I found it, thanks for linking it! Yeah, sounds like it could still be a ways off and probably in the 470+ drivers, or later, if it’s another branch. Likely has a lot to do with compatibility code for older hardware that they are going to phase out, like you said. Regardless, it’s definitely causing problems with the MPO(the 460+ drivers flipped the switch “all the way on” for MPO support) system in the DWM and it makes more and more sense that the drivers are bugging out, if they are still dealing with older architectures in them. Kepler can only do DX11.0 and can’t do DX11.1, where a lot of optimization stuff happens when you run a game in 11 or 12. Probably a bunch of hacky compatibility code in the drivers to work around issues like this and it is probably holding back newer cards.
Wouldn’t surprise me to see a bunch of bugs and performance issues go away, across the board with gaming in general, when they phase out the older architectures then!
Did someone say Windows 21H1 update along with the latest drivers fully fixed it for them? Updated to 21H1 myself last night and debating whether to try updated drivers or not. I tried the latest a week or so ago and while it was reduced it was still there after a bit. Usually changing zones would trigger it, but I was still on 20H2 at that point or whatever the Fall 2020 update was named.
GTX 1080 on version 466.63.
Still occuring.
Switching shadows to the lowest setting seemed to work as someone said long ago before in this thread.
Unsure which version to revert back to.
Edit: Found the Blue post for correct version to temporarily switch to.
This is specifically a driver issue… any Nvidia driver 46X.XX will have the flickering issues… all fixes listed are very temporary (usually changing zones or a load screen will break the temp fix, so you have to do the temp fix again).
The only true fix is to NOT use 46X.XX drivers (if that’s an option for you)… using say the 457.51 drivers for example should fix the problem outright. If there’s some reason you’re forced to use 46X.XX drivers (like me who has a RTX 3060, they’re the only drivers that recognize my card), you’re hosed.
Nvidia is aware of the problem and has posted that they will fix this for WoW in the next branch drivers (not next driver release necessarily)… the next branch drivers will be “47X.XX” drivers… anything with 46X.XX will have the flickering problem.
Not the latest, i am on 466.27. The later two drivers were worthless updates and i didn’t want to risk having flickers back :D.
But yes for me 20H1 + 466.27 and maybe perhaps the other shader clean up/etc i did resulted in a 99.9999999999% reduction in flickering. I can’t even reproduce it anymore on the usual spots anymore.
20H1 or the new 21H1? I was asking about 21H1 as there was talk about some changes to the Windows display manager code and thought someone said it fixed the issue for them. I was just trying to double check if I read that right.
Pre 46X.XX drivers: Poor DX12 performance (limited MPO support for the DWM)
Post 46X.XX drivers: Far better DX12 performance (fully enabled MPO support for the DWM)
The catch is that it introduced some visual bugs. It sounds like it will likely be straightened out in the 470 or 480+ series drivers when they phase out some older models of cards.
Until then, either use DX11 or don’t use MSAA with DX12. If you still get the flicker with DX12+CMAA, then try setting shadows to low or something lower.
Well that cans it, I believe this is the longest ongoing issue I’ve seen with a modern PC game in the 22 years I’ve been using NVIDIA graphics cards. December 2020 to present day. Very sad. This occurs on both my GTX 1080 and RTX 3080 systems at 1440p and 2160p respective, only with DirectX12 enabled.
As far as I know, it’s using a modern version of the client, which shares the same DX12 api with retail. Probably the BfA build of the client, which is where they introduced the DX12 stuff.
Just tried the latest drivers after updating to 21H1 the Spring update. Yeah 21H1 definitely has no effect. however it does seem switching off msaa, running cmaa instead, and leaving ray traced shadows off gets rid of the issue for now. Probably going to run like this until the fixed branch comes out then turn msaa and ray traced shadows back on. Turning off ray traced shadows actually got rid of about 70% of it, MSAA (usually at 2x) was the rest of it.
You have something going on then. I noticed maybe a 3-5 fps loss with them on and was still over a 100 fps where I was testing. That’s a 3700X with a 2080 Super at 3440x1440.
