Why is my monitor flickering – possible causes and how to fix
Put rest to annoying screen flicker with these simple tips
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If your monitor is flickering and you’re looking for ways to fix it, then you have come to the right page – our experts have possible causes and fixes compiled here for you.
One of the most annoying display problems you can run into nowadays is monitor flicker, so you may be asking yourself, why is my monitor flickering? While it often occurs when a monitor becomes aged or worn, that isn’t always the case. Newer LCD and LED panels can also fall victim to this irritating screen artifact – reducing immersion and general picture quality exponentially. You’re going to be shown how to fix monitor flickering in this easy-to-follow guide.
As monitor flickering comes in many shapes and forms, diagnosing it can be a little tricky. Fortunately, we have a ton of experience when it comes to display problems and are here to outline the most common causes of monitor flicker. It’s not as simple as cleaning your monitor, and there could be a number of reasons why your display is flickering.
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What is monitor flickering?
All monitors flicker, regardless of whether you can see it or not. The image you’re viewing gets drawn, erased, and redrawn faster than the human eye can perceive. This is referred to as a monitor’s refresh rate. Monitor refresh rates have increased a lot over the past ten years, with the best high refresh rate monitors now reaching over 360Hz. The monitor’s refresh rate has a direct impact on the smoothness of your visual experience, with higher refresh rates often chosen by top esports professionals.
Unfortunately, while refresh rates are designed for visual smoothness, problems relating to this specification can disrupt that altogether. You may have a loose cable or a worn power adapter, or someone has changed your Windows settings, resulting in an annoying flicker that is visible to the human eye. With that in mind, we’ll be going over some of the most common causes of monitor flicker below – starting with the most common and finishing with the most obscure.
Why does a monitor flicker?
There are a number of different reasons why your monitor might be flickering or blinking – most of which are easy to fix.
Here are a few of them –
- Loose or broken cables
- Malfunctioning display adapters
- A damaged power adapter or cord
- Wrong display settings
- GPU drivers not updated
How to stop your monitor flickering
Step
Check the display cable
One of the main causes for monitor flicker is a dying HDMI or DisplayPort cable. Even older VGA and DVI cables can result in this annoying problem, so it’s always worth ensuring that the cable is not only secured properly but that it isn’t faulty in any way. Start by using the cable with another device or using a new cable for your monitor altogether.
You’ll be surprised at just how often this is the cause of the problem.
Step
Check the power cable
Like the video cable, a faulty power cable can also be one of the main reasons your monitor is displaying an annoying flicker. Simply check both ends of the power cable to ensure that it isn’t worn, torn, or in any way damaged. While rare, this has been known to cause monitor flicker in the past and should be one of the first things you check.
If your monitor uses a generic kettle plug, simply swap it out or try it with another device to ensure that isn’t the problem.
Step
Check display settings
Another common cause for monitor flicker is a change in your display settings. Making small changes to your display settings can lead to some annoying artifacts – one of which is monitor flicker.
Simply head over to your NVIDIA control panel (or AMD Software: Adrenaline Edition if you’re an AMD user) and make sure none of the settings have changed. The most important menu to concern yourself with here is the “Change Resolution” tab which allows you to alter screen resolution and refresh rate.
Make sure your refresh rate is set to its maximum value for the smoothest experience. A lower refresh rate could lead to some awkward visual artifacts.
Additionally, you can also head over to the Windows Display Settings (right-click the desktop and select from drop-down menu) and make sure no settings have been changed there either.
Step
Ensure all graphics drivers are up to date
Another increasingly popular cause of monitor flicker is an outdated graphics card. Yep, that’s right, keeping your GPU bang up to date is actually pretty important – especially if you want to reap the rewards of the latest upgrades.
Luckily, updating your GPU drivers is pretty straightforward – especially with both AMD and NVIDIA building updates into their software suites.
Simply load up the relevant software application and use the “update driver” wizard to complete the process.
Step
Check if the monitor is faulty
Lastly, if everything else seems to be working perfectly fine, try testing the monitor itself. This may only be an issue for aging panels, but not always. Even newer monitors can fall victim to bugs or faults which can lead to image flicker.
You can easily check whether the monitor is at fault by simply trying a new display input (HDMI. DisplayPort, DVI, VGA) and seeing if the issue occurs.
You can always try lending someone else’s monitor and using it with your current setup. This will also tell you quickly whether or not your monitor is the issue.
Monitor flickering: Video walk-through
To get a better understanding of what a monitor flicker looks like and ways to fix it, you can check out the video below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my monitor flickering?
There are a number of different reasons why your monitor might be flickering or blinking – most of which are easy to fix. The main cause for monitor flickering is a loose or broken cable. Simply checking that your video card, display adapters, or monitor cables are functioning correctly can often resolve the monitor flickering issue you may be experiencing. The same goes for the power cord, try out some different cables!
If those solutions fail, then another option could be tinkering with your display settings or making sure your graphics drivers/display drivers are up to date on your PC. These make up the main causes of why your monitor is flickering. Be sure to read through our 5-step guide above for further details.
Can you stop monitor flicker?
Yes, it is possible to stop monitor flicker, depending on the exact problem. There are a few reasons why you may be experiencing monitor flicker, and as long as the display itself isn’t faulty, there should be a fix available.
Be sure to walk through the steps on this page to resolve the issue.
Why does my monitor flicker at 144Hz?
If you’ve got a higher refresh rate monitor, such as 144Hz or above, you should have a smoother experience. However, flickering can still occur – just the same as any monitor, regardless of refresh rate or screen resolution.
We suggest you ensure your display settings are using the highest possible refresh rate, and any VRR technology is toggled on. Feel free to walk through the steps on this page for further solutions.
Final word
So, there you have it, our quick guide on the main reasons why your monitor is flickering. Hopefully, this guide has brought you back to visual perfection! Ultimately, every monitor flickers, it’s what they do to continuously update the images you see on screen. In fact, the more your monitor flickers, the better!
That being said, we’re not referencing the general refresh rates of a monitor here – we’re talking about an annoying flickering screen that is physically visible when watching movies, playing games, or browsing the web. Surely the cause of some headaches. Luckily, following the simple steps above should resolve the issue of monitor flicker, bringing you back to visual immersion.
