Issue with monitor going black
Got a strange problem going on. Been dealing with this for a while now. Every so often, one of my monitors will flicker, by flicker I mean go black for a split second. I have 2 monitors hooked up to desktop via display port. The monitor that this happens to is a Dell S2716DGR.
I thought I had the issue figured out but it is still happening. I am thinking this has to do with static electricity but not 100% sure. This all started after I got a usb hub which I have in front of my keyboard. This is a usb hub that plugs into 110v outlet and by usb. I realized if I walk up to the computer and touch the usb hub, any part of it, the monitor will flicker. Have carpet floor but do have a plastic mat under chair and computer is sitting on desk, not on carpet. When I first realized this, I thought maybe it had to do with the usb hub being plugged into same surge protector as the computer and everything else. The surge protector was a little older so I switched it out with a newer one. Still happened so I plugged the usb hub straight into a wall outlet, although same outlet surge protector is plugged into. Once I did that, it stopped for a while. But now it is back to happening again.
The most logical explanation for this is static electricity. Or is it possible I have a bad usb hub? If it is static electricity, is it going back through the electric lines to the monitor or is it just from the monitor being close to the usb hub? The 2nd monitor is just as close, if not closer and nothing happens to that one. Are certain monitors more sensitive to static electricity? I have checked all cable connections, that was the first thing I checked on and everything is fine there.
UPDATE: Don't think it is static electricity. It has something to do with the usb hub, or it's my wall outlets. With usb hub sitting on desk, I can just walk up to desk and touch the wood desk and monitor will flicker. Take the usb hub off the desk but still plugged in, touching desk doesn't cause monitor to flicker. But still flickers when I touch usb hub. Plug the usb hub into a different outlet that the surge protector is plugged into and monitor will still flicker. All this is happen without usb hub plugged into computer, only wall outlet. Got me thinking maybe wiring in house is bad. But don't believe so because a few years back, found out wiring was not grounded so replaced it will new grounded wiring. Or maybe there is a short in the usb hub. All the usb devices I been using in the hub have been working just fine with no issues. Just got the usb hub off amazon not too long ago, will have to check to see if I can still return it.
But some of this just doesn't make sense to me. Why would just touching a wood desk cause the monitor to flicker?