Occasionally, videos in browser and on my desktop freeze while audio continues to play. Everything else seems unaffected.

Troubleshooting Screen Freezing Issues in Video Playback on Windows 11 with AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT

Introduction

Experiencing video playback issues can be incredibly frustrating, especially when the audio continues seamlessly while the visual stream stutters or freezes. This article explores a common problem faced by Windows 11 users equipped with AMD Radeon graphics, specifically the RX 7900 XT, and offers insights into troubleshooting steps and potential solutions.

System Specifications Overview

• Computer Type: Desktop
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-Core
• Motherboard: MAG B550 Tomahawk MS-7C91
• BIOS Version: A.B0
• Memory: 64GB DDR4 3200MHz
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro (Version 24H2)
• Graphics Driver: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 25.10.25.01
• Chipset Driver: AMD B550 chipset version 2.10.13.408
• Background Applications: Minimal, with problem reproducible using only browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) or VLC media player.

The Problem in Detail

The core issue involves intermittent freezing of the video stream during playback on various platforms such as YouTube, Reddit, Twitter/X, and locally stored videos in VLC. Notably:

• The visual component freezes on a single frame, often near the start of the video.
• Audio continues smoothly without interruption.
• Occasionally, after several seconds, the video abruptly jumps forward to a new frame.
• The issue is not consistent; some videos are affected while others play normally.
• The problem persists across different browsers and video players.
• The “Stats for Nerds” feature on YouTube indicates minimal dropped frames, suggesting hardware acceleration is not easily bypassed.

Troubleshooting Attempts and Observations

1. Disabling Hardware Acceleration:
   Turning off hardware acceleration in browsers temporarily resolves the issue but severely impacts browsing performance. This strongly indicates a graphics-related problem.

2. Driver Reinstallation and Cleanup:
   Efforts to rectify the issue, including reinstalling AMD drivers using the official cleanup utility in Safe Mode and adjusting Radeon software settings, have not provided a permanent fix.

3. Impact of Browser Settings and Cache:
   Altering video quality settings yields no consistent improvement. The problemSometimes appears sporadically, affecting different videos regardless of their cached status or viewing