LBenny91
I would take a look at raw monitor specifications over the potential software issues you're exploring (most people fall in the category of just disliking subtle flicker or color gamut of new displays)
Consider going for WOLED (OLED) or WLED (LCD) monitors, preferably 240hz since 144hz is archaic.
For example, XL2411K, EX240, EX2510, 24G2ZU(Z or ZE), XG2431, VG259QM, MAG251RX, PG259QN, AW2521H, AW2523HF if 1080p LCD
(check post history for 1440p high hz section)
Eye Strain For Months After PC Upgrade
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But why would I be fine on the XL2411P for 4 years and now suddenly after I've upgraded my PC it's giving me issues? In-between that i did use the LG27GP850 and MSI MAG274QRF-QD and also tried an Acer XB271HU, all of them didn't help so now I'm back to my XL2411P.
The BenQ is better but still not tolerable for daily use really. I'm at a loss, I think the issue is system based rather than monitor but who really knows. Maybe I developed a condition during my extreme sessions of eye strain/vertigo on those bad monitors.
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LBenny91
Interesting. I'm unaware whether BenQ has the practice of ninja-swapping panels in on-sale models (such as on the XL2411P), but that can be an option (meaning your previous and current monitor could still differ)
Have you experimented with HDMI vs DisplayPort and/or changing bit depth in Nvidia drivers?
Perhaps even play around with monitor timings using CRU (perhaps using exact reduced timings, using displayid1.3 standard etc.)
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I'm pretty sure the panel is identical. It's a lot more tolerable than the IPS panels that i returned but it's still not perfect. I still don't think it has anything to do with the panel though.
I have bought a 1660 super GPU for testing over the next week or so. Hopefully the 3060ti may have been the cause of my issue. I have seen many complaints about it on other posts here.
I suspect the GPU and it’s unfortunate. I still use a 10 series nvidia as it’s my only safe option.
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I am using a 1660 super now, have been for 2 days. I think it feels somewhat better than the 3060ti but I need to test more to be sure.
I have long lasting symptoms from months of eye strain that are still present on some days (like dizziness and brain fog) so testing is a bit hit and miss. But I'm sure it feels better than the 3060ti at least. I don't know what's up with those modern cards…
Yeah I'm actually concerned there's something wrong with me sometimes…it's like those IPS monitors I tested combined with the 3060ti really messed with my eyes and they haven't fully recovered yet.
And what do you mean by studio driver btw? I'd be interested in trying it if it's more comfortable.
LBenny91 so far LCD devices make me feel so bad. I plan to try a incandescent monitor soon when it arrives but I still am not fully feeling better from past device use.
The studio driver is a non gaming driver. This is it from a Google search, it's not the latest version
https://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/193235/en-us/
Make sure to use color control if you haven't already to disable dithering
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Yeah I've considered OLED and stuff but they're expensive and I don't want to go through any more hassle than I've already been through. I've returned three monitors already.
So can I still game on that studio driver? And also what colour control? Sorry I'm not the most computer literate person lol. Is it in the nvidia settings?
LBenny91 yeah I so understand that.
Studio driver should still game I think? I think it's just optimized for other workloads so may have slightly less fps id imagine. If I had to guess id imagine the newer drivers may be worse due to ray tracing support they added for GTX cards. I can't remember when they started adding that to the driver's.
Color control is a program that lets you disable dithering. You can force your monitors native color depth. If your sensitive to frc/dithering then turning it off should give you comfort. Assuming you have a 8 but or 8+2frc monitor (force 8bit only) if you have a 6+2frc then you may be out of luck and that could be why you don't feel good regardless of driver. Frc/dithering is pixel flicker which seems to cause more neurological effects for me.
Any idea when they added RT support? I'd consider going back to an older driver from before they added that in. And I'll look into that program tomorrow, appreciate the help man 
My monitor is 8bit colour. It's a BenQ XL2411P, same monitor i used on my old system that never gave me any eye strain at all for years.
It's that bad that I'm scared to even start messing with settings incase I somehow make things even worse…lol. I'm like paranoid over it all. I just wish I could use my system in peace again.
But thanks for all the advice and help I do really appreciate it and hope you can solve your issues too!
LBenny91 I did some digging around and I think it was actually added when the 1660 S dropped in 2019. I wonder if a 2018 driver would install if you tried forcing it with nvcleanstall software. There was a guy on the telegram eye strain group who modded a GTX driver to install with a rtx card awhile back lol.
Oh okay that's good you at least know the monitor is safe! Someone made that KVM switch post maybe that can take away strain for you? Seemed to help the other guy im curious if it helps anyone else.
Jeez I so can relate I'm super paranoid trying stuff to begin the symptoms are brutal and it's not something that goes away over night 
Only thing that helped me with not getting totally messed up was using irlens syndrome glasses but it wasn't the full fix it would just compound and hit me hard eventually.
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LBenny91 I wish I knew what the deal was with newer cards as well. It doesn't make sense to me. The only things I am aware of that may cause our pain/discomfort are forms of flicker. The only forms of flicker I am aware of are PWM, Temporal Dithering (FRC), and the refresh rate cycles (OLED and LCD handles these differently).
These forms of flicker can come from the video card, but won't always. By that, I mean that the monitor usually handles the brightness where PWM can be introduced. The video cards handle frame rates, color, etc..
Does windows turn on HDR by default if your card is capable of it? I know I made sure it was off. I keep my refresh rate at 60Hz. That's all my monitor can handle anyways.
While everyone here can have different issues, I noticed this first when I checked out the iPhone 11 or 12 years ago. I felt very uncomfortable looking at them even for a short time. I thought nothing of it just thinking they were in store mode and the brightness was getting to me but it all came to a head when I bought an OLED TV a few years back. I sat there trying to watch a show and I just felt my brain get overloaded and I began to feel very sleepy. Fast forward to today, I have experiences similar to you when I walk into an apple store and look at pretty much any panel in there for longer than 10-15 seconds and I feel off for hours.
- They use OLED and that is a known "no no" for me
- Apple boasts of the wide color gamut they can display (P3). P3 cannot be natively shown on these displays as they are highly likely 8 bit displays using FRC
- Pro models use variable refresh rates. I don't know if this specifically bothers me.
- iphones have notoriously been known for low frequency PWM in the recent past. Supposedly higher frequency is better.
To end this rant, I wish panels would move to authentic true 10 bit displays (no FRC as most are today). The issue I foresee with that is companies including apple will then decide that P3 isn't good enough and want even higher bit color depth like 12 or 14 bit which will have them use FRC even on a 10 bit panel. Sigh…
15 days later
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I have a similar problem after upgrading my pc to i5-12400f with asus b760m-plus wifi but with same gpu 1660 super and monitor dell p2419h, so i guess its something with new motherboard and cpu; first reason that came to my mind is win 11, but returning to win 10 didn't change much.
For the ones that had an experience where short term usage of a screen significantly afffects the tolerance for other screens it would be interesting to hear about the percieved differences in both the old and new screen, and in how the old screens feel afterwards.
There is a ton of theories from Claude above, and I'm sure it can be a case of some threshold being hit, combined with a few psychological effects, but then again it could also be that some particular straining input that doesn't really exist anywhere else are experienced for the first time and causes some adaptation.
Macbook Pro M1 and some iPhones seem to be a really recurring theme in the cases where someone just got messed up. Tbh if I had to put my money on something it would probably be a combination of True Tone with really sharp high contrast edges for lines together with somewhat blurry text that forces some maladaptive change. Might be that the brightness dips somehow starts a new adaptation process each time as well.
Really interested in hearing more experiences from these types of switches.
- First time really high PPI?
- First time with really high contrast ratio?
- First time with a screen that has really sharp and clear edges?
- Mild color shift, like different tone for white and/or black? Are one screen redish and the other yellow? Does one have blueish blacks?
- First time actually focusing on a screen with PWM?
- First time with text size below a certain physical size?