HDMI output cannot exceed 120Hz at 1920x1080

NVIDIA Open GPU Kernel Modules Version

570.133.07

Please confirm this issue does not happen with the proprietary driver (of the same version). This issue tracker is only for bugs specific to the open kernel driver.

• I confirm that this does not happen with the proprietary driver package.

Operating System and Version

Arch Linux, NixOS 25.05 and Ubuntu 24.04

Kernel Release

6.12.21

Please confirm you are running a stable release kernel (e.g. not a -rc). We do not accept bug reports for unreleased kernels.

• I am running on a stable kernel release.

Hardware: GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU

Describe the bug

When using an external 1080p 180Hz monitor via HDMI, setting the refresh rate above 120Hz causes the display to go black with no signal. The monitor reports "no input" or "disconnected." This happens:

• On both X11 and Wayland
• Regardless of desktop environment
• On both proprietary nvidia and open nvidia-open drivers
• Across different distributions (tested on Arch Linux, NixOS, and Ubuntu)

Even after a system reboot, the issue persists until the refresh rate is manually reset to 120Hz or lower. There are no error messages in logs; video output simply stops.

To Reproduce

• Connect a 1920x1080 monitor via HDMI and set refresh rates higher than 120Hz.
• Install and use either the nvidia or nvidia-open driver.

Bug Incidence

Always

nvidia-bug-report.log.gz

nvidia-bug-report.log.gz

More Info

• DisplayPort works correctly at 180Hz
• Using nouveau allows 180Hz over HDMI
• Issue confirmed on systems with RTX3080 and RTX4080
• HDMI cables and ports have been tested and are not the cause
• Multiple users have the same issue: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=302969

Start with the attached nvidia-bug-report.log.gz and reproduce the failure using a 1920x1080 HDMI display above 120Hz. Compare behavior across the listed drivers, GPUs, and display servers; done means HDMI reliably reaches 180Hz without losing signal while DisplayPort behavior remains unaffected.