Why is my monitor flickering? How to find the cause and fix it

By CheckYourDisplay · Updated · Sources checked

Screen flicker usually comes from the display driver, an app, the cable or refresh rate, variable refresh in games, or PWM dimming at low brightness. On Windows, check Task Manager first: if it flickers along with everything else, fix the display driver; if it stays steady, an app is the likely cause.

Open the Screen Flicker TestFree, in your browser. Nothing to install.

Flicker has a handful of common causes, and each leaves a clue: when it happens, where on screen, and what makes it stop. Start with the table, then follow the section it points to. Most checks take a minute.

Match the flicker to its cause

When it flickers Likely cause Where to look
Everything on screen, including Task Manager The display driver Check Task Manager first
One app or one game only That app, or variable refresh Flicker in one app or in games
Black flashes, or the picture drops out The cable, port, adapter or refresh rate Check the cable and refresh rate
Only at low brightness PWM dimming in the backlight Flicker at low brightness
On a laptop, as the lid moves The hardware in the lid Laptop screens

Check Task Manager first

On Windows, Microsoft’s first check tells a driver problem from an app problem.

  1. Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B. This resets the graphics driver, and Microsoft says it may fix the flicker on its own. If not, restart.
  2. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and open Task Manager, or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
  3. If Task Manager flickers along with everything else, the display driver is the likely cause: go to the next section.
  4. If Task Manager stays steady while the rest flickers, an app is the likely cause: see Flicker in one app or in games.

Fix the display driver

Roll back the driver if Windows Update changed something recently; otherwise update it, and uninstall it only if neither helps. You need an administrator account.

  1. Search the taskbar for Device Manager and open it.
  2. Expand Display adapters, right-click your adapter and choose Properties, then the Driver tab.
  3. To roll back, choose Roll Back Driver > Yes, then restart. If the button is greyed out, there is no earlier driver to go back to.
  4. To update, right-click the adapter and choose Update driver. The newest driver may only be on your PC or graphics card maker’s site.
  5. To reinstall, choose Uninstall Device, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device, select OK and restart. Windows then tries to reinstall the driver.

Check the cable and refresh rate

  1. Reseat the cable at both ends, then try another cable and another port. Intel also advises a direct connection, with no adapters or dongles in between.
  2. Choose a refresh rate the monitor lists, in Settings > System > Display > Advanced display > Choose a refresh rate. Dell notes that running a monitor above its panel’s rated refresh rate can cause flicker.
  3. Confirm the rate in use with the Refresh Rate Test.

Flicker in one app or in games

  • Update the app from the Microsoft Store or its maker’s site. If that does not help, Microsoft suggests uninstalling it to test, in Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  • In games, variable refresh rate, such as G-SYNC or FreeSync, changes the refresh rate with the frame rate. Dell notes that turning on G-SYNC with a monitor that is not G-SYNC Compatible can cause flicker. Turn variable refresh off in the graphics settings and compare.
  • With Intel graphics, Intel suggests turning off Panel Self Refresh in the Intel Graphics Command Center.

Flicker at low brightness

Many screens dim the backlight with pulse-width modulation (PWM): the light switches on and off rapidly, and the longer it stays off, the dimmer the picture. Screens sold as flicker-free dim with direct current (DC) instead, lowering the current through the LEDs so the light stays steady.

  1. Raise the brightness. If the flicker fades, PWM is the likely cause.
  2. Wave a pencil in front of a gray field in the Screen Flicker Test, at low and then at high brightness. Separate copies of the pencil mean the light is pulsing.
  3. PWM is part of the screen’s hardware. If it bothers you, a higher brightness setting usually helps, and a flicker-free model avoids it.

Laptop screens

  • On a Surface, Microsoft suggests turning off Change brightness based on content, and, with Intel graphics, turning off Display Power Savings and Panel Self Refresh under System > Power in the Intel Graphics Command Center.
  • If the screen also flickers in the firmware setup screen (UEFI or BIOS), before Windows starts, the fault is in the hardware, not in Windows.
  • Lenovo’s ThinkPad flicker troubleshooter starts by moving the lid through its range. If the flicker stops and starts at the same angle, it sends you to Lenovo support rather than to a settings fix.
  • Connect an external monitor. If it stays steady while the laptop’s own screen flickers, the problem is in the built-in screen or its cable.

Sources

The official pages this guide follows, last checked on . Found something out of date? See Contact.

Tests used in this guide

  • Screen Flicker Test

    Gray and white fields for the pencil and camera flicker checks, plus optional flashing patterns.

  • Refresh Rate Test

    Check the refresh rate your screen is running at, in Hz, and see how smooth that rate looks.

  • Monitor Test

    Fill any monitor, laptop, phone or TV screen with solid colors to check it for visible faults.

  • How to test a new monitorTest a new monitor on day one, while it can still go back: set the native resolution, then check dead pixels, backlight bleed, uniformity, banding, gamma, refresh rate and ghosting in your browser. The whole check takes about 10 minutes.
  • Dead pixel vs stuck pixel vs hot pixel: what is the difference?A dead pixel stays black on every color, and no software can repair it. A stuck pixel stays lit in one color and a hot pixel stays white, both easiest to see on black; either can sometimes recover.
  • Dead pixel policy: how many faulty pixels each brand allowsMost monitor makers replace a screen only when faulty pixels pass a set limit, and they count bright faults more strictly than dark ones. Dell’s Premium Panel Exchange models and some premium lines from Lenovo, ASUS and Gigabyte are replaced for a single bright pixel; others accept a few. Count yours, then compare.
  • How to calibrate a monitor without a colorimeterWithout a colorimeter you can set four things by eye: brightness, so the darkest gray steps just separate from black; contrast, so the brightest stay distinct from white; gamma, to about 2.2; and white balance, until gray shows no tint. Color accuracy needs a colorimeter.
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