[BUG] Claude Desktop (Windows): window drives G-Sync refresh changes that flicker on OLED; --disable-gpu-compositing fixes it

What's Wrong?

With windowed G-Sync enabled, the Claude Desktop window makes the display's refresh rate change constantly. The app redraws in uneven bursts, and the display follows each burst. On my OLED TV the dark UI visibly changes brightness when the refresh rate drops, so the window flickers. It happens while the app is opening, while responses stream, and when they finish. The TV's Game Bar shows the refresh rate moving the whole time.

I first noticed it on 4 October. The app had updated from 2.9939.4.0 to 2.19675.0.0 two days earlier. Both builds ship the same Electron (44.4.3) and Chromium (152.0.7977.130), so if the update caused it, the change is in the app's UI code.

What I tried

• Closing my other always-on-top animated window: still flickers.
• NVIDIA per-app profile for Claude, Monitor Technology set to Fixed Refresh: the flicker stops. But the driver turns VRR off whenever Claude is in front and back on when another app is, and the TV blanks for about a second on every switch.
• --disable-gpu-compositing: the flicker stops and the refresh rate holds at 144 Hz. VRR stays on for everything else, so switching apps doesn't blank the screen. I now set it through chromiumFlags in claude_desktop_config.json.

This looks like the same bug as #72405, which was auto-closed as not about Claude Code. In that report --disable-gpu-compositing did not help, so the flag may not fix it for everyone.

What Should Happen?

The Claude window shouldn't change the display's refresh rate while you use it. Pacing redraws more evenly, or not presenting frames when nothing on screen has changed, would avoid it. A hardware acceleration toggle in Settings would also help, since chromiumFlags is only known from issue comments.

Steps to Reproduce

1. NVIDIA GPU with G-Sync Compatible enabled for windowed and fullscreen mode, on an OLED display.
2. Open Claude Desktop in a window (not fullscreen) and send a message.
3. Watch the display's refresh rate (TV Game Bar or the NVIDIA overlay) and the brightness of the dark background.

Environment

• Claude Desktop 2.19675.0.0, MSIX package Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
• Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26200
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, driver 32.0.16.1088
• Samsung S90F (QD-OLED TV), 3840x2160 at 144 Hz, HDR on, G-SYNC Compatible