displays during POST. More importantly, I want to know if I should RMA the video card.