Strange video artifacts ...

[Araxes]

I am running Vista 64-bit with a 9800GT 512MB and 4GB memory on a C2D 3.16GHz ... brand new system.So, I olog in and firstly I can longer force anistropic filtering, at all.  This greatly bugs me even moreso than not having anti-aliasing.  Under my rpevious GeForce 7600 I could force both through the control panel and EQ2 recognized it ... I have to chalk it up to this being a 64 bit OS trying to interface through a 32-bit software ... so whatever.  Solution would be much appreciated but that's not my main reason today.The bigger problem is that, although I can run the game silky smooth at Very High Quality ... and force on anti-aliasing using the command line /r_aa_blit 1 as has been mentioned elsewhere ... the game has artifacts smattered ALL. OVER.  I mean ... if I am running through Butcherblock there are just random flashes of textures popping up all over.  Now, this seems to go away almost entirely, if not entirely, when I disable environment shadows ... but honestly?  Playing this game without environment shadows is like walking from a 2007 Pixar film into a 1985 cartoon. ... It just loses SO much in the detail department when shadows aren't operable.  So ... any ideas?  Any reasons?I did look at the Vista thread but I'm sorry ... 38 pages is a bit much tos ift through.I forgot, here is the message that posted when it crashed:Problem signature: Problem Event Name: APPCRASH Application Name: EverQuest2.exe Application Version: 1.0.0.1 Application Timestamp: 48bd734a Fault Module Name: nvd3dum.dll Fault Module Version: 7.15.11.7779 Fault Module Timestamp: 488b9d27 Exception Code: c0000005 Exception Offset: 0027c3ba OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3 And I meant to post this in Performance forum.Thanks in advance,Ara

[TSR-TrevorG]

Generally artifacting comes about from an over heating or failing video card from what I have seen.Verify that the inside of the PC is clean and all fans working.  Clean out any dust if you can.  This should help or give you a clue if it is over heating or a failing video card.

[Cassea]

This will not help but I'm running Vista 64 with a 9600GT with none of the issues you are seeing.Bad card? Does it perform 100% in other games?I'm not forcing anything on so perhaps this is the cause?

[Araxes]

Well, interestingly, after I made the above post, I went and re-downloaded the driver from Nvidia, and re-installed that.  Then I rebooted, and loaded EQ2 ... except this time I loaded it in a maximized window rather than true full screen.  I didn't change any other settings.Played for two-three hours in a dungeon crawl group at Very High Quality, while using Fraps to record the whole thing, and monitoring GPU temp with the Nvidia performance monitor ... card never went above 69-70C even with all that ... well within its safe range.  It idles at 59-60C so it's only a 10 degree difference under load after 3 hours of hard playing, which makes me think it's not overheating that's the problem.Did not crash at all in that time.Dunno if it was the window mode or what, but this makes me think it's an OS issue, or was a driver issue ... I'll see if it happens again.Ara

[TSR-TrevorG]

Hopefully the issue will not rear its head again.

[Araxes]

Well, I'm starting to think there is some kind of flaw in Vista 64 and EQ2 compatibility.  I had not crashed in the past several days but today I crashed with the error "EQ2 Client Application Has Stopped Working" which was the same error I received in my original post.Reading the other replies on the forums, I cleared out my cache folder, and I have also deleted the Nvidia nForce Network Access Manager.  (I don't really know what it did, anyway, as Windows seems to handle all of that.)The artifact problem was again occurring just before I crashed out.  I immediately checked my GPU temp -- safely at 65C ... so ... I dunno what to think.  /shrug  However, I can play Age of Conan at maximum settings with smooth framerate, for hours, and absolutely no artifacts or graphical glitches so I have ruled out my video card temperature as the culprit.I'll keep updating as I try various things if the problem persists.Ara

[Araxes]

<u><b>UPDATE</b>Here is when it happens:</u>Playing in full-screen, shadows enabled for: torch, character, environment, off-screen.If anti-aliasing is forced via the /r command  (/r_aa_blit 1) ... ... Then an error (as described in the first post) occurs and game must be closed.<i>HOWEVER</i><b>If Windowed Mode is enabled via Alt+Enter ...... then the above settings may be used with NO ERROR.</b>In fact, performance on my machine is actually <i>increased </i>when I utilize window mode rather than full screen and also force anti-aliasing with the /r command and am using shadows.The error appears <i>NOT </i>related to ANY of the following:- cache folder- nForce Network manager- re-use vertex shaders- sync refresh- other graphical settingsIt APPEARS to be dependent on the following conditions:You play in full screen mode.You enable anti-aliasing via the /r command.You have any of torch, character, environment, or off-screen shadows enabled.You use Windows Vista 64-bit and a Nvidia 9 series card with the most recent driver.So again, for me -- simply playing in Window mode not only increases performance with a high quality (shadows and anti-aliasing then do not conflict and cause the game to exit with a Client Error message) but also completely alleviates said error for an indefinite amount of time.Now as to WHY ... I have no idea.  You would have to ask a programmer.Just posting this for any other who may be experiencing this problem.