Blinking screen

My screen is blinking. It turns off for a second or two at random times. It doesn’t happen when there’s mouse or keyboard activity, and it doesn’t lock. Is it time to get a new monitor, or is something else possibly causing this?

Please start by sharing your graphics hardware and environment details…

inxi -GSaz

Sorry, here:

~> inxi -GSaz
System:
  Kernel: 6.4.0-150600.23.81-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 7.5.0 parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.4.0-150600.23.81-default
    root=UUID=f65e3d61-2dc7-459e-9417-91da2a84454e splash=silent
    resume=/dev/disk/by-uuid/7fa04449-63e3-45d5-b3ab-37b4ee623869
    preempt=full mitigations=auto quiet security=apparmor
  Desktop: GNOME v: 45.3 tk: GTK v: 3.24.43 wm: gnome-shell dm: GDM
    v: 45.0.1 Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.6
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CometLake-S GT2 [UHD Graphics 630]
    vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5
    process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: HDMI-A-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-2,HDMI-A-3 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:9bc8
    class-ID: 0300
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.11 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.1
    compositor: gnome-shell driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
    alternate: intel dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 model: HP 27xw serial: <filter> built: 2018
    res: 1920x1080 dpi: 82 gamma: 1.2 size: 598x336mm (23.54x13.23")
    diag: 686mm (27") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.3.4 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CML
    GT2) direct-render: Yes

Mod edit: Preformatted text for commands and output.

Does the blinking happen if you move the HDMI cable to a different port, or try another cable?

I’ll try that. Thanks for the suggestion.

It might be worth trying various kernel command line parameters, testing each in turn by appending them to the linu line after striking the E key at your Grub menu:[list]

i915.enable_guc=1
i915.enable_guc=2
i915.enable_guc=3

If this is a laptop, try adding also i915.enable_psr=0 either alone or along with one of the gucs.

If any produce improvement, permanent inclusion can be done by appending in /etc/default/grub's GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT= line and then regenerating /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, either manually with grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, or letting it happen automatically when next kernel is installed.

I experience the same behaviour, only on Monitor-1. I have 2 ports on my graphic card, one is HDMI and the other VGA. Only VGA blinks.

inxi -GSaz
System:
  Kernel: 6.18.4-1-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.2.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.18.4-1-default
    root=UUID=ce70a4cb-918a-4971-a283-3500612754a9 splash=silent
    mitigations=auto quiet security=selinux selinux=1 enforcing=1
  Desktop: GNOME v: 49.2 tk: GTK v: 3.24.51 wm: gnome-shell
    tools: gsd-screensaver-proxy avail: xscreensaver dm: GDM v: 49.2
    Distro: openSUSE Tumbleweed 20260109
Graphics:
  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450
    / R5 230 OEM] vendor: PC Partner / Sapphire driver: radeon v: kernel
    alternate: amdgpu arch: TeraScale-2 code: Evergreen process: TSMC 32-40nm
    built: 2009-15 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16 ports:
    active: DVI-D-1,HDMI-A-1 empty: VGA-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:6779
    class-ID: 0300 temp: 57.0 C
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.21 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
    compositor: gnome-shell driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: vesa
    alternate: fbdev dri: r600 gpu: radeon display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: DVI-D-1 model: AOC 2243W serial: <filter> built: 2010
    res: 1920x1080 dpi: 102 gamma: 1.2 size: 477x268mm (18.78x10.55")
    diag: 547mm (21.5") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  Monitor-2: HDMI-A-1 model: Lenovo L24e-30 serial: <filter> built: 2022
    res: 1920x1080 dpi: 93 gamma: 1.2 size: 527x296mm (20.75x11.65")
    diag: 604mm (23.8") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 vendor: mesa v: 25.3.3 glx-v: 1.4 es-v: 3.1
    direct-render: yes renderer: AMD CAICOS (DRM 2.51.0 / 6.18.4-1-default LLVM
    21.1.7) device-ID: 1002:6779 memory: 1000 MiB unified: no display-ID: :0.0
  API: EGL Message: EGL data requires eglinfo. Check --recommends.
  Info: Tools: api: glxinfo x11: xprop,xrandr

@hnimmo I notice that your older AMD GPU is using the radeon driver. I don’t know if disabling power management with the radeon.dpm=0 kernel parameter might help here? Might be worth a shot.

Where is that parameter to be set? I have to say that the blinking behaviour cannot be predicted.

Add it as a grub boot entry.

Not sure how to do that…hmmm

Here inxi has shown you your existing boot parameters. To test a parameter to see whether it’s helpful or not, strike E at your Grub menu and append it after a space to the existing ones before proceeding according to screen instructions. If having it is helpful, you add it to existing parameters in file /etc/default/grub, then regenerate your Grub menu: grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg.

Not sure how to do that…hmmm

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