External display issue -

Question

Hello Team !

Problem : External display ,connected through HDMI port, screen goes on and off randomly.

Here are my system specs and details,

--> System Specifications <--

HP_Pavilion_cs ; HP Pavilion Laptop 15-cs1xxx

Storage : 466 GB ; 194 GB of 466 GB used

Graphics Card : 2 GB ; Multiple GPUs installed

Installed RAM : 16.0 GB ; Speed: 2400 MHz

Processor : Intel(R) Core(TM)

i5-8265U CPU @

1.60GHz ; 1.80 GHz

System type : 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Pen and touch : No pen or touch input is available for this display

--> Windows specifications <--

Edition : Windows 11 Home Single Language { basically inbuilt edition : Windows 10 , updated to windows 11 manually which was given officially by Microsoft in updates }

Version : 25H2

Installed on : 14-01-2025

OS build : 26200.7171

Experience : Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.26100.265.0

--> Graphic drivers specifications <--

Display adapters

Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620

NVIDIA GeForce MX130

Methods followed to solve:

• updated drivers, but no use.
• uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, but no use.
• Tried by changing HDMI cable and external display, no use.

Any one could please try to give solution.

Thank you!.

Answer 1

Hi @TEJA BANKA,

Thank you for sharing your detailed specs and the steps you’ve already tried!

Based on what you provided, we can rule out:

• Cable and monitor issues: You’ve tested with different HDMI cables and external displays, so hardware on that end is unlikely the cause.
• Outdated drivers: Both Intel UHD Graphics 620 and NVIDIA GeForce MX130 drivers are very recent (dated July and August 2025), so the problem is not due to old drivers.
• Basic reinstall attempts: Since you’ve already uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, the issue is deeper than a simple driver refresh.

The most likely causes now are:

• GPU switching conflicts between Intel and NVIDIA.
• Power management settings affecting HDMI stability.
• HDMI handshake or refresh rate mismatches introduced after the Windows 11 25H2 update.

I managed to find some workarounds you could try out first:

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1. Force the External Display to Use NVIDIA GPU

Windows often defaults to the Intel GPU for HDMI output, which can cause flickering.

• Open NVIDIA Control Panel→Manage 3D Settings→Program Settings.
• Add the app you use for display or set global settings to High-performance NVIDIA processor.

Reference: https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5035

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2. Disable Power-Saving Features

• Go to Control Panel → Power Options → Change plan settings → Advanced settings.
• Under PCI Express → Link State Power Management, set it to Off.

Reference: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/change-power-plan-settings-in-windows-11.6918/

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3. Check HDMI Handshake and Refresh Rate

• Right-click desktop → Display settings → Advanced display settings.
• Ensure the external monitor uses its native resolution and refresh rate.
• If multiple refresh rates are supported, try lowering slightly (e.g., 60Hz → 50Hz).

Reference:

• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-the-refresh-rate-on-your-monitor-in-windows-c8ea729e-0678-015c-c415-f806f04aae5a

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4. Update or Roll Back Drivers

Even recent drivers can introduce bugs.

• In Device Manager, select GPU → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver (if available).

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5. Test with a Clean Boot

Background apps can interfere with GPU switching.

Reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd

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6. Perform a Clean Driver Installation (Optional)

Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode to completely remove Intel and NVIDIA drivers. Then reinstall the latest stable versions from:

• Intel Graphics Driver Download
• NVIDIA GeForce Drivers

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Disclaimer: Some of these links are from third-party websites and not Microsoft official documentation so they are for information only. Please do not click or download any strange pop-ups you might encounter.

If these steps don’t resolve the issue, it could point to a hardware-level problem with the HDMI port or motherboard. In that case, I’d suggest taking the laptop to an authorized HP service center for a thorough check.

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Hope this helps! Please keep me updated with your issue if possible.