MP 7,1 W6800X glitches in Shadow of the Tomb Raider - GPU broken?

[Canubis]

When playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider on my Mac Pro 2019 with AMD Radeon PRO W6800X (original MPX module from Apple), there are some weird flickering graphics glitches in specific areas of Paititi like the waterfall (below the temple) or when tree shadows fall onto bodies of water.
It's worth to note that this happens no matter what graphics settings I use. Literally tried everything from lowest to highest and also turning on/off all individual settings.

Aware this is a very specific setup/issue, just wondering if anyone else here with the same card (or similar card from same generation) experiences the same issues?

When playing the same areas of the game with my MacBook Pro + eGPU (with an AMD 5700X) there are no such issues.
I am already in touch with Feral Interactive and while they looked into the issue, they couldn't provide a solution yet. They tried a few things but ultimately suggested it is a driver issue caused by Apple.
However they don't have the exact same card to run tests on their end. So I wonder if there is a chance my W6800X has some kind of hardware fault and I should get in touch with Apple Care?

Hence it would be really helpful if anyone with the same (or similar) card could confirm how the game, and in particular the Paititi map looks on their end. Thanks in advance!

 

[TzunamiOSX]

First I would do is to install Monterey or Sonoma and test SotT there. If there are glitches too, the GPU is faulty. If there are no glitches, it looks like a driver problem.

 

[Canubis]

First I would do is to install Monterey or Sonoma and test SotT there. If there are glitches too, the GPU is faulty. If there are no glitches, it looks like a driver problem.

Thanks for your reply.
The above video was recorded with Venutura. I‘ve upgraded to Sonoma meanwhile, issues remain.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

Thanks for your reply.
The above video was recorded with Venutura. I‘ve upgraded to Sonoma meanwhile, issues remain.

Then it is possible that a shader unit of the GPU is faulty.

 

[prefuse07]

OP -- do you have Windows on your machine?

I would test the game (with same settings) in Windows to determine if it's your W6800.

BTW -- I am using an RX-6800XT, and it runs absolutely fine on max settings (in Windows) on my machine. Currently playing through, and I just got to the oil fields.

 

[Canubis]

Forgot to mention I checked the same locations on the same machine in Windows 10 with the Windows version of the game (from Steam) and it works fine without these glitches.

 

[Canubis]

OP -- do you have Windows on your machine?

I would test the game (with same settings) in Windows to determine if it's your W6800.

BTW -- I am using an RX-6800XT, and it runs absolutely fine on max settings (in Windows) on my machine. Currently playing through, and I just got to the oil fields.

Do you play the Steam version? I know it’s a big favor to ask, but could you install the game on macOS and check Paititi there? Even though its not exactly the same card, if you also encounter the same issues in macOS I could be relieved that at least my GPU isn’t defective.

Either way, enjoy the game - Shadow is really great, it’s my favorite in the survivor trilogy (I am on my third play through 😅).

 

[TzunamiOSX]

Forgot to mention I checked the same locations on the same machine in Windows 10 with the Windows version of the game (from Steam) and it works fine without these glitches.

I don't know what tool it was, but there is a tool that make a stress test and check for artifacts

Edit: i think it was MSI Kombustor

 

[h9826790]

In macOS, stress test can be done with Furmark (inside the GPUTest kit). This is the most stressful test so far I've even ran on cMP in macOS.

However, Furmark only use OpenGL, if the bug is from the MetalAPI, then it won't able to trigger the bug. But if assuming it's hardware issue, then it should be stressful enough to trigger it. The best way to run it is to set native resolution, full screen, no AA.

In Windows, then yes Kombustor, Furmark, OCCT, etc all of these tools can run stress test. But for DirectX12, I think the best tool is 3DMark. All above mentioned tools are using the outdated API.

 

[Dt990]

Forgot to mention I checked the same locations on the same machine in Windows 10 with the Windows version of the game (from Steam) and it works fine without these glitches.

Unlikely that your GPU is going bad as I'd expect this to be a reoccuring problem in other games with erratic behavior. I can't remember if macOS has verify game integrity like windows does for Steam, but you may try re-installing and if you own different ones (2013 Tomb Raider, Shadow, Rise etc) trying those to see if it's just the one game.

 

[mattspace]

When playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider on my Mac Pro 2019 with AMD Radeon PRO W6800X (original MPX module from Apple), there are some weird flickering graphics glitches in specific areas of Paititi like the waterfall (below the temple) or when tree shadows fall onto bodies of water.

Aware this is a very specific setup/issue, just wondering if anyone else here with the same card (or similar card from same generation) experiences the same issues?

honestly that just looks like a garden variety game bug. You seem them in indy, and even AA/AAA titles on Xbox all the time.

 

[Canubis]

Unlikely that your GPU is going bad as I'd expect this to be a reoccuring problem in other games with erratic behavior. I can't remember if macOS has verify game integrity like windows does for Steam, but you may try re-installing and if you own different ones (2013 Tomb Raider, Shadow, Rise etc) trying those to see if it's just the one game.

Didn’t notice issues like this in 2013 or Rise, so far it seems exclusive to Shadow.
Meanwhile I found few more locations in Shadow with similar issues when played with this card on macOS . Though these issues are not there when played with another card.
I also tried verifying game data and reinstalling the game before. I guess the game data seems alright, either it’s really the macOS drivers for this specific card or the card itself.

 

[Canubis]

honestly that just looks like a garden variety game bug. You seem them in indy, and even AA/AAA titles on Xbox all the time.

The flickering is pretty annoying and actually makes me feel really uncomfortable while playing and esp. near the waterfall with missing textures it looks bad.
Funnily these issues do not occur with the older 5700 just with the newer W6800.

 

[mattspace]

The flickering is pretty annoying and actually makes me feel really uncomfortable while playing and esp. near the waterfall with missing textures it looks bad.
Funnily these issues do not occur with the older 5700 just with the newer W6800.

Yeah, a glitch with graphics on different GPUs could be something like a LOD (Level Of Detail) asset missing / corrupted etc. It looks like the problem is applying a cast shadow over a transparent surface, and possibly the two transparencies are cancelling each other out. I'll have a big studio gamedev who works in Unreal here this afternoon, I'll show them your video and see what they would look at at a potential cause.

But I could look at a big title like WWZ on Xbox Series X, and there's all sorts of tiling transparency glitches, or Generation Zero where some ground textures aren't anchored, so as you move over them, they move under you in the opposite direction at a different pace to the rest of the world.

Glitches happen, and are unlikely to be hardware, and might even not be in both the Windows and Mac versions. you ciuld always try uninstalling your copy, and reinstalling it to see if that clears the problem.

 

[Dt990]

The flickering is pretty annoying and actually makes me feel really uncomfortable while playing and esp. near the waterfall with missing textures it looks bad.
Funnily these issues do not occur with the older 5700 just with the newer W6800.

I can fire it up on my 6900 XT but I don't expect I'll see the issue.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

In macOS, stress test can be done with Furmark (inside the GPUTest kit). This is the most stressful test so far I've even ran on cMP in macOS.

However, Furmark only use OpenGL, if the bug is from the MetalAPI, then it won't able to trigger the bug. But if assuming it's hardware issue, then it should be stressful enough to trigger it. The best way to run it is to set native resolution, full screen, no AA.

In Windows, then yes Kombustor, Furmark, OCCT, etc all of these tools can run stress test. But for DirectX12, I think the best tool is 3DMark. All above mentioned tools are using the outdated API.

Kombustor has an artifact scanner, run it for a while and see.

 

[prefuse07]

This is why I do all of my gaming in Windows (on my 7,1). Despite what the clowns at apple say -- macOS is NOT optimized for gaming, and it's their fault.

 

[giv-as-a-ciggy-kent]

Forgot to mention I checked the same locations on the same machine in Windows 10 with the Windows version of the game (from Steam) and it works fine without these glitches.

Some kind of driver issue (does OSX use drivers?). Does not look like the type of artifacting you'd get with bad VRAM. Fact that you don't get it in windows shows your card is OK.

6800 is RDNA 2 and is a bit different than RDNA 1 so it's possible the game is just buggy. Maybe wait for an update.

 

[Canubis]

I can fire it up on my 6900 XT but I don't expect I'll see the issue.

Would be very curious if it happens on your 6900 XT - since it's from the same family as my W6800 as I understand. Assuming likely macOS uses the same/similar driver(?)
Thanks in advance!

 

[mattspace]

Word from the game artist looking at it was that it looks like a transparency glitch, possibly an issue with materials on specific pieces of geometry if you look at one point it’s happening with a straight edge, so thats the edge of a tile of the geometry.

Something to bear in mind, in all likelihood the developers / porting studio didn’t have A mac Pro, let alone one with a W6800X.

 

[Canubis]

Word from the game artist looking at it was that it looks like a transparency glitch, possibly an issue with materials on specific pieces of geometry if you look at one point it’s happening with a straight edge, so thats the edge of a tile of the geometry.

Something to bear in mind, in all likelihood the developers / porting studio didn’t have A mac Pro, let alone one with a W6800X.

Thanks a lot for sharing these insights. Very interesting!
I am actually in touch with Feral Interactive who were doing the Mac port of the game and they confirmed they don’t have that exact card to test. The game was already released for macOS quite some time before the W6800 came out and I remember Feral were already super helpful and fixed another issue for the 5700 which I raised to them (smoke and fire effects looked awful on that card) back in I believe 2021.
They tried a few things which they hoped could solve the issue with the W6800, but without success, hinting it’s likely something with drivers on Apples side.
I guess there is limited chance for Apple to improve and fix issues with their drivers for AMD much with the direction they’re taking with their own chips.
As long as my GPU isn’t defective - this is basically what I’d like to rule out - I will have to live with it and perhaps just focus my further gaming activities on the Windows version(s).

 

[h9826790]

As long as my GPU isn’t defective - this is basically what I’d like to rule out - I will have to live with it and perhaps just focus my further gaming activities on the Windows version(s).

If that's hardware issue, then it should happen quite randomly at different scene.

If always happen on that waterfall scene. Then it should be software issue. May be API, may be driver, may be the game.

But if 5700 has no such issue on the same computer. Then shouldn't be API or the game. Most likely is the driver issue.

 

[prefuse07]

As long as my GPU isn’t defective - this is basically what I’d like to rule out - I will have to live with it and perhaps just focus my further gaming activities on the Windows version(s).

Yeah, while I am highly confident that the issue is not your W6800 (given everything runs smooth in Windws) -- you should definitely still run the benchmark stress tests suggested by Martin and @TzunamiOSX in macOS, just to be sure.