Flickering display Leap 15.6

When I boot OpenSUSE 15.6 and KDE loads, I open Firefox or other browsers, causing the laptop screen to flicker rapidly. If I connect the laptop to a power outlet, the flickering stops. Is there a solution to this problem? Laptop details: Dell Vostro 5370. Output of lspci command is following:

lspci -nnk 
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v6/7th Gen Core Processor Host Bridge/DRAM Registers [8086:5914] (rev 08) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: skl_uncore 
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation UHD Graphics 620 [8086:5917] (rev 07) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: i915 
       Kernel modules: i915 
00:04.0 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v5/E3-1500 v5/6th Gen Core Processor Thermal Subsystem [8086:1903] (rev 08) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: proc_thermal 
       Kernel modules: processor_thermal_device_pci_legacy 
00:14.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP USB 3.0 xHCI Controller [8086:9d2f] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd 
       Kernel modules: xhci_pci 
00:14.2 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP Thermal subsystem [8086:9d31] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: intel_pch_thermal 
       Kernel modules: intel_pch_thermal 
00:15.0 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP Serial IO I2C Controller #0 [8086:9d60] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: intel-lpss 
       Kernel modules: intel_lpss_pci 
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP CSME HECI #1 [8086:9d3a] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: mei_me 
       Kernel modules: mei_me 
00:17.0 RAID bus controller [0104]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] [8086:282a] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: ahci 
       Kernel modules: ahci 
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP PCI Express Root Port #6 [8086:9d15] (rev f1) 
       Kernel driver in use: pcieport 
00:1e.0 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP Serial IO UART Controller #0 [8086:9d27] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: intel-lpss 
       Kernel modules: intel_lpss_pci 
00:1e.4 SD Host controller [0805]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:9d2b] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: sdhci-pci 
       Kernel modules: sdhci_pci 
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point LPC/eSPI Controller [8086:9d4e] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
00:1f.2 Memory controller [0580]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP PMC [8086:9d21] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
00:1f.3 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio [8086:9d71] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel 
       Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel, snd_soc_skl, snd_soc_avs, snd_sof_pci_intel_skl 
00:1f.4 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP SMBus [8086:9d23] (rev 21) 
       Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:082e] 
       Kernel driver in use: i801_smbus 
       Kernel modules: i2c_i801 
01:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Wireless 3165 [8086:3165] (rev 79) 
       Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:4410] 
       Kernel driver in use: iwlwifi 
       Kernel modules: iwlwifi 

Thank in advance for your help.

You posted that the flickering display starts when you open a browser like Firefox and stops when the laptop is connected to a power outlet.

This could be a symptom of a display driver aggressively entering a low-power state to conserve battery.

When you open a web browser, the system may decide to reduce power consumption for the display to extend battery life, especially if the content being displayed is static or not very graphically intensive. The rapid flickering could be a sign of a bad transition between power states. When the laptop is plugged in, the system may prioritize performance over power savings, which prevents the graphics driver from entering the problematic low-power state.

Note there is a degree of me speculating here.

I note the line
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation UHD Graphics 620 [8086:5917] (rev 07)
identifies the Intel UHD Graphics 620 as the primary graphics hardware. I believe this GPU is used in laptops for its power efficiency.

From your post I read that the Linux kernel is using the i915 driver for the Intel graphics card. So I assume that this driver is responsible for managing the power states of the GPU, and that could possibly cause the flickering (?).

The combination of the flickering on battery, but not on AC power behaviour, and the Intel graphics (with the i915 driver) hints at a power management problem.

Perhaps focus your effort to find a solution on the i915 driver to disable certain power-saving features if any are known to cause display issues on specific hardware models. This can often be done by adding a kernel parameter in the GRUB configuration.

I don’t know any off the top of my head, but likely if it were me, that is where I would go looking.

Thank you very much for your response. If necessary, I may ask you for more instructions. All the best.

Based on some search results, you may try following approaches:

  • check energy profile (applet) and try other settings (performance, powersave, balanced) and check if the issue still occures
  • change display brightness and check if the issue still occures
  • check in the Plasma systemsettings if you have different power profiles configured for power plugged/unplugged

Another interesting test would be to connect an external display and check if the issue is the same there.

Thanks a lot Hui for your helping. I’m going to try instructions. Cheers.

I have tried almost every possible tip that you have suggested to me. The end result has been the same: the flickering continues. I would be happy to wait until Leap 16 is released, after which I will try the same tips again. Once again, thank you for the advice. Firux

Please use the preformatted text icon above the input window here to paste the complete input and output from running command inxi -GSaz --vs in Konsole.

Thank you mrmazda very much for your response. The following is output of inxi -GSaz --vs: inxi 3.3.27-00 (2023-05-07)

System:
  Kernel: 6.4.0-150600.23.60-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 7.5.0 parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.4.0-150600.23.60-default
    root=UUID=1d72db47-eeb0-4370-9bb8-24052a0c3539 quiet spalsh
    i915.enanle_dc=0 security=apparmor
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.11 tk: Qt v: 5.15.12 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.6
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
    arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: eDP-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1,HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:5917
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Microdia Integrated_Webcam_HD driver: uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-5:2 chip-ID: 0c45:6a06
    class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.11 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.1
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
    alternate: intel dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22")
    s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: ChiMei InnoLux 0x1371 built: 2016 res: 1920x1080
    hz: 60 dpi: 166 gamma: 1.2 size: 293x165mm (11.54x6.5") diag: 336mm (13.2")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.3.4 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (KBL
    GT2) direct-render: Yes

This indicates some sort of configuration, typing, and/or copy and paste error. What it is probably supposed to be is splash i915.enable_dc=0.

Please provide output pasted here, as previously instructed, using preformatted text icon, but you did not follow, to preserve the original command output formatting, from: cat /etc/default/grub.

You asked me put here complete input and output of abow mentioned command: inxi -GSaz --vs . I fixed the error you found and have reattached the final result below.

firux@host:~> inxi -GSaz --vs 
inxi 3.3.27-00 (2023-05-07)
System:
  Kernel: 6.4.0-150600.23.60-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 7.5.0 parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.4.0-150600.23.60-default
    root=UUID=1d72db47-eeb0-4370-9bb8-24052a0c3539 quiet spalsh
    i915.enanle_dc=0 security=apparmor
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.11 tk: Qt v: 5.15.12 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.6
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
    arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: eDP-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1,HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:5917
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Microdia Integrated_Webcam_HD driver: uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-5:2 chip-ID: 0c45:6a06
    class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.11 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.1
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
    alternate: intel dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22")
    s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: ChiMei InnoLux 0x1371 built: 2016 res: 1920x1080
    hz: 60 dpi: 166 gamma: 1.2 size: 293x165mm (11.54x6.5") diag: 336mm (13.2")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.3.4 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (KBL
    GT2) direct-render: Yes

This suggests confirmation of need to show here the content of /etc/default/grub. Neither of those two command line options are valid, so cannot do what the similar intended parameters were intended to do, one of which would affect Plasma output.

Some how the problem has disappeared after i ran grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg command. Maybe problem appears later again or not, but i’m going to wait until Leap 16 final release comes and see what’s going on. Thanks a lot.

I am suprised given what I quoted that this now works for you.

The intended parameter i915.enable_dc=0 disables display power management features on Intel graphics, but you have a BIG typo and you have typed i915.enanle_dc=0 meaning what you incorrectly typed instead does NOTHING.

Also , a bit off topic, but your quiet spalsh is also a BIG typo. You should have quiet splash.

My apologies for being blunt and my being very critical, but you are being careless. You need to be FAR MORE EXACT in what you type.

You are right.

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