Question What PC hardware/Software causes screen flickering?

[Noobrisk]

Trying to figure out the culprit to screen flickering. The flickering mostly happens when I' playing a game and have other things running in the background. I don't know what components or software issues causes the flickering. It can get to the point where the monitor completely goes black and the pc freezes.

Extra info: Problem started about 7-9 months ago and since I've change ram(which appeared to fix the problem but only for 3 months), motherboard, and PSU. Also after the PSU change the frequency of the flickering lowered but it's definitly still there.

 

[helpstar]

Did you check the video cable?
Try a different one

try a different monitor/TV

check with a different GPU or your GPU in a different system

 

[Noobrisk]

Did you check the video cable?
Try a different one

try a different monitor/TV

check with a different GPU or your GPU in a different system

I don't have another GPU or system so It's hard to do that one.
I did try different cable and monitor but the problem persist.

 

[natcha12]

what kind of flickering?

on/off
colour flashes
lines on screen

does it actually freeze and stop responding on the exact image you were on, or crash to blue screen?
When it does, is your HDD activity light still flashing?

 

[Noobrisk]

what kind of flickering?

on/off
colour flashes
lines on screen

does it actually freeze and stop responding on the exact image you were on, or crash to blue screen?
When it does, is your HDD activity light still flashing?

what kind of flickering?

on/off
colour flashes
lines on screen

does it actually freeze and stop responding on the exact image you were on, or crash to blue screen?
When it does, is your HDD activity light still flashing?

Color flashes and when it crashes it's sometimes black screen or the exact image I was on.

Edit: Where can I find the HDD activity light?

 

[natcha12]

colour flashes to me point towards cable/monitor on the way out or your video settings. if you updated video drivers it could be compatibility or a bad option, but 7-9 months would probably mean a few newer versions so don't think so. My own gtx card screwed up and I had a pasty yellow screen for a week till i changed some settings to pre-driver update ones. Such a pain.

If you dont see a little light on your pc case that flashes when you're booting up (or whenever the pc on on generally) then you don't have one, but most should have an activity light for when the drive is active.

The reasoning is that if your screen is black and that light is still flickering away, your pc is NOT frozen, IS still working, and the problem is elsewhere eg monitor.

As a cheesy backup to a activity light, it may infact work if you plug known good headphones into the back of your pc, not monitor. Then if your pc freezes while playing a game yet you still hear the game? Busted monitor/cable.

TLDR: Check over your nvidia/AMD card settings and see whether you still get sound DIRECTLY from pc audio plug when "frozen"

 

[Noobrisk]

colour flashes to me point towards cable/monitor on the way out or your video settings. if you updated video drivers it could be compatibility or a bad option, but 7-9 months would probably mean a few newer versions so don't think so. My own gtx card screwed up and I had a pasty yellow screen for a week till i changed some settings to pre-driver update ones. Such a pain.

If you dont see a little light on your pc case that flashes when you're booting up (or whenever the pc on on generally) then you don't have one, but most should have an activity light for when the drive is active.

The reasoning is that if your screen is black and that light is still flickering away, your pc is NOT frozen, IS still working, and the problem is elsewhere eg monitor.

As a cheesy backup to a activity light, it may infact work if you plug known good headphones into the back of your pc, not monitor. Then if your pc freezes while playing a game yet you still hear the game? Busted monitor/cable.

TLDR: Check over your nvidia/AMD card settings and see whether you still get sound DIRECTLY from pc audio plug when "frozen"

When it gets frozen with the black screen I can hear the audio for a bit and then the audio freezes as well, also I always has my headphones plugged onto my pc so If the audio also freezes up does that mean it's a pc problem?

 

[helpstar]

you will have to test your system more detailed if you can´t test the GPU in a different system or a different GPU in yours:

run userbenchmark.com and post the http link of your result, e.g. https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/28977730

check windows integrity
open the command prompt as administrator and type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-open-an-elevated-command-prompt-2618088
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...em-files/bc609315-da1f-4775-812c-695b60477a93

clean boot

How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

Describes how to use the clean boot process to troubleshoot a problem in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista.

support.microsoft.com

check the memory by running memtest.org usb autoinstaller (bootable USB flash drive)

check the hard drives for errors with its manufacturer´s tool

use ddu uninstaller to remove all graphics drivers and reinstall the latest graphics driver

 

[Noobrisk]

you will have to test your system more detailed if you can´t test the GPU in a different system or a different GPU in yours:

run userbenchmark.com and post the http link of your result, e.g. https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/28977730

check windows integrity
open the command prompt as administrator and type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-open-an-elevated-command-prompt-2618088
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...em-files/bc609315-da1f-4775-812c-695b60477a93

clean boot

How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

Describes how to use the clean boot process to troubleshoot a problem in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista.

support.microsoft.com

check the memory by running memtest.org usb autoinstaller (bootable USB flash drive)

check the hard drives for errors with its manufacturer´s tool

use ddu uninstaller to remove all graphics drivers and reinstall the latest graphics driver

Okay I just uninstalled the old graphics drivers and reinstall the latest graphics driver. I will be doing all this tests in the next two days. I will post all the results when I'am done, and thanks for the help.

 

[Noobrisk]

you will have to test your system more detailed if you can´t test the GPU in a different system or a different GPU in yours:

run userbenchmark.com and post the http link of your result, e.g. https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/28977730

check windows integrity
open the command prompt as administrator and type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-open-an-elevated-command-prompt-2618088
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...em-files/bc609315-da1f-4775-812c-695b60477a93

clean boot

How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

Describes how to use the clean boot process to troubleshoot a problem in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista.

support.microsoft.com

check the memory by running memtest.org usb autoinstaller (bootable USB flash drive)

check the hard drives for errors with its manufacturer´s tool

use ddu uninstaller to remove all graphics drivers and reinstall the latest graphics driver

Update: I runned memtest86 and got 2 errors. Here's a picture of the memtest:

https://imgur.com/a/1xJrxj6

View: https://imgur.com/a/1xJrxj6
.
What does this mean? Tonight Im going to test the modules separately, im going to post the results tomorrow.

PS: sorry for taking long been busy with some college stuff.

Edit: If I have a warranty for the ram sticks is there a point to testing them separately? Sorry if it's a dumb question, I'am new to this

 

[helpstar]

Check if the errors come up while only using one stick. Could be a different hardware fault as well, if both sticks are showing the errors.

 

[Noobrisk]

Check if the errors come up while only using one stick. Could be a different hardware fault as well, if both sticks are showing the errors.

okay doing that today.

Edit: Should I test them in the same slot or different?

 

[helpstar]

you can check both slots with each stick

 

[Noobrisk]

Update, took it to a pc repair center and it turns out to be the motherboard thank yall for the help.