PC Graphics

[kajitox]

Summary of Issue

A couple of times per week, my monitor (a 4K TCL TV connected via HDMI) will simultaneously do a few things: (1) alternate flashing a black screen and a "rainbow snow/noise" pattern with (2) violently popping audio--the kind of popping you might expect when you're plugging an audio cable into an amp that's on really loud.

The screen will continue to flash black and show this rainbow noise pattern and continue to make popping noises, intermittently displaying the desktop and being calm for 10-15 seconds, before going into another fit.

Each time this happens, a restart fixes the problem and it does not come back for multiple session. Today it happened after a wake from sleep--unclear if that is related, but it felt important to call out.

What this is not: "flickering" or low FPS. I wouldn't describe it as a "permanent black screen". I have not let it happen for long enough to figure out if it shuts down/restarts the computer by itself. I have never seen a BSOD due to this issue. This does not seem to happen exclusively while playing games and, so far, does not seem to be triggered by anything in specific. Temperatures are typically low while this is happening (not running anything intense).

System Configuration

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B550-i GAMING

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600

• PSU: 650W SFX-L 80Plus Gold (stock in NZXT H1)

• Display(s) (Make, Model and Type):

  • TCL 55" P6 Series 4K UHD TV (55P605)

• System Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR4 3200MHz

• GPU (VBIOS): Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 5700XT (Driver version: 20.20.01.09-200711a-357168E)

• OS (Version): Windows 10 x64 (Version: 19041.388)

• Driver: Radeon Software 2020.0711.1742.31878

• Applications: No specific apps affected

• Background Apps: Typical background apps include Steam, Spotify, but do not seem to be related.

• Radeon Software Settings: Chill ON, Image Sharpening ON Antilag OFF Boost OFF Enhanced Sync OFF, FreeSync OFF, GPU Scaling ON, HDMI Link Assurance ON

So far, I have not been able to determine how to reliably reproduce this.

Attachments and Links

Here's a snap of the "rainbow snow" and converting the live photo into a video reveals some of the sound as well.

https://imgur.com/a/0Bryy0W

[vanadium]

@kajitox I also experienced the noise/black screens. However, the far more common problem for me was random crashes in specific games. I can't comment on HDMI audio because I don't use it.

I set Graphics Profile to Standard and most problems went away. I suspect the cause of these issues was Image Sharpening and/or Anti-lag. 

Windows 10 Pro v2004 Build 19041.388

Ryzen 9 3950X

Sapphire RX 5700 XT Nitro+

20.7.2

Chill OFF, Image Sharpening OFF, Antilag OFF, Boost OFF, Enhanced Sync OFF, FreeSync ON, GPU Scaling OFF, HDMI Link Assurance OFF, Fast Boot OFF

[kajitox]

Thanks for the suggestion @vanadium, I gave it a try but a couple of days later it came right back. I'm also going to try going back to the 20.4.2 drivers and see how things go.

[vanadium · Accepted solution]

Try a different HDMI cable (preferably different brand).

[kajitox]

I can give that a try. Any recommendations on brands?

FYI for anyone seeing this thread with a similar problem: moving from an amazonbasics cable to a Nintendo cable I had laying around. Will report back.

[kajitox]

It's been a month since I followed your suggestion and I have not seen the problems since. Thank you!

[kajitox]

By the way, downgrading to 20.4.2 drivers did not solve this problem.

[ac1010x]

Same here! I also experiencing random black screen, it's more often when I use a display port adapter than using a HDMI cord. I tried buying two DP adapters unfortunately it's still the same.

ryzen 7 3700x

powercolor red devil radeon rx 5700 xt

g.skill tident z 16gb

WD 500gb ssd m.2

[kajitox]

I replaced the HDMI cable a month+ ago and I have had no problems since...presumably it was just an HMDI cable that was faulty.

[schmak01]

I have had the same issue, its with the TCL TV NOT the AMD card.  I had it with a 580, 5600XT and a 5500XT.  Its a known issue with the TCL and Roku software.

The fix is actually simpler on Nvidia cards, you tell it to switch to TV output in the control panel and whala!

For AMD it's a bit different.  The problem is the pixel clock.  The TCL cannot sustain the default level AMD sends it.  So here's how to fix:

• Open up the Radeon software
• Click on Display
• Click on Create New by custom resolutions
• Scroll down to Pixel clock, which will be right on top of refresh rate.
  • Set pixel clock to 533000
  • Save
• It should remove the flicker at this point.
• If this works, go to timing standard, and set it to CVT- Reduced Blanking on the same screen,  It will set the pixel clock correctly and keep the refresh at 60hz.  (this does the same thing as the nvidia setting IIRC)