Arch Linux

elizabethdev

Member

Registered: 2026-10-26

Posts: 6

Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

Hi, I just got a new laptop, a Tuxedo Infinitybook Pro 15 Gen 10 (Ryzen 365, 300Hz screen), and while configuring Arch Linux with Sway, I noticed that the system becomes very unstable when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync.

Having the desktop by itself or Foot terminal open is usually not as bad, but the moment I open Firefox, it starts lagging quite a bit, it becomes unusable. And VRRtest seems to freeze completely with the bars not moving at all.

This only happens when I boot the system (and start sway) with Adaptive Sync enabled from the beginning, if I enable it while the session was already started (and just reload Sway's config) it keeps working fine.

With Adaptive Sync disabled that stops happening, but then, I'll have the different issue that at random times the screen will glitch for less than a second (enough to be noticeable), showing it full of random color pixels.

The screen is set at 2560x1600@300Hz, and Adaptive Sync enabled just by adding

output eDP-1 scale 1.5 adaptive_sync on

I have Sway 1.12, mesa 1.26, and Linux 7.2.11

There's a couple videos showing the issue here https://cloud.foxfox.cat/s/ERp6ZcgrAdsTodG

Last edited by elizabethdev (2026-10-26 12:36:08)

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 78,630

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

Do you have any of these issues when running the output at static 60Hz or 120Hz?

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elizabethdev

Member

Registered: 2026-10-26

Posts: 6

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

Do you have any of these issues when running the output at static 60Hz or 120Hz?

the stuttering doesn't happen with static refresh rate, but then I do have the weird glitching issue

Last edited by elizabethdev (Yesterday 16:19:13)

elizabethdev

Member

Registered: 2026-10-26

Posts: 6

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

after some investigation, I ended up figuring out a fix... which I'm unable to understand

by enabling HDR (so, render_bit_depth 10, hdr off, and starting with WLR_RENDERER=vulkan)... it now works properly. no freezing, and no glitching either. I don't understand why.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 78,630

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

enabling HDR (so, render_bit_depth 10, hdr off

??

Is this an APU (amdgpu) or is there a dedicated (nvidia) GPU as well?
Does amdgpu_top indicate different load/frequencies w/ those settings?
Is using vulkan alone sufficient or do you need the entire combination?

x-ref, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=315292

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elizabethdev

Member

Registered: 2026-10-26

Posts: 6

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

enabling HDR (so, render_bit_depth 10, hdr off

??

yeah I know, but it's what the wiki says https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/HDR#sway

it's an APU exclusively, no other graphics card

I'll check for different variations of that combination... but I already found out this seems to not be enough. this works perfectly from boot, but the moment the computer suspends and comes back, it starts having the same issue again. the interesting thing is, when coming back from suspend, it still works fine for some seconds, but then the screen flashes black for a moment (as if the monitor settings had been changed by some process in the background) and only then it starts happening again.

I've also verified none of these issues happen in Gnome/GDM

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 78,630

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

this works perfectly from boot, but the moment the computer suspends and comes back

I've also verified none of these issues happen in Gnome/GDM

Does amdgpu_top indicate different load/frequencies w/ those settings?

Also what about eg. labwc?

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elizabethdev

Member

Registered: 2026-10-26

Posts: 6

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

this works perfectly from boot, but the moment the computer suspends and comes back

I've also verified none of these issues happen in Gnome/GDM

Does amdgpu_top indicate different load/frequencies w/ those settings?

Also what about eg. labwc?

I don't see anything weird in amdgpu_top, it seems to look about the same pre and post suspend

it does happen in labwc as well when enabling Adaptive Sync via wlr-randr, again, only when coming back from suspend...

elizabethdev

Member

Registered: 2026-10-26

Posts: 6

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

I have also observed how it happens in weston, from the first load

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 78,630

Re: Screen lagging/freezing when enabling VRR/Adaptive Sync in Sway

it seems to look about the same pre and post suspend

Same frequencies resp. does it help to enforce one of the higher performance modes?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/AMDGPU … nce_levels

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