Random Colored Dots or Flickering Light Pixels in Some Games – GPU Fault or Just a Visual Bug?

[sarah]

Hi everyone,
I recently bought an AMD graphics card, and while everything seems to be running well overall, I've noticed something strange in some games (not all). Occasionally, I see tiny colored dots or flickering light pixels appearing on-screen — sometimes on character outlines, clothes, or dark backgrounds. They blink in and out randomly, and though not very frequent, they’re distracting once noticed.
Here's a video recorded directly from my own PC screen, clearly showing the issue:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7yok...ey=bhvlm4egl4gyxyq4lz40923i7&st=kqz4jq84&dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ul5y...ey=jz8rzrydj6lbl61ujvwq9n4ji&st=ajqa35as&dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0aqv...ey=ud5s4ekfmmwskuqfovnist7h3&st=xghmlo9a&dl=0
In my case, these visual glitches appeared in:

• Horizon Forbidden West → Around the edges of some character clothing
• The Quarry → Issue completely disappears when SSAO is turned off
• A Plague Tale: Requiem → Flickering dots occur only when the Resolution Optimizer is set to "Quality", but disappear when set to "Ultra Quality"

What I’ve already tried:

• Clean reinstallation of GPU drivers using DDU
• All temps are stable and within safe limits
• Played with post-processing settings (TAA, SSAO, sharpening)

My main questions:

• Is this behavior normal, or is it an early sign of a defective GPU (VRAM or something else)?
• Has anyone seen similar visual bugs, especially on AMD GPUs?
• Could this be caused by specific in-game settings or compatibility issues?
• Since my card is still under warranty, should I return it just to be safe?

This doesn't happen in every game, but when it does, it tends to appear in similar ways — especially involving lighting or post-processing effects. I’ve used AMD cards all my life and never noticed this before, so I’m not sure if it’s a hardware issue, a driver thing, or something else entirely.
Any insights or similar experiences would be really appreciated!
Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[eidairaman1]

Sounds like games themselves dont like certain driver settings because you fiddled with individual settings and the 'artifacts' stopped.

 

[sarah]

Sounds like games themselves dont like certain driver settings because you fiddled with individual settings and the 'artifacts' stopped.

Thank you for your response, but I did not understand well. Is the problem with my GPU itself? Do I have to reinstall another BIOS? Note that I do not have experience in that.

 

[StViolenceDay]

Try running VRAM-targeted stress test https://github.com/GpuZelenograd/memtest_vulkan

If it report errors take a log file from its folder and attach here

 

[KikeUY]

I had a lot of those weird green or purple lights on Hellblade 2 , played others game no problem. Changed drivers and then the game played fine.
So if I were you I would try a couple of differents drivers to check if it is a software problem.

 

[sarah]

Try running VRAM-targeted stress test https://github.com/GpuZelenograd/memtest_vulkan

If it report errors take a log file from its folder and attach here

 

[StViolenceDay]

No any errors with VRAM. Maybe those are computation-related problems with the GPU Core

 

[Dr. Dro]

These are clearly artifacting errors, and can/will worsen and develop into stability issues if left alone. VRAM is a possible culprit, but since the test did not catch anything, the next thing you should double check is the power supply. Try reducing the core clock speed a little and limiting the power to the minimum allowed in the AMD driver control panel. What power supply do you have? If it's undersized, or a low quality unit, it could be the problem - testing with reduced power will help figure it out.

If your power supply is a high quality unit with adequate wattage, RMA. This is not normal and you should not accept it the way it is.

 

[sarah]

No any errors with VRAM. Maybe those are computation-related problems with the GPU Core

These are clearly artifacting errors, and can/will worsen and develop into stability issues if left alone. VRAM is a possible culprit, but since the test did not catch anything, the next thing you should double check is the power supply. Try reducing the core clock speed a little and limiting the power to the minimum allowed in the AMD driver control panel. What power supply do you have? If it's undersized, or a low quality unit, it could be the problem - testing with reduced power will help figure it out.

If your power supply is a high quality unit with adequate wattage, RMA. This is not normal and you should not accept it the way it is.

I just lowered the clock speeds to 2200MHz and reduced the power consumption to -10% as you told me. then i run The Quarry game where the issue occurs, but unfortunately those little colored dots and black squares are still flashing on the character's face when SSAO is activated. As for the power supply, it's a low-quality 550W FSP. You may be right about the power unit being the cause of this problem and I'll try to upgrade it soon , Thanks anyway

 

[Dr. Dro]

I just lowered the clock speeds to 2200MHz and reduced the power consumption to -10% as you told me. then i run The Quarry game where the issue occurs, but unfortunately those little colored dots and black squares are still flashing on the character's face when SSAO is activated. As for the power supply, it's a low-quality 550W FSP. You may be right about the power unit being the cause of this problem and I'll try to upgrade it soon , Thanks anyway

Yeah, it's definitely your power supply. I helped someone in the forum recently with a 9070 XT, they were having similar issues, and sometimes the computer would freeze with a black screen and become unresponsive until a forced reboot. They fixed it by upgrading the power supply, they had something similar to what you have. Your card uses less power, so its probably just acting up for the time being. Nasty stuff.

Corsair RM750e would be a solid pick with lots of capacity and forwards compatibility for new GPUs with the new connector plug when you upgrade. Should be able to find it at a little under 100 bucks.