Grey screen freeze when running 4k monitor with DSC and freesync enabled

[human_error]

I've recently upgraded to using a new graphics card and my new monitor arrived yesterday. I am hoping to figure out if I have a hardware or software defect with this issue before my new hardware exists my return window.

Summary

My graphics card is a Powercolor RX 6900 XT Red Devil Ultimate, and is on the OC bios, although this happens with or without overclock. I don't have any issues on my old 1440p 144hz monitor (not freesync), and running benchmarks and such don't have any issues.

I am getting a grey screen with scattered small horizontal blue lines when trying to play games at 4k 144hz with Freesync enabled on my Asus PG32UQX monitor (although it's a G-sync module it supports freesync over DP). If I disable freesync or lower the refresh rate to 120hz then I do not experience any issues. If the monitor is running at 120hz then DSC is disabled, so it looks like it may be a DSC + Freesync issue. The PC continues to run in the background with game audio playing correctly, so it looks like it is the display output that is broken. Restarting the monitor does not fix it and I need to do a hard system restart to get output back. I have tested many combinations of settings and it is the combination of 144hz/DSC and Freesync that is the culprit. This applies with or without overclocking enabled, and all of my software & drivers are fully up to date.

I reached out to AMD and Asus as I hope it is a software bug. Asus's immediate reply was saying to RMA but it doesn't sound like they understand the issue at all (they basically said "so you're having a connectivity issue - we can RMA for you"). No reply from AMD but I don't know if they reply to bug reports..

 

[ring0r]

Hey, ive got exactly the same issue, thats funny because we got the same problem with the same hardware, i hope after that months you have solved the issue? Ive tried literally everything but i have still the same issue. Ive only found out that when you disable HDCP Support on AMD Driver the (Grey-White Screen with artefacts get to an Screen Freezer)

 

[Chomiq]

Have you checked multiple cables?

 

[human_error]

Hey, ive got exactly the same issue, thats funny because we got the same problem with the same hardware, i hope after that months you have solved the issue? Ive tried literally everything but i have still the same issue. Ive only found out that when you disable HDCP Support on AMD Driver the (Grey-White Screen with artefacts get to an Screen Freezer)

So I fixed it using CRU to change the freesync range for the monitor. I adjusted it to work between 5 and 140hz and it has fixed the issue. My suspicion is that at the very bottom and very top of the range there is a chance the driver can request the refresh too quickly or too slowly for the monitor to handle. I've not had a single issue since doing this, and at those two fps ranges freesync won't make any difference.

 

[ring0r]

Have you checked multiple cables?

I also tried a new cable but it was unsuccessful.

So I fixed it using CRU to change the freesync range for the monitor. I adjusted it to work between 5 and 140hz and it has fixed the issue. My suspicion is that at the very bottom and very top of the range there is a chance the driver can request the refresh too quickly or too slowly for the monitor to handle. I've not had a single issue since doing this, and at those two fps ranges freesync won't make any difference.

That sounds good. Can you briefly explain again what exactly you did? CRU Custom Resolution Utility? Have you tried the Radeon software too? I would be very happy about a short HowTo

I changed the V-Range with CRU to 5-140 but then Freesync is no longer activated (you can see it on the FPS counter on the monitor). Did I forget something?

 

[ring0r]

Hey, you didn't write if you FPS are still displayed on the OLED, because if not, FreeSync is definitely not active but I was able to solve the problem, if your Freesync is not active you can contact me.

 

[human_error]

Thanks - been out of the house for a few days so not tested it. I have the mini oled off as I can't turn the rog logo flash off which drives me nuts. Have you managed to disable the logo on the oled?

 

[human_error]

Hey, you didn't write if you FPS are still displayed on the OLED, because if not, FreeSync is definitely not active but I was able to solve the problem, if your Freesync is not active you can contact me.

Got around to testing it - I have 2 issues - the OSD is showing my fps capped at 144 even in a game where I'm getting 50fps, so it seems Freesync may not be working? My other issue is the OLED is showing 0 or 144, even when it should be 144 solid, so I have no idea how it's calculating the framerate..

Any tips on how you got your freesync working?

 

[Shrek]

Have you checked multiple cables?

Ferrite cores are not magnets...

 

[human_error]

Got around to testing it - I have 2 issues - the OSD is showing my fps capped at 144 even in a game where I'm getting 50fps, so it seems Freesync may not be working? My other issue is the OLED is showing 0 or 144, even when it should be 144 solid, so I have no idea how it's calculating the framerate..

Any tips on how you got your freesync working?

Ok so Freesync was not working, hence the issues with my OSD. I can't figure out how to get it working with the modified Freesync range so @ring0r any advice on how to fix that would be appreciated

 

[ring0r]

Hey, yes, if the OSD of the monitor does not show the FPS exactly, then FreeSync is not active, as already mentioned (you can also notice of the lack of smoothness).

Your approach with CRU was very good but only the range has to be set correctly because FreeSync has implemented a fixed FPS range, so if you set the FreeSync Range from 56 to 144 everything will work perfectly

 

[Mussels]

CRU has similar options in various places so without showing your stock and modded CRU settings, you could be changing the totally wrong things
As one obvious example, you can set freesync/VRR ranges in locations for HDMI and DP seperately and could have changed the wrong one.


I've looked up the monitor, it's 4K 144hz Gsync. Real Gsync. As in, Gsync only works properly with Nvidia cards. You may not get freesync to work at 4k 144.

And importantly: 4K 144 requires displayport 1.4 with DSC.
It only supports 120Hz VRR - It specifically names that, for Xbox support (HDMI 2.0)


So how are you connecting? DP? HDMI? what spec cables?

I assume 4k 144 just wont happen over HDMI, and i assume freesync may not work in certain combinations since it uses more bandwidth over the cables (any frame doubling etc, is done at the GPU end)


The official specs show some good numbers for sure, but they're gunna be fussy as hell for what's connected at the other end and cable support:
24-144 on HDMI 2.0, 1-144 on DP 1.4 with DSC

 

[ring0r]

CRU has similar options in various places so without showing your stock and modded CRU settings, you could be changing the totally wrong things
As one obvious example, you can set freesync/VRR ranges in locations for HDMI and DP seperately and could have changed the wrong one.


I've looked up the monitor, it's 4K 144hz Gsync. Real Gsync. As in, Gsync only works properly with Nvidia cards. You may not get freesync to work at 4k 144.

And importantly: 4K 144 requires displayport 1.4 with DSC.
It only supports 120Hz VRR - It specifically names that, for Xbox support (HDMI 2.0)


So how are you connecting? DP? HDMI? what spec cables?

I assume 4k 144 just wont happen over HDMI, and i assume freesync may not work in certain combinations since it uses more bandwidth over the cables (any frame doubling etc, is done at the GPU end)


The official specs show some good numbers for sure, but they're gunna be fussy as hell for what's connected at the other end and cable support:
24-144 on HDMI 2.0, 1-144 on DP 1.4 with DSC
View attachment 226874

We are using the ASUS PG32UQX with DP + DSC an its working properly. The only Problem is the deposited FreeSync Range in the AMD Radeon Driver, so i have manually fixed it with CRU to 56-144hz (prior 1-144 Problems with some games, not all) after the manually fixed FreeSync Range its all working flaweless.

 

[human_error]

We are using the ASUS PG32UQX with DP + DSC an its working properly. The only Problem is the deposited FreeSync Range in the AMD Radeon Driver, so i have manually fixed it with CRU to 56-144hz (prior 1-144 Problems with some games, not all) after the manually fixed FreeSync Range its all working flaweless.

Does it have to be 56-144? Is there a ratio I need to follow as I'd prefer it to be lower than 56 as many cutscenes in games I play are at 30ish fps.

 

[ring0r]

Does it have to be 56-144? Is there a ratio I need to follow as I'd prefer it to be lower than 56 as many cutscenes in games I play are at 30ish fps.

Yes they are fixed:
24-60Hz
39-100Hz
47-120Hz
56-144Hz

If you mean per example Far Cry 6 30fps cutscenes... No problem works flawless

 

[human_error]

Yes they are fixed:
24-60Hz
39-100Hz
47-120Hz
56-144Hz

If you mean per example Far Cry 6 30fps cutscenes... No problem works flawless

I see - for 30fps cutscenes is it using freesync frame doubling?

 

[ring0r]

I see - for 30fps cutscenes is it using freesync frame doubling?

Right

 

[human_error]

I've looked up the monitor, it's 4K 144hz Gsync. Real Gsync. As in, Gsync only works properly with Nvidia cards. You may not get freesync to work at 4k 144.

Yeah new Gsync modules are supporting VESA VRR over displayport these days, including on this monitor for the full Gsync supported range. Looking into it I suspect the issue is either with the DSC decompression or the AMD drivers using the wrong frame timings (even being slightly off will cause these issues). I can run VRR from 1-120 fine, and if Ring0r is running 56-144 fine then it's an odd one and most likely AMD frame timing related as I see the grey screens in games that suddenly jump from 1 FPS to 144 fps, which my solution and Ring0r's solutions avoid.

Yes they are fixed:
24-60Hz
39-100Hz
47-120Hz
56-144Hz

If you mean per example Far Cry 6 30fps cutscenes... No problem works flawless

Ok so I've done some testing - seems that you can do beyond those ranges, but there are multipliers at play which need to be used. I've got 14-144 as a range working well for me, which avoids the need for LFC/frame doubling since the display doesn't need that to work well. Have not had any grey screens using those settings in games where I always get grey screens, and freesync is working according to the OLED.

 

[Mussels]

Yes they are fixed:
24-60Hz
39-100Hz
47-120Hz
56-144Hz

If you mean per example Far Cry 6 30fps cutscenes... No problem works flawless

Are they fixed for that monitor, or are those generic freesync ranges?

I've got two here that i play around with Nvidia->Freesync and... it's not great, so that information could be something i've missed
Atm i use 60-144 to prevent brightness flickering, which is how i know Gsync on nvidia and freesync on AMD is... imperfect

 

[human_error]

Are they fixed for that monitor, or are those generic freesync ranges?

They're not fixed on this monitor - I've got 14-144 working and I can't see these ranges specified anywhere in docs for the screen. These look like more common ranges I've seen for other screens, but there is some form of ratio/hidden rules at play since 14-144 works, but 10-140 didn't work. When it's active I don't see any issues on the screen - gameplay is super fluid and there's no flickering or other issues. It works as well as my wife's Gsync setup does.