"Screen Flickering While Gaming? Try These 7 Solutions"

If you encounter PC screen flickering while playing games, it's crucial to address the issue before it spoils your gaming experience. Even minor instances of screen flickering can be irritating, and this problem can occur for various reasons. In this article provided by tools, we will explore the potential causes of screen flickering during gameplay and suggest solutions to fix the flickering issue on your screen.

What to Do If the Screen Flickers While Gaming

It's quite common to encounter screen flickering while gaming on a PC. If you browse through forums like Reddit, you'll find numerous gamers experiencing the same issue.

[My screen flickers like this on some games and it's insanely annoying!](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/pbpiiv/my_screen_flickers_like_this_on_some_games_and/) Submitted by [u/Linnywtf](https://www.reddit.com/user/Linnywtf/) in [r/pcmasterrace](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/)

Now, when you encounter screen flickering while playing games, there are several steps you can take to identify the cause and fix the issue. Explore the solutions below to restore your screen to its normal state.

• Solution 1: Try a Different Monitor and Cable
• Solution 2: Change Screen Refresh Rate
• Solution 3: Disable Full-Screen Optimization
• Solution 4: Update Display Card Drivers
• Solution 5: Reset GPU Settings
• Solution 6: Disable Hardware Acceleration
• Solution 7: Perform a Clean Boot

Fix 1: Try a Different Monitor and Cable

The flickering issue might not stem from the hardware entirely. Therefore, try removing the monitor and cables, reinserting them, and check if the flickering persists.

Additionally, attempt to use a different monitor and cables, as monitors can occasionally malfunction, and cables can deteriorate with time. If the issue is resolved when using another monitor, you've identified the problem and found your solution.

Fix 2: Change Screen Refresh Rate

If you're into gaming, you're probably familiar with the refresh rate, but for those who aren't, it's essentially the speed at which a PC monitor updates the image on the screen each second. It's measured in Hertz (Hz), and for standard monitors, the supported refresh rate is usually around 60Hz.

You can try increasing the refresh rate. Gaming PCs can go up to 360Hz, but if you're using a regular PC, make sure to change it to the supported refresh rate to prevent flickering.

Step 1. Open Settings on your PC.

Step 2. Navigate to System > Display.

Step 3. Open Advanced Display (Windows 11) or Advanced display settings (Windows 10).

Step 4. Click on the Choose a refresh rate drop-down menu and select the appropriate rate that suits your PC. You can try decreasing the rate until the flickering or flashing stops.

Fix 3. Disable Full-Screen Optimization

Some games might misbehave when run in full-screen mode. If you suspect that this could be causing the screen flickering issue, you can disable full-screen optimization for the problematic game. Follow these steps to do so:

Step 1. Right-click on the game's icon on your desktop and select Properties.

Step 2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab using the bar at the top, and locate the Disable full-screen optimization option.

Step 3. Check the box next to it, and click Apply > OK to save the changes.

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Fix 4. Update Display Card Drivers

Screen flickering in Windows while playing games is typically caused by display drivers. Display card or graphics card drivers are responsible for rendering the images or pixels on your screen. These drivers function as a bridge between the hardware and software to ensure smooth on-screen performance. If the display drivers are corrupted or outdated, you may encounter not only flickering but also various other issues.

Step 1. Search for Device Management and launch the application.

Step 2. Locate the Display Adapters section and expand it to view the available graphics cards.

Step 3. Right-click on the graphics card you use, and select Update driver.

Step 4. You will see a window with two options for searching for drivers. Select the Browse My Computer for the drivers option.

Step 5. Click on Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer from the following window.

Step 6. Choose the compatible mode, and click on Next to continue.

Step 7. Now, the operating system will install the updated drivers. Restart your PC and see if the screen flickering issue is resolved.

Fix 5. Reset GPU Settings

Depending on the game's requirements, the computer adjusts the GPU settings to deliver optimal performance. However, beyond a certain point, the GPU can become prone to failure or overheating due to these extreme configurations. Therefore, it becomes necessary to reset the GPU settings to their default state.

Step 1. Open Device Management. This translates to: Step 1. Open Device Management.

Step 2. Expand the Display Adapters section, and then click on it.

Step 3. Choose Uninstall Drivers to uninstall the graphics card drivers on your device. Make sure to remove all GPU drivers.

Step 4. Now, exit the program and restart your PC.

Upon restarting, the operating system detects and reinstall the missing drives with default settings.

Fix 6. Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware Acceleration is a setting that enables your PC to harness the full capabilities of its hardware to deliver optimal performance. However, excessive use of this feature can have adverse effects on your computer screen, leading to issues like screen flickering. Therefore, we suggest disabling it to see if it resolves the flickering problem.

Step 1. To open the Run dialog box, press Windows key + R.

Step 2. Type regedit, and then click OK to launch the Registry Editor.

Step 3. Navigate to the following path in the address bar at the top:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics Translation: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics

Step 4. Right-click in the empty space, and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Create a new Registry entry

Step 5. Name the new key DisableHWAcceleration, and click on it.

Step 6. Set the Value data to 1, and click OK to save the changes. Now, restart your PC to witness the effects.

Fix 7. Perform Clean Boot

A clean boot on Windows is performed to identify if a background program is the source of issues. A personal computer is equipped with numerous device drivers, configurations, and programs. When software encounters errors and causes confusion, we carry out a clean boot to locate the conflicting program.

Step 1. Search for System Configuration and open it.

Step 2. In the Services section, check the Hide all Microsoft services option and click the Disable All button.

Step 3. Next, open the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.

Step 4. Click on the startup applications that may be interfering with Windows and causing the issue. Select the program and click on disable.

Step 5. Repeat this step for all suspected programs, then close the Task Manager and System Configuration windows.

Step 6. Restart your computer and check if the screen flickering issue while gaming is resolved.

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Bonus Tip: How to Protect Game Saves on Your PC 3.1 Back Up Game Save Files To safeguard your game progress, it's crucial to create backups of your save files regularly. Here's a general procedure for backing up saves on Windows: 1. **Locate Save Game Folders**: Each game typically stores its save files in a specific folder. You can usually find these in the following locations: - `%AppData%\Roaming\` for games that save in the user's App Data folder. - `%LocalAppData%\Games\` for games with local save files. - The game's installation directory. 2. **Identify Save Files**: Look for files with extensions like `.sav`, `.dat`, `.ini`, or game-specific formats. Sometimes, save files might be hidden, so enable "Show hidden files and folders" in File Explorer settings. 3. **Copy Save Files**: Create a backup folder on an external drive or cloud storage service. Copy the save files to this folder, ensuring you maintain the original folder structure. 4. **Regular Updates**: Update your backup whenever you make significant progress in a game or reach a checkpoint. 3.2 Use Save Game Managers Save game managers automate the backup process and often provide additional features like version control or cloud syncing. Some popular options include: - **GameSave Manager**: A free tool that supports hundreds of games, allowing you to backup, restore, and manage save files. - **Raptr**: Although no longer actively developed, Raptr's old version can still be found and offers automatic game saves syncing. - **Steam Cloud**: If you play Steam games, ensure Steam Cloud sync is enabled in the game's properties, as it automatically saves your progress to the cloud. 3.3 Third-Party Backup Solutions Some games have dedicated third-party backup solutions or modding communities that provide tools for managing save files. Examples include: - **Nexus Mods**: A popular site for mods and save game backups, especially for Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout. - **Mod Organizer**: A mod manager for games like Skyrim that can also help manage save files. Remember to always research and use trusted sources when employing third-party tools. By implementing these methods, you'll ensure that your hard-earned gaming progress remains safe from unexpected data loss or hardware failures.

If you're unable to resolve the screen flickering issue on your PC, it's crucial to safeguard your game progress by backing up your Game Saves. Game Save files store your progress, allowing you to pick up where you left off. To securely back up PC game saves, you'll need a reliable backup tool, and for this purpose, there's nothing better than Todo Backup.

Todo Backup is an acclaimed and free backup solution for automatically backing up files, hard disks, systems, and directories. It offers advanced backup features and scheduling options, making the backup process effortless. Furthermore, it enables you to create system images and clones to safeguard your system against potential damage. The software also includes cloud storage and secure encryption to provide an additional layer of protection for your data.

Here are some notable features of this remarkable backup software: 1. **User-Friendly Interface**: The software boasts an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, ensuring a seamless experience for users of all technical levels. 2. **Automated Backup**: It offers the ability to schedule regular backups at specific intervals, protecting your data without any manual intervention. 3. **Comprehensive Data Backup**: This software can back up various types of data, including files, folders, system settings, and even entire hard drives. 4. **Incremental Backup**: With incremental backup, only the changes made since the last backup are saved, significantly reducing storage space and time. 5. **Encryption & Security**: Your backed-up data is encrypted using advanced algorithms, ensuring its safety from unauthorized access. 6. **Cloud Integration**: The software supports integration with popular cloud services, allowing you to store your backups securely online. 7. **Selective Restoration**: You have the option to restore specific files or folders, rather than having to restore the entire backup. 8. **Versioning**: Multiple versions of backed-up files can be stored, enabling you to retrieve an earlier version if needed. 9. **Cross-Platform Compatibility**: The software works seamlessly across different operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and sometimes even Linux. 10. **24/7 Technical Support**: Users can rely on round-the-clock customer support to address any queries or issues promptly. These features make this backup software stand out and provide peace of mind when it comes to protecting your valuable data.

If you wish to create a backup of your PC game saves, utilizing a backup software tool would be suitable. Simply download and install it on your computer, and then begin the process of backing up your game files.

What Causes Screen Flickering While Gaming?

Screen flickering during gaming is a common issue, mainly due to the intense graphics processing and high CPU utilization. This issue could be attributed to outdated graphics drivers or problems with the hard disk; however, there are several other common reasons for flickering as well:

In summary

Game screen flickering has become increasingly prevalent due to compatibility issues between drivers and game settings. In this article, we will explore the reasons behind screen flickering during gameplay and offer practical solutions to resolve it. Should the issue persist, utilize Todo Backup tools to backup your game progress and pick up where you left off the next time you play.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Monitor Flickering While Gaming

Here are some commonly asked questions regarding monitor flickering while playing games. If you have similar concerns, I hope this will provide you with assistance.

1. Why does my screen flicker when I play games at 144Hz?

If the screen flickers while gaming at 144Hz, it's typically caused by cables. Try swapping them out or lowering the refresh rate to resolve the issue. Don't forget to update your display adapters as well.

2. Why does my screen flicker after gaming?

Various factors contribute to this flickering issue. You can try updating the display drivers, adjusting the refresh rate, or using a different monitor or cable.

3. Why does my screen flicker when in full-screen mode?

Screen flickering while playing in full-screen mode can be attributed to G-SYNC or FreeSync technologies. To address this issue, you can attempt to disable G-SYNC or exit full-screen mode and commence gameplay.

4. Can software cause screen flickering?

Indeed, software problems can also cause screen flickering. To determine whether the issue is hardware or software-related, open Task Manager and observe the screen. If the Task Manager is also flickering, it's probably a hardware issue. However, if it doesn't, you'll need to identify the problematic software.