Graphics issues even after fresh 20.04 install

[guybutterworth]

it can be caused by overheating but that one usually freezes or you would see it turn off and back on.

another option really is failing chip or also something with RAM (since this GPU uses computer RAM). to test the ram, memtest is available on Ubuntu boot/install disk. does this happen immediately when you start it up or after some time of usage?

for GPU i don't know hot to test it. i saw similar strange behaviour on Ryzen - for example the widnows won't display properly and this already showed at boot. but that issue is supposed to be only on AMD.and you have Intel.

It's deceptive, I think initially that everything is fine, and then as time passes, the graphics become more and more distorted, things get covered in blocks of colour, etc.

[wowotiel]

May be you are struggling with the same problem I have had. After an kernel update from 5.8.0-48 to 5.8.0-49 and 5.8.0-50 I have had a very unstable desktop with graphics problems.
You can temporary try to boot from an older kernel (for instance 5.8.0-48) if this will help (advanced option in the GRUB)
I have older hardware so I do not need the 5.8 kernel series provided from Ubuntu 20.04.2 images.
Ubuntu came in the beginning with kernel 5.4 and that serie is still updated. I eventually went back to the 5.4 serie.
The inxi-Fxz from my hardware:

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-72-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Gnome 3.36.7 Distro: Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (Focal Fossa) 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Gigabyte product: N/A v: N/A serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Gigabyte model: H77-DS3H v: x.x serial: <filter> 
  UEFI: American Megatrends v: F10 date: 11/14/2013 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-3770 bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Ivy Bridge rev: 9 L2 cache: 8192 KiB 
  flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 54275 
  Speed: 1596 MHz min/max: 1600/3900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1597 2: 1597 
  3: 1596 4: 1596 5: 1596 6: 1596 7: 1596 8: 1596 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics 
  vendor: Gigabyte driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: fbdev unloaded: modesetting,vesa 
  resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2) 
  v: 4.2 Mesa 20.2.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio 
  vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-72-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR8151 v2.0 Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Gigabyte 
  driver: atl1c v: 1.0.1.1-NAPI port: e000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
  IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.82 TiB used: 425.03 GiB (22.8%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB 
  ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST31000524AS size: 931.51 GiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 915.40 GiB used: 264.30 GiB (28.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8 C mobo: 27.8 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0 fan-1: 1369 fan-3: 682 fan-4: 784 fan-5: 0 
  Voltages: 12v: N/A 5v: N/A 3.3v: N/A vbat: 3.22 
Info:
  Processes: 288 Uptime: 1h 16m Memory: 15.53 GiB used: 3.08 GiB (19.8%) 
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 clang: 10.0.0-4ubuntu1 
  Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38

[guybutterworth]

I've just gone through the GRUB menu and booted up using an older version of the kernel, and while it might still be too soon to be certain, everything is now functioning perfectly. I've got the webcam on, numerous Firefox tabs open, and it looks like your suggestion has done the trick.

Thanks!

May be you are struggling with the same problem I have had. After an kernel update from 5.8.0-48 to 5.8.0-49 and 5.8.0-50 I have had a very unstable desktop with graphics problems.
You can temporary try to boot from an older kernel (for instance 5.8.0-48) if this will help (advanced option in the GRUB)
I have older hardware so I do not need the 5.8 kernel series provided from Ubuntu 20.04.2 images.
Ubuntu came in the beginning with kernel 5.4 and that serie is still updated. I eventually went back to the 5.4 serie.
The inxi-Fxz from my hardware:

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-72-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Gnome 3.36.7 Distro: Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (Focal Fossa) 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Gigabyte product: N/A v: N/A serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Gigabyte model: H77-DS3H v: x.x serial: <filter> 
  UEFI: American Megatrends v: F10 date: 11/14/2013 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-3770 bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Ivy Bridge rev: 9 L2 cache: 8192 KiB 
  flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 54275 
  Speed: 1596 MHz min/max: 1600/3900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1597 2: 1597 
  3: 1596 4: 1596 5: 1596 6: 1596 7: 1596 8: 1596 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics 
  vendor: Gigabyte driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: fbdev unloaded: modesetting,vesa 
  resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2) 
  v: 4.2 Mesa 20.2.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio 
  vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-72-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR8151 v2.0 Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Gigabyte 
  driver: atl1c v: 1.0.1.1-NAPI port: e000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
  IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.82 TiB used: 425.03 GiB (22.8%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB 
  ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST31000524AS size: 931.51 GiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 915.40 GiB used: 264.30 GiB (28.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8 C mobo: 27.8 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0 fan-1: 1369 fan-3: 682 fan-4: 784 fan-5: 0 
  Voltages: 12v: N/A 5v: N/A 3.3v: N/A vbat: 3.22 
Info:
  Processes: 288 Uptime: 1h 16m Memory: 15.53 GiB used: 3.08 GiB (19.8%) 
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 clang: 10.0.0-4ubuntu1 
  Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38

[wowotiel]

Which kernel are you using now?
You can check this in the terminal with uname - r.
Mine output now (I am on kernel serie 5.4):

silencio1@silencio1:~$ uname -r
5.4.0-72-generic
silencio1@silencio1:~$

[mastablasta]

if you are on LTS you can move to original kernel 5.4. if that one works well i suggest you do that. also this then looks like drivers issue and should be reported on launchpad (bug).

downgrading to 5.4 can be easy: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1310...uetooth-contro

other things that can cause degradation through time during usage:
- bad RAM chip - as chip fills data reaches part that are problematic and errors appear
- bad capacitors on GPU (or in your case motherboard) - sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it is stable other times it freezes or does strange things to display. seen it once on very old GPU card.
- bad drivers can always lead to strange results since they control the whole thing. in case of intel GPU they are baked into kernel. so different kernel version will have different driver version

[guybutterworth]

Here ya go -

guy@guy-MMLP5AP-00:~$ sudo uname -r
[sudo] password for guy: 
5.4.0-42-generic

[guybutterworth]

Thanks for that, I've followed the instructions that you linked to, rebooted, and everything works just as it did before, just fine.

Thanks a lot!

if you are on LTS you can move to original kernel 5.4. if that one works well i suggest you do that. also this then looks like drivers issue and should be reported on launchpad (bug).

downgrading to 5.4 can be easy: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1310...uetooth-contro

other things that can cause degradation through time during usage:
- bad RAM chip - as chip fills data reaches part that are problematic and errors appear
- bad capacitors on GPU (or in your case motherboard) - sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it is stable other times it freezes or does strange things to display. seen it once on very old GPU card.
- bad drivers can always lead to strange results since they control the whole thing. in case of intel GPU they are baked into kernel. so different kernel version will have different driver version

[wowotiel]

The meta-package linux-generic ensures that your current kernel 5.4.0-42-generic will be updated to the current supported kernel = 5.4.0-72-generic (supported till august 2021).
Is your kernel now 5.4.0-72-genereic? (uname -r)

Some similarities between your hardware and mine:
Mobo: Gigabyte
Uefi: American Megatrends
i915 v: kernel
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver
Mine OpenGL: renderer:Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2) v: 4.2 Mesa 20.2.6 direct render: Yes
Yours OpenGL: renderer:Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 4400 (HSW GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 20.2.6

@Mastabla: May be there could be a bug in the newer Linux kernels (>5.8.0-48) with those hardware specifications?

Luckily guybutterworth and I can continue with the 5.4 kernel serie.

[mastablasta]

@Mastabla: May be there could be a bug in the newer Linux kernels (>5.8.0-48) with those hardware specifications?

yes, it could be. it certainly looks that way. but they can't fix it unless they know about it. which is why it should be reported.

[wowotiel]

yes, it could be. it certainly looks that way. but they can't fix it unless they know about it. which is why it should be reported.

Thanks for your reply. I will certainly do that, one of these days.