When i tab out of a game it will randomly turn off my monitor and completely stop it from working

Troubleshooting Monitor Connectivity Issues When Tabbing Out of Games on Your PC

Experiencing sudden monitor shutdowns during gameplay or when switching out of a game can be both frustrating and disruptive. If your monitor turns off unexpectedly or ceases to respond after you alt-tab from a gaming session, you’re not alone. This blog explores the common causes of this issue and provides detailed troubleshooting steps to help you resolve it effectively.

Understanding the Problem

Many users report that their monitor randomly powers down or stops displaying content when they switch away from a game. Interestingly, the problem often appears to be tied to the connection between the graphics card and the monitor, rather than the monitor itself.

Key symptoms include:
– Monitor turns off or goes black when tabbing out of a game
– The monitor remains unresponsive until the DisplayPort (DP) cable is unplugged and plugged back into the graphics card (GPU)
– No issues occur when disconnecting the cable from the monitor itself
– Turning the monitor off and back on results in a black screen
– The problem persists despite attempts to reset the monitor, indicating a possible hardware or driver issue

Common Causes

Graphics Driver Issues
Outdated or corrupted display drivers can cause signal loss during runtime or mode switches.
DisplayPort Connectivity Problems
Faulty or low-quality DisplayPort cables or ports may lead to intermittent signal loss, especially during resolution or refresh rate changes.
Hardware Compatibility or Faults
Incompatibilities between the GPU and monitor, or hardware malfunctions, can manifest during specific actions like tabbing out.
Incorrect Settings or Power Management
Power-saving settings or display configurations may interfere with consistent signal delivery during screen state changes.

Hardware and System Overview

Graphics Card: AMD Radeon 9070xt
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (assuming from “9800x3d”)
Motherboard: ASUS Prime series
Monitor: KTC 180Hz display
Display Cable: Amazon-purchased DisplayPort cable

Note: The issue did not occur with the previous setup, which used an NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics card, hinting at possible driver or hardware incompatibilities with the current GPU.