Screen flickering, desktop scrambling

[Frosst]

I don't know exactly how to describe it, but a few minutes ago my desktop began scrambling and flickering, and there were black lines everywhere. It didn't stop until I restarted, which I couldn't do with my cursor because everything on screen kept moving around and was obscured by the flickering black lines. I thought it might have been a cord not connecting properly or something, so I checked everything going to my monitor, including my HDMI switcher, and all seemed fine.

Does anyone know what this could be?

 

[Ex_Brit]

If it's stable after a reboot I would try updating the graphics drivers and if they are already up to date, reinstall the current driver over the top of the old one. If it isn't a loose connection then make sure your graphics card, if you have one, is secure in its socket. I tried Googling this issue and got so many hits I really haven't the time to go through them all but I assume you are doing something similar. Just Google desktop screen flickering scrambled, or something along those lines.

Question had you run any registry cleaners recently? They are often the cause of weird malfunctions because, despite what they claim, they often clean essential files.

 

[Frosst]

Thank you so much for your response!

I avoid those registry cleaning programs for the reason you gave. So that is definitely ruled out.

When I restarted I reinstalled the latest AMD driver.

I had my system built by NCIX back in June and haven't moved the PC since then except very lightly to connect devices. If nothing else works, I suppose I could try re-securing the GPU. Hopefully it's something else.

 

[Ex_Brit]

How old is the monitor? Just a thought as it could be that. I'm clutching at straws really as all these things should, theoretically, last for a very long time.

 

[Frosst]

I bought the monitor last summer.

 

[Ex_Brit]

....an afterthought....is the monitor and PC plugged into a protected power supply? By protected I mean with at least a surge protection feature? Power surges could cause this sort of behaviour.
In the case of a desktop, it could be a sign your power supply is about to fail, but really only a PC repair shop could check that. Unless you are an expert in these matters, I'd recommend taking the PC into one.

 

[Frosst]

My PC is plugged into a power bar but I don't know if it has a surge protection feature. The monitor is plugged into the wall.

Also, I can't really take it into a computer repair shop so my best bet would be to switch out this PSU with the Corsair CX600 that I have sitting in an old build. If it comes to that anyway. My current PSU...

Thermaltake TR2 600W Cable Management ATX12V V2.3 24PIN Power Supply With 120MM Fan

 

[Ex_Brit]

OK you should look into getting a surge-protected power bar and plug all the PC stuff into that, but of course I was only speculating. It may not be what I've suggested.
Were there any other clues prior to this happening such as strange pop-ups or web pages opening when they shouldn't?

 

[Sir George]

My PC is plugged into a power bar but I don't know if it has a surge protection feature. The monitor is plugged into the wall.

Also, I can't really take it into a computer repair shop so my best bet would be to switch out this PSU with the Corsair CX600 that I have sitting in an old build. If it comes to that anyway. My current PSU...

Thermaltake TR2 600W Cable Management ATX12V V2.3 24PIN Power Supply With 120MM Fan

Just an FYI; When purchasing or using a surge protector, the joule rating is the important part for most devices. The more expensive the item you are plugging in, the higher the rating you want. I would suggest using a 4000 joule rated for a computer setup.

My personal preference is to use a UPS for both added protection and battery backup.

 

[Frosst]

Noted. Thank you so much for that advice on power bars.

OK you should look into getting a surge-protected power bar and plug all the PC stuff into that, but of course I was only speculating. It may not be what I've suggested.
Were there any other clues prior to this happening such as strange pop-ups or web pages opening when they shouldn't?

Firstly, I will be sure to get a surge-protected power bar as soon as possible. Either way it sounds like an important thing to have.

As for clues, well, literally the second I launched itunes it happened. itunes just came up and that's when it started. And an hour earlier I was modding the Dark Souls .ini to alter things like resolution and other graphical features.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[Frosst]

Another thing that has started happening is I've been having this issue where I hear a clicking or switching sound somewhere in my kitchen, and when that happens I either get a little flicker on my monitor for a split second or it goes black for a second instead. This also happens sometimes when I turn my ceiling fan on.

 

[joeandmarg0]

Sounds as if your ceiling fan is the cause.As they age,the power required to overcome the inertia,[Isaac Newton and his Laws] increases,bearings wear and the lubricant dries out.It could also be the Fan controller momentarily arcing.My TV audio temporarily cuts out when the fan speed is changed.
One day change might happen,at my end,maybe!

 

[Frosst]

Update: The clicking sound was coming from my 20 year old water cooler, and unplugging it has stopped the monitor blinking. I haven't had that scrambling screen craziness again, but this whole thing has sent me down the electricity rabbit hole and now I am learning about line conditioning. Since I'm having these "brownouts", I'm concerned about the health of my hardware. Unfortunately line conditioners cost at least $100.

What should I do? I live in a small apartment suite with no bedrooms and have only so many circuits in which to divide devices. I kind of need everything where it is, and I'm counting 6 devices plugged into one circuit.

Is my PC in danger? Do I need a line conditioner, considering the low voltage issue? The cost is prohibitive.

 

[joeandmarg0]

You only have two options,one is to fit a surge protector on the circuit which serves the valuable equipment or an uninterruptable power supply to your computer system.The water cooler probably needs a new thermostat and considering it's age,spare parts could be a problem.

 

[Frosst]

Hmmm, I see. I'll look at my options in terms of UPS.