What does it mean if when starting up a game, or sometimes when playing a game, VHS-type tracking marks

[LW07]

I got an X1900XT and I was wondering what that stuff is, because I didn't get that with my 7800GT, and before you ask, yes I used driver cleaner to clean up the Nvidia drivers after I uninstalled them, and it does that when starting up Pacific Fighters(I don't think I get it in other games, but I'll try them), and sometimes when playing Pacific Fighters, and it looks like sort of like one of those little tracking lines that go on the screen of a TV when you are watching an old VHS tape or something.

I don't get BSODS or Unexpected restarts, BTW. It only seems to happen in Pacific Fighters. I'm running the X1900XT at stock speeds(well, it first installs at 621/720 speeds, but then I clock it back up to 625/725 speeds, which it should be).

My monitor is like 6-7 years old if not older.

http://www.hansol-us.com/products/product-pages/710D.html
This is my monitor.

 

[xtknight]

Small artifacts during display changes are nothing to worry about. It's just showing the last bit of the draw buffer by mistake.

 

[LW07]

So those VHS-type things are artifacts, but are nothing to worry about?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: LW07
So those VHS-type things are artifacts, but are nothing to worry about?

Either it's your monitor switching resolution modes or your graphics card having weird uncleared stuff in memory (probably the former). After re-reading your description it sounds more like the monitor. If so it's nothing to worry about, unless it just started happening for no reason. It's generally because the monitor needs to switch to a higher or lower refresh rate/resolution.

 

[Peter]

Help! The museum scene is full of artifacts!



Seriously, brief display of garbage during a mode switch is perfectly normal. After all, the graphics driver must first set the new mode before it can clear this new mode's display memory.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: LW07
...and sometimes when playing Pacific Fighters, and it looks like sort of like one of those little tracking lines that go on the screen of a TV when you are watching an old VHS tape or something.

Do you mean like a ripple running across the screen?

 

[LW07]

There is no rippling.

 

[kylebisme]

I was just guessing as I haven't watched a VHS tape in over a decade. Could you describe "little tracking lines" in more detail?

 

[LW07]

VHS tracking lines is like when you're watching a movie and stuff comes on the screen, ranging from little "snow" type things, to heavy rippling with a loud buzz. I get little lines that appear for a second sometimes when I play Pacific fighters.

 

[redbox]

ummm I haven't played Pacific Fighters. Have you played it with a different card. I almost wonder if it is an effect that the game developers used, I don't know as I haven't played the game, and don't know what the begining is like. At anyrate I don't think it would be the monitor because it only does it on this game, right?

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: LW07
VHS tracking lines is like when you're watching a movie and stuff comes on the screen, ranging from little "snow" type things, to heavy rippling with a loud buzz. I get little lines that appear for a second sometimes when I play Pacific fighters.

So little lines, but you said "no rippling"; what do the lines look like then?

 

[LW07]

I don't really know the words to say, but I'd say something like sometimes a column of "snow" effects will come on Pacific Fighters for a second, or sometimes the screen will turn completely white for a second. It doesn't happen all the time, just every now and then.

It didn't happen when I had my 7800GT installed.

 

[redbox]

I'd say it's the card but the fact that it doesn't do it with other games is kinda weird. Maybe ATI just has some problems with that game. It doesn't happen all through out the game though does it? Also do you have the newest drivers from ATI if it is just that game they might have written new drivers to fix it. But I don't know I have a 7800gt and don't follow ATI drivers to closely.

 

[LW07]

It doesn't happen all the time in the game. Just every now and then.