I'm seeing random red dots on my display that look like pixel artifacts or visual noise. My graphics drivers are fully up to date, and both GPU and VRAM temperatures are normal. The dots disappear briefly when I press Windows + Shift + S and the screen dims for the snipping overlay. I also reset the NVIDIA Control Panel color settings and lowered Digital Vibrance from 100% to 50%, but that didn't help. Could this be caused by a faulty HDMI cable, the monitor panel, or failing GPU memory? What should I test next?
1 Answer
A useful first step is checking whether the artifacts appear before Windows loads. Look in the firmware/BIOS screen or try Safe Mode. If the red dots are visible there too, the problem is more likely hardware—such as the monitor, cable, or graphics card. If they only appear during normal Windows use, software or display-driver settings become more likely. Also try a different HDMI cable, another port, and another display if possible.
So far I’ve only noticed them during normal use, not in any pre-Windows screen. I’ll test Safe Mode and try another cable and display to narrow it down.