PC Graphics

[drr0ck]

Hello,

For a long time, I would leave my computer on during the day with the monitor turned off, and this worked well enough for me.  However, for several months now, when I turn the monitor off and back on again, my system displays reduced brightness.  This occurs consistently, and the only ways I have found to resume the normal brightness setting is to either log off and back in, switch users, or reboot.  The system behaves the same if the monitor is put to sleep through power saving.  I am running a Vega 64 on current drivers (20.12.1), Windows 10 20H2.  Now this isn't a deal-breaker issue, but it is annoying.  If anyone has any insight into what may be going on, I'd appreciate it.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled drivers (using driver cleaner as well), played with a variety of setting, but nothing I have tried made any difference.  One interesting note, even though the screen is visibly significantly darker, the mouse appears to be normal brightness when this occurs.  Really weird.

Thanks!

[Thanny]

Perhaps a silly question, but are you accounting for the fact that monitor backlights take 15+ minutes to warm up to full brightness?

[drr0ck]

Thanks for your response.  Unfortunately, that's not the issue.  When the PC is first turned on, it does not exhibit the same brightness loss, and once I log out and back in, the brightness is demonstrably better.

[Thanny]

Have you looked into adaptive brightness?   Specifically, it's a Windows "feature" that is terrible and should be disabled.  It doesn't sound all that probable that it's the root of your problem, but it's worth looking into.

[drr0ck]

Hi - Re: Adaptive Brightness, it sounded promising, so I took a look.  I found instructions on how to disable the setting via the registry, but no luck.  The behavior persists.

[ScotchFury]

I get a similar thing only if PC is locked and turns the display off or when my 2hr inactive screen sleep kicks in.

Only way I've worked around it is either restart (obviously) or go to display settings, Windows HD colour setting, And just click THE HDR/SDR brightness balance bar which seems to make it "Normal" again.. 

Mainly notice it when Windows has turned the screen off for a good few hours. E.g. overnight.

I lean more towards it being Win 10 HDR trait but unfortunately I haven't any other 4k / HDR able cards to compare.

Definitely not a screen issue as have tried on a friend's ASUS monitor & my LG OLED C9.

[drr0ck]

Re: HDR, I don't have the same setting as my monitor is not an HDR monitor.  I think it's something to do with the monitor being detected as a hot swappable device, since I hear the plug/unplug sound when the monitor is turned off.  I think this shouldn't be happening, but no idea how to suppress the behavior.

[benman2785]

mh, maybe go to Powerplan and change "turn off Monitor" to "never" (and maybe use a screensaver in this case) 

[drr0ck]

My power settings are already to never turn off.  But I prefer to turn off the monitor when I step away or overnight if I leave the PC running.  Going to try the "Blank" Screen saver and see how that goes.

[benman2785]

mh - i maybe know a workaround

download CRU (google it)
there is a restart64.exe - everytime you power on your monitor run this exe - this will reset your driver (all OC will be lost etc) - but that should calibrate color correct again

[ScotchFury]

I find turning HDR on and off or just clickinh on the SDR / HDR slider brings it back.

[drr0ck]

Re: CRU, yeah already have it and tried it (use it to adjust Freesync range).  It seemed to work except one time I got a black screen and had to reboot.  It's easier to just use the switch user and log back in and I don't risk locking up.

Since I don't have an HDR monitor, I don't have the HDR/SDR slider.  Either that or I just don't know where to look for it.

[ScotchFury]

Under Settings, System, Windows HD Colour Settings.

[drr0ck]

Thanks.  I don't have those settings since I don't have an HDR monitor.  Too bad, as that would  make resetting the brightness a bit easier.

[benman2785]

ahhh

download CRU
and everytime you turn on your Monitor again just use the "restart64.exe"
this will reset brightness to your last working state