Cubase 12 will not work with Nvidia G-Sync, constant black screens

Cubase
1

Hello,
I built a new PC with Windows 11 and recently upgraded to Cubase Artist 12. I can not run Cubase and have G-Sync activated at the same time without getting repeated black screens making work with Cubase impossible.

To reproduce:
Have a PC with an Nvidia Card and Drivers, also a Monitor which is G-Sync compatible (AMD FreeSync Pro will work as well).

  1. Make sure G-Sync is enabled in Nvidia Control Panel
  2. Start Cubase 12
  3. Regardless of what I do in Cubase after a few seconds the screen will go black (just as if someone had disconnected my monitor cable), then come back for a moment (just as if someone had plugged the monitor cable back in), this will repeat until I quit Cubase 12.

Disabling G-Sync will prevent this from happening, adding an exception for Cubase 12 in the Nvidia Control Panel and disabling G-Sync there, setting the refresh rate to a fixed value, will not work. However I would like to enjoy the premium features of my hardware when Cubase runs in the background. I am creating Game Music with Cubase and it is necessary for me to run Cubase as well as a game at the same time.

My hardware and config:
Windows 11 with latest updates
AMD Ryzen 5900x
64GB RAM
Gigabyte RTX Eagle 3080 OC 10GB
MSI mpg x570s Carbon Mainboard
Seagate Firecuda 1TB SSD
Gigabyte Aorus FI32U Monitor
Nvidia Driver 516.94

1 Like
2

Weird, as I have it activated but no such problems.

However, what I have noticed is a strange flickering at times - I run a 4k/120hz desktop and for some reason G-Sync seems to sync @ 60hz with Cubase. But then other times it gives me the 120hz fine, so I think there may be something a little odd going on there.

Have you checked your monitor info when running Cubase to see what it’s trying to sync at?

Do you have G-Sync set for full-screen only? Or do you have it for full-screen and windows? - May be worth seeing if that makes any difference as Cubase is a windowed app.

3

I have set it for full-screen and windowed. I’ll try switching to full-screen only. Everything else is running perfectly at 144hz, the monitor’s maximum. I am a bit surprised that Cubase is having such problems, since no other windowed application has any problems, not even when I am running a game in full screen, either on another screen or with only one connected.

Edit: tried it, switching to full-screen only G-Sync does not change anything. As soon as I start Cubase 12 the screen will turn black periodically. Only disabling it will solve the problem, but I’d prefer Cubase working properly with G-Sync as all the other applications I have.

4

Soo… do Steinberg usually confirm issues here when they acknowledge them?

5

Hi,

Sorry, I’m not Windows user, but here is the way, how to install Nvidia to work with Cubase.

Please try this:

  • Download the latest Studio driver version from here. If there is no Studio driver for your graphic card, use the one, which is available and continue with the same steps bellow.
  • Disconnect the computer from the Internet to make sure Windows will not download and install its own graphic driver.
  • Uninstall the NVIDIA driver.
  • Restart computer.
  • Start the NVIDIA driver installation (as administrator).
  • Don’t install the whole package, use the Custom (Advanced) settings.
  • Disable everything (don’t install NVIDIA Experience, PhysX, etc.), keep just the video driver enabled.
  • Connect your computer to the internet.
6

That’s simply because Cubase runs at 60 fps, but since it is a windowed program, G-Sync still syncs to the desktop refresh rate.

In your case it’s a multiple of 60, that must explain why it sometimes looks smooth, when Cubase refresh rate aligns to the 120 Hz so you briefly have exactly 1 image for 2 refreshes, but since the framerate of Cubase moves around due to performance (like it would in a game) this “smooth” effect won’t last forever.

I talked about this in other topics already, if Cubase was automatically working at the same frame rate than the desktop there would be no issue.


I have the Gaming driver with the whole package installed and I have no issue with Cubase.
PhysX and GeForce Experience play no role in running software, it’s only for games, and the Studio version will only optimize the performance of 3D modeling or video editors software.

1 Like
7

Hi,

This doesn’t mean, other users cannot have an issues. And I know, this process helped several users already.

I believe, there is a reason, why the developers release the Gaming and the Studio driver.

1 Like
8

Yeah, the studio drivers are basically a Long Time Support (LTS) version so commercial setups in companies are more manageable. Same drivers, different testing, different release cycles.

And it sadly doesn’t help me with my problem. For one, the situation is exactly the same - I tried them. And on the other hand… since I am creating music for games and need to regularly run the current branch with new music I want to do that with the gaming drivers. And I would still like to not have to disable G-Sync, for various reasons.

I mean I do not have this problem at all with any other productivity software. I have tried it with two other DAWs (one trial version and one that is for free) and the competitors do not cause the problem at all for me. However, I paid quite some money for Cubase and like it best, so I’d really prefer to use Cubase, with the gaming driver and with G-Sync activated. I don’t think this is a wild request. :wink:

9

Same issue here. I have Windows 10 instead with 12700k/3080 etc. I have a G-Sync Monitor as well. I enabled G-Sync in Nvidia Control Panel (as I had it disabled to begin with), and then disabled it… and now I don’t have the flickering anymore. Latest drivers and Windows updates as well. I don’t know. This isn’t the only application that I have an issue in to be honest. It happens with some of my other programs.

10

I managed to sort out the flickering by disabling Vertical Sync for Cubase:
image

This is on a 4k 120hz display, G Sync enabled.

2 Likes
11

I think I had tried this already, but I will verify it to be sure and then report back. Still wondering though, why all those other windowed applications have no problem while Cubase does.

12

I have recently set Cubase to use the low performance Intel graphic chip instead of the nVidia one. Maybe that would help you, too if you have a second graphic chip installed. Not sure whether the game has to run in borderless-windowed mode instead of full screen.

  1. Open the Settings app and go to the System group of settings.
  2. Select the Display tab and scroll down.
  3. Click the ‘Graphic Settings‘ option.
  4. On the Graphics Settings screen, open the ‘Choose an app to set preference‘ dropdown.
  5. Select Classic app as the type of app you want to set the GPU use for.

Once selected, click the Browse button and select the Cubase.exe. Click the ‘Options‘ button under the app once it has been added to select “low performance”.

13

Not sure, but the flickering was really bad for me in the lower zone - but totally eradicated doing that.

I have g-sync set to only be on fullscreen too, but that’s a default setting so didn’t mention it:
image

1 Like
14

Thanks for all the answers, it seems the combination of disabling v-sync, along with using a fixed refresh rate (except the GPU on the processor, I don’t have one) along with deactivating the specific setting for G-Sync for that monitor was the key. Until now I only tried these setting separately and then switched them back, seems it was key to activate them all. I’ll monitor this for a few days and then mark the question as solved, if it holds. Still wondering, though, why every other application works without it. :slight_smile:

15

Ok, figured it out, I needed a combination of the following things:

  1. Disable V-Sync for Cubase only
  2. Set fixed refresh rate for Cubase
  3. Enable G-Sync for full screen mode only
  4. If you have a monitor that is g-sync compatible so it works, but doesn’t have the official certificate (e. g. one with AMD FreeSync Pro), make sure that the 3rd block in G-Sync settings (something about specific settings) is disabled

If these 4 things are set to this at the same time it will work, if I change one of them it’s black screens every few seconds again.

Sorry to all those who provided the right puzzle pieces, but I will choose this post as an answer, because it covers the complete solution. Many thanks to you all!

1 Like
16

If you disable that, you’ve disabled G-Sync.

17

I tested it and no, it is active. Easily visible in Doom Eternal with activated frame counter.

18

You are absolutely right.

For the others: This thread’s solution will turn off G-Sync, which is not what you want (at least if you like to do other things than Cubase with your PC, too).

Better:
In global NVidia 3D Settings, for “Power management mode” set “Prefer maximum performance”. In NVidia application settings, add the Cubase.exe and set "Prefered refresh rate (your G-Sync Display) to “Application controlled”, “Low latency mode” to “Ultra” and “Monitor technology” to “Fixed refresh rate”. This will fix the Cubase stutters, but leave G-Sync enabled for the other apps you like (e. g. games).

Do enable G-Sync, but leave “specific Settings” active. If you turn this off, for the specified display, G-Sync will be turned off.

Have fun.
Timo

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