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Q: MacBook Pro screen blinks

My new MacBook Pro display screen is blinking or flickering every few minutes now. I've only noticed it when I've switched to the integrated 9400M graphics processor. I don't recall seeing any blinks when using the discrete 9600M GPU. Usually it is only the top half or so of the display that blinks or flickers for a split second. Anyone else having the same problem?

MacBook Pro (Late 2008), Mac OS X (10.5.5), tv, iPhone, iPod Touch, et al

Posted on Nov 28, 2008 5:28 PM

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Q: MacBook Pro screen blinks

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  • by steinzeug,Solvedanswer

    steinzeug steinzeug Dec 4, 2008 10:58 PM in response to PHOTOlink.net
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Dec 4, 2008 10:58 PM in response to PHOTOlink.net
    This problem really needs to be adressed by apple.
  • by kurt@kurtarrigo.com,

    kurt@kurtarrigo.com kurt@kurtarrigo.com Dec 5, 2008 6:33 AM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 5, 2008 6:33 AM in response to munchnstuf
    Yeah I am also experiencing the same flickering problem.... This is extremely frustrating !!!
    Apple, please can you sort this one out .... !!!
  • by andrew Bobyn,

    andrew Bobyn andrew Bobyn Dec 5, 2008 10:11 AM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Dec 5, 2008 10:11 AM in response to munchnstuf
    I too am getting a blinking screen, while using the GeForce 9400M unit. So far it seems to come up every couple of days.

    More problematic is that sometimes when waking from sleep with a larger monitor plugged in - the larger monitor frequently doesn't come on until I remove & re-plug in the MiniDisplay port adapter to sort of wake the card up. Sometimes the larger just turns off and on again numerous times until I remove & re-plug the adapter in. That seems to help.

    My (replaced) powerbook never had this problem.
  • by munchnstuf,

    munchnstuf munchnstuf Dec 5, 2008 4:12 PM in response to steinzeug
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 5, 2008 4:12 PM in response to steinzeug
    The gears are in motion....
  • by munchnstuf,

    munchnstuf munchnstuf Dec 19, 2008 8:37 PM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2008 8:37 PM in response to munchnstuf
    Well, it's been just over a week since Apple was kind enough to replace my MacBook Pro with a brand new one and I'm pleased to say that this one has been completely Blink-Free! No problems whatsoever.

    I want to thank Apple for the quick response to my problem and the hassle free MBP swap. I hope that all of you with the same problem are/were able to find a similarly quick solution. I guess that the blinking problem was isolated to a just few 'bad Apples' in the bunch.

    Thanks everyone for the replies and thanks again Apple for the great service and beautiful products!

    Merry Christmas to all...+and to all a good night!+
  • by Robert Derelanko,

    Robert Derelanko Robert Derelanko Dec 20, 2008 6:29 AM in response to PHOTOlink.net
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Dec 20, 2008 6:29 AM in response to PHOTOlink.net
    I also had this problem only on the 9400 chip.. Although mine is very rare.. maybe once a day or two.

    Haven't used the 9400 much since my last logic board replacement so I can't comment if the newer chips are doing it as well.
  • by sammiemo,

    sammiemo sammiemo Dec 21, 2008 7:14 PM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 21, 2008 7:14 PM in response to munchnstuf
    It sounds like I had the same problem. Called Apple Support and sent it in for repair. A couple days later I got it back. I think this is a production issue with some of the NVIDIA chipsets.
  • by Raphael Brand,

    Raphael Brand Raphael Brand Dec 30, 2008 1:35 AM in response to PHOTOlink.net
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2008 1:35 AM in response to PHOTOlink.net
    My Mac Book Pro, 2.8 Intel Core Duo, also blinks, that is the screen, when using the slower graphic processor flashes really quickly, maybe every 10 minutes orso.
    i have tried playing around with different display settings like one site suggested but that didnt do anything, also resetting PRAM (option plus p and r, restarts) , i have not tried yet.
    i also noticed that sometimes when it has a few programs open and i worked on Aperture, something a computer with this speed should handle easily!! the computer frooze and the hd started to sping fast and faster, and the cpu got really hot till i just had to restart with power button.
    I love the machine but something isnt quite working the way it should....
    r
  • by Raphael Brand,

    Raphael Brand Raphael Brand Dec 30, 2008 5:26 AM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2008 5:26 AM in response to munchnstuf
    after running the mac for a longer a period of time the flashes/blinks start to happen with shorter intervals, cannot put a timer on it but now it seems to happen every 4 minutes...its a bit frustrating and i hope Apple will come with an explanation on this site soon,
    r
  • by marco21,

    marco21 marco21 Dec 30, 2008 5:45 PM in response to Raphael Brand
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2008 5:45 PM in response to Raphael Brand
    I've extact the same problem with my late 2008 MBP. Sometimes, the upper area auf die display flashes for a millisecond a black bar. And sometimes, the entire display flashes black for a millisecond. It's absolute randomly.
    All these issues happens, when the 9400M is activated.


    I hope, it's a software-issue.....,but did the late08 Macbook's have the same 9400M-display-issue??

    Here is a pic of my OS X-desktop, when the black bar appears (it's photoshoped, because i can't know, when the next "blankbar" appears, to make a photo or video with my digicam:
    http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4922/bild1vm1.jpg

    Message was edited by: marco21
  • by jsqhoward,

    jsqhoward jsqhoward Dec 31, 2008 12:45 AM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 31, 2008 12:45 AM in response to munchnstuf
    My new MBP (late 2008) also blinks intermittently when using the 9400 chip. Every minute or so. I contacted Apple and he took me through a bunch of stuff, but the problem is still there. I would hate to have to send the laptop back since I am overseas, and hope that this is a software problem that can be fixed through an update. Anyone know if a solution is on its way?
  • by Christmas Eve,

    Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Dec 31, 2008 5:34 PM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 31, 2008 5:34 PM in response to munchnstuf
    You can add me to the list of random quick screen flashes. This only happens when using the 9400M graphics. Not sure what's causing the problem but I hope it's a software issue and not a hardware one. Fingers crossed...
  • by pierocampanelli,

    pierocampanelli pierocampanelli Jan 1, 2009 2:48 PM in response to munchnstuf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2009 2:48 PM in response to munchnstuf
    I am experiencing the same problem not only when scrolling:

    Randomly top section of LCD flicker for 1/20 second
    Sometimes it happens every 5 minutes. Sometimes every 50 minutes. Sometimes never happens
    It happens only with 9400 chipset at whatever level of brightness I put and with auto brightness enabled or disabled
    It seems to happen more frequently after a wakeup and with an external monitor connected through DVI cable
    It is terribly annoying !!

    I went to the local apple store (where i bought the computer) to obtain a DOA (Defect on Arrival) but the problem didn't happen ....

    What can I do?
    Did you find a method to reproduce it to demonstrate the problem?
  • by marco21,

    marco21 marco21 Jan 2, 2009 6:53 AM in response to pierocampanelli
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 2, 2009 6:53 AM in response to pierocampanelli
    I've noticed, when a video on Youtube is playing, the flicker appears sometimes often.
    I think it's a software issue on the relativ neu 9400m chipset-graphic. It's new to Apple.
  • by pierocampanelli,

    pierocampanelli pierocampanelli Jan 2, 2009 11:16 AM in response to marco21
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 2, 2009 11:16 AM in response to marco21
    I did the following experiment. I logged in after a wakeup. I put dim to low level and I observed the screen for 20 minutes doing nothing. Fault happened 3 / 4 times. It is a very fast blink on the upper section of the LCD.

    I confirm that it seems to happen only with 9400 chipset and it happens on a cold start (so I exclude heating problems).

    I think is an hardware issue with the combination LCD revision / chipset revision.

    Here is my hardware version:

    Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
    Type: Display
    Bus: PCI
    VRAM (Total): 256 MB
    Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
    Device ID: 0x0863
    Revision ID: 0x00b1
    ROM Revision: 3343
    gMux Version: 1.7.3
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