Strange screen display artifact just appeared today

fgoron2000

I'm on NA/PC and just today as soon as I start up the game, even before the login page, I have a large semi-transparent circle on the far right side of the screen with a corona around the edge. It looks like a see-thru lunar eclipse. The size is roughly 3 times the diameter of the circling load screen icon in the bottom right. This was not there when I signed off about 4am EDT early this morning. It disappears as soon as the game closes. I haven't had any windows 10 updates pushed out to me. I've restarrted the machine, and I'm doing a repair right now. Anybody else see this?

Kodrac

Graphics card going kaput.

fgoron2000

oh man, are u kidding, this is a new alienware laptop...


it's doing the same thing in the PST and no place else, I started up Skyrim SE and it's not doing it there..., no place in the OS, no other programs...how can it be the gpu?

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

fgoron2000 wrote: »

oh man, are u kidding, this is a new alienware laptop...

There's your problem...

Kodrac

Alienware is nothing what it used to be since Dell bought them out. Dell uses cheap parts. They still charge out the wazoo for Alienware machines though.

fgoron2000

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

fgoron2000 wrote: »

oh man, are u kidding, this is a new alienware laptop...

There's your problem...

you're saying alienware is the problem,? you agree that the gpu is going bad?

Wrekkedd

Yeah, especially if it's brand new. Dell has HORRIBLE QA....that sucks man.

fgoron2000

Wrekkedd wrote: »

Yeah, especially if it's brand new. Dell has HORRIBLE QA....that sucks man.

it's like a couple months old, no more...

Betheny

Artifacts = GPU breaking.

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

fgoron2000 wrote: »

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

fgoron2000 wrote: »

oh man, are u kidding, this is a new alienware laptop...

There's your problem...

you're saying alienware is the problem,? you agree that the gpu is going bad?

I was being a smartass. However, Alienware machines are garbage. God help you if you ever want to repair or upgrade it yourself (including base software). Try loading a different game and see if the problem persists. If so, you are in for a long conversation with tech support.

Kodrac

Windows doesn't utilize the GPU. So if it only artifacts when using something that would utilize it (i.e ESO) then it's the GPU.

DDemon

Before you do anything, try updating or reinstalling your graphic card drivers. If that doesn't work try installing a beta driver over a stable one. Also make sure it isn't using the on board graphic processor.

starkerealm

Also, probably worth checking and making sure there isn't some other software running in the background. I don't know what bloatware Alienware's shoving onto their systems now, but it could be something, "turned on."

fgoron2000

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

fgoron2000 wrote: »

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

fgoron2000 wrote: »

oh man, are u kidding, this is a new alienware laptop...

There's your problem...

you're saying alienware is the problem,? you agree that the gpu is going bad?

I was being a smartass. However, Alienware machines are garbage. God help you if you ever want to repair or upgrade it yourself (including base software). Try loading a different game and see if the problem persists. If so, you are in for a long conversation with tech support.

no prob, i studied smartass in high school...<g>

i ran skyrim SE, and no problem...i'm running videos on sites like youtube, no problem...i'm not sure if i used the right word when i said artifact, but it's a large perfect circle, about 3 times the size of the spinning circle icon in the bottom right for load screens. the entire circle is semi-transparent, and it appears as soon as i start ESO, and disappears when I close the game, and appears nowhere else that i found so far...

starkerealm

Did you mess with your addons, or did someone else mess with them?

fgoron2000

thanks to all...i'll keep plugging away...meanwhile, i went to my old machine, a win7 tower, and got a prompt to repair, and then it said there wasn't enough disk space...so how can 115 gb not be enuf space to repair...

phairdon

Does it look exactly the same, as the small icon on the bottom right of the screen? Wondering if its the icon that shows up for adjusting gamma.

Kodrac

Or maybe some recording software loading with the game A perfect circle doesn't sound like artifacting.

fgoron2000

Kodrac wrote: »

Or maybe some recording software loading with the game A perfect circle doesn't sound like artifacting.

yeah, that's why i walked that back...it was just the first word that came to mind initially...it's a perfect circle, and what i'd call a perfect corona around it, like you'd see on a lunar or solar eclipse...

Betheny

fgoron2000 wrote: »

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

fgoron2000 wrote: »

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

fgoron2000 wrote: »

oh man, are u kidding, this is a new alienware laptop...

There's your problem...

you're saying alienware is the problem,? you agree that the gpu is going bad?

I was being a smartass. However, Alienware machines are garbage. God help you if you ever want to repair or upgrade it yourself (including base software). Try loading a different game and see if the problem persists. If so, you are in for a long conversation with tech support.

no prob, i studied smartass in high school...<g>

i ran skyrim SE, and no problem...i'm running videos on sites like youtube, no problem...i'm not sure if i used the right word when i said artifact, but it's a large perfect circle, about 3 times the size of the spinning circle icon in the bottom right for load screens. the entire circle is semi-transparent, and it appears as soon as i start ESO, and disappears when I close the game, and appears nowhere else that i found so far...

Show us a screenshot.

fgoron2000

phairdon wrote: »

Does it look exactly the same, as the small icon on the bottom right of the screen? Wondering if its the icon that shows up for adjusting gamma.

no, it's not the same...i just used that for relative size, since everybody has a different size screen, and i couldn't measure in pixels

Betheny

Just show us a screenshot, someone might be able to figure it out then.

fgoron2000

starkerealm wrote: »

Did you mess with your addons, or did someone else mess with them?

thanks i did add one last nite...disabling that next



nope, still there, but will try disabling all addons also, then start diving into drivers i guess

fgoron2000

Betheny wrote: »

Just show us a screenshot, someone might be able to figure it out then.

excellent idea, thanks...however, sometimes absence of data can also be informative...it is NOT on the screenshot...does that identify anything?


PS: disabling all addons did not fix it

Sigtric

not on the screen shot and only showing while in game is definitely the GPU throwing fits.

fgoron2000

Sigtric wrote: »

not on the screen shot and only showing while in game is definitely the GPU throwing fits.

what about other games...the only thing i have currently installed that might be comparative is skyrim se...it doesn't do it in that game...or is that not a good comparison?

Hippie4927

Have you contacted Alienware's troubleshooting dept? I've had my Alienware for 4 years and I love it. I have had nothing but positive experiences with the people that helped me troubleshoot a graphics issue. Since you say you have only had the laptop for a couple months, it should still be under warranty.

danno8

@fgoron2000 Are you using Shadowplay/Nvidia recording software?

The recording icon for that looks a lot like the "see-through lunar eclipse" you are describing...

fgoron2000

Hippie4927 wrote: »

Have you contacted Alienware's troubleshooting dept? I've had my Alienware for 4 years and I love it. I have had nothing but positive experiences with the people that helped me troubleshoot a graphics issue. Since you say you have only had the laptop for a couple months, it should still be under warranty.

yeah, it should be...i was just hoping to find a quick & easy fix/explanation here, because this is such a strong & responsive community, everybody's been great...but i'll go there if i've exhausted everything here

fgoron2000

danno8 wrote: »

@fgoron2000 Are you using Shadowplay/Nvidia recording software?

The recording icon for that looks a lot like the "see-through lunar eclipse" you are describing...

i do have an nvidia card, a GeForce GTX 1060, but i haven't downloaded any software beyond the driver, and to my knowledge nothing like that is running in the background....

I was able to get a screenshot from the standard OS clipboard, instead of the in-game function, but at a loss how to paste it here...I see the image dropdown in the controls, but it will only accept a url, and won't accept the path to my file...i also can't paste directly to the msg here...what am i missing?

Phinix1

Drag and drop the image into the image link box and it should let you attach it. Or upload to imgur.com.

I agree it sounds like one of the stupid overlay watermarks that so much "crapware" (as ENB author Boris Vorontsov would call it) like video recording and Steam and overclock software likes to spam you with today.

Guess you should be grateful it doesn't say "buy Brawndo" or something