[ffttflesh3]

So I activated a trial account to test how AoC would run on my machine. I've played AoC since beta, I recently deactivated my account, now I wanted to come back but I wanted to see if any performance issues were addressed. So I launch the game, everything is fine, the game plays just like it did, high settings, everything maxed, between 30-60 fps. Im running 2 HD 3870's and I decided to update my driver to catalyst 8.8.

After doing so I launch AoC, and sure enough I get massive pixtel tearing and artifacts upon character selection screen. I couldnt figure out why. I reverted drivers back, reinstalled older drivers. Reinstalled chipset drivers, etc. The same problem persists.

The only thing is AoC is the ONLY game I have this issue. I launch WoW fine, Crysis, SWG, COD4, UT3, everything runs perfectly fine.

I did manage to narrow it down to shader model 3.0. When I have 2.0 or 2.x enabled, it runs like normal, no pixel tearing but it looks like crap, of course.
When I re enable shader model 3.0, pixel tearing reappears.

Now I already tried shanging ram sticks, switching out video cards, disabling one GPU, etc. No matter what, I cant run AoC with Shader model 3.0 enabled.

I'm wondering if a recent patch might have changed something, or is there a hot fix or workaround for this ( besides disabling SM 3.0). Or are both of my GPU's fried and both SM 3.0 on both GPUs are coincidently not working anymore?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

system specs

AMD spider platform
Phenom 8450
G.Skill 4GB DDR2 800
2x HD3870 in crossFire
MSI 790X chipset mobo.
Windows Vista Ultimate x64

[entrailsgalore]

OK well I couldn't figure out exactly why my cards did this, so i went ahead and bought an HD4850. As well as reactivated my AoC account, and of course the problem is fixed.

I guess Ill have to RMA both of my HD3870's.

[sithterror]

is vert syn off or on, that is supposed to help against tears.
try and use these settings and see if mathcing mine to yours helps any.

here is my setup (note, i am using a visiontek 4850 and am using the 8.6 driver from the website)

1) my CCC settings:
--is set it to 8x AA and then check ed the box for application controlled with the filter set at box.
--enabled adaptive AA and set to performance
--AF set to application controlled
--catalyst AI set to standard
--mip map detail set to quality
--all settings> vertical refresh set to on, unless application set otherwise.
--more settings all 3 boxes checked
--i set auto tune and then waited for it to finish and then down clocked the settings to 655 and memory to 1080.
--resolution is 1440x900 with 60Hz display.
**made a profile called gaming and set it in stone.

2) my in game profiles:
--i clicked the high detail button and let it set itself.
--put AA to 8x
--shadow quality low
--shadow from characters only
--texture filtering quality= anisotropic
--texture resolution= 16
--ground quality= normal
--water reflection= ground only
--particles rendering = medium
--particles from group only
--remove foliage around character

with these settings i have 40+fps in OT, khemi and conarch. see 70+in other areas like fotd, kesh, atzels and wild lands. have 120+in scorp caves, cannibal caves and other private instances.

[entrailsgalore]

I don't think you understand what I mean by tearing.

Screen Tearing is when an image gets cut horizontally because the monitor can't keep up with the GPU. To fix this, you enable Vsync or Vertical Sync, to Sync every frame vertically so you get no more horizontal tearing. This locks your frame rate at your monitors refresh rate.

So I am aware of this. However the problem I am having is called PIXEL tearing. Completely different from Screen tearing.

Here is an example of what I was seeing. I didn't take any screenshots since I was too frustrated and trying to figure out the problem. But here is a screen shot of another popular MMO. This person is having a similar problem ( pixel tearing) only mine was a LOT worse.

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/6...7201239db0.jpg

But anyways thanks for your help though.

[sithterror]

yes. that kind of tearing can be due to many problems.

--vsync issue due to desktop refresh rate higher than game can handle or one the monitor doesnt support.
--bad dx or old dx files
--driver not optimized

many times it is the settings be maxed to the fullest and the card cant handle it. so if you choose medium settings and leave it at default and it tears then it cant be settings.
--nonetheless maxing view distance's, and other sliders above default high could rend those tears

have you googled: pixel tearing, HD 3870.....and see what other users have seen and done?

[sithterror]

http://www.driverheaven.net/nvidia-g...recovered.html

3rd post down on this link:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messagev...readid=2223722

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just scroll down screen to see posts on these:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/hard...x-tearing.html

http://www.techsupportforum.com/hard...-flickers.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.amdplanet.it/tag/amd/news...talyst-83.html

read 2nd post in this thread
http://forums.amd.com/game/messagevi...=y&STARTPAGE=2

go to post #7 and see 4th entry: Vsync
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...10271028&sid=1

even though it is a nvidia card in this post fixes are usually the same
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/25...-playing-games

last search for page 3 of google matches.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...php?p=14669886

hope you read these and some help you.

[entrailsgalore]

Thanks for your help and suggestions, but none of them really solved my problem. I still had to purchase a new video card in order to play AoC with SM 3.0 enabled. I built this PC back in may and I had no problem running AoC at max settings with SM 3.0 enabled on m two HD 3870's. But after updating to catalyst 8.8 driver, enabling SM 3.0 just gets me pixel tearing and artifacts.

[entrailsgalore]

So here are some screenshots of it. I was playing AoC perfectly fine with SM 3.0. After I updated to catalyst 8.8 drivers, rebooted and then relaunched AoC. This is what I saw.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...61050066GgWWuo

It took me ten minutes to figure out that it was caused by enabling SM 3.0. When I enable SM 2.x or 2.0 this is what I see.

http://image69.webshots.com/569/0/55...6cBhAxA_fs.jpg

Everything looks fine. Its the same way when I launch into game. With SM 3.0 I get artifacts and pixel tearing. When I disable it, its fine, however, SM 2.x and Sm 2.0 look like crap.

Anyone have the same problem? I don't know this happened, all I did was update my driver. No overclocking. Also I have 2 HD 3870's, and both of them are like this.

[sithterror]

silly question, but is there a stable driver previous to 8.8 that you can use? there is no need to always upgrade video drivers unless of course there were specific problems a new version is supposed to fix...........like i am still running 8.6 cause for me it si stable with no problems.

[Abbatoir]

My suggestion:

1. Go to ATI and download the 8.6 driver (put in your OS info, card type, and go to the driver download section; at the bottom, there is a link to Previous Versions)

2. Download Driver Cleaner (download it http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=745)

3. Uninstall your current Catalyst driver (8.8).

4. Run Driver Cleaner.

5. Delete your ATI folder (which is typically a sub in the PROGRAMS folder).

6. Restart your computer.

7. Install the 8.6 Catalyst driver.

8. Have fun.