[SOLVED] External display on laptop, display stuttering

[Ryan28]

Stuttering with new monitor, resolves with reboot or launching a game in full screen mode

I've been having a problem with my AW3420DW (3440x1440, 120hz, G-Sync) monitor. I have it connected via a USB-C to DisplayPort cable from my laptop (which doesn't have a normal DP port). My laptop has an NVIDIA 2070 Max-Q GPU and i7-9750H CPU. I am running Windows 10 Home 20H2. BIOS version GU502GW.309.

Often, even when just on the desktop without any serious programs running, I'll start getting very consistent stuttering. It sort of looks like it's rendering 3 frames, dropping 3 frames, rendering 3 frames, dropping 3 frames, etc. According to task manager, there is virtually no load on the GPU or CPU while this is happening.

If I reboot the laptop, it completely resolves the issue.

If I start a game (I've tried both CS:GO and Civilization IV) in true full screen mode (not full-screen windowed), that also resolves the issue (even after I close the game). Other than launching a game or rebooting, I haven't found another way to fix it.

When I put the laptop to sleep, then about 50% of the time, when I wake it up, it will have this problem, and I'll have to either reboot it or launch CS:GO.

Here are some other things I noticed:

1. Changing the refresh rate in Windows settings doesn't seem to help.
2. Disabling G-Sync in NVIDIA settings doesn't seem to help.
3. Turning the monitor off and on doesn't seem to help.
4. Sometimes (but much less often than the stutter problem), the refresh rate will change to 60Hz and that will be the highest option in the Windows settings. After I reboot, the 120Hz option comes back.
5. This stuttering doesn't seem to happen if I use HDMI.
6. I didn't have this problem with my old monitor (but it was just 1080p 60Hz)
7. This problem has been occurring since the day I had the new monitor.

Drivers are up to date as far as I know. I reinstalled recently from Dell's website. I installed the "ALIENWARE_AW3420DW-MONITOR_A00-00_DRVR_FHJ66.exe" driver there and confirmed the success message: "The driver was successfully installed."

This is the cable I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075V27G2R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

(I suspect the problem is in the drivers or OS rather than the monitor, so please let me know if this is the wrong place)

(Updated to answer questions below)

 

[Lutfij]

I am running Windows 10 .
We're currently on version 20H2 for Windows 10, which version are you on at the time of writing?

Can you check and see what BIOS version you're on for your laptop? Make and model of your laptop(and perhaps it's SKU)? Download the latest drivers from Nvidia's support site. Then use DDU to uninstall all traces of your GPU drivers. When reinstalling the GPU's drivers, install them in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator.

Also include a link to the adapter you're using. Is the issue with CS:GO alone?

 

[Ryan28]

I am running Windows 10 .
We're currently on version 20H2 for Windows 10, which version are you on at the time of writing?

Can you check and see what BIOS version you're on for your laptop? Make and model of your laptop(and perhaps it's SKU)? Download the latest drivers from Nvidia's support site. Then use DDU to uninstall all traces of your GPU drivers. When reinstalling the GPU's drivers, install them in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator.

Also include a link to the adapter you're using. Is the issue with CS:GO alone?

Thanks for your reply.

I am on Windows 10 Home 20H2

I have BIOS version GU502GW.309, which is the current version on ASUS's support site (I forgot to mention, but I updated it recently, and that didn't make a difference)

This is the cable I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075V27G2R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

CS:GO is the only game I've tested with this, but next time it happens I'll check if launching any other game also fixes it.

 

[Ryan28]

I tried another game (Civilization IV) and that also fixes it.