random black screen for a few seconds

[soundhunter]

As the title says, I've been having random black screen. Happens once in a few days and looks like lost signal (screen turns off for a few seconds and then turns back on) but when it happens some apps like photoshop and blender always crash. Everything else works fine and also sound (music, video, etc) doesn't stop during black screens.

It started sometime after I bought a new screen(alienware aw3821dw). But idk how it could be related. Apps don't crash when the signal is lost.
Tried updating windows and gpu drivers

win 10
palit RTX 3090 GamingPro OC

144hz in windows
g-sync is on for fullscreen

 

[EarthDog]

Have you tried updating the driver (what troubleshooting have you done)? That is where I would start. When you say it turns off... does it lose signal?

I have this issue too... sort of. I have an RTX 3080 (Asus Strix), and for some reason, on my main monitor (Acer Predator 144 Hz), when I get up and sit down, it flickers off an on and I can't make heads or tails of it. I swapped cables (Displayport), tried new drivers, a new DP on the card......no changes. That said, I don't have any app crashes or crashes at all... it's just a flicker, not a few second off.

 

[soundhunter]

yes, as I've said before - I've updated gpu driver and bios, also updated windows.
It's random. But it never happened in game yet.
I hope it's not the screen.

I've seen some posts about the flicker. In one case it was solved by disabling audio in nvidia control panel because of the faulty hdmi and lots of cases were solved by replacing dp cable, but you've already tried that...
Also, weird idea, but does it have light sensor? Maybe it tries to auto adjust.

 

[EarthDog]

Oops.. I missed that..apologies.

Yeah, I don't install the audio portion of the NV drivers. Literally driver and PhysX. No GFE, nada. No light sensor on the monitor. It didn't happen before on a 2080 Super (with the same DP cable).

 

[soundhunter]

weird stuff. I had no problems with the previous screen. and the main difference is that the new one has g sync and high refresh rate. But I don't have any problems like flicker, only those black screens.
Have you tried it with 60hz?

 

[EarthDog]

I haven't stepped down yet. It worked fine with the previous GPU. Sounds like we have different issues though. I digress about my issue here.

 

[Sokka93]

I have a similar issue.

The screen turns black for a few seconds and then the signal comes back. I use two screens with DP cables, one at 144hz using DSC and G-Sync (windowed and fullscreen), the other one at 60hz. Both turn black at the same time and I only notice it like once per week. Most Apps continue working, but may have some visual artifacts until I restart them. One App, WinSCP, crashed (at least last time).

I run a 3080 ROG Strix OC at default settings. I already reinstalled the nvidia driver. Haven't found a solution, yet.

 

[soundhunter]

Update:
I've enabled maximum performance in power management mode in nvidia control panel (manage 3d settings tab) and connected 4 pin cable from psu to the motherboard. It's been 4 days and there were no black screens yet.
Also for rtx 3000. There was a known problem with dp-hdmi connection on old firmware, so for those who also have black screens, maybe you should also check that.

 

[Sokka93]

Thanks for the update. Actually just read in the EVGA forum that there is a new hotfix driver (461.51). I guess you can't get it over the GeForce Experience, yet, but it may have solved the problem according to some people.

 

[soundhunter]

Interesting. I don't see it on Palit's page.
Did they write what it does exactly?

 

[Sokka93]

Not sure, if I can post links here, so just search for "GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 461.51". The nvidia.custhelp result gives some details.

The fixes include: [Ampere] Chrome/Edge may experience random TDR while browsing [3195894]

That may have been it. Someone also pointed out in the nvidia geforce forum, that this issue affects any software which uses hardware acceleration, not just Chrome and Edge. So the fix may also apply to such.

 

[soundhunter]

I'll look into it. Thanks for sharing!
And that last part about hardware acceleration, sounds like my case. Still, maybe my gpu had been just underpowered.

 

[EarthDog]

Video cards don't 'brown out' generally. They work or they don't.

 

[soundhunter]

UPD: No problems since then.
In the end I think that the problem was caused by the dying display port-hdmi cable that went to the second screen.
But still it was a good idea to update the gpu bios because there were some problems with the dp-hdmi on the previous versions.