Font changes while scrolling since using a new monitor

I had a 1920 by 1080 “reglular” (non-HD) monitor about 27 inches and just switched to a larger version (3840 by 2160, about 37 inches) in attempt to ease eye strain. Anyway, I set the new monitor to 200% in System Settings and don’t see any more than before but it is just larger now. For the most part all appears fine except when I scroll.

When scrolling, I can see the font change–in color from black to reddish brown and in weight to some degree of bold. It does that at the start of the scroll and reverts to normal when the scrolling stops.

I tried both X11 and Wayland, and 200% and 100%, and the font still changes on scrolling.

I had to get a new monitor cable but it states it’s good up to 8K at 60 Hz and I’m pretty sure this monitor is 4K. With the old cable, the refresh rate was reduced to 30 Hz.

Both monitors are Samsung. My graphics hardware is the built-in Intel HD 630 on an HP Eliite Desk 800.

The ouput from kscreen doctor and inxi are below.

My question is: Is the screen “too much” for my machine hardware or is there something that can be set up to correct this? Thank you.

I see an asterisk and exclamation point in the kscreen doctor for output 67 under Modes but haven’t been able to locate what that indicates.

kscreen-doctor -o                                                                                                                                                                                  ✔ 
Output: 65 DP-1
        disabled
        disconnected
        priority 0
        DisplayPort
        Modes: 
        Geometry: 0,0 0x0
        Scale: 1
        Rotation: 1
        Overscan: 0
        Vrr: incapable
        RgbRange: unknown
        HDR: incapable
        Wide Color Gamut: incapable
        ICC profile: incapable
        Color profile source: incapable
        Brightness control: unsupported
Output: 66 HDMI-1
        disabled
        disconnected
        priority 0
        HDMI
        Modes: 
        Geometry: 0,0 0x0
        Scale: 1
        Rotation: 1
        Overscan: 0
        Vrr: incapable
        RgbRange: unknown
        HDR: incapable
        Wide Color Gamut: incapable
        ICC profile: incapable
        Color profile source: incapable
        Brightness control: unsupported
Output: 67 DP-2
        enabled
        connected
        priority 1
        DisplayPort
        Modes:  72:3840x2160@60*!  73:3840x2160@30  74:3840x2160@30  75:2560x1440@60  76:1920x1080@60  77:1920x1080@50  78:1920x1080@60  79:1680x1050@60  80:1600x900@60  81:1280x1024@60  82:1440x900@60  83:1280x800@60  84:1280x720@60  85:1280x720@50  86:1280x720@60  87:1024x768@60  88:800x600@60  89:720x576@50  90:720x480@60  91:720x480@60  92:640x480@60  93:640x480@60 
        Geometry: 0,0 3840x2160
        Scale: 1
        Rotation: 1
        Overscan: 0
        Vrr: incapable
        RgbRange: unknown
        HDR: incapable
        Wide Color Gamut: incapable
        ICC profile: incapable
        Color profile source: incapable
        Brightness control: unsupported
Output: 68 HDMI-2
        disabled
        disconnected
        priority 0
        HDMI
        Modes: 
        Geometry: 0,0 0x0
        Scale: 1
        Rotation: 1
        Overscan: 0
        Vrr: incapable
        RgbRange: unknown
        HDR: incapable
        Wide Color Gamut: incapable
        ICC profile: incapable
        Color profile source: incapable
        Brightness control: unsupported
Output: 69 DP-3
        disabled
        disconnected
        priority 0
        DisplayPort
        Modes: 
        Geometry: 0,0 0x0
        Scale: 1
        Rotation: 1
        Overscan: 0
        Vrr: incapable
        RgbRange: unknown
        HDR: incapable
        Wide Color Gamut: incapable
        ICC profile: incapable
        Color profile source: incapable
        Brightness control: unsupported
Output: 70 HDMI-3
        disabled
        disconnected
        priority 0
        HDMI
        Modes: 
        Geometry: 0,0 0x0
        Scale: 1
        Rotation: 1
        Overscan: 0
        Vrr: incapable
        RgbRange: unknown
        HDR: incapable
        Wide Color Gamut: incapable
        ICC profile: incapable
        Color profile source: incapable
        Brightness control: unsupported
inxi -v7azy                                                                                                                                                                                        ✔ 
System:
  Kernel: 6.12.48-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.2.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.12-x86_64
    root=UUID=b51565af-f8e8-472a-8187-e7c51806ba49 rw quiet
    resume=UUID=01613b5b-71f6-4021-a856-6f7b2be197d8 udev.log_priority=3
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.3.6 tk: Qt v: N/A info: frameworks v: 6.18.0
    wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2 dm: SDDM Distro: Manjaro base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: HP product: HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 3 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: HP model: 8299 v: KBC Version 06.29 serial: <superuser required>
    part-nu: 1VR48UC#ABA uuid: <superuser required> Firmware: UEFI vendor: HP
    v: P01 Ver. 02.50 date: 07/17/2024
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Marathon Mouse/Performance Plus
    M705 serial: <filter> charge: 100% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes
    status: discharging
Memory:
  System RAM: total: 32 GiB available: 31.13 GiB used: 6.59 GiB (21.2%)
  Message: For most reliable report, use superuser + dmidecode.
  Array-1: capacity: 64 GiB slots: 4 modules: 4 EC: None
    max-module-size: 16 GiB note: est.
  Device-1: Channel-B DIMM1 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous unbuffered
    (unregistered) size: 8 GiB speed: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits):
    data: 64 total: 64 manufacturer: Kingston part-no: 9905702-203.A00G
    serial: <filter>
  Device-2: Channel-B DIMM2 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous unbuffered
    (unregistered) size: 8 GiB speed: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits):
    data: 64 total: 64 manufacturer: Samsung part-no: M378A1K43DB2-CTD
    serial: <filter>
  Device-3: Channel-A DIMM3 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous unbuffered
    (unregistered) size: 8 GiB speed: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits):
    data: 64 total: 64 manufacturer: Kingston part-no: 9905702-119.A00G
    serial: <filter>
  Device-4: Channel-A DIMM4 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous unbuffered
    (unregistered) size: 8 GiB speed: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits):
    data: 64 total: 64 manufacturer: Samsung part-no: M378A1K43DB2-CTD
    serial: <filter>
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-7700 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Kaby Lake
    gen: core 7 level: v3 note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 9 microcode: 0xF8
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 4 cores: 4 threads: 8 tpc: 2
    smt: enabled cache: L1: 256 KiB desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB
    desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 8 MiB desc: 1x8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/4200 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800
    8: 800 bogomips: 57616
  Flags: 3dnowprefetch abm acpi adx aes aperfmperf apic arat
    arch_capabilities arch_perfmon art avx avx2 bmi1 bmi2 bts clflush
    clflushopt cmov constant_tsc cpuid cpuid_fault cx16 cx8 de ds_cpl dtes64
    dtherm dts epb erms est f16c flush_l1d fma fpu fsgsbase fxsr ht hwp
    hwp_act_window hwp_epp hwp_notify ibpb ibrs ida intel_pt invpcid lahf_lm
    lm mca mce md_clear mmx monitor movbe mpx msr mtrr nonstop_tsc nopl nx pae
    pat pbe pcid pclmulqdq pdcm pdpe1gb pebs pge pln pni popcnt pse pse36 pti
    pts rdrand rdseed rdtscp rep_good sdbg sep smap smep smx ss ssbd sse sse2
    sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 stibp syscall tm tm2 tsc tsc_adjust tsc_deadline_timer
    vme x2apic xgetbv1 xsave xsavec xsaveopt xsaves xtopology xtpr
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX unsupported
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: IBRS; IBPB: conditional; STIBP: conditional;
    RSB filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsa status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort mitigation: TSX disabled
  Type: vmscape mitigation: IBPB before exit to userspace
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 630 vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915
    v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports:
    active: DP-2 empty: DP-1, DP-3, HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2, HDMI-A-3
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:5912 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.18 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,vesa
    dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x2160 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1016x571mm (40.00x22.48")
    s-diag: 1165mm (45.88")
  Monitor-1: DP-2 model: Samsung LS37D80xU serial: <filter> built: 2025 res:
    mode: 3840x2160 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 121 gamma: 1.2
    size: 808x455mm (31.81x17.91") diag: 945mm (37.2") ratio: 16:9, 15:9 modes:
    max: 3840x2160 min: 640x480
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel iris platforms: device: 0 drv: iris
    device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: drv: iris surfaceless: drv: iris x11: drv: iris
    inactive: wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.2.3-arch1.2
    glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 630 (KBL GT2)
    device-ID: 8086:5912 memory: 30.4 GiB unified: yes
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.321 layers: 1 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu name: Intel
    HD Graphics 630 (KBL GT2) driver: mesa intel v: 25.2.3-arch1.2
    device-ID: 8086:5912 surfaces: N/A
  Info: Tools: api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
    de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor wl: wayland-info
    x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 200 Series PCH HD Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_avs bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:a2f0 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.12.48-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: N/A
  Server-2: PipeWire v: 1.4.8 status: off with: pipewire-media-session
    status: active tools: pw-cli
  Server-3: PulseAudio v: 17.0-43-g3e2bb status: active with: pulseaudio-alsa
    type: plugin tools: pacat,pactl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-LM vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: e1000e
    v: kernel port: N/A bus-ID: 00:1f.6 chip-ID: 8086:15e3 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: NetGear Nighthawk A7000 802.11ac Wireless Adapter AC1900
    [Realtek 8814AU] driver: rtl8814au type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
    lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-2:6 chip-ID: 0846:9054 class-ID: 0000
    serial: <filter>
  IF: wlp0s20f0u2 state: up mac: <filter>
  IP v4: <filter> type: dynamic noprefixroute scope: global
    broadcast: <filter>
  IP v6: <filter> type: dynamic noprefixroute scope: global
  IP v6: <filter> type: dynamic noprefixroute scope: global
  IP v6: <filter> type: noprefixroute scope: link
  Info: services: NetworkManager, systemd-timesyncd, wpa_supplicant
  WAN IP: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Message: No bluetooth data found.
Logical:
  Message: No logical block device data found.
RAID:
  Message: No RAID data found.
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 151.02 GiB (31.7%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Kingfast model: N/A size: 476.94 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: SSD
    serial: <filter> fw-rev: 0A0 scheme: GPT
  Optical-1: /dev/sr0 vendor: hp HLDS model: DVDROM DUD1N rev: MDM1
    dev-links: cdrom
  Features: speed: 24 multisession: yes audio: yes dvd: yes rw: none
    state: running
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 459.69 GiB size: 451.4 GiB (98.20%)
    used: 151.01 GiB (33.5%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2 label: N/A
    uuid: b51565af-f8e8-472a-8187-e7c51806ba49
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 312 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1 label: NO_LABEL
    uuid: 20B6-5A29
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 10 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 16.95 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
    priority: -2 dev: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3 label: swap
    uuid: 01613b5b-71f6-4021-a856-6f7b2be197d8
Unmounted:
  Message: No unmounted partitions found.
USB:
  Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 16 rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s (57.2 MiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 chip-ID: 1d6b:0002
    class-ID: 0900
  Device-1: 1-2:6 info: NetGear Nighthawk A7000 802.11ac Wireless Adapter
    AC1900 [Realtek 8814AU] type: Network driver: rtl8814au interfaces: 1
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s (57.2 MiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 power: 500mA
    chip-ID: 0846:9054 class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
  Device-2: 1-3:3 info: Logitech Unifying Receiver type: keyboard,mouse,HID
    driver: logitech-djreceiver,usbhid interfaces: 3 rev: 2.0
    speed: 12 Mb/s (1.4 MiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 power: 98mA
    chip-ID: 046d:c52b class-ID: 0300
  Device-3: 1-11:4 info: China Resource Semico Keyboard type: keyboard,HID
    driver: hid-generic,usbhid interfaces: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 1.5 Mb/s (183 KiB/s)
    lanes: 1 mode: 1.0 power: 98mA chip-ID: 1a2c:2124 class-ID: 0300
  Hub-2: 2-0:1 info: super-speed hub ports: 10 rev: 3.0
    speed: 5 Gb/s (596.0 MiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 3.2 gen-1x1 chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
    class-ID: 0900
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 35.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 252 Power: uptime: 6d 7h 29m states: freeze,mem,disk suspend: deep
    avail: s2idle wakeups: 7 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown, reboot,
    suspend, test_resume image: 12.44 GiB services: org_kde_powerdevil,upowerd
    Init: systemd v: 257 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 1977 libs: 444 tools: pamac pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
    Compilers: clang: 20.1.8 gcc: 15.2.1 Shell: Zsh v: 5.9 default: Bash v: 5.3.3
    running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.40

Does the effect increase with faster scrolling? I’d say it is latency with the display itself, unless it’s an OLED; I’ve had this with various displays.

Thank you. I think it is worse with faster scrolling. At least it doesn’t look as bad when scrolling very slowly.

What exactly does latency mean regarding a monitor? According to the description of the monitor, I was expecting it to be better than the previous one. It had something about 5 ms response time; but I don’t really know what that means relative to simply 60 Hz refresh rate.

It’s a UHD monitor. Not sure if it is okay to link to it or not. I’m not selling them. It’s a Samsung ViewFinity S8 S80UD. They were on sale for $400 from $600.

Thank you.

That does indeed seem to me like an issue with the display itself, though I’d be rather surprised for a new unit to be doing this. It would be down to the rate at which the pixels can be refreshed.

I found that there was an update to the monitor; I didn’t know monitors could be updated. I was able to update using a USB. That didn’t appear to change much, if anything. There is a driver download but that is an .exe and/or EFI. So, don’t think I can do anything with that.

There are also several applications for adjusting the monitor but they are for Windows and Mac only.

The response time accessible by the monitor’s menu has three settings–standard, fast, and faster. It was set to fast. I tried faster and, instead of turning reddish brown on scroll, the color was lime green.

Setting response time to standard keeps it black for black text. Blue turns purple on scroll.

Perhaps, apart from the color changes, this was happening on my other monitor and I just didn’t notice because the screen and scale were both smaller.

I use the night light to warm the colors and had the eye saver feature of the monitor on; turning those off made no difference either.

Oh well. Thanks.

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