Monitor Troubleshooting

Outdated or corrupt drivers

A malfunctioning, outdated, or corrupt driver may be why your monitor is losing signal while gaming. Check for GPU driver updates and apply them to see if the issue is resolved. If the issue isn’t resolved and your monitor keeps going off while gaming, uninstall the drivers and reinstall them.

Check your power and cables

Before you think of forking out for a new monitor, have a good look at your monitor and PC to ensure that all your cables are working perfectly and both ends are securely connected so they can get a clean enough signal through.

You can carry out this check by tracing all the cables attached to your computer and monitor. We'd recommend unplugging the cables, and plugging them back in to be sure and to check for any defects in the process.

Another cable you need to pay attention to is your display cable. Ensure that it’s not damaged or faulty. If the cable you own is old, get a new one first or find an alternative. Doing this can immediately resolve your monitor display, allowing you to continue enjoying your gaming.

Power issues could also prevent your monitor from coming on or working correctly. If your monitor is on and you’re getting a no signal error, then your PC might be off (hopefully not!) or faulty. However, if your PC is working well, but your monitor isn’t displaying anything, the monitor is the culprit - see below for what to do with a defective monitor.

Do you have the correct input source?

Modern monitors are designed with a range of input sources, including HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort inputs which are all forms of digital signals for monitors. Some monitors may still support VGA inputs, but that is an analogue signal which should be used as a last resort only as it will provide a poorer signal quality and thus picture quality. These inputs allow you to connect your monitor to multiple devices. Your devices can be your PC, console, or even multiple PCs. You’ll need to use physical controls or your monitor's firmware to move between these devices. Some monitors may auto-detect and switch for you.

Please note that each display/monitor only needs to be connected to a source device once. Connecting one screen to a computer with multiple cables is not helpful, and in some scenarios can cause unnecessary issues while using the PC since the PC may think there's other displays (but you can't see them).

Monitor overheating?

If your monitor randomly loses a video signal, it may be as a result of high temperature. Monitors are designed to shut off if the temperature is becoming too high, while this process allows them to preserve the components inside them. They may not display an appropriate warning message to let you know heat is the issue though!

There are many different reasons why a monitor can overheat, including blocked vents, dust build up, and excessive heat, or humidity. Resolve this issue by unplugging your monitor and allowing it to cool down fully. Then try to get the dust build-up out of your monitor casing by using compressed air.

Also, check the environment in your room that the monitor/PC is housed in. If it’s getting direct sunlight, this could cause devices to get too hot. Cool it down with an air conditioning system or a fan. Ensure that you allow the environment to cool before turning your monitor back on.

Check your resolution settings via Windows or the game settings

Monitors are designed to display a set of resolutions. If your graphics card is sending a resolution outside of the acceptable pre-sets your monitor supports, it is bound to go off, produce a blank screen, or display a no signal message.

Fortunately, fixing this issue is relatively easy. All you need to do is change your display settings.

       
Right click on an empty area of your desktop to bring up the context menu, then follow the advice as circled above.
Click the images to enlarge if necessary.

If you change the resolution by yourself and notice that your monitor's resolution has dropped, don't do anything, just wait for about 15 seconds, and Windows will automatically revert to the previous resolution, and you can try another option once it's back.

If you didn’t change your display settings yourself, Windows may have automatically changed your monitor's resolution to a higher standard, which might be what’s causing your monitor to lose signal or to go off. To fix this issue, boot your PC into safe mode.

Your computer will use a lower resolution in safe mode, and you’ll be able to set the standard display setting to a resolution that’s ideal for your monitor.

Otherwise, generally speaking if you plug a new display into the PC instead of the one you're having troubles with, the PC will automatically change the resolution to something compatible, and it should allow you to get back up and running this way too.

Defective monitor

A monitor losing signal while gaming can be caused by faulty components within the monitor. If there’s a circuitry failure or a short in the wiring, your monitor will randomly lose signal or go blank. In cases like this, the best course of action is to replace the monitor.

To ensure the monitor is the culprit in this circumstance, try to test it with another PC while you test your PC with an alternative monitor.

Always plug your PC and monitor into a surge protector to guard them against power irregularities.