Screen flickering with NVIDIA in Ubuntu 10.04

[ddreamer]

On my previous installation of Ubuntu 9.04 using "NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-185.18.36-pkg2.run" downloaded from official website of NVIDIA, everything worked fine. I ran Ubuntu with Gnome desktop on a Laptop (ASUS M51SN) equipped with GeForce 9500M GS card.

After installation of Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx, I have tried NVIDIA 173 driver as well as "current" driver (after installation, I know it was 195.16.15). I also tried "NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-195.36.24-pkg2.run" downloaded from official site. The three drivers all make my screen flickering, though not very obvious but still perceivable. If flickering is defined as consisting of bright period and dark period, then the dark period only lasted a fraction of a second. The frequency is quite variable, sometimes you just don't perceive any flickering but in another moment, it flickered at least 5 times a second. The flickering is most evident in all-white background.

I even doubted if the screen itself or the video card or my eyes went wrong. The former two could be excluded by normal appearance when booting up into Ubuntu 9.04 or FailSafe Mode of Ubuntu 10.04. The last one could be excluded by the same perception of my family member who doesn't use my Ubuntu computer regularly.

Do you guys face similar or the same problem?

I googled and found an article similar, where PowerMizer is damned for changing performance level and caused screen flickering. However, I didn't find any performance level change in "nvidia-settings" program. When the performance level was forced at the maximum, it still flickered. Therefore, PowerMizer seemed unlikely to be the problem in my case. The frequency and severity of flickering aren't associated with any application use. In other words, I haven't found a way to promote or suppress the flickering. It just happened randomly as I could perceive. I use Compiz but when I turned it off by System/Preferences/Appearance/Visual Effect/None. It persisted in flickering... ...

[dino99]

add this ppa to your sources.list (synaptic - repo tab):

https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates

read how to do on this page, then update and upgrade

[ddreamer]

Thanks a lot. The flickering improved somewhat but it still existed. Such a bug is really difficult to describe and find solutions for.

[kenweill]

As of now, dowloading and installing nvidia driver from the nvidia's website is not recommended.

Incompatibility with nVidia upstream driver installer

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS includes improved integration for nVidia binary driver packages. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of compatibility with the installer provided upstream on the nVidia website. Users who wish to use the nVidia binary video drivers with 10.04 LTS should install them using the Ubuntu packages, as made available under System -> Administration -> Hardware Drivers.

From: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/1004

Try disabling the proprietary driver, going back to nouveau, if it flickers with it.

[gleu]

I have the same issues here with a quadro fx 1700. The problem is related to the powersave function of the nvidia driver. Every time when the clock frequency of the device changes, the screen flickers.

Setting powermizer in nvidia-setting to "Prefer Maximum Performance" worked to disable flickering. According to [1] power saving can be disabled permanent by adding ... edit did not work ....


I suppose it is a X problem and not the problem of the driver.

gruss,
georg


[1] http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=113105

[wecucho]

i have the same problem, anyone find a solution for this ?

[witeshark17]

It's not just nvidia:

A Launchpad thread

[metjay]

I have the same issues here with a quadro fx 1700. The problem is related to the powersave function of the nvidia driver. Every time when the clock frequency of the device changes, the screen flickers.

Setting powermizer in nvidia-settings to "Prefer Maximum Performance" worked to disable flickering.

I've the quadro fx 1700 as well and this worked for me, thx.
Anybody to make this permanent?

[RationalGaze]

Also had this problem, on a Toshiba A200 laptop with nvidia 7300go. Dino99's solution worked (after reboot).

[phr0ze]

add this ppa to your sources.list (synaptic - repo tab):

https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates

read how to do on this page, then update and upgrade

Would this help with my Radeon speed problems too?