Monitor keeps blacking out during gaming. I can only play in windowed mode.

[MiroslavaP]

Hello, I have a problem with my monitor AOC blacking out during gaming.

My computer setup:
Monitor: AOC, model number 27G2, power rating:100 – 240 V, energy usage: 28 W, frequency 144 Hz, it is conected by HDMI cable
Procesor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, 6-Core
Graphics card: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
RAM: 32 GB
System: 64-bit
Windows: Windows 10 Home

Description of an issue in more detail: The vast majority of videogames that I own can be played only in windowed mode, otherwise the screen keeps blacking out during game.

The severity od black screen during gameplay can differ based on games I play. Sometimes the game stayes black the entire time, sometimes it flickers and I can see everything in between those flashes.

Sometimes it is so bad, that I can´t even acces the main menu of the game. I do hear the sound, so I assume the game started but I see nothing and it makes switching to windowed mode in main menu options impossible. In extreme cases, the game can´t be minimized by hitting windows key and/or ended by using the CTRL+ALT+DEL („end the task“ command) and I have to push the reset button on my computer to force a complete shut down and restart the computer again.

In those cases, in which it is possible to use CTRL + ALT + DEL command, I usually end the game and restart the computer. After re-launching the game again, this will sometimes help to get into main menu and set a windowed mode. It doesn´t, however, fix the issue of not being able to play the game in full screen without blacking out. Some games can´t be displayed in windowed mode, which makes them not possible to play at all.

Example of games that black out:
The Wolf Among Us (can be played in windowed mode)
Witchy Life Story (can be played in windowed mode)
The Abbey
Unavowed
Day of the Tentacle: Remastered
The Sims 4 (can be played in windowed mode)
Planet Zoo (can be played in windowed mode)
…
What I tried doing in order to fix it, but it didn´t work:

1. Switch Power Options plan in Control Panel
2. Restart the computer
3. Update graphic card driver
4. Update Windows
5. Check, if the HDMI cable is connected correctly
6. Check resource usage during gameplay in task manager
7. Monitor the temperature of the system components

 

[voyagerfan99]

Is this a custom or pre-built computer? I'm wondering if you have issues with either your RAM or power supply.

 

[MiroslavaP]

Thank you for your reply. My brother helped me solve the issue yesterday! There are two different HDMI slots at the back of my monitor. One for HDMI 1 and other for HDMI 2. The HDMI cable was plugged in a slot HDMI 2. After we plugged the cable to slot HDMI 1, there hasn´t been any problem with blacking out and I can finally put games on full screen.

It is a custom build gaming computer, built by IT professionals. My brother has the same setup but with different monitor. He never had any issue with blacking out screen or not being able to play on full screen. I never thought the problem could be in a cable plugged in different slot. I always assumed it doesn't matter to witch slot I plug it in, as long as it is HDMI slot and the cable fits. Either way, I am glad, that the problem was fixed.

 

[voyagerfan99]

I always assumed it doesn't matter to witch slot I plug it in, as long as it is HDMI slot

It definitely doesn't. The port you were plugged into just has an issue it seems.

 

[johnb35]

I'm not sure what exact model of video card you have but all the 5700xt cards I see have only 1 hdmi and the rest are display ports. Were you plugging into the motherboard hdmi and not the video card hdmi?

 

[MiroslavaP]

It definitely doesn't. The port you were plugged into just has an issue it seems.

Yes, it could be that the HDMI 2 port on the back of my monitor itself is damaged, but I can´t see that from the outside and the cable seemed to fit in well. Usually if the component is crooked in some way by default, I can feel it, because the part that goes in it (in this case HDMI cable) doesn´t fit properly. This wasn´t the case, but there could be some invisible problem inside the port, maybe at the contact point itself, when the two components (cable + port) meet. I just hope the other port will keep on working.

 

[MiroslavaP]

I'm not sure what exact model of video card you have but all the 5700xt cards I see have only 1 hdmi and the rest are display ports. Were you plugging into the motherboard hdmi and not the video card hdmi?

I mean HDMI port at the back of my monitor. There are two - HDMI 1 and HDMI 2 and I have been told that it shouldn´t make a difference in which HDMI port I plug the HDMI cable into, as long as it works. There is also D-sub connector, but I don´t know what purpose it serves, because nothing is plugged in it and everything still works.