my monitor gives a black screen when I change the refresh rate

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:white_check_mark: [FIXED] Black screen on external monitor at 120Hz+ with NVIDIA 550+ Linux drivers (Zorin OS)

If you're using NVIDIA drivers version 550 or newer on Linux (e.g., Zorin OS, Ubuntu-based systems) and your external monitor shows a black screen or "no signal" when selecting 120Hz or higher, this guide will help you fix it.

:bullseye: Problem

  • Monitor works fine at 60Hz
  • But going to 120Hz, 144Hz or higher causes:
    • Black screen
    • No signal
    • Monitor remains powered but displays nothing

:brain: Cause

Starting with version 550, the NVIDIA Linux driver enables HDMI DeepColor (hdmi_deepcolor=1) by default via the nvidia-modeset kernel module.

This can cause issues with:

  • Some HDMI monitors
  • Certain HDMI cables
  • HDMI 2.0 connections that don't support high color depths and high refresh rates simultaneously

:white_check_mark: Solution: Disable HDMI DeepColor via kernel boot parameter

We'll add the following parameter to GRUB:

nvidia-modeset.hdmi_deepcolor=0

This disables DeepColor and allows 120Hz+ modes to work reliably.

:hammer_and_wrench: Step-by-step instructions

:package: 1. Backup your GRUB config

sudo cp /etc/default/grub /etc/default/grub.bak

:memo: 2. Edit the GRUB file

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Look for this line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

Change it to:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nvidia-modeset.hdmi_deepcolor=0"

If you have other parameters there (e.g. acpi=off, nouveau.modeset=0), just add this one at the end with a space.

:floppy_disk: 3. Save and exit

  • Press CTRL + O, then Enter to save
  • Press CTRL + X to exit nano

:counterclockwise_arrows_button: 4. Update GRUB

sudo update-grub

:repeat_button: 5. Reboot

sudo reboot

:white_check_mark: Expected result

  • Your external monitor should now work correctly at 120Hz, 144Hz or higher.
  • No more black screen when switching to high refresh rates over HDMI.

Tested and confirmed working on Zorin OS with NVIDIA 555 and 570 drivers.

:counterclockwise_arrows_button: Optional: Revert the change

If you want to undo it later:

sudo cp /etc/default/grub.bak /etc/default/grub
sudo update-grub
sudo reboot
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