NUC7i5BNH Still Screen Flickering

[TM2]

So I spent a bit of time in the community forum reading about screen flickering with the 7th Gen NUC's about a year ago. It must have been resolved for a lot of people cause it seems to have vanished as an issue from the forums here.

However I've been dealing with this incessant problem ever since then. I didn't really mind too much, as all it required to fix the flickering was to re-plugin the HDMI cable, but that doesnt seem to be helping anymore. It's definitely getting worse.

I've had my NUC hooked up to a Samsung KU6000 UHD TV since the start. I also had a replacement unit sent after a BIOS update bricked my first unit - still same issue. All my drivers and BIOS are up to date. I've also tried multiple HDMI cables, although I haven't had the opportunity to try a different display (all I have is a laptop).

It seems to be worse when video is playing from any media application, especially PowerDVD which I use the most.

Any help with this would be really appreciated. :)

Thanks.

[ASull3]

My experience after three NUC7i5s is that you definitely have to replace it. The problem is not software but hardware related.

[TM2]

This is already my second unit with issues :( , I'd be pretty frustrated if I had it replaced only to have a third unit with flickering as well.

I'm sort of hoping I can find another avenue before resorting to yet another RMA.

[ASull3]

I needed to replace it two times. The third unit then worked like a charm for months until I replaced it with NUC8 which is also faulty as the Ethernet port is dead. Unfortunately the NUCs have a massive reject rate but when they run fine, they make so much fun to work with so I would recommend you to get rid of it and try a third one.

[TM2]

Any Intel Staff care to provide some input about this?

I'm still struggling with the issue, and if I can't get it resolved I'll be having to try for another replacement.

[Wanner_G_Intel]

Hello TM2, To troubleshoot screen flickering issues on Intel® NUC products, we recommend following these steps: 1. Make sure BIOS and graphics driver are up to date. BIOS Update [BNKBL357.86A] Version: 0072 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28475/BIOS-Update-BNKBL357-86A-?product=95067 Intel® HD Graphics Driver Version: 24.20.100.6286 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28208/Intel-HD-Graphics-Driver-for-Windows-10-for-Intel-NUC-Kit-NUC7i3BN-NUC7i5BN-NUC7i7BN?product=95067 2. If BIOS and graphics driver are up to date, then we recommend installing the HDMI Firmware Update for this unit. Follow the instructions contained in this document. HDMI Firmware Update Instructions. https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/mini-pcs/nuc-kits/NUC6CAY-and-NUC7ixBN-HDMI-Update-Tool-Instructions.pdf Note: -We recommend using a straight-through connection with a single cable only. Using adapters may cause screen flickering. -Try connecting your unit to other HDMI® ports on your TV. 3. If the issuer persists, please run the Intel® System Support Utility and attach the report to this thread. 1.Download the Intel® System Support Utility and save the application to your system. https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility-for-Windows-?product=91600 2.Open the application and click Scan to see system and device information. The Intel® System Support Utility defaults to the Summary View on the output screen following the scan. Click the menu where it says summary to change to Detailed View. 3.To save your scan, click Next and click Save. You can save the file to any accessible location on your computer. Wanner G. Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[TM2]

So I seem to have resolved the flickering by rolling back the Intel Display Driver version by one to 24.20.100.6229.

It definitely is a lot better - - It was flickering almost every couple of minutes earlier.

I'll keep an eye on it the next couple of days, and if the problem persists I'll post back here.

[Wanner_G_Intel]

Hello TM2, Please keep us informed on any additional issues. Wanner G. Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[Wanner_G_Intel]

Hello TM2, Please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with. Wanner G. Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[TM2]

Hey WannerG,

I've been away for the last few days so I've had little time to test. However I installed the Windows 1809 update which I had been postponing up until now, and that with the previous display driver seems to have solved the issue. It also addressed the HDR lag issue I was having with Netflix.

Like I said though I have been away so I've only tested two movies so far, but I'll give it a more thorough test in the next few days and will update you.

[TTX]

It's a problem with all of these NUCs. I spent many months invested in troubleshooting the graphic problems with all 7iXBNH nucs.

1) upgrade HDMI/DP firmware using tool linked. https://downloadcenter.intel.com/downloads/eula/26609/HDMI-Firmware-Update-Tool-for-Intel-NUC-Kit-NUC7i3BN-NUC7i5BN-NUC7i7BN-NUC6CAY?httpDown=https%3A%2F%2Fdownloadmirror.intel.com%2F26609%2Feng%2FNUC6CAY-NUC7ixBN-HDMI-Update-1.72.zip (i believe you do need HDMI hooked directly to TV for this update to work)

2) For playback, do not use the HDMI port, use a USB-C to hdmi adapter.

2) use intel driver https://downloadmirror.intel.com/28289/a08/win64_25.20.100.6373.exe nothing later will work, they all flicker. (assumes win10 1809 x64) do not use any of the DCH drivers.

3) if you are passing 4K HDR through a receiver please make sure it supports 2160p @ 60hz 10Bit HDR.

disable windows 10, driver updates or it will replace your driver with a DCH later version and you will have the flicker back again.

Good luck!

[TM2]

Mine has seemed to stop flickering with the Win10 1809 update, but if it occurs again I'll try these steps. Thanks.

Just to clarify though. The display driver you linked is not available on the NUC7i5BNH drivers page. Does that have something to do with it not being a DCH Driver?

[TTX]

The driver I linked to is the latest driver for the graphic chipset that works. It is not DCH and also not approved for the NUC, which is why it is not listed directly under your NUC downloads. None of the DHC drivers will work without flicker.

I've found the best luck with the driver I linked to you.

If you're using a samsung screen I highly recommend using the firmware update tool on the DP chip as linked above (follow the instructions in the readme).

1809 here with the above driver and firmware, no flicker or audio dropouts whatever. I do not use HDMI because it had dropouts and use a USB-C to HDMI adapter to get around the HDMI problems.

[TM2]

Okay, great.

I already have the latest firmware for HDMI/DP, but these are some useful steps I can follow if the screen flickering becomes as bad as it was before the Win10 1809 update.

For now it seems to be behaving itself with the latest DCH display driver. So here's hoping it continues.

[TM2]

Okay so after updating to Win10 1809 and then installing the latest (advertised) 24.20.100.6286 display driver, the flickering has almost entirely stopped.

Every now and again I'll get a little flicker - mostly when changing between fullscreen apps, but the problem seems to be pretty much solved in most cases. I'll run this system configuration for now, and if anything occurs again I'll try the troubleshooting tips provided in this thread, or come back here.

Thanks all.

[JLoon1]

I also having the same issue with my Samsung UHD tv. All you need to do is to use a USB C to HDMI cable that support 60hz. Don't use the nuc hdmi port.​