Nowadays, almost everyone from gamers to streamers and video makers to influencers have a second monitor for a productive and decluttered screen space.
However, you’ll often come across minor issues when setting up a dual monitor system. Among them, flickering is quite common, having an adverse effect on your performance.
The root cause of the problem is rarely the same for two computers. There are, however, a few common ways to overcome the issue, which I recommend trying. So, what should you start doing if your second monitor flickers?
- Ensure Compatibility Between GPU & Monitor
- Rearrange Display on Graphics Card
- Update Video & Monitor Driver
- Adjust Screen Refresh Rate
- Adjust color settings in Nvidia Control Panel
- Change Display Cable Type
- Swap Cable
- Reach Out to Customer Service
Going through the list will aid you in not only solving your issue but also determining whether the problem is software or hardware-related. Continue reading to find a detailed guide on how to execute each of the steps above.
Why Do Monitors Flicker?
There are many factors that are responsible for flickering which varies from monitor to monitor along with conditions and performance as well.
You may face random flashing in the second monitor or total blackout which comes and goes repetitively giving you the idea as if it has gone to sleep mode, whereas your main monitor is working smoothly.
In such conditions, most people consider switching monitors which may work for some but it won’t necessarily fix it for everyone as this problem is quite broad.
Out of many reasons, some of the primary factors of flickering are listed below:
1. Low Refresh Rate
Most of the time, you just need to increase the refresh rate of your monitor to eliminate flickering. The refresh rate i.e the number of times your monitor updates its display per second depends on the load of information it is getting.
Did you know that your monitor flickers under normal circumstances too? You just can’t notice it because it’s too fast for a human eye to notice. Thus, the lower the refresh rate, the more obvious the flicker appearing on your screen.
2. Loose Monitor Cables
Another reason behind excessive flickering on your second monitor can either be a loose or defective cable. In such a case, the video feed sent from the motherboard to the monitor becomes inconsistent and disrupted.
Moreover, you can also check for any bent pins or broken cables which can display a frequent black screen on random events. Sometimes, sockets may be the cause of your lacking experience, so just keep a check on them till you’re good to go.
3. Magnetic Fields Of Other Electronics
If you have any other electronic device nearby your computer setup then you can get an interrupted display. The reason behind it is these devices surround themselves in a magnetic field which disrupts the signals sent within the PC.
Moving away from such appliances, even fans or phones, can make your display better. Furthermore, if the electrical wiring and internal grounding of your house aren’t properly installed then even this can cause flickering.
4. Software Problems
Around 60% of all flickering issues are the result of outdated drivers, programming errors within drivers, or lack of compatibility between monitor and GPUs.
As per a PC Magazine blog, in 2010, an entire batch of Macbook face screens was flickering due to driver errors, which forced developers to immediately launch an update.
5. Hardware Failure
There are times when screen flickering acts as an indicator telling you that it’s time to change your graphics card, processor, or even the monitor.
You can easily check the monitor by using it on any other PC with different other graphics cards. Similarly, test your monitor with other CPUs to make sure it needs a replacement.
What Can You Do to Stop a Monitor From Flickering?
There are many different methods you can apply according to the symptoms you’re facing while your display flickers.
All you have to do is pick the right solution that closely resembles the symptoms you’re facing and accurately follow it till your second monitor works fine. Move down the line until you find the solution that works for you.
If you have the option to connect your second monitor to another computer, then that’s great. That way you can tell if your monitor has internal problems or if they’re caused by the computer or the communication between those two specific devices.
1. Ensure the Compatibility Between GPU & Monitor
Not all graphics cards allow you to connect two monitors at a time, so connecting both monitors can impact the performance resulting in flickering.
Start by going through the PC manual to ensure that it supports more than one monitor.
For those having Intel HD video cards, you can easily connect two monitors simultaneously by enabling extended desktop mode or clone mode.
However, if you have NVIDIA or ATI cards then you’ll have to check the specifications regarding multiple monitor display support.
2. Rearrange Display on Graphics Card
You can also stabilize the flickering by adjusting the display on your graphics card. Whether you have an Intel or NVIDIA graphics card, just open the GPU control panel from the start menu.
On the control panel window, you’ll find a display tab which you can expand to find the option for setting up multiple displays. You can see two screens labeled 1 and 2, indicating primary and secondary monitors.
You can drag the icon according to your adjustment and click Apply. After adjusting the display, the random flashing will hopefully stop.
3. Update Video & Monitor Driver
Outdated drivers are the enemies of your display, thus it is mandatory to make sure that your video driver is updated.
You can check it by going to the Device Manager where you can find drivers in the list of available devices, on which you can right-click to confirm the driver status.
Furthermore, if you have a graphics card installed but you can’t find the control panel in your Windows then it may be the result of Windows defender. You can immediately download it from the official manufacturer’s website to reinstall the graphics driver.
4. Adjust Screen Refresh Rate
As you know that refresh rate can be one of the reasons for flickering screens. You can check the refresh rate of your second monitor and adjust it properly.
All you have to do is right-click anywhere on the desktop till you get multiple options from which you can click Display Settings.
Find Advanced Display Settings on the bottom of the right section of the screen and tap on the display adapter properties specifically for Display 2.
In a new window, you will find the screen refresh rate on the monitor tab. Just make sure to adjust the refresh rate according to the monitor, if you have a 60Hz screen then keep the refresh rate 60Hz. If 60hz doesn’t fix the issue, try setting it to 59hz as that has proved to work for some users.
5. Adjust Color Settings in Nvidia Control Panel
Adjusting the color settings can stop flickering on your second monitor if the monitor is connected using an HDMI cable. The method hasn’t proved useful for monitors that are connected through DisplayPort, VGA, and DVI.
Follow the steps below to adjust your color settings.
- Access the Nvidia control panel by right-clicking on the Nvidia symbol in the lower-right corner or searching for it in Windows.
- Look for Adjust desktop color settings in the list to the left. It’s under Display.
- Select your primary monitor.
- Select Desktop programs. This can be found under Content type reported to display.
- Select your second monitor and set it to Desktop programs as well.
- Click Apply.
- Restart your PC.
6. Change Display Cable Type
Screen flickering can be caused by a malfunctioning or damaged cable, but it could also be because of the type of display cable you’re using. If your second monitor is connected via HDMI, try using DisplayPort, VGA, or DVI instead to see if this solves the issue. I recommend using DisplayPort if HDMI doesn’t work.
7. Swap Cable (But same type)
If you happen to have an extra display cable laying around the house. Borrow it to troubleshoot your secondary monitor. Connect the monitor via the borrowed cable to see if the device functions without hindrance or if the issue remains. If the problem persists, then it’s most likely not the cable that’s causing it.
If changing to another HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, or DVI cable removed the flickering, you can almost be certain that the old cable was the culprit.
8. Reach Out to Customer Service
If you can’t find the cure to your problem after applying all the methods we’ve explained above, the next step would be to contact the computer manufacturer’s help desk to further troubleshoot the device.
Why Does My Second Monitor Flicker When Playing Games?
As we’ve mentioned earlier, most people have a second monitor for gaming purposes either to stream their gameplay or just to have better in-game communication.
If you have bought a second monitor for gaming but it isn’t serving you for that particular purpose then what even is the point?
There can be a few scenarios that you may have come across;
- Your monitor may work smoothly when performing normal operations but it will flicker when you launch a game.
- Your screen may flicker for a few seconds whenever there’s an action sequence including shooting, fighting, etc.
- You’re working on a document with different tabs and windows opened and after flickering, all the windows are in random order.
The main reason behind these different scenarios can link to the mechanics, software, or resolution of the game.
Additionally, there may be a chance that the game is taking up all of your PC’s processing power which isn’t allowing it to carry out multiple tasks simultaneously.
Start by making sure that the game you’ve currently started playing or programs recently downloaded aren’t behind the flicker. If that checks out then you can proceed to apply the steps mentioned above.