How to Fix Random Brief Black Screen Flashes on the Acer Predator XB283K

Causes

• G-SYNC Compatible / adaptive-sync handshake drops — the XB283K is a G-SYNC Compatible panel, and with VRR enabled it can briefly blank for 1–2 seconds when the frame rate swings or the signal negotiates. This VRR black-flash behavior is well documented on adaptive-sync monitors including the Predator XB line.
• Marginal DisplayPort 1.4 / DSC cable — sending 4K@144Hz over DisplayPort requires a quality DP 1.4 (HBR3) cable; a cheap, very long, or damaged cable intermittently drops the link and the screen flashes black while it re-syncs.
• HDMI 2.1 handshake drop with VRR on consoles — with an Xbox Series X or PS5 connected over HDMI 2.1 and VRR/ALLM enabled, the monitor can flash black during mode switches or when the console changes refresh.
• GPU driver resets — an outdated, crashed, or overloaded graphics driver resets the output and produces the same brief black flashes, especially right after a game launches or during a heavy load spike.

How to Fix

1. Swap to a certified, short DisplayPort 1.4 cable — use the cable that shipped with the monitor or a VESA-certified DP 1.4 (HBR3) cable no longer than about 6 ft/1.8 m. A long or marginal cable is the most common cause of random DP black flashes. Reseat it firmly at both ends so it clicks into the latch.
2. Toggle VRR / G-SYNC in the OSD — press the OSD joystick, open the gaming/adaptive-sync menu, set G-SYNC/Adaptive-Sync to Off, and confirm the flashing stops. If that fixes it, re-enable it and instead cap your frame rate to a stable value (e.g. 140 fps) so the driver isn't constantly renegotiating.
3. Update or cleanly reinstall the GPU driver — install the latest stable driver for your GPU; if flashes persist, use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode to remove it and reinstall fresh, then disable any GPU overclock/undervolt that might be causing resets.
4. On consoles, turn off VRR/ALLM — on Xbox Series X or PS5, disable VRR (and test with ALLM off) in the display/video settings, forcing fixed refresh, and confirm the black flashes stop. You can re-enable VRR later on a per-game basis if the unit behaves.
5. Reset the OSD — choose the reset/default option in the OSD to clear any stored adaptive-sync or overdrive state, then re-test on both DisplayPort and HDMI. If the monitor still flashes black on a known-good cable, a second PC, and VRR disabled at multiple refresh rates, contact Acer under warranty — the scaler/board is faulty.