Windows keeps flickering games and windows

MatteRB26 · 11 May 2024 at 08:18

Hey, so for the last week or so I've had a really annoying but subtle issue where games and windows will flicker to the desktop or other windows for a split second, like one frame. I've done a bit of googling which came down to potentially being drivers or Windows 11 and have to just wait it out?

Has anyone else had any issues like it? I changed to a 3070 a few weeks ago and it wasn't an issue then, temperatures are fine (I fully repasted and replaced the pads on it), power usage is fine, windows and drivers have both updated over time. Monitor and cable I've had for about 2 years.

It's not enough to cause problems gaming etc as it's literally about one frame of time, but it's enough to be noticeable (am I being subliminally trolled?)

Jamin280672 · 11 May 2024 at 08:51

MatteRB26 said:
Hey, so for the last week or so I've had a really annoying but subtle issue where games and windows will flicker to the desktop or other windows for a split second, like one frame. I've done a bit of googling which came down to potentially being drivers or Windows 11 and have to just wait it out?

Has anyone else had any issues like it? I changed to a 3070 a few weeks ago and it wasn't an issue then, temperatures are fine (I fully repasted and replaced the pads on it), power usage is fine, windows and drivers have both updated over time. Monitor and cable I've had for about 2 years.

It's not enough to cause problems gaming etc as it's literally about one frame of time, but it's enough to be noticeable (am I being subliminally trolled?)

Start with simple things like try another port on the GPU, or monitor if you have one, and try a different cable, is you refresh rate set correctly in windows display settings ?

mickyflinn · 11 May 2024 at 08:53

There watching you. :eek:

MatteRB26 · 11 May 2024 at 09:08

Jamin280672 said:
Start with simple things like try another port on the GPU, or monitor if you have one, and try a different cable, is you refresh rate set correctly in windows display settings ?

I'll need to dig around my cables as ones I had couldn't run 3440x1440 160hz. My second screen (same thing, had the monitor and cable running for years) does the same thing so I don't think it's cable/monitor related.

Looking back, it did start when windows for some reason dropped the refresh from 160. I put it back in windows to 160, and Nvidia CP says 160 as well. One of the first things I checked knowing that people have had issues with refresh rate mismatch.

I do also still have the old 2070 I could try.

mickyflinn said:
There watching you.

I love Meta/NSA/MI5. Best organisations in the world.

Jamin280672 · 11 May 2024 at 09:29

MatteRB26 said:
I'll need to dig around my cables as ones I had couldn't run 3440x1440 160hz. My second screen (same thing, had the monitor and cable running for years) does the same thing so I don't think it's cable/monitor related.

Looking back, it did start when windows for some reason dropped the refresh from 160. I put it back in windows to 160, and Nvidia CP says 160 as well. One of the first things I checked knowing that people have had issues with refresh rate mismatch.

I do also still have the old 2070 I could try.

I love Meta/NSA/MI5. Best organisations in the world.

Only reason I mentioned that is because I brought a new Alienware OLED 34" and had flickering on it too, only ever so slightly, but once I noticed it, it was like one of those annoying bugs that wouldnt go away, I brought a new DP cable from the rainforest, completely un-needed, but top of the range DP 1.4, my GPU is DP 1.4 but the monitor is DP 1.2, I thought maybe the difference in tech was causing the flickering and the fact my cable was 1.2 at the time, it seemed to fix the problem, ive literally got 3 DP 1.2 cables sat in a draw gathering dust now.

MatteRB26 · 11 May 2024 at 09:31

Jamin280672 said:
Only reason I mentioned that is because I brought a new Alienware OLED 34" and had flickering on it too, only ever so slightly, but once I noticed it, it was like one of those annoying bugs that wouldnt go away, I brought a new DP cable from the rainforest, completely un-needed, but top of the range DP 1.4, my GPU is DP 1.4 but the monitor is DP 1.2, I thought maybe the difference in tech was causing the flickering and the fact my cable was 1.2 at the time, it seemed to fix the problem, ive literally got 3 DP 1.2 cables sat in a draw gathering dust now.

I'll take a look at my monitor settings too as I think it can run 1.2 or 1.4, maybe one of the kids messed with the settings somehow

MatteRB26 · 23 May 2024 at 06:33

Jamin280672 said:
Only reason I mentioned that is because I brought a new Alienware OLED 34" and had flickering on it too, only ever so slightly, but once I noticed it, it was like one of those annoying bugs that wouldnt go away, I brought a new DP cable from the rainforest, completely un-needed, but top of the range DP 1.4, my GPU is DP 1.4 but the monitor is DP 1.2, I thought maybe the difference in tech was causing the flickering and the fact my cable was 1.2 at the time, it seemed to fix the problem, ive literally got 3 DP 1.2 cables sat in a draw gathering dust now.

So monitor is running DP 1.4 using the same cable I always have. Last night I swapped from the 3070 to the 2070 (the 3070 is screwed anyway and only useful as a spare) and still getting the odd flicker to desktop.

Gsync is enabled as always, refresh rate is adjusting itself, haven't changed anything in the Nvidia control panel.

It's pretty annoying.

adrichardson81 · 24 May 2024 at 07:22

Have you tried a fresh driver install with DDU? It's also worth checking what Windows updates you installed around the time the problem started.

If set the refresh rate a bit lower, do you still get it?

MatteRB26 · 24 May 2024 at 07:30

adrichardson81 said:
Have you tried a fresh driver install with DDU? It's also worth checking what Windows updates you installed around the time the problem started.

If set the refresh rate a bit lower, do you still get it?

I tend to do a DDU re-install with every GPU switch. I'll have to dig into what updates were installed.

I set refresh to 144 (as 160 on this monitor is technically a factory OC) and it still occurs. I put it back to 160 and it still happens but a *lot* less frequently when running the 2070.

With the 3070 I experienced it very frequently (every few minutes to every few seconds) but the 2070 seems to be once in a blue moon.

adrichardson81 · 24 May 2024 at 07:48

Can you try forcing max performance mode on your gpu?

tonyt3rry · 24 May 2024 at 17:34

other than the cable have you messed with anything like overclocking your monitor?

MatteRB26 · 25 May 2024 at 09:36

tonyt3rry said:
other than the cable have you messed with anything like overclocking your monitor?

Nope, I'm pretty sure it's a factory "OC mode" to 160hz from 144 though. Was on Valheim again last night and didn't get any flickering on the 2070

tonyt3rry · 25 May 2024 at 16:51

MatteRB26 said:
Nope, I'm pretty sure it's a factory "OC mode" to 160hz from 144 though. Was on Valheim again last night and didn't get any flickering on the 2070

thought id ask because ive had it in the past when messing with monitor oc. what about psu?

MatteRB26 · 25 May 2024 at 19:37

tonyt3rry said:
thought id ask because ive had it in the past when messing with monitor oc. what about psu?

PSU is an RM750 a friend grabbed from the MM - think it's the 2019 model? Before they got changed, so _should_ be fine I think

Threepwood · 25 May 2024 at 22:53

MatteRB26 said:
I love Meta/NSA/MI5. Best organisations in the world.

Nice try Neo, but we are on to you, we appreciate your kind words though

pallys · 26 May 2024 at 09:35

Make sure you are using whql approved drivers and try some older versions.
Might be a known issue, have a read of the release notes.

Threepwood · 26 May 2024 at 15:08

MatteRB26 said:
So monitor is running DP 1.4 using the same cable I always have. Last night I swapped from the 3070 to the 2070 (the 3070 is screwed anyway and only useful as a spare) and still getting the odd flicker to desktop.

Gsync is enabled as always, refresh rate is adjusting itself, haven't changed anything in the Nvidia control panel.

It's pretty annoying.

is your tab button stuck down or something simple like that?

tonyt3rry · 26 May 2024 at 15:44

MatteRB26 said:
PSU is an RM750 a friend grabbed from the MM - think it's the 2019 model? Before they got changed, so _should_ be fine I think

i think thats more than what they need i think 650 or 700 is whats needed for them.

MatteRB26 · 26 May 2024 at 19:05

So it seems the 2070 has no issues at all. I'm tempted to write it off as the 3070 is duffed. It's a Colorful 3070 that had atrocious heat issues which I fixed, but I read through game crash logs which were still occuring and found them Nvidia drivers kept crashing with a memory access exception. Haven't had a single crash on the 2070.

Joxeon · 27 May 2024 at 08:18

MatteRB26 said:
So it seems the 2070 has no issues at all. I'm tempted to write it off as the 3070 is duffed. It's a Colorful 3070 that had atrocious heat issues which I fixed, but I read through game crash logs which were still occuring and found them Nvidia drivers kept crashing with a memory access exception. Haven't had a single crash on the 2070.

Do you have access to a different system which you can try the 3070 in?