Nasty graphics issue

[Themaxx]

I'm experiencing a graphics issue that appears to be really spastic flashing triangular shapes that are often "originated" from certain shapes on-screen, such as a character's cloak, and stretched way across the screen, blinking and just being very annoying in general. This didn't always happen. I'm not very tech-savvy and I'm not sure what the issue is, though it sounds like a video card, I have no idea how to check for that. Any ideas?

Here are some specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E6850 @ 3.00 GHz (2 CPUs)
2048 MB RAM

Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Approx total mem: 1024 MB

Drivers:
Main: nv4_disp.dll
version: 6.14.0011.7519 (English)
Mini VDD: nv4_mini.sys
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)

[Sajuuk]

Do you have a spare graphics card you can throw in your computer?

Note to self: Get spare PCI-E card!

[spannah]

Most likely a heating issue, or your card is toasted. Try another card like Sajuuk suggest,or even try that card in a diff computer an note what happens (or doesn't)

[Themaxx]

Lol, I am currently more broke than I've ever been before and trying another card isn't an option right now. Do you foresee that as the only possible solution?

[FunkStar]

for starters just try opening your case, and clean out the dust from your gpu ventilator. Might want to use 'Gpu-Z' to monitor the temperatures.

As sais, looks like a heathing issue or a broken card

[Themaxx]

Man, that's strange/sucks. The computer is less than 6 months old I opened it up and inside there's very little dust anywhere - I cleaned anything that was there. I can't imagine this is a result of dual-boxing (especially since I have graphics settings on low), though it happened a few weeks after I started playing two characters. Is it possible to blow a card from the added stress of two instances and the occasional FRAPS?

[Heenan]

Does this happen only when you have 2 or more instances of WoW open? In other words, only open 1 WoW window and see if you get the tearing/popping.

If that happens it's most likely your config.wtf file. Deleting it and letting the game recreate it has fixed many people's problems.

Video artifacts running 2 copies of WoW

[Themaxx]

Video artifacts running 2 copies of WoW[/url]

Yeah, it only happens when two instances are up. I just tried deleting the config file, but it didn't work.

Also, here's some new information: if one of the windows is in windowed mode, and the other is not, I don't get the artifacts. However this is far from ideal for obvious reasons, at least while leveling.

[Themaxx]

Also, I did something, I don't know what, and I am now unable to tab between certain windows when WoW is open, most notably WoW windows.. this is one thing after another.. :whistling:

[Themaxx]

Even newer developments:

Fixed the tabbing issue by rebooting. I just tried having both instances run in windowed mode but with only ONE maximized; if I minimize the un-max'd instance onto the taskbar, the other window is artifact-free; however, if I pull up the non-maximized windowed-mode instance and have it running on top of the maximized instance, that instance will then have the artifacts if it is on top of the other window.

Gibberish-free version:

If a window is on top with a non-minimized (i.e.: NOT minimized onto the taskbar) instance running directly behind it, it get tearing and artifacts.