Dell 2709W Flicker

[Zimano]

Hello all,

Very happy with this excellent monitor however there is one very irritating problem. After about 1hr of use I get a strange flickering problem in games and the brightness changes as I move around. This does not occur on a still imagine, while writing this message the display does not flicker and the brightness is consistant over the whole screen.

To explain another way, imagine there is a brightness control on the monitor. When you are stood still the brightness is fine. Imagine every time you ran around someone was turning the brightness up slightly on the monitor, when you stopped moving the brightness returns to normal. This can happen really fast with certain colours (green inparticular), this is where the flicker comes in.

Is extremely annoying and such a shame considering everything else is perfect I am convinced it is the monitor because I have tried another monitor on this system and is fine. I have also tried this monitor on another system and it does the same thing. I tried a different DVI cable and a HDMI cable and no help at all.

I tried posting almost identical message on Dell forums and they suggested enabling VSync at driver level, I tried this but it didn't help at all. This monitor is also revision A02 - apparently the A00 version has a problem with flicker. This is also the second monitor I've had off Dell and have exactly the same problem,

I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone with this monitor and whether or not they have this same problem. Perhaps this is a problem with S-PVA monitors? I tried going back to my LG TN based monitor and the colours look terrible in comparisson. Thanks for your patience.

[Vanion]

Do you have the Dynamic Contrast option on? (Menu-->Display Settings-->Dynamic Contrast)
If you do, try turning it off.

[Zimano]

Do you have the Dynamic Contrast option on? (Menu-->Display Settings-->Dynamic Contrast)
If you, try turning it off.

Thanks for the reply Unfortunately Dynamic contrast is turned off. Are you using this model monitor yourself by the way?

[Vanion]

I am using an earlier revision of the Dell 2709W. I got it when it was released (I guess it is an A00 then - if it was important I'd pull the monitor out of its comfortable resting place (i.e., clean my desk to get access to the serial number tag :-p)), without any noticable flickering issues except sometimes if the brightness gets set into the mid-30ties area.

Works just fine as long as brightness is set above or below the mid-30ties range. I discovered all of this only about 15 min before I posted a reply to your post after having searched for Dell 2709W and flickering online.

I suppose you might want to try playing with brightness and contrast a few points up or down to see if that changes anything. Although since it only happens after 1 hour as you say... heat issue? Defect component?

You've tried same monitor different system and new monitor same system I'd say if you can't figure it out you could always try to return it and get a new one. Annoying, but at least you get to keep the monitor until the new one comes on the door. No waiting time. I know I can't stand the TN panel monitor I have as a backup monitor.

Hope you find a solution either way.

Edit: Oh, I remember my laptop had issues with occasional flickering, I had to do change some DVI setting in the driver control panel for the graphic card. DVI frequency or alternate DVI mode or something like that. Both Nvidia and ATI should have settings for that. But with this happening after one hour only I think it is a bit of a long shot...*shrugs*

[Zimano]

Works just fine as long as brightness is set above or below the mid-30ties range. I discovered all of this only about 15 min before I posted a reply to your post after having searched for Dell 2709W and flickering online.

Interesting. Currently got the brightness set to 35 so will try whacking that up to 50 Isn't making a difference right now but might if I power up with this setting tomoz. I'm prepared to try anything I really am

You've tried same monitor different system and new monitor different system I'd say if you can't figure it out you could always try to return it and get a new one. Annoying, but at least you get to keep the monitor until the new one comes on the door. No waiting time. I know I can't stand the TN panel monitor I have as a backup monitor.[/I]

This is my 3rd one and they've all done it

Edit: Oh, I remember my laptop had issues with occasional flickering, I had to do change some DVI setting in the driver control panel for the graphic card. DVI frequency or alternate DVI mode or something like that. Both Nvidia and ATI should have settings for that. But with this happening after one hour only I think it is a bit of a long shot...*shrugs*

I recently bought an ATI card and spotted this option and got all excited about it but didn't help Desktop not flickering no matter how long I keep the monitor on, it just seems to be 3d games that's the problem. I watched Shawshank Redemption the other night and had no problem at all but noticed on the fly by of the prison the flicker appeared.

Also put the game Supreme Commander on, all is fine in overhead mode but if I switch to the 3d fps style perspective and move the camera I get flicker. Thanks very much again for taking the time to post

[Vanion]

I am guessing you've got a new DVI cables for every replacement screen, you already said you tried more without any luck so yeah.

3 replacements and they all do it? That really makes me wonder, I have no problems whatsoever beyond flickering in the mid-30ties brightness range, but this flickering occurs constantly anywhere all the time simply by putting the brightness to around 35. What makes me wonder is that you said the monitor flickered on a different system too, otherwise I'd have have said it would have to be something in your system that didn't like this monitor. Although having tested it with a different computer, I'll just ignore that fact a tad bit while I randomly suggesting things.

I can't imagine 3 replacements having exactly the same problem, this might be a silly suggestion, but have you tried using it on another system which was also at different house altogether, or at least a different room? Is your powersupply good enough to run your system while gaming?

Does Alt-tabbing out of the game and back again fix it for another hour?

Does running at a different resolution fix it?

Is your graphics card overheating?

Barring that, you're not extremely ghosting sensitive are you? Since it only happens when you move. I can't really notice it very much, but whenever you look around in 3d games really fast I suppose this could be an issue. Shouldn't be experienced as flickering in my experience though. Weird, since you say it only happens in games. Normal pc usage, including video is ok. So, games related. Tried the universal fix after "check the cable"? (I.e., have you reinstalled your OS?).

Settings on the screen set to PC and Graphics under "Color Settings" - I use Custom (RGB) for Preset Mode with my own settings.

Tried asking for an earlier revision, if possible?

Played around with the driver settings until your eyes bleed from trying everything?

Are you running dual monitors? Tried with just one?

I'm completely out of ideas.

[Vanion]

Oh wait, did you try turning V-Sync OFF?

[Zimano]

I am guessing you've got a new DVI cables for every replacement screen, you already said you tried more without any luck so yeah.

No help trying HDMI cable or vga connection either

3 replacements and they all do it? That really makes me wonder, I have no problems whatsoever beyond flickering in the mid-30ties brightness range, but this flickering occurs constantly anywhere all the time simply by putting the brightness to around 35. What makes me wonder is that you said the monitor flickered on a different system too, otherwise I'd have have said it would have to be something in your system that didn't like this monitor. Although having tested it with a different computer, I'll just ignore that fact a tad bit while I randomly suggesting things.

I get no problems on a still screen at all, web browsing is fine not a problem at all. I notice no flicker whether I'm in mid 30's or default 50 brightness setting. The flickering occurs in games. Not so much your overhead view in games but the first person perspective. If I was running accross a green field in oblivion or world of warcraft then the 3d grass will flicker and look brighter when I run. When I stop running the flicker goes away and will return to normal brightness. Do you ever play these kinds of games? If you don't you'd have never noticed this issue with your monitor

I can't imagine 3 replacements having exactly the same problem, this might be a silly suggestion, but have you tried using it on another system which was also at different house altogether, or at least a different room? Is your powersupply good enough to run your system while gaming?

I'm prepared to try anything and will set the monitor and system up in a different room later on and see if that helps On the subject of power supply I noticed that there is a special slot for a power supply in the back of the monitor. I didn't get a power supply for the monitor but it came with a standard 3 pin female power cable. Did you get this same cable or special Dell power suply?

In the computer itself my power supply meant to be fine for have dual gfx card setup and I'm just using the one.

Does Alt-tabbing out of the game and back again fix it for another hour?

Unfortunately not

Does running at a different resolution fix it?

Has no effect whatsoever. Even tried at 800x600 and get the same thing, be that fullscreen (stretched and 1:1 pixel mapped) or windowed.

Is your graphics card overheating?

Reduced the speed on the card to see if it made a difference and no luck at all. Got nice cooling in this system

Barring that, you're not extremely ghosting sensitive are you? Since it only happens when you move. I can't really notice it very much, but whenever you look around in 3d games really fast I suppose this could be an issue. Shouldn't be experienced as flickering in my experience though. Weird, since you say it only happens in games. Normal pc usage, including video is ok. So, games related. Tried the universal fix after "check the cable"? (I.e., have you reinstalled your OS?).

I do notice ghosting but this a completely different problem and has never bothered me. Is an effect I actually prefer as the TV I used when I was a kid did it and I miss when it's not there OS wise I have Window XP, Windows XP 64 bit and Vista 64. Makes absolutely no difference at all.

Settings on the screen set to PC and Graphics under "Color Settings" - I use Custom (RGB) for Preset Mode with my own settings.

Nothing in here I try helps at all

Tried asking for an earlier revision, if possible?

Played around with the driver settings until your eyes bleed from trying everything?

Are you running dual monitors? Tried with just one?

So far I've had a rev A01 and 2 x A02's. My hands and head hurt but I'm slowly getting used to the effect. I can't go back to a TN so appart from trying this in another room I'm going to have to live with it I guess.

I'm completely out of ideas.

As I said earlier if I had never played 3d games I'd have never have noticed the problem at all. If you are using a special Dell supplied psu let me know though as this one didn't come with one. Thanks again for your time in replying to this, I really appreciate all these suggestions

[Vanion]

If I was running accross a green field in oblivion or world of warcraft then the 3d grass will flicker and look brighter when I run. When I stop running the flicker goes away and will return to normal brightness. Do you ever play these kinds of games? If you don't you'd have never noticed this issue with your monitor

Yes. I have noticed absolutely no such problem with my Dell 2709W combined with my Nvidia 8800GTS card, nor my latest ATI 4870 card. The last time I had issues with textures in game was before my Dell monitor and it was a nvidia driver issue that was corrected eventually with a newer revision driver. I am going to assume you've tried different driver versions, starting with the latest and moving downwards.

Reduced the speed on the card to see if it made a difference and no luck at all. Got nice cooling in this system

The last time I had a heating issue was with my Geforce 256 card back on my Athlon 700MHz, but that resulted in crashes and not flickering. I used one of those desk fans to keep the computer from crashing. Although in the end it turned out to be a faulty powersupply that was causing the problems. Since then I've only got brand name highly recommended powersupplies. Currently using a Corsair 620W.

As I said earlier if I had never played 3d games I'd have never have noticed the problem at all. If you are using a special Dell supplied psu let me know though as this one didn't come with one. Thanks again for your time in replying to this, I really appreciate all these suggestions

I'm only using the standard power cable. That other power connector you are talking about is the "DC power connector for Dell™ Soundbar". As in the optional speakers you can buy from Dell and attach to the monitor.

[muppet_hat]

Call Dell Customer Service, get your monitor replaced with a new one!