Likely fix
Fix: Monitor flickers or goes black
Monitor flickering is usually caused by a loose cable, bad cable, unsupported refresh rate, graphics driver issue, power problem, or adapter limitation.
Quick answer
Reconnect the cable, try another cable, lower the refresh rate, and update graphics drivers.
Important warning
Flickering at high refresh rates can be caused by a cable or adapter that cannot handle the bandwidth.
Try this
- 1 Unplug and reconnect the video cable at both ends.
- 2 Try another cable.
- 3 Try another port on the monitor or computer.
- 4 Lower the refresh rate in display settings.
- 5 Lower the resolution temporarily.
- 6 Update graphics drivers.
- 7 If using an adapter or dock, test without it if possible.
Common causes
Loose cable.
Damaged or low-quality cable.
Refresh rate too high.
Adapter bandwidth limit.
Graphics driver issue.
Monitor power problem.
What to check next
- Check whether flickering stops with another cable.
- Check whether lowering refresh rate fixes it.
- Check whether it happens only through an adapter.
- Check whether another monitor flickers on the same computer.
- Check whether the monitor power cable is loose.
This might need a cable or adapter
If this fix points to a cable issue, check the related cable guide before buying the wrong one.
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