Question Monitor started flickering at low fps(vg27aql3a)

[JCarax]

Hey,
Couple of days ago I was playing warframe and when the fps drops significantly(during the equipment/arsenal menu transitions) I realized the monitor was flickering(like a flash going off repeatedly). I starting seeing the same thing in Diablo 4(during load screen or when I open the map), momentary fps dips cause screen flickering.

Both games I have vsync turned on in nvidia settings to activate gsync. I'm assuming this is a gsync issue?
I have used this setup for almost 7-8 months now and never had this problem.

edit : I also forgot to mention that I'm using a dual monitor setup. Main monitor is vg27aql3a 2560x1440 180hz. Other monitor is asus vg248 1980x1020 144hz.

edit 2 :
System specs :
MSI B560 TOMAHAWK WIFI I5-11600K
Corsair Vengeance Led 4x8(3000mhz) DDR4
MSI VENTUS 2x 12GB OC 4070
Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB / Samsung 850 evo 500 GB SSD /
Toshiba-TR150 240 GB
SSD Corsair RM750x 80 plus Gold PSU

 

[Ralston18]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

PSU: Make, model, wattage, age, condition (orginal to build, new, refurbished, used).

Disk drive(s): make, model, capacity, how full?

 

[JCarax]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

PSU: Make, model, wattage, age, condition (orginal to build, new, refurbished, used).

Disk drive(s): make, model, capacity, how full?

Windows 10 pro 64bit (up to date)

The rest are in my signature.

PSU(750watts) is 7 years old.
Disk drivers 970 evo plus 500gb is my main(os and some games installed) and it has 39gb left.
Samsung 850 is my secondary gaming ssd and has 26.6gb left.

edit : BTW I disabled vsync on nvidia control panel and it didn't change anything. Flickering still happens. But it's tied to stutter.

 

[Ralston18]

Recommend that you copy and paste the signature specs into your original post.

Ensure that the specs are up-to-date and otherwise correct. [ Not everyone , including myself, enables signatures.]

That said, a 7 year old PSU would be my first suspect. All the more so if it is the original PSU and with a history of heavy gaming use.

PSU may be at or nearing its' built in EOL (End of Life).

As for the disk drives - my rule of thumb is that used drive space be limited to 70 or 80% of drive capacity,

You may be able to get some sense of what is happening by observing system performance via Task Manager and Resource Monitor.

Use both tools but only one tool at a time. You will need to leave the tool window open and viewable to watch what changes when the flickering and stuttering occur.

 

[JCarax]

Recommend that you copy and paste the signature specs into your original post.

Ensure that the specs are up-to-date and otherwise correct. [ Not everyone , including myself, enables signatures.]

That said, a 7 year old PSU would be my first suspect. All the more so if it is the original PSU and with a history of heavy gaming use.

PSU may be at or nearing its' built in EOL (End of Life).

As for the disk drives - my rule of thumb is that used drive space be limited to 70 or 80% of drive capacity,

You may be able to get some sense of what is happening by observing system performance via Task Manager and Resource Monitor.

Use both tools but only one tool at a time. You will need to leave the tool window open and viewable to watch what changes when the flickering and stuttering occur.

MSI B560 TOMAHAWK WIFI I5-11600K
Corsair Vengeance Led 4x8(3000mhz) DDR4
MSI VENTUS 2x 12GB OC 4070
Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB / Samsung 850 evo 500 GB SSD /
Toshiba-TR150 240 GB
SSD Corsair RM750x 80 plus Gold PSU

There is my sig.

Things I've tried so far, disabling 2nd monitor, changing their mini display port cables(to rule out a faulty cable). The issue still persists.
I've tried playing cyberpunk, flicker is almost always active and more visible since it runs at a lower fps.
Diablo and Warframe run around 140-120 fps and the flicker becomes visible only when their fps dip, but in cyberpunk game runs around 50-80 fps so it seems to be active at all times. So mayb the flicker is always happening but it is very hard to notice at high refresh rates.

Not sure about the storage. But I'll free up some space and try again.
Can it have something to do with the monitor ? Screen flickering seems like it is a monitor issue but again I'll try different things and isolate it.

PSU is a hardone because I don't have a spare PSU. I'd have to buy a new one and install it.

 

[Ralston18]

Continue to work on methodically trying to isolate components and identify the culprit.

Some monitors have their own drivers - check the applicable manufacturer's website and, if applicable and available, update the driver,

Do so so directly and manually: no third party installers and tools.

As for the PSU you can do some testing on your own,

FYI:

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-manually-test-a-power-supply-with-a-multimeter-2626158

Requires that you or someone you know has a multimeter and knows how to use it.

Not a full test as the PSU is not underload. However, any voltages out of tolerance make the PSU very suspect.

= = = =

Also FYI:

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-psus,4229.html

Not with the suggestion to immediately go out and purchase a new PSU.

Just to simply provide some sense of what needs to be considered and to make use of the calculators to size a new PSU if need be.

A quality PSU with the necessary wattage or greater is a "must" requirement. And will cost more.

= = = =

Ensure that all important data is backed up at least 2 x to locations away from the build in question. Verify that the backups are recoverable and readable.

A faulty PSU (or other issue - just to be fair) may cause some failure and corresponding data loss.

Be prepared.