Screen Flicker: CPU pipe A FIFO underrun

Hi Folks new to this forum.

I recently started seeing screen flicker, I generally keep up-to-date when it comes to updating my system so it is not clear when the flickering started to occur. I have tried many of the i915 GRUB commands to no effect. In addition I tried different kernels and also cleaned out the fan in my nuc and made sure I had the latest BIOS update.

I had a similar problem with Fedora a few years ago and made the switch to Manjaro which solved the problem which leads me to believe that there may be a software issue.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Dan

here is the output from dmesg:

260750.868202] audit: type=1106 audit(1681767236.524:406): pid=143694 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=unconfined msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_unix,pam_systemd acct="lightdm" exe="/usr/bin/lightdm" hostname=? addr=? terminal=:1 res=success'
[260750.868554] audit: type=1104 audit(1681767236.524:407): pid=143694 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=unconfined msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_env,pam_permit acct="lightdm" exe="/usr/bin/lightdm" hostname=? addr=? terminal=:1 res=success'
[260757.068846] i915 0000:00:02.0: [drm] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun

and the output from lspci

260750.868202] audit: type=1106 audit(1681767236.524:406): pid=143694 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=unconfined msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_unix,pam_systemd acct="lightdm" exe="/usr/bin/lightdm" hostname=? addr=? terminal=:1 res=success'
[260750.868554] audit: type=1104 audit(1681767236.524:407): pid=143694 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=unconfined msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_env,pam_permit acct="lightdm" exe="/usr/bin/lightdm" hostname=? addr=? terminal=:1 res=success'
[260757.068846] i915 0000:00:02.0: [drm] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun

can you return ,
from terminal

inxi -Fza 

have you try ( if possible , depending on Arch / date intel) kernel 5.10 LTS ?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Intel_graphics#Screen_flickering

Stephane,
I will try 5.10.177-1 LTS and report back. Here is the output from inxi:

System:
  Kernel: 6.2.10-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.1
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.2-x86_64
    root=UUID=70b3bf7d-7a3b-4709-919f-88b40fdbf004 rw quiet splash apparmor=1
    security=apparmor resume=UUID=93ade087-844c-450a-9645-ebd0daae78a9
    udev.log_priority=3 i915.enable_psr=0
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm
    v: 4.18.0 vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: Manjaro Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Intel product: NUC7i7BNH v: J31153-307
    serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 3 v: 2 serial: N/A
  Mobo: Intel model: NUC7i7BNB v: J31145-306 serial: <filter> UEFI: Intel
    v: BNKBL357.86A.0089.2022.1110.1847 date: 11/10/2022
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-7567U socket: BGA1356 (U3E1) note: check bits: 64
    type: MT MCP arch: Amber/Kaby Lake note: check gen: core 7 level: v3
    note: check built: 2017 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x8E (142)
    stepping: 9 microcode: 0xF0
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 tpc: 2 threads: 4 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 128 KiB desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB L2: 512 KiB desc: 2x256 KiB
    L3: 4 MiB desc: 1x4 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1400 high: 3500 min/max: 400/4000 base/boost: 2200/2400
    scaling: driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave volts: 0.9 V
    ext-clock: 100 MHz cores: 1: 3500 2: 700 3: 700 4: 700 bogomips: 28009
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT
    vulnerable
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: retbleed mitigation: IBRS
  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
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5
    process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: DP-1 empty: DP-2,HDMI-A-1
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:5927 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.8 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915
    display-ID: :0.0 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-1 model: 324K built: 2016 res: 3840x2160 dpi: 111 gamma: 1.2
    size: 880x510mm (34.65x20.08") diag: 707mm (27.8") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 3840x2160 min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL Message: Unable to show GL data. Required tool glxinfo
    missing.
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    alternate: snd_soc_skl, snd_soc_avs, snd_sof_pci_intel_skl bus-ID: 1-4.2:6
    bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 0582:0097 chip-ID: 8086:9d71 class-ID: 0102
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Roland UA-1EX type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio
  API: ALSA v: k6.2.10-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: N/A
  Server-2: PipeWire v: 0.3.68 status: off tools: pw-cli
  Server-3: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active (root, process)
    with: pulseaudio-jack type: module tools: pacat,pactl,pavucontrol
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-V driver: e1000e v: kernel port: N/A
    bus-ID: 00:1f.6 chip-ID: 8086:15d8 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel Wireless 8265 / 8275 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel pcie:
    gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 3a:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:24fd
    class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp58s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Bluetooth wireless interface type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 1-8:5 chip-ID: 8087:0a2b class-ID: e001
  Report: rfkill ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: down bt-service: enabled,running
    rfk-block: hardware: no software: yes address: see --recommends
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 577.55 GiB used: 61.16 GiB (10.6%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: SanDisk model: SDSSDA120G
    size: 111.79 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 30RL scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Crucial model: CT500MX500SSD4
    size: 465.76 GiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 023 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 448.39 GiB size: 440.28 GiB (98.19%)
    used: 61.16 GiB (13.9%) fs: ext4 block-size: 4096 B dev: /dev/sdb2
    maj-min: 8:18
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 300 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat block-size: 512 B dev: /dev/sdb1 maj-min: 8:17
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 60 (default) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 17.07 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
    priority: -2 dev: /dev/sdb3 maj-min: 8:19
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 38.0 C pch: 38.5 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 213 Uptime: 3d 19h 53m wakeups: 0 Memory: 15.51 GiB
  used: 4.96 GiB (32.0%) Init: systemd v: 252 default: graphical
  tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.1 clang: 15.0.7 Packages: pm: pacman
  pkgs: 1314 libs: 359 tools: pamac pm: flatpak pkgs: 0 Shell: Bash (su)
  v: 5.1.16 running-in: xfce4-terminal inxi: 3.3.26

Hi megavolt, I did do a google search prior to posting and have tried all kernel parameters with no luck

Ok it has been several days and there flickering is gone. Any idea what has been introduced in later kernels that would cause flickering?

Thank you for the suggestion.

I cannot believe that.

Your pc is up for 3 days. You need to set a kernel parameter and reboot your computer. So obviously that can’t be true.

Megavolt, apologies if I was not precise and I did not mean for the output from the commands to be representative of everything I have tried overtime.

I have tried different kernel parameters over several months and from my research it seems that these parameters are hit or miss for some users:

  • i915.enable_psr=0
  • intel_idle.max_cstate=2
  • i915.edp_vswing=2

currently have “i915.enable_psr=0” in GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT

This is my home computer so I do not use it every day as I do my work laptop. If you have a suggestion of which kernel parameter combination would work please suggest.