Flickering mountainsides and vanishing vegetation details in "World of Warcraft" can sometimes be caused by lag or a poor connection. But if Azeroth is looking a bit devoid of texture even when your Internet is working fine, this indicates a bigger problem with your computer. Tracking down the cause can help you to fix this distracting problem.
Basic Troubleshooting
- Many graphics-related problems are due to outdated graphics card drivers. Checking your graphics card manufacturer's website for any new driver updates is always the first place to start when encountering graphics trouble. If you are using a PC, make sure that your installation of DirectX is up to date. If you are using a Mac with a third-party graphics card, it is possible that "WoW" is not compatible with its driver software.
Supported Graphics Cards
- Your graphics card is the most likely culprit of any visual issues you are having with "WoW." Some major patches add graphical updates, which some graphics cards can't handle. This means that a graphics card that was fully compatible with "WoW" before a patch may no longer be compatible after a patch. If you have started experiencing texture problems within "WoW," check Blizzard's list of supported graphics cards to make sure that your card supports the most recent version of "WoW."
Game Settings
- Even if your graphics card checks out, your computer may not have what it takes to run "WoW" at full capacity. Turning down the Terrain Detail and Texture Resolution options within the Settings menu can help with texture issues, particularly if you are using a Mac. Mac users can also disable all of the Vertex Shading options. Spend some time playing with the settings to find out what configuration works best for your computer.
Overheating
- While some people like to push their computer's processing power to the limit, overclocking and "WoW" do not mix well together. Overclocking often causes a computer to overheat, which makes "WoW" suffer serious graphical errors. Even if you're not overclocking, make sure that your computer is well-ventilated and has a good cooling system. A broken or inadequate fan setup is a typical cause of overheating, as is the accumulation of dust around your case vents and/or fan.
