Everything is white and shiny in DX9

[Kane]

When I run the game normally, it detects DX9 in both hardware in software (in video-advanced). In the game, everything is washed in white and shines and the faces look like they're made of chrome.
When I run it with -dxlevel 81, it looks and runs fine (it says 8.1 in hardware and 9 in software in the options).

I have a GF6600, 2800+ XP, VIA KT333A, 768mb DDR400.

How much detail am I losing by running at 8.1 instead of 9?

 

[Beerdude26]

Your computer doesn't seem to be the problem...
Have you updated your drivers?
Also, do you see checkered surfaces?

EDIT : Here is a CS:S solution for a problem that sounds like yours.
Link here

 

[Kane]

No, my surfaces are fine. I have the 77.77 nVidia drivers, the latest bios for my board...
I have the CD version (which I bought on the day of release ).
I already played the game once with a GF2, but I upgraded my hardware and want to play it again with all the details all the way up and on hard difficulty.

I tried reinstalling everything too, by the way...

 

[Beerdude26]

Alright, check my edited post above.

 

[Kane]

Thanks, but I already saw this and tried it earlier. Didn't work...