Gsync causing flickering black screen on Valorant

[Avi]

Hi, about a week ago i started to experience flickering black screen when launching Valorant. I did some testing and found out that Gsync causing it. Searched online about that and saw some people saying that the reason it's happening is because the frame rate goes below 30 and it causing gsync to turn off and on again. There wasn't any solution there, so i came here to ask if someone know how to fix this.

[randyhoff]

This may sound counterintuitive, but it works with G-Sync to smooth out low-FPS behavior.

Steps:

- NVIDIA Control Panel > Manage 3D Settings

- Set V-Sync = On

- Keep G-Sync enabled

- In Valorant, make sure V-Sync is OFF

This allows G-Sync + V-Sync to work together, avoiding tearing and flickering below the G-Sync range.

[jorimt]

Hi, about a week ago i started to experience flickering black screen when launching Valorant. I did some testing and found out that Gsync causing it. Searched online about that and saw some people saying that the reason it's happening is because the frame rate goes below 30 and it causing gsync to turn off and on again. There wasn't any solution there, so i came here to ask if someone know how to fix this.

Black flicker is typically either monitor model-specific, a driver issue, or both. Seeing as you only started experiencing it recently, you should try to recall if anything on your side had changed since. If it hadn't, then it points more to a driver, OS and/or game update.

Please share your monitor model and driver version, and any other relevant details, such as your NVCP G-SYNC/V-SYNC settings, OS version and your OS-level and game-side window mode (fullscreen, borderless, etc).

[Avi]

Hi, about a week ago i started to experience flickering black screen when launching Valorant. I did some testing and found out that Gsync causing it. Searched online about that and saw some people saying that the reason it's happening is because the frame rate goes below 30 and it causing gsync to turn off and on again. There wasn't any solution there, so i came here to ask if someone know how to fix this.

Black flicker is typically either monitor model-specific, a driver issue, or both. Seeing as you only started experiencing it recently, you should try to recall if anything on your side had changed since. If it hadn't, then it points more to a driver, OS and/or game update.

Please share your monitor model and driver version, and any other relevant details, such as your NVCP G-SYNC/V-SYNC settings, OS version and your OS-level and game-side window mode (fullscreen, borderless, etc).

Hp omen x 25. The latest driver(576.88), but also happened with version 572.42. Gsync and Vsync enabled in nvcp, no fps cap, nvidia reflex ON. Windows 10 pro. Fullscreen.

It also happens in cs2 only when i download a workshop map. When the download is over it stops flickering.

[jorimt]

Hp omen x 25.

Is it the 25, or the 25f?

The former is a G-SYNC native model with a module, while the latter is a G-SYNC-Compatible FreeSync model without a module.

It also happens in cs2 only when i download a workshop map. When the download is over it stops flickering.

Is it a subtle brightness flickering during lower average framerates/frametime spikes, complete intermittent screen blackouts or both?

Because if it's the native G-SYNC 25 model with subtle brightness flickering at lower framerates (like this for instance: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-V ... -p/8062398), then it's not because it's dropping out of the G-SYNC range, but because LFC triggers very late into the 30's, where the TN panel will naturally flicker due to needing a higher LFC multiple to avoid it.

I had this "issue" on a couple of my older native G-SYNC displays that started LFC at very low variable frame/refresh rates as well.

There's really no solution other than to 1) ensure your average framerate is high enough and to ignore the flicker during load screens and/or frametime spikes, 2) disable G-SYNC, or 3) purchase a newer fast or ultra fast IPS model (IPS is typically less prone to this type of low refresh rate flicker vs TN) that starts LFC sooner. I.E. ~40 FPS VRR will be 80Hz LFC instead of ~40Hz non-LFC VRR and so on.

Most newer G-SYNC and FreeSync models now start LFC earlier to avoid this, especially on 240Hz+ displays where there's more of a VRR range to work with.

[Avi]

Hp omen x 25.

Is it the 25, or the 25f?

The former is a G-SYNC native model with a module, while the latter is a G-SYNC-Compatible FreeSync model without a module.

It also happens in cs2 only when i download a workshop map. When the download is over it stops flickering.

Is it a subtle brightness flickering during lower average framerates/frametime spikes, complete intermittent screen blackouts or both?

Because if it's the native G-SYNC 25 model with subtle brightness flickering at lower framerates (like this for instance: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-V ... -p/8062398), then it's not because it's dropping out of the G-SYNC range, but because LFC triggers very late into the 30's, where the TN panel will naturally flicker due to needing a higher LFC multiple to avoid it.

I had this "issue" on a couple of my older native G-SYNC displays that started LFC at very low variable frame/refresh rates as well.

There's really no solution other than to 1) ensure your average framerate is high enough and to ignore the flicker during load screens and/or frametime spikes, 2) disable G-SYNC, or 3) purchase a newer fast or ultra fast IPS model (IPS is typically less prone to this type of low refresh rate flicker vs TN) that starts LFC sooner. I.E. ~40 FPS VRR will be 80Hz LFC instead of ~40Hz non-LFC VRR and so on.

Most newer G-SYNC and FreeSync models now start LFC earlier to avoid this, especially on 240Hz+ displays where there's more of a VRR range to work with.

It's the x 25. It's not a subtle brightness flickering, it's more like when you turn ON or OFF gsync, the screen turn off for a few seconds to apply the settings. And in terms of fps, my PC is more than capable of running Val and CS2 on high frame rate.

[jorimt]

It's the x 25. It's not a subtle brightness flickering, it's more like when you turn ON or OFF gsync, the screen turn off for a few seconds to apply the settings. And in terms of fps, my PC is more than capable of running Val and CS2 on high frame rate.

Hmm, okay, so actual screen blackouts.

I just downloaded Valorant and loaded up the tutorial, and I was getting intermittent blackouts with G-SYNC enabled as well (specs in sig). This happens for me in games that underutilize my GPU enough that its clocks drop too low.

I don't know what your GPU model is, but simplest fix is to ensure you use "Prefer maximum performance" for the game profile via Nvidia Inspector. Reflex + Boost in-game will also do something similar.

Both ensure the GPU is continuously at its base boost clock instead of downclocking in less demanding games. For whatever reason, not doing so for certain high refresh rate VRR configurations can cause intermittent blackouts.

If that doesn't work for you, either Valorant (which still runs off of DX11) is having a particular flip model issue with your configuration, or your monitor module is beginning to fail (unlikely, but always possible).

You can try disabling MPO and/or fullscreen optimizations in that case, try a different windowed mode, cable, etc.

Black screen issues can be really difficult to narrow down and are typically very config and/or software version-specific.

[Avi]

It's the x 25. It's not a subtle brightness flickering, it's more like when you turn ON or OFF gsync, the screen turn off for a few seconds to apply the settings. And in terms of fps, my PC is more than capable of running Val and CS2 on high frame rate.

Hmm, okay, so actual screen blackouts.

I just downloaded Valorant and loaded up the tutorial, and I was getting intermittent blackouts with G-SYNC enabled as well (specs in sig). This happens for me in games that underutilize my GPU enough that its clocks drop too low.

I don't know what your GPU model is, but simplest fix is to ensure you use "Prefer maximum performance" for the game profile via Nvidia Inspector. Reflex + Boost in-game will also do something similar.

Both ensure the GPU is continuously at its base boost clock instead of downclocking in less demanding games. For whatever reason, not doing so for certain high refresh rate VRR configurations can cause intermittent blackouts.

If that doesn't work for you, either Valorant (which still runs off of DX11) is having a particular flip model issue with your configuration, or your monitor module is beginning to fail (unlikely, but always possible).

You can try disabling MPO and/or fullscreen optimizations in that case, try a different windowed mode, cable, etc.

Black screen issues can be really difficult to narrow down and are typically very config and/or software version-specific.

I tried once reflex + boost and i remember it didn't fixed it. I have to say that it doesn't happen all the time in Val, and sometimes it happens once or twice when launching the game, but then it stops. Sometimes it also happens when loading into a match or getting out. In cs2 until a week ago i didn't had any problems while downloading a workshop maps, but all of a sudden it started doing it.

My gpu is the 4070s.

[jorimt]

If it's intermittent and only started happening recently, and it's not because your GPU is underclocking, then, again, either it's a recent game, driver, and/or OS-level update that triggered it (which may resolve itself in the future), or there's a slim possibility your monitor module is beginning to fail.

You can try rolling back to nVidia driver version 566.36 via a complete DDU clean install and see if that solves it, and/or try another display cable.

Beyond that, I have no further suggestions at the moment.

[Discorz]

Have you tried raising the min VRR floor via CRU? I believe native GSYNC monitors do all the way down to 1 Hz. Try 30-50 or until it's no longer blanking out. Not sure but I think that used to be the problem back in the days.



Step 5 - run Restart64.exe

And here is a video regarding blackouts: https://youtu.be/U3bUfqBnWB4?si=fQsZSLCAQqynOrWq&t=283