OS 16.0, black screen blinks

danielbasel · May 17, 2026, 3:16pm

At certain times, the screen briefly goes black (~1 second) and then comes back on:

during boot-up: the prompt for entering the passphrase appears; after 1–2 seconds the screen goes black for 1 second and then comes back
whilst using KDE as a user, for example, when I click on the Network Manager in the taskbar, the screen briefly goes black before it is displayed again with the new window.
the same happens when I click or right-cklick on a file in Dolphin to open KWrite or another programme. Not sure, but I think it mainly happens when I do this for the first time for each programme since boot.

Why is this happening? Is there anything I can do about it?

I have a fairly fresh installation of OpenSUSE 16.0 here, an AMD Ryzen 9 9900X with integrated graphics, and 32 GB of RAM. Everything except /boot is encrypted. I use KDE (X11). If you need any more information, please tell me which and where I search for what, and I’ll be happy to provide it.

deano_ferrari · May 18, 2026, 2:21am

I don’t have a definitive answer for this, but a good idea to post the detailed graphics hardware/environment results from inxi -GSaz to start with. Monitor(s) HDMI or DP connected?

Anything telling returned from the the journal?
sudo journalctl -b | grep -Ei 'amdgpu|drm|gpu|dc'

It might also be useful to try testing a Plasma Wayland session, even if only temporarily from the login screen. Same behaviour observed?

danielbasel · May 18, 2026, 9:33am

The longest blink occurs right at the beginning of the boot process (when the passphrase for the encrypted disks is asked): The prompt appears (and I can type), but the screen goes black and comes back after a second or two - what I already typed before it went black is still there. So this cannot be related to KDE/X11

The other blinks occur irregularly, I think only the first time I do something after login - it happened only once in this session: I opened dolphin, clicked on a textfile, the screen went black for a second, came back wit kwrite window open…

This did not happen anymore when I clicked on other textfiles, also today I could click on all the icons in the taskbar without it happening.

But right now, after the screen has been blocked/logged out (for not using it) and after logging-in again, I clicked on the desktop icon for dolphin, and again the screen went black and came back with dolphin open.

Also this time, with an sftp:// connection in dolphin to my other PC, I clicked on a textfile there, and the screen went black for a moment. I did the same before the logout/login and it didn’t go black. So it’s not really predictable when it happens…

Do the data you asked for show anything?

inxi -GSaz

System:
  Kernel: 6.12.0-160000.30-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 13.4.0 clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-6.12.0-160000.30-default
    root=UUID=13cc01f5-d4bf-4634-a52d-9aaee8767e9c mitigations=auto quiet
    security=apparmor
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.4.2 tk: Qt v: N/A info: frameworks v: 6.16.0
    wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2 dm: SDDM Distro: openSUSE Leap 16.0
Graphics:
  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Granite Ridge [Radeon Graphics]
    vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: amdgpu v: kernel pcie: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s
    lanes: 16 ports: active: HDMI-A-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, Writeback-1
    bus-ID: 10:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:13c0 class-ID: 0300 temp: 38.0 C
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.15 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.6
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: vesa
    alternate: fbdev dri: radeonsi gpu: amdgpu 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: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-1 model: Philips PHL 241V8
    serial: <filter> built: 2021 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 93 gamma: 1.2
    size: 527x296mm (20.75x11.65") diag: 604mm (23.8") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: amd radeonsi platforms: device: 0 drv: radeonsi
    device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: drv: kms_swrast surfaceless: drv: radeonsi x11:
    drv: radeonsi inactive: wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: amd mesa v: 24.3.3 glx-v: 1.4
    direct-render: yes renderer: AMD Radeon Graphics (radeonsi
    raphael_mendocino LLVM 19.1.7 DRM 3.61 6.12.0-160000.30-default)
    device-ID: 1002:13c0 memory: 500 MiB unified: no
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.309 layers: 1 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu name: AMD
    Radeon Graphics (RADV RAPHAEL_MENDOCINO) driver: N/A device-ID: 1002:13c0
    surfaces: xcb,xlib

sudo journalctl -b | grep -Ei 'amdgpu|drm|gpu|dc'

Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: BIOS-e820: [mem 0x000000083edc0000-0x00000008801fffff] reserved
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: reserve setup_data: [mem 0x000000083edc0000-0x00000008801fffff] reserved
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: acpi PNP0A08:00: _OSC: OS supports [ExtendedConfig ASPM ClockPM Segments MSI EDR HPX-Type3]
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: system 00:05: [mem 0xfedc0000-0xfedc0fff] has been reserved
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: ACPI: bus type drm_connector registered
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: simple-framebuffer simple-framebuffer.0: [drm] Registered 1 planes with drm panic
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: [drm] Initialized simpledrm 1.0.0 for simple-framebuffer.0 on minor 0
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: simple-framebuffer simple-framebuffer.0: [drm] fb0: simpledrmdrmfb frame buffer device
Mai 18 11:01:11 cutie kernel: IPI shorthand broadcast: enabled
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu: Virtual CRAT table created for CPU
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu: Topology: Add CPU node
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: enabling device (0006 -> 0007)
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] initializing kernel modesetting (IP DISCOVERY 0x1002:0x13C0 0x1462:0x9E80 0xC2).
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] register mmio base: 0xDF700000
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] register mmio size: 524288
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 0 <nv_common>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 1 <gmc_v10_0>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 2 <navi10_ih>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 3 <psp>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 4 <smu>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 5 <dm>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 6 <gfx_v10_0>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 7 <sdma_v5_2>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 8 <vcn_v3_0>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] add ip block number 9 <jpeg_v3_0>
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: Fetched VBIOS from VFCT
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu: ATOM BIOS: 102-RAPHAEL-008
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: vgaarb: deactivate vga console
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: Trusted Memory Zone (TMZ) feature disabled as experimental (default)
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] vm size is 262144 GB, 4 levels, block size is 9-bit, fragment size is 9-bit
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: VRAM: 512M 0x000000F400000000 - 0x000000F41FFFFFFF (512M used)
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: GART: 1024M 0x0000000000000000 - 0x000000003FFFFFFF
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] Detected VRAM RAM=512M, BAR=512M
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] RAM width 128bits DDR5
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] amdgpu: 512M of VRAM memory ready
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] amdgpu: 15475M of GTT memory ready.
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] GART: num cpu pages 262144, num gpu pages 262144
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] PCIE GART of 1024M enabled (table at 0x000000F41FC00000).
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] Loading DMUB firmware via PSP: version=0x05002C00
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] use_doorbell being set to: [true]
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] Found VCN firmware Version ENC: 1.33 DEC: 4 VEP: 0 Revision: 14
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: reserve 0xa00000 from 0xf41e000000 for PSP TMR
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: RAS: optional ras ta ucode is not available
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: RAP: optional rap ta ucode is not available
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: SECUREDISPLAY: securedisplay ta ucode is not available
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: SMU is initialized successfully!
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] Seamless boot condition check passed
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] Display Core v3.2.301 initialized on DCN 3.1.5
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] DP-HDMI FRL PCON supported
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] DMUB hardware initialized: version=0x05002C00
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] kiq ring mec 2 pipe 1 q 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: kfd kfd: amdgpu: Allocated 3969056 bytes on gart
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: kfd kfd: amdgpu: Total number of KFD nodes to be created: 1
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu: Virtual CRAT table created for GPU
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu: Topology: Add dGPU node [0x13c0:0x1002]
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: kfd kfd: amdgpu: added device 1002:13c0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: SE 1, SH per SE 1, CU per SH 2, active_cu_number 2
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring gfx_0.0.0 uses VM inv eng 0 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring gfx_0.1.0 uses VM inv eng 1 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.0.0 uses VM inv eng 4 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.1.0 uses VM inv eng 5 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.2.0 uses VM inv eng 6 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.3.0 uses VM inv eng 7 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.0.1 uses VM inv eng 8 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.1.1 uses VM inv eng 9 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.2.1 uses VM inv eng 10 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring comp_1.3.1 uses VM inv eng 11 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring kiq_0.2.1.0 uses VM inv eng 12 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring sdma0 uses VM inv eng 13 on hub 0
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring vcn_dec_0 uses VM inv eng 0 on hub 8
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring vcn_enc_0.0 uses VM inv eng 1 on hub 8
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring vcn_enc_0.1 uses VM inv eng 4 on hub 8
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: ring jpeg_dec uses VM inv eng 5 on hub 8
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: amdgpu: Runtime PM not available
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] Initialized amdgpu 3.61.0 for 0000:10:00.0 on minor 1
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: fbcon: amdgpudrmfb (fb0) is primary device
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: [drm] pre_validate_dsc:1630 MST_DSC dsc precompute is not needed
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: [drm] REG_WAIT timeout 1us * 100000 tries - optc31_disable_crtc line:145
Mai 18 11:01:14 cutie kernel: amdgpu 0000:10:00.0: [drm] fb0: amdgpudrmfb frame buffer device
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie systemd[1]: Expecting device /dev/disk/by-uuid/c7f7f30f-a912-4fb1-955b-c1086049edcc...
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie systemd[1]: Starting Load Kernel Module drm...
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie systemd[1]: Clear Stale Hibernate Storage Info skipped, unmet condition check ConditionPathExists=/sys/firmware/efi/efivars/HibernateLocation-8cf2644b-4b0b-428f-9387-6d876050dc67
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie systemd[1]: modprobe@drm.service: Deactivated successfully.
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie systemd[1]: Finished Load Kernel Module drm.
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie systemd-cryptsetup[1949]: Set cipher aes, mode xts-plain64, key size 512 bits for device /dev/disk/by-uuid/c7f7f30f-a912-4fb1-955b-c1086049edcc.
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in WDC_WD60EZRZ-00RWYB1 1 being skipped.
Mai 18 11:01:48 cutie kernel: Loaded X.509 cert 'wens: 61c038651aabdcf94bd0ac7ff06c7248db18c600'
Mai 18 11:01:49 cutie systemd[1]: Clear Stale Hibernate Storage Info skipped, unmet condition check ConditionPathExists=/sys/firmware/efi/efivars/HibernateLocation-8cf2644b-4b0b-428f-9387-6d876050dc67
Mai 18 11:01:49 cutie kernel: snd_hda_intel 0000:10:00.1: bound 0000:10:00.0 (ops amdgpu_dm_audio_component_bind_ops [amdgpu])
Mai 18 11:01:51 cutie smartd[2259]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], WDC WD60EZRZ-00RWYB1, S/N:WD-WX31DB58YN6D, WWN:5-0014ee-2b8c1f2ed, FW:80.00A80, 6.00 TB
Mai 18 11:01:51 cutie smartd[2259]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], state read from /var/lib/smartmontools/smartd.WDC_WD60EZRZ_00RWYB1-WD_WX31DB58YN6D.ata.state
Mai 18 11:01:51 cutie smartd[2259]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], state written to /var/lib/smartmontools/smartd.WDC_WD60EZRZ_00RWYB1-WD_WX31DB58YN6D.ata.state
Mai 18 11:01:59 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[3400]: Starting libddcutil. library built Not set at Not set. stdout_stderr_redirected=true
Mai 18 11:01:59 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[3400]: Initializing libddcutil.  ddcutil version: 2.2.1, shared library: /usr/lib64/libddcutil.so.5.3.0
Mai 18 11:01:59 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[3400]: [  3400] Applying combined libddcutil options:
Mai 18 11:01:59 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[3400]: [  3400] libddcutil recheck thread 0x55afd065d190 started
Mai 18 11:01:59 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[3400]: [  3400] libddcutil watch thread 0x55afd062ae90 started
Mai 18 11:01:59 cutie systemd[1]: Created slice Slice /system/dbus-:1.2-org.kde.powerdevil.discretegpuhelper.
Mai 18 11:01:59 cutie systemd[1]: Started dbus-:1.2-org.kde.powerdevil.discretegpuhelper@0.service.
Mai 18 11:02:09 cutie systemd[1]: dbus-:1.2-org.kde.powerdevil.discretegpuhelper@0.service: Deactivated successfully.
Mai 18 11:02:20 cutie PackageKit[3692]: get-updates transaction /1_edcecdde from uid 1000 finished with success after 432ms
Mai 18 11:10:12 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: Starting libddcutil. library built Not set at Not set. stdout_stderr_redirected=true
Mai 18 11:10:12 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: Initializing libddcutil.  ddcutil version: 2.2.1, shared library: /usr/lib64/libddcutil.so.5.3.0
Mai 18 11:10:12 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] Applying combined libddcutil options:
Mai 18 11:10:13 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] libddcutil recheck thread 0x55602b9d4db0 started
Mai 18 11:10:13 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] libddcutil watch thread 0x55602ba121d0 started
Mai 18 11:10:13 cutie systemd[1]: Started dbus-:1.2-org.kde.powerdevil.discretegpuhelper@1.service.
Mai 18 11:10:23 cutie systemd[1]: dbus-:1.2-org.kde.powerdevil.discretegpuhelper@1.service: Deactivated successfully.
Mai 18 11:16:03 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6622] Emitting DDCA_Display_Status_Event[350.453:  DDCA_EVENT_DISPLAY_DISCONNECTED, card1-HDMI-A-1, dref: DDCA_Display_Ref[1], io_path:/dev/i2c-0, ddc working: false]
Mai 18 11:16:03 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6622] libddcutil callback thread 0x7f133c016060 started
Mai 18 11:16:03 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  7686] Invoking callback function 0x7f13633fe470 for event DDCA_Display_Status_Event[350.453:  DDCA_EVENT_DISPLAY_DISCONNECTED, card1-HDMI-A-1, dref: DDCA_Display_Ref[1], io_path:/dev/i2c-0, ddc working: false] in this thread [  7686]
Mai 18 11:16:03 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  7686] Callback function 0x7f13633fe470 for event DDCA_Display_Status_Event[350.453:  DDCA_EVENT_DISPLAY_DISCONNECTED, card1-HDMI-A-1, dref: DDCA_Display_Ref[1], io_path:/dev/i2c-0, ddc working: false] complete
Mai 18 11:16:04 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6622] Emitting DDCA_Display_Status_Event[352.273:  DDCA_EVENT_DISPLAY_CONNECTED, card1-HDMI-A-1, dref: DDCA_Display_Ref[2], io_path:/dev/i2c-0, ddc working: true]
Mai 18 11:16:04 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6622] libddcutil callback thread 0x7f133c01e800 started
Mai 18 11:16:04 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  7724] Invoking callback function 0x7f13633fe470 for event DDCA_Display_Status_Event[352.273:  DDCA_EVENT_DISPLAY_CONNECTED, card1-HDMI-A-1, dref: DDCA_Display_Ref[2], io_path:/dev/i2c-0, ddc working: true] in this thread [  7724]
Mai 18 11:16:04 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  7724] Callback function 0x7f13633fe470 for event DDCA_Display_Status_Event[352.273:  DDCA_EVENT_DISPLAY_CONNECTED, card1-HDMI-A-1, dref: DDCA_Display_Ref[2], io_path:/dev/i2c-0, ddc working: true] complete
Mai 18 11:16:04 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] Quiescing libddcutil API...
Mai 18 11:16:04 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] Quiesce libddcutil API complete
Mai 18 11:16:05 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] libddcutil recheck thread 0x55602ba5c690 started
Mai 18 11:16:05 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] libddcutil watch thread 0x55602b9c3a40 started
Mai 18 11:16:05 cutie org_kde_powerdevil[6497]: [  6497] Unquiescing libddcutil API...