B326HK Post-Wakeup Flicker / Blinking

Venner
Venner Member Posts: 6 New User

I've been loving my B326HK monitor except for one issue.

 

My machine stays on 24/7, so I turn the monitor off when I am away from it. When I turn it back on, everything seems fine, but every so often the screen will turn off briefly (for about a second or two) and then the image returns. This might happen once an hour, or it might happen 10 times in a few minutes. It is extremely irritating and makes using the computer impossible (especially for movies or gaming).

 

If I unplug the display port cable and plug it back it, the blinking stops. I have read a few other people describe the same behavior with their B326HK monitors; they had different video cards than I have, so that doesn't seem to be the issue.

 

Does anyne have a solution? Is Acer aware of this issue and are there any plans to push an update at some point in the future?

 

Notes:

Windows 8.1 Pro x64

Radeon HD7870 Tahiti (and several iterations of drivers)

- I've tried 3 different brands of display port cables I have on hand, makes no difference.

- Changing the "turn off display" under "power save" to "never" makes no difference.

- The same behavior occurs if I simply let the monitor "sleep" and then wake instead of hitting the front power button.

 

Answers

  • laurent_14
    laurent_14 ACE Posts: 10,302 Trailblazer

    Hello,

     

    Have you tried with another monitor or LCD TV in using the VGA or HDMI port?

    For me, it's certainly a capacitor(s) issue of the power board or the main bord.

    France
  • Venner
    Venner Member Posts: 6 New User

    The video card has worked fine with two other monitors (HDMI & DVI, VGA) for two years. My other monitors don't have Displayport so I can't test that. However, the "blinking" behavior occurs with either of the Displayport ports, so it's not a single defective port, and it's less likely that both ports would be defective. I don't know if it is some sort of handshaking issue with the displayport protocol or what, but it doesn't seem to be the fault of the cable or video card. (As I said, it works just fine until the monitor comes back from powersave / being turned off.)

  • morpheon
    morpheon Member Posts: 4 New User

    I too have this EXACT same problem and I own three of these monitors for work. It is not the cable, ports, or video cards. 

     

    the only solution I have found is to unplug the cable from the monitor (NOT THE PC) and restablish the handshake. 

     

    Acer, I LOVE this monitor but you need to figure out a solution or a firmware update. I dont want to return 3 monitors. 

     

     

  • Venner
    Venner Member Posts: 6 New User

    Morpheon, I just know this is going to jinx me, but I manually installed the B326HK driver in Windows 8.1 last night and haven't experienced the issue since. I'm hoping it isn't just luck -- if you could do the same and report back, I would quite appreciate it.

    Windows 8 just reports the monitor as a Gerneric Plug & Play in Device Manager and this changes it to a 'B326HK' device.

    Search for 'B326HK' at the link to grab the driver. ( http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers )
    Here's the problem: Acer's driver is not digitally signed and Windows 8 will refuse to install it. (Should be able to override without much problem in Windows 7)

    For Win 8, it's a bit of rigamarole to get it installed. Here's a guide to disabling the protections so you can get the driver installed. It'll take a couple of reboots. Then you can install the driver and re-enable everything.
    http://www.howtogeek.com/167723/how-to-disable-driver-signature-verification-on-64-bit-windows-8.1-so-that-you-can-install-unsigned-drivers/


  • morpheon
    morpheon Member Posts: 4 New User

    Hi Venner!

     

    Thanks for the suggestion! I did manage to install the driver and it seems to have "helped" in that it doesnt loose signal as much but the problem definately persists...

     

    if you have any other suggestions let me know! I willl keep trying things on this end. 

  • Venner
    Venner Member Posts: 6 New User

    Yep, I ultimately found the same. It seems to happen less frequently, but still happens. I'll keep searching too...

  • morpheon
    morpheon Member Posts: 4 New User

    Hi Venner, 

     

    I just wanted to let you know I tried a certifed 1.2 cable today at work after one of my machines was driving me crazy and it worked! It was actually the rig with the worst offending Acer B326hk - it would loose the handshake constantly. 

     

    I only had one of these cables on-hand but I have ordered a few more from here: 

     

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CD1FB3A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

     

    they are cheap and if you order them now youll have the for the weekend. 

     

    I cant say with 100% certainity this will fix the issue for you but all I know is my current setup at work held signal all day immedately after changing to this cable where it had never before.

     

    heres hoping!

     

  • Venner
    Venner Member Posts: 6 New User

    Morpheon,

    Actually, the cable I am currently using is an Accell UltraAV DP 1.2 cable, just like that one, but in a 6ft DP-to-miniDP design; my current video card has no full-sized DP ports. The cable that came with the monitor was much worse!

     

    The Accell never loses the signal once I unplug and plug it back in, just when the monitor has been turned off and back on (or goes into sleep mode.)

    It's possible that my video card (ATI 7870 LE) is just not putting out quite enough power over the displayport connection for a 4k@60hz signal to be 100% stable after a "soft" wake or something. I'm planning to upgrade after I see the new AMD offerings in Feb/March. It might or might not make a difference, but I'll continue fiddling until then.

  • morpheon
    morpheon Member Posts: 4 New User

    Hi Venner, 

     

    Just wanted to report back that this cable completely solved my issue on all machines. 

     

    I am currently using a number of high end nvidia cards for work (980, 780ti, Titan Z) so perhaps it could be the video card. 

     

    either way I really hope that a new card solves the issue for you! Thanks for all the suggestions! If theres anything I could try for you please let me know. 

     

     

  • Artbox
    Artbox Member Posts: 1 New User

    This is flickering/blinking is happening when I open my laptop.  I always leave it on/plugged it, and I move it some, so it does get unplugged regularly.  This laptop is less than 3 months old. and I haven't dropped, banged or had anything happen to it.  (( I also am under warrenty for a couple years)  So I'm not willing to purchas something that shouldn't have died out or not worked within this time frame.   What did you who have experienced this problem end up doing to correct it?