Help! My Screen is Full of Glitchy Pixels After Installing Graphics Drivers
Asked by
CuriousCoder42
I've been dealing with a frustrating issue on my PC for a while now. After experiencing consistent graphics driver timeout BSOD errors a few days ago, I decided to try a clean reinstallation of my graphics drivers using DDU. I followed the instructions and uninstalled the drivers in safe mode. However, when I tried to boot my computer again, all I got was a black screen. I realized that if I entered my password, I could access Windows, but it was a very slow and clunky version. After trying various troubleshooting methods in Windows Recovery Environment, I ultimately had to reinstall Windows entirely.
Now, after the reinstallation, my screen is constantly plagued with small clusters of colorful glitchy pixels that come and go randomly. Sometimes my screen will even go black for a few seconds, and then Adrenaline notifies me about a driver timeout again. I've done everything I can think of regarding drivers—using DDU again to reinstall, rolling back versions, and so on. Interestingly, before I reinstall the graphics drivers (after the DDU uninstall), there are no glitchy pixels, but once I install the drivers, the issues immediately return. The glitchy pixels seem to follow active windows when I move them around, and they even show up in screenshots and screen recordings. Is there a possible fix for this, or should I be worried about a failing GPU? My specs are AMD Ryzen 5600 CPU and AMD Radeon 6700XT GPU.
Answers
It sounds like you've already done quite a bit of troubleshooting! The fact that the glitchy pixels only appear after installing the GPU drivers is definitely pointing toward a driver issue or potential GPU malfunction. Have you tried checking the BIOS settings? Sometimes changes there can affect performance, or resetting them to default might help. Also, be sure to check if your GPU is properly seated in its slot and that the power connectors are firmly attached. It could be worth testing the GPU on another system to see if the problem persists there. Good luck!
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It’s unusual that the pixels follow the window around like that, but it can happen. Have you tried checking if the same artifacts show up in screenshots or recordings from your phone? If the glitches appear there too, it’s likely not just a driver issue but something more serious. Given your GPU’s behavior, it might also be worth focusing on heat issues or whether it's overclocked. Sometimes those can cause display artifacts too!
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To dive deeper into your BSOD issues, you should definitely look into gathering some dump files. If you can access Windows, try checking the C:WindowsMinidump folder for any crash logs. Zipping those files and uploading them can help diagnose exactly what's causing the BSODs. There are some guides available if you haven’t done this before! Once we see those files, we can get a clearer idea of what’s happening.
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CuriousCoder42: Yes, I’ve checked and the same artifacts appear in both screen recordings and photos of the monitor. That’s why I thought it had to be a driver issue, but I’m starting to think otherwise.