Monitor Artifacts with Hardware Acceleration

Display Artifacts with Hardware Acceleration: Causes and Solutions

Display artifacts with hardware acceleration enabled are most often caused by compatibility issues between new hardware (especially RTX 50 series graphics cards) and software, as well as adaptive sync settings and drivers. The problem where old image remains on top of new content and reacts to cursor movement, especially in Electron-based applications like Discord and Spotify, indicates a specific hardware-software incompatibility that can be resolved through settings adjustments or component updates.

Contents

• Main causes of artifacts with hardware acceleration
• Issues with RTX 50 series graphics cards
• Conflicts in Discord and Spotify applications
• Adaptive sync and monitor settings
• Practical solutions to the problem
• Troubleshooting recommendations

Main causes of artifacts with hardware acceleration

Screen artifacts that occur with hardware acceleration enabled can have several fundamental causes. The main issue is that hardware acceleration is designed to offload the CPU by using the GPU, but this creates additional potential points of conflict between drivers, hardware, and software.

According to user research, the most common causes are:

• Driver conflicts with new hardware - especially relevant for RTX 50 series, which has known compatibility issues
• Adaptive sync settings (G-Sync/FreeSync) - often cause artifacts on the desktop and in applications
• Issues in Electron applications - Discord, Spotify, and Chrome are particularly sensitive to conflicts with hardware acceleration
• Multi-monitor configurations - differences in settings can cause artifacts when switching focus

Interestingly, many users note that artifacts appear specifically during system inactivity or when switching between windows, indicating problems with graphics resource management in standby mode.

Issues with RTX 50 series graphics cards

RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti graphics cards, including your MSI model, have known issues that can cause the described artifacts. Research shows these problems are particularly evident when combined with the latest generation Ryzen processors.

Key features of RTX 50 series issues:

• PCIe 5.0 compatibility - multiple reports of issues with connection via PCIe 5.0 slots
• Micro-stuttering issues - users report “unsmooth” navigation in Windows UI
• Conflicts with adaptive sync - artifacts appear only when G-Sync/FreeSync is enabled
• Issues with MSI GPU monitoring - often causes artifacts, especially in VR applications

As one user on Reddit noted: “Even after switching to another card, as long as it’s a 50-series, the problem remains. The only way to fix it is to switch to AMD/Intel/RTX 40 series”. This indicates a systemic issue characteristic specifically to the RTX 50 generation.

In your case with Ryzen 5 7500F and RTX 5070, there may be an additional conflict due to the combination of the new Ryzen 7000 series processor and RTX 50 graphics card, both of which use relatively new architectures and may have compatibility issues at the driver or BIOS level.

Conflicts in Discord and Spotify applications

Issues in Discord and Spotify with hardware acceleration enabled are one of the most common symptoms of your situation. These applications use Chromium/Electron technology for their interface, making them particularly sensitive to conflicts with graphics drivers.

Typical issues in Discord:

• “Curtains” and artifacts that follow the mouse cursor
• Pixelation and residual images over new content
• Issues that disappear when hardware acceleration is disabled

As one user noted: “Spotify will behave exactly the same if you enable GPU acceleration”. Many users report that disabling hardware acceleration in these applications solves the problem but leads to significant performance degradation.

An interesting solution was found by changing Discord flags: “Just found a fix with hardware acceleration enabled - change the option in the FLAGS menu as others indicated, I changed it to OpenGL and that solved the problem”.

Adaptive sync and monitor settings

Your ARDOR GAMING QUASAR AQW34H3 monitor likely supports adaptive sync technology (FreeSync), which may be one of the key factors causing artifacts.

Issues with adaptive sync:

• Artifacts appear only when adaptive sync is enabled
• Conflicts between different monitor and system settings
• Issues when switching between applications

One user described their issue: “The problem only occurs when adaptive sync is enabled and only on the desktop”. Another noted: “Finally found your comment, figured out that adaptive sync was enabled on the monitor but disabled elsewhere, this caused constant flickering in Spotify, Discord, long alt-tab from games, etc.”

In your case, if the monitor has a high refresh rate (as is typical for 34-inch curved monitors), there may be a conflict between Windows refresh rate settings, monitor settings, and hardware acceleration parameters, leading to the described artifacts.

Practical solutions to the problem

Based on research and user experience, several practical solutions can be proposed:

Immediate actions:

1. Disable adaptive sync in monitor settings and in the NVIDIA control panel
2. Change hardware acceleration settings in Discord:
   • Open Discord settings
   • Go to “Advanced settings”
   • Disable “Hardware acceleration” or try changing launch flags to OpenGL
3. Similar settings for Spotify:
   • In Spotify settings, disable hardware acceleration
   • Restart the application

Advanced settings:

1. Update motherboard BIOS - especially important for new Ryzen 7000 motherboards
2. Try Studio Drivers instead of Game Ready Drivers - they are more stable for work and streaming
3. Check power saving settings in NVIDIA Control Panel:
   • Disable “GPU power management”
   • Set maximum performance

Alternative solutions:

If the problem persists, consider:

• Temporary use of RTX 40 series - as users noted, this solves the problem
• Rolling back drivers to an earlier stable version
• Checking for graphics card defects by testing on other hardware

Troubleshooting recommendations

For your specific hardware and configuration, I recommend the following action plan:

Step 1: Diagnose basic settings

1. Completely disable adaptive sync (G-Sync/FreeSync)
2. Set all monitors to base 1080p resolution and restart the system
3. Disable hardware acceleration in all applications (Discord, Spotify, browsers)
4. Check if artifacts have disappeared

Step 2: Update critical components

1. Update motherboard BIOS - this often resolves compatibility issues with Ryzen 7500F
2. Install Studio Drivers instead of current Game Ready Drivers:
   • More stable for work and multimedia
   • Fewer conflicts with applications
3. Check motherboard updates - especially processor microcode

Step 3: Testing and monitoring

1. Use programs for temperature and load monitoring (MSI Afterburner)
2. Check operation in Windows safe mode
3. Connect the monitor to a different video output (if available)
4. Test operation on another monitor, if possible

Step 4: If the problem persists

1. Try rolling back graphics card drivers to an earlier stable version
2. Contact MSI support regarding known issues with your RTX 5070 model
3. Consider temporarily using a different graphics card for diagnosis

It’s important to note that the problem of old image remaining over new content when moving the cursor is a characteristic symptom of conflicts between new hardware and drivers, especially when combined with hardware acceleration technologies. By following these recommendations, you should find a solution that not only eliminates artifacts but also preserves system performance.

Sources

1. Discord artifacts with hardware acceleration
2. Artifacts only when streaming in Discord
3. GPU acceleration issues in Spotify
4. Adaptive sync issues with RTX 5070
5. Artifacts only on RTX 50 series
6. Solutions for artifacts in Electron applications
7. Micro-stuttering issues with RTX 5070
8. Solution through changing Discord flags
9. Monitor settings and artifacts
10. Studio Drivers for stability

Conclusion

After analyzing your problem and studying the experience of other users with similar hardware, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. Main cause - conflict between RTX 5070, Ryzen 7500F, and hardware acceleration technologies, especially in Electron applications
2. Key factors - adaptive sync, driver settings, and the specific behavior of new GPUs with new software
3. Most effective solutions - disabling adaptive sync, using Studio Drivers, updating BIOS

For your specific case, it’s recommended to start by disabling adaptive sync and changing hardware acceleration settings in Discord and Spotify. If this doesn’t help, be sure to update the BIOS and try Studio Drivers. The problem where old image remains over new content and reacts to cursor movement is a characteristic symptom of exactly these conflicts, and most users were able to resolve it with a combination of these settings.

If the problem persists after all attempts, consider temporarily rolling back drivers or consulting with the hardware manufacturer, as this may indicate a deeper incompatibility between components in your system.