Spots on the screen.

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Profile adrianxw
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Message 107343 - Posted: 12 Mar 2022, 13:04:24 UTC
Last modified: 12 Mar 2022, 13:04:43 UTC

One of my machines started to show an array of small spots when the screen was connected. The spots move about in blocks if I move the cursor about. I concluded from that, there is a bad bit of RAM in the output stage, and the GPU is not the problem. I stopped GPU projects from using that machine, but thinking about that later, the GPU is okay, and it is most unlikely the output stage RAM is used by the GPU when number crunching, rational being I'd see patterns of all types on the display if the output RAM was used by the GPU whilst number crunching. Therefore I am doubting the wisdom of stopping the node doing GPU number crunching. Comments?
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robsmith
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Message 107344 - Posted: 12 Mar 2022, 13:29:36 UTC

A bit of information about the errant computer would help:
Operating system?
GPU type?
System RAM?

Do you have a spare GPU you can swap for the errant one?
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Message 107345 - Posted: 12 Mar 2022, 15:34:44 UTC - in response to Message 107344.  

Since the issue is restricted to the video out RAM of the graphics card, I did not find the need for any details of the system. I suppose a typical, "roll eyes" another dumb question reply was inevitable.
Why is the operating system of interest?
Why is the GPU type of interest?
Why is the system RAM of interest?
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Message 107346 - Posted: 12 Mar 2022, 16:32:50 UTC - in response to Message 107345.  

Without knowing those it is far too easy to suggest solutions that do not apply to your specific problem.
For example a solution that applies to an Windows platform may not apply to a Mac, or Linux system.
Video RAM may be par of the main RAM, or be part of the GPU. and so on.
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ProDigit

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Message 107349 - Posted: 12 Mar 2022, 17:46:11 UTC

If your VRAM is bad, you shouldn't use OpenCL or Cuda calculations on the GPU, as many projects store results in the VRAM, to be reloaded and reprocessed again.
The GPU is good enough for display output, even with bad VRAM.
I would however, check if each VRAM module has a cooling pad installed. Many GPUs came from the factory without, and VRAM overheating (especially when overclocking) caused lots of glitches.
Removing the heat sink will allow you to refresh the thermal paste on the GPU.

So it's not going to affect your CPU jobs, but I would recommend to use the GPU as the primary GPU in your system for display out only, and have a secondary GPU for crunching data. Works well if you have 2x full size slots at x8 speeds.
Or, install it as a secondary GPU, but use it as a display out, and use the primary GPU to crunch data on, if your secondary slot is limited to x4 speeds or less.
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Message 107350 - Posted: 12 Mar 2022, 19:24:44 UTC - in response to Message 107349.  

I never stopped CPU work units.
Thanks for a reasonable reply.
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Message boards : Questions and problems : Spots on the screen.

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