Comment 89 for bug 1550779

I have been experiencing this kind of problem (with intel_cpu_fifo_underrun_irq_handler in syslog) for a couple of weeks now on Ubuntu 17.10 (4.13.0-39-generic). Here's the syslog extract:

    May 9 13:18:57 xx zeitgeist-datah[2322]: recent-manager-provider.vala:106: (null) was not registered in RecentInfo item 0x55b07472c020
    May 9 13:19:58 xx kernel: [834627.678287] [drm:intel_cpu_fifo_underrun_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe B FIFO underrun
    May 9 13:19:58 xx /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1843]: (II) modeset(0): EDID vendor "FUS", prod id 1957
    May 9 13:19:58 xx /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1843]: (II) modeset(0): Using hsync ranges from config file
    May 9 13:19:58 xx /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1843]: (II) modeset(0): Using vrefresh ranges from config file
    May 9 13:19:58 xx /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1843]: (II) modeset(0): Printing DDC gathered Modelines:
    May 9 13:19:58 xx /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1843]: (II) modeset(0): Modeline "1920x1080"x0.0 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1089 1095 1125 +hsync +vsync (67.5 kHz eP)
    May 9 13:19:58 sanchopansa09 /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1843]: (II) modeset(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync (37.9 kHz e)

Mostly the secondary screen goes (and stays) black when this happens, sometimes the primary notebook (Lenovo) screen. Interestingly, the secondary screen usually comes back when I open “change background” from the context menu (on the primary screen). I need not actually change the background, just open “change background.”

Often when the screen starts flickering and goes black there is the sound of really heavy disk activity, maybe more than justifiable by sys-logging.