Graphics Artifacting is when the image processed by the GPU is corrupted, resulting in digital artifacts appearing across the image.  As these artifacts are caused at the processing level, this means they will more than likely appear as part of a screenshot, however it is not guaranteed.  Depending on the pattern of the artifacting, this can help determine if the GPU or Monitor are at fault.

An example of Horizontal Artifacting

Horizontal Artifacting where patterns are drawn across the screen from left to right are generally tied to the GPU.

An example of Vertical Artifacting due to a damaged monitor.

Vertical Artifacting where patterns are drawn across the screen from top to bottom are generally tied to your monitor.  If you experience Vertical Artifacting, it is recommended to disconnect the monitor and try connecting the same monitor with a different cable or to use a different monitor to confirm if the issue persists.  If the issue persists with both a different monitor and cable, the issue may be tied to the GPU.

Other types of artifacting include character artifacting (also referred to as space invaders) or lighting artifacts where certain lighting effects in games or programs may appear extremely blown out.  These types of artifacting are almost exclusively tied to the GPU.

If you experience any artifacting that is tied to the GPU, we recommend the following steps:

• Re-seat the GPU
• Do a clean re-install of your GPU drivers
• Try a different display
  • This can be either a different monitor or a TV

If these steps do not resolve your issue, your GPU may have failed and will need to be replaced.

If you are getting no display to the monitor, this could indicate either a configuration/connection issue or a hardware failure.  A few common reasons include:

• Monitor is plugged into the motherboard and not the graphics card.
• The graphics card is loose or disconnected.
• The power to the graphics card is loose or disconnected at either the card or Power Supply.
• The system does not have a GPU and lacks integrated graphics.

If your PC has a dedicated Graphics Card, make sure that your monitor is connected to the card (shown in green) and not to your Motherboard I/O (shown in red).

If your are getting no display, we recommend taking the following steps:

• Check your Monitor and connection
  • Try a different cable or monitor.
  • If your monitor supports multiple connections, try changing sources in the monitor menu.
  • Make sure that you're connected to the correct display connection (i.e. your Graphics Card and not the Motherboard as shown above).
• Check for Debug LEDs
  • A RAM or CPU error can prevent your system from providing a display.  
• Check the Power Connections at the Graphics Card and PSU
• Re-seat the GPU

Reduced performance in games can in some cases be linked to issue with your graphics card, however do keep in mind that there are many factors that can impact your overall FPS.  These include, but are not limited to:

• Background processes/software using system resources
• Outdated GPU drivers
• Game optimization issues
• Software related bugs
• Overheating components

When troubleshooting issues with game performance, the best place to start is to check if your PC is potentially overheating.  In particular, a CPU or GPU which is overheating may thermal throttle to reduce temperatures.  The operating temperature will vary from GPU to GPU, so it is always best to refer to the specs of the parts in your system.

From here, it's always best to make sure your GPU drivers are up to date.  If you are running into driver related issues, you can do a clean reinstall of your GPU drivers by using our guide linked below:

NZXT Support - Reinstalling Graphic Drivers

Background processes and software can also reduce your overall gaming performance, especially if the background process uses GPU resources.  This can range from having a game downloader or installer running in the background taking up CPU related resources or even recording or livestreaming from your PC which can take up either CPU or GPU resources.  With streaming and recording in particular, do keep in mind that you could see major dips in average FPS while running these programs.  If you suspect that there may be a malicious background process running that you cannot remove via the settings in Windows, either resetting your PC or doing a factory restore of your PC may help.

Lastly you could be running into an issue where your game settings may be too high for your hardware or the game itself may have optimization issues.  For these kind of issues, you may want to see if other players are having similar issues through the game or software's community or check out benchmarking videos by searching for videos documenting both your CPU and GPU Combination.  For example, looking up "Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Benchmark, Intel 14900K RTX 4090" can be a good reference for what your performance should be with the same hardware.

If you experiencing driver errors such as Code 43 on your Display Driver, this could indicate either a hardware issue or a problem with the installed drivers.  As a start, we would recommend reinstalling your GPU drivers using our guide found here:

NZXT Support - Reinstalling Graphic Drivers

While reinstalling your drivers, you may see any artifacting on the screen disappear or any secondary monitors may turn off.  Once you have reinstalled the driver, if the error has cleared it is recommended to run an intensive game or visual program to confirm the fix is working.

If the issue persists after the GPU drivers are reinstalled, this could indicate that the GPU is either damaged or defective and will need to be replaced.