Laptop internal screen not working but external is

SeaCyber · March 8, 2023, 9:35am

Issue description

Currently my external screen works perfectly fine but my internal display does not work. xrandr -q --verbose says my internal display (DP-2) is “Disconnected”. If I reboot without the external display connected, it will show the boot menu on the internal display and after a while it will freeze, with a thin black line horizontally through the screen and start dimming from the outside in. This behavior happens after about 30 seconds of the screen being on (even in the bios screen).

Hardware and setup info

I use a Tongfang laptop sold by a local retailer. I have a RTX 3060 mobile Max-Q, a AMD Ryzen 7 5800-H (8 core processor). Laptop I use the laptop connected to an external monitor via HDMI.

Potential cause

I did a system upgrade last night which had about 250 packages to upgrade (i normally never leave it this bad, i always update when the notifier is above 50 packages). I think the kernel got updated and maybe the nvidia drivers.

Actions taken so far

I tried going into bios to switch the display setting which is currently set to “dGPU only” to “MSHybrid” but that gave a black screen after saving and exit bios. After reboot, the screen was flickering wildly so I switched it back.

Planned actions

Booting into the lts kernel
I am currently downloading a new EOS iso to try booting onto a usb
I want to downgrade some packages, but am not sure which to downgrade. Maybe the Nvidea drivers
Will report back the results of these.

I hope it is not a hardware issue but really I am not sure how to check or what it could be since the screen does go on sometimes for short times directly after a reboot or shutdown.

Can someone please let me know what logs, actions or anything I should attempt?

Sorry in advance if I am not being clear enough but this is just stressing me out because it looks like a hardware problem but it coincides with a big system upgrade so I am unsure.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

> xrandr -q --verbose

Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 32767 x 32767
DP-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
        Identifier: 0x1bc
        Timestamp:  24280
        Subpixel:   unknown
        Clones:    
        CRTCs:      0 1 2 3
        Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                   filter: 
        CTM: 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
                0 1 
        CscMatrix: 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 
        BorderDimensions: 4 
                supported: 4
        Border: 0 0 0 0 
                range: (0, 65535)
        SignalFormat: DisplayPort 
                supported: DisplayPort
        ConnectorType: DisplayPort 
        ConnectorNumber: 1 
        _ConnectorLocation: 1 
        non-desktop: 0 
                supported: 0, 1
DP-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
        Identifier: 0x1bd
        Timestamp:  24280
        Subpixel:   unknown
        Clones:    
        CRTCs:      0 1 2 3
        Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                   filter: 
        CTM: 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
                0 1 
        CscMatrix: 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 
        BorderDimensions: 4 
                supported: 4
        Border: 0 0 0 0 
                range: (0, 65535)
        SignalFormat: TMDS 
                supported: TMDS
        ConnectorType: DisplayPort 
        ConnectorNumber: 1 
        _ConnectorLocation: 1 
        non-desktop: 0 
                supported: 0, 1
HDMI-0 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (0x1bf) normal (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 520mm x 310mm
        Identifier: 0x1be
        Timestamp:  24280
        Subpixel:   unknown
        Gamma:      1.0:1.0:1.0
        Brightness: 1.0
        Clones:    
        CRTC:       0
        CRTCs:      0 1 2 3
        Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                   filter: 
        _KDE_SCREEN_INDEX: 1 
        CTM: 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
                0 1 
        CscMatrix: 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 
        EDID: 
                00ffffffffffff005925191900000000
                2f1e010380341f780ad7a5a2594a9624
                1450542dcf00d1c0b300010181808140
                81c001010101023a801871382d40582c
                450010090000001e374580b470382d40
                3020350058c11000001e312e40006284
                223058a8350010090000001c000000fc
                004132343537480a2020202020200156
                020334f24f00001006141f2021228748
                124a4b23e200d5e305c00023097f0783
                01000067030c001000383c681a000001
                09284be6023a801871382d40582c2500
                55502100001e011d8018711c1620582c
                250055502100009e0000000000000000
                00000000000000000000000000000000
                000000000000000000000000000000d0
        BorderDimensions: 4 
                supported: 4
        Border: 0 0 0 0 
                range: (0, 65535)
        SignalFormat: TMDS 
                supported: TMDS
        ConnectorType: HDMI 
        ConnectorNumber: 2 
        _ConnectorLocation: 2 
        non-desktop: 0 
                supported: 0, 1
  1920x1080 (0x1bf) 148.500MHz +HSync +VSync *current +preferred
        h: width  1920 start 2008 end 2052 total 2200 skew    0 clock  67.50KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125           clock  60.00Hz
  2880x480 (0x1c0) 108.000MHz -HSync -VSync
        h: width  2880 start 2944 end 3192 total 3432 skew    0 clock  31.47KHz
        v: height  480 start  489 end  495 total  525           clock  59.94Hz
  1920x1080 (0x1c1) 177.190MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1920 start 1968 end 2000 total 2100 skew    0 clock  84.38KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1083 end 1088 total 1125           clock  75.00Hz
  1920x1080 (0x1c2) 148.500MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1920 start 2008 end 2052 total 2200 skew    0 clock  67.50KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1082 end 1087 total 1125           clock  60.00Hz
  1920x1080 (0x1c3) 148.350MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1920 start 2008 end 2052 total 2200 skew    0 clock  67.43KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125           clock  59.94Hz
  1920x1080 (0x1c4) 148.500MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1920 start 2448 end 2492 total 2640 skew    0 clock  56.25KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125           clock  50.00Hz
  1920x1080 (0x1c5) 74.180MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1920 start 2008 end 2052 total 2200 skew    0 clock  33.72KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125           clock  29.97Hz
  1920x1080 (0x1c6) 74.250MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1920 start 2448 end 2492 total 2640 skew    0 clock  28.12KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125           clock  25.00Hz
  1920x1080 (0x1c7) 74.180MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1920 start 2558 end 2602 total 2750 skew    0 clock  26.97KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125           clock  23.98Hz
  1680x1050 (0x1c8) 146.250MHz -HSync +VSync
        h: width  1680 start 1784 end 1960 total 2240 skew    0 clock  65.29KHz
        v: height 1050 start 1053 end 1059 total 1089           clock  59.95Hz
  1600x900 (0x1c9) 118.250MHz -HSync +VSync
        h: width  1600 start 1688 end 1856 total 2112 skew    0 clock  55.99KHz
        v: height  900 start  903 end  908 total  934           clock  59.95Hz
  1280x1024 (0x1ca) 135.000MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1280 start 1296 end 1440 total 1688 skew    0 clock  79.98KHz
        v: height 1024 start 1025 end 1028 total 1066           clock  75.02Hz
  1280x1024 (0x1cb) 108.000MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1280 start 1328 end 1440 total 1688 skew    0 clock  63.98KHz
        v: height 1024 start 1025 end 1028 total 1066           clock  60.02Hz
  1280x960 (0x1cc) 108.000MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1280 start 1376 end 1488 total 1800 skew    0 clock  60.00KHz
        v: height  960 start  961 end  964 total 1000           clock  60.00Hz
  1280x720 (0x1cd) 74.250MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1280 start 1390 end 1430 total 1650 skew    0 clock  45.00KHz
        v: height  720 start  725 end  730 total  750           clock  60.00Hz
  1024x768 (0x1ce) 78.750MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width  1024 start 1040 end 1136 total 1312 skew    0 clock  60.02KHz
        v: height  768 start  769 end  772 total  800           clock  75.03Hz
  1024x768 (0x1cf) 75.000MHz -HSync -VSync
        h: width  1024 start 1048 end 1184 total 1328 skew    0 clock  56.48KHz
        v: height  768 start  771 end  777 total  806           clock  70.07Hz
  1024x768 (0x1d0) 65.000MHz -HSync -VSync
        h: width  1024 start 1048 end 1184 total 1344 skew    0 clock  48.36KHz
        v: height  768 start  771 end  777 total  806           clock  60.00Hz
  800x600 (0x1d1) 49.500MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width   800 start  816 end  896 total 1056 skew    0 clock  46.88KHz
        v: height  600 start  601 end  604 total  625           clock  75.00Hz
  800x600 (0x1d2) 50.000MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width   800 start  856 end  976 total 1040 skew    0 clock  48.08KHz
        v: height  600 start  637 end  643 total  666           clock  72.19Hz
  800x600 (0x1d3) 40.000MHz +HSync +VSync
        h: width   800 start  840 end  968 total 1056 skew    0 clock  37.88KHz
        v: height  600 start  601 end  605 total  628           clock  60.32Hz
  720x576 (0x1d4) 27.000MHz -HSync -VSync
        h: width   720 start  732 end  796 total  864 skew    0 clock  31.25KHz
        v: height  576 start  581 end  586 total  625           clock  50.00Hz
  640x480 (0x1d5) 31.500MHz -HSync -VSync
        h: width   640 start  656 end  720 total  840 skew    0 clock  37.50KHz
        v: height  480 start  481 end  484 total  500           clock  75.00Hz
  640x480 (0x1d6) 31.500MHz -HSync -VSync
        h: width   640 start  656 end  696 total  832 skew    0 clock  37.86KHz
        v: height  480 start  481 end  484 total  520           clock  72.81Hz
  640x480 (0x1d7) 25.175MHz -HSync -VSync
        h: width   640 start  656 end  752 total  800 skew    0 clock  31.47KHz
        v: height  480 start  490 end  492 total  525           clock  59.94Hz
DP-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
        Identifier: 0x1d8
        Timestamp:  24280
        Subpixel:   unknown
        Clones:    
        CRTCs:      0 1 2 3
        Transform:  1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
                    0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
                   filter: 
        CTM: 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
                0 1 
        CscMatrix: 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 0 0 0 65536 0 
        BorderDimensions: 4 
                supported: 4
        Border: 0 0 0 0 
                range: (0, 65535)
        SignalFormat: DisplayPort 
                supported: DisplayPort
        ConnectorType: Panel 
        ConnectorNumber: 0 
        _ConnectorLocation: 0 
        non-desktop: 0 
                supported: 0, 1

petsam · March 8, 2023, 1:03pm

It is only a coincidence.
This is what makes things clear it is a hardware problem:

Whatever happens in BIOS firmware is not affected by the installed system (unless Windows can, but not Linux).

SeaCyber · March 8, 2023, 1:09pm

That is not what I wanted to hear
Ah well, do you have any idea how I should go about troubleshooting the problem? Could it be a hardware connection that is loose somehow? or should I not even bother trying to fix it myself and instead take it to a repair shop?

chikenf00t · March 9, 2023, 5:37pm

It kind of depends on how confident you are with doing repairs like that. You could open up the laptop and check that the ribbon cables aren’t loose/unplugged. Otherwise, if you determine that the ribbon cable is faulty or that the whole screen is faulty I would recommend just taking it to a repair shop. Doing screen replacements (in my experience) is a huge pain to do and is very time consuming. It also increases the chances that you cause more damage in the end.

system · March 11, 2023, 5:38pm

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