What is causing my display to flicker or go blank?

There can be a number of reasons why a display may flicker or go blank. Some of the most common causes of this problem include loose cables, incorrect settings, a faulty power supply unit, or a malfunctioning graphics card.

1. Loose Cables – The first and easiest thing to check is if all of the connecting cables from the monitor to the PC or laptop are firmly connected. Check the signal cables on both sides of the connection that run between the PC or laptop and the monitor. Also, if your monitor has a separate power cable, make sure this is securely connected. If the cables are loose, then simply tighten them for a secure connection.

2. Incorrect Settings – If your display still flickers or goes blank after checking and tightening the cables, then check your graphics card settings. These settings can usually be accessed by right-clicking the desktop and selecting “Graphics Properties” or “Display Properties”. Then look for an option labelled something like “Refresh Rate”. Change this to the highest possible value, usually 75 Hz or higher. Note that some older monitors can only support lower refresh rates such as 60 Hz.

3. Faulty Power Supply Unit – If your display still flickers or goes blank after adjusting the graphics settings, then the problem could be a faulty power supply unit. To verify this, turn off your computer and unplug the power supply from the back of the PC. Then use a multimeter to measure the voltage on the power supply. If the measured voltage is outside the expected range for your PC, then the power supply is likely the culprit.

4. Malfunctioning Graphics Card – In some cases, the display may flicker or go blank due to a malfunctioning graphics card. To diagnose this, you will need to disconnect all other devices from the PC and then check if the display still flickers or goes blank. If it does, then the graphics card is likely to blame and should be replaced.

In conclusion, if your display is flickering or going blank, then it is possible that the problem is caused by a loose cable, incorrect settings, a faulty power supply unit, or a malfunctioning graphics card. Make sure to check each of these individually in order to determine and fix the underlying cause of the issue.