I swapped back to my original video card, old drivers and original screen and cables and was still experiencing some of the headaches, although not quite as bad.

I've just been to get my eyes checked - and well, it looks like I need glasses from here on out.

That means I'll have to reserve judgement on the issues I've reported (many/most LED screens, PWM, CCFL vs LED backlights, stresses over certain video cards etc) until I get those dialled in. I do still expect that LED screens are going to be problematic but I'll be intrigued to see what if any issues follow once I'm used to the glasses.

I'll be sure to report back here.

Slacor Based on this thread, I see 1 bad for GTX 1070. JTL, is it presenting any issues to you?

No. Then again I'm using it with a 144hz TN monitor. I upgraded from my previous GTX 560 which was fine with many displays, seems to be the case here. 😃

    a month later

    As a long overdue update:

    I'm definitely still having problems with my Gigabyte Gaming G1 1070 card, irrespective of the driver version. It's causing low level headaches and visual disturbances. Nothing I've tried has resolved it satisfactorily so far. (I'm wearing glasses now, brightness on the monitor is above the PWM threshold etc). For reference I'm very happily using a near identical screen with a Gigabyte 970 card in the PC next to the 1070 PC without any issues.

    Unfortunately I've been unable to find a single instance of anyone else suffering from these hassles anywhere.

    22 days later

    Does anyone else have any experience with the new Nvidia 10 series video cards?

    In my situation I have a screen I know works absolutely fine for me (CCFL, Dell 24", brightness well above PWM levels) and has done so for many many years, that worked (works!) great when attached to an Nvidia 970 card via DVI.

    Now having attached said screen to a 1070 card via DVI connection, I get bad eye strain on the desktop and in 3D games. In fact I only have to have it in my peripheral vision (kids playing) and I start developing the headache sensations.

    As I've remarked above I've been unable to find anyone else who has reported such problems. I've triple checked the connections, brightness settings and have the latest drivers.

    I fear all 10 series cards are doing SOMETHING with the image that's incompatible with me - which is seriously worrying as someone who has had Nvidia cards for years, without any problems on these same screens. Maybe it's a one-off problem or manufacturer specific somehow, but how on earth do I find out? It's not like I can borrow a bunch of these cards.

      AgentX20 That is very odd. I have a EVGA GTX 1070 reference edition that seems fine to look at with several screens.

      But with time if there was a distinct problem with the 10xx cards maybe more people will complain.

        Isn't your issue mostly with PWM though JTL?

        • JTL replied to this.
        • JTL likes this.

          degen Yes

          Just stating what card model I have exactly for reference purposes.

            degen Also how's it going? Haven't seen you on here in a while.

              Plasma (Panasonic ST60) + GTX 970 was my ticket out of the hell I was living. When I got it right I found I could use a PC for hours again. So I started engaging with the world again, and I've hardly stopped to look back, except now. I'm feeling more than a little vulnerable being reliant upon a technology which is no longer in production (plasma, of course) and the possibility (however small) that current or future Nvidia products won't deliver the same kind of results for me. LIterally I want to stockpile old plasma's and 970s.

              • JTL replied to this.

                degen I have tried Plasma TV's before (some circa 2007-2010 Panasonics) but the flicker seems to bother me. I know @jasonpicard has some Samsung Plasma TV's so I wonder if those flicker too.

                  5 days later

                  JTL, it's entirely likely that all Plasmas bother you. All plasmas are a little flickery. It turns out that this type of flickering isn't really something that bothers me (it's similar to an old tube tv, after all) nor is the field-dithering (dancing rows of pixels) something that bothers me. BUT I would imagine that many others are bothered by it, in the same way that I'm bothered by FRC/Temporal.

                  Good luck!

                  • JTL replied to this.
                  • KM likes this.

                    Yes, I believe plasmas use temporal dithering to display different colors. I saw them flicker especially when the screen was white. Looked like 50/60 Hz. In any case, pretty low frequency. There's a strong contrast between the different frames (maybe pure black).

                    KM - Plasmas absolutely use temporal dithering but it's a radically different kind which has never bothered me. Modern LCD's use per-pixel temporal dithering, in which each individual pixel is strobed between for example red and blue to make purple (a vast oversimplification). On the plasma, they have entire fields with moving rows of pixels. You'll get two adjacent pixels that will change color inside a subfield. Get close to one displaying different grayscales and you can see the rows of marching pixels almost like a very tiny boardwalk marquee. It happens - in spite of the plasma refresh rate being around 800hz - at about 50-60hz. It was designed that way to maintain compatibility with tube tv's and was never changed. I suspect it's yet another "prevent burn in on the plasma chambers" feature.

                    I find it acceptable. Perhaps not as acceptable as a good soft CCFL backlight, but acceptable nonetheless. I know others absolutely don't.

                    I <3 plasma

                    I make sure to turn off "Pixel Orbiting" and that reduces the flicker somewhat. It's not perfect, but it's the closest I've come to looking at paper.

                    Makes me wonder how I would react to CRT. My problems started after CRT's were on the way out, and I never thought to check.

                    BTW I hooked just hooked my 2nd Gen Apple TV to my Panasonic plasma. Eye pain within a couple of minutes. Back to the PC.

                    • JTL replied to this.

                      I'm absolutely fine with Plasma TVs. Many LED screens are no go.

                      Monitor wise - old CFL backlights are A-OK and some LED screens (e.g. late 2013 MBPro). Others, including flicker-free low blue IPS screens are no good, and I've tried a VA panel with no success.

                      And per my comments above - my new 1070 card on an old CFL screen is an absolute NO GO for me. My older 970 and all previous video cards have been A-OK. Even having the 1070 on an OK screen showing the desktop in my peripheral vision is headache inducing.

                      So no I fear not being able to buy a new TV, monitor OR video card... not a fun prospect. And yes I've had my eyes check and now wear glasses but the problems persist.

                        AgentX20 You aren't alone. Some bad screens are vaguely tolerable, and others kill me if they are even in my peripheral vision. I thought I was crazy for a long time.

                            Gurm What's unusual here though is that after nigh on 10 years of use I KNOW the screen is OK. This is all about the video card causing such disturbance.

                            • Gurm replied to this.

                                AgentX20 There are multiple issues at play with new cards, it's really sad. I have a laptop that when I update to the latest Intel drivers the screen becomes INSTANTLY painful to me. But drop back to the drivers from last fall? It's flawless. There's bullshit happening.

                                    dev