Unusual driver malfunction causing display issues and flickering screen
Unusual driver malfunction causing display issues and flickering screen
Hello. I've built my first PC and I'm having an issue I'm trying to figure out. I don't really know much, except basics. My build is: Windows 10 pro 64-bit CPU: i5-12600k GPU: RTX 3070 (Inno3D twin x2 LHR) PSU: Cooler master v750 Gold V2 Motherboard: Msi Pro B660M-A wifi DDR4 Ram: Corsair Vengeance LPX CL16 3200mhz 16 gb (2 sticks of 8 gb) Randomly while doing anything, the screen flickers black for a moment and programs crash. Chrome shows a ''out of memory'' error and sometimes I have to restart because nothing is responding anymore. Usually when it happens the nvidia driver crashes (shows an error for a moment) and the resolution changes. The crash happens randomly, I can't cause it to happen myself. I could be just browsing or watching a video. Games usually run perfectly fine and temps are low, still they randomly crash. Things I tried: I tested both RAM sticks with memtest, no errors. Physically re-plugged everything. Some random tests with OCCT. Did benchmark tests for the GPU but nothing crashed while testing. Used DDU and reinstalled nvidia driver, and done a windows repair. Updated BIOS, re-installed windows. Made a new windows user, disabled every non-microsoft service/program. Replaced my PSU from 600w to 750w + changed RAM to kingston 3200mhz, the issue remains. Not sure what else to try, before sending the GPU back. Thanks a lot in advance. Reliability Monitor error screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/r2HZonf
It doesn’t seem like a power supply problem. What voltage are you using for your RAM?
The screen flickers black intermittently—does that mean it's being interrupted? I'm not sure if static electricity is the cause, as Jayztwocents has dealt with this before. For other issues, if you've already tried basic troubleshooting, maybe try a Linux live USB and browse Firefox with many tabs to see if it crashes. That could point to a hardware problem like RAM or voltage issues. Checking the system voltage or running diagnostics might help.
The RTX 3070 works fine at 650W, especially considering the 600W requirement. The problem isn't the power supply; it might be related to RAM, drivers, or a faulty component.
When choosing a power supply, always go beyond the suggested minimum. Sticking to the lowest recommended won’t guarantee smooth operation—it puts you at risk. Adding extra peripherals, overclocking, or minor upgrades will strain the system. If NVIDIA insists on a 650W minimum, ensure you have at least that much or more. Underpowering your PSU leads to trouble. I’m not saying the power supply itself is the problem, but based on performance data, 600W falls short for this setup and deserves an upgrade regardless of issues. Each component failure is isolated: RAM, CPU, or PSU can fail independently. With the significant investment you’ve made, ignoring the PSU isn’t a smart move.
The power source isn't the problem. The 3070 draws around 250-300 watts during gaming, and the CPU might use 100-140 watts when close to full load. They suggest using higher wattages such as 650w, 750w, or 850w to exclude older power supplies that can't manage high-power video cards in short bursts, or to dismiss suppliers whose labels are misleading. If you're just browsing on Windows, watching YouTube, etc., and encounter errors, the graphics card may only use under 30-50 watts at those times—so it's not a power draw issue. I’d consider testing Corsair RAM sticks. Create a bootable USB with MemTest86—https://www.memtest86.com/download.htm—and run the RAM tests. If errors appear, try setting the sticks to 3000MHz and retest. HDMI problems (flickering, blacking out) could stem from a weak HDMI cable, transmission issues, or HDCP encryption failures if enabled—consider switching to a better DisplayPort cable if possible.
I used xmp initially, then it operates at 1.36v. After that, I adjusted it to 1.35v based on some online advice. I also reset the motherboard settings to default, turned off XMP, and now I’m still experiencing issues. The screen goes black briefly before flickering rapidly, sometimes after about two seconds. There’s a disconnected sound similar to a USB port being unplugged. How can I determine if static is causing this? I opened many tabs and played games, but it’s unpredictable—sometimes everything works, other times just a few tabs or four with music cause a crash. I now have both a monitor and a 4K TV connected via HDMI, and the problem occurs randomly even with a new display cable. It happens with either the monitor or the cable, making it hard to pinpoint. I also ran Memtest on both RAM sticks and found no errors.