Display ripples while scrolling web pages

The Dell BIOS updates are to make the GPU fan(s?) spin more, not a solution I like since part of the appeal of this system is that it is quiet and does not sound like a lawn mower. And a cooler chip does not really solve the problem, it will mitigate in-warranty costs....the Dell people are not stupid. I am waiting till inertia takes over and there is a real fix, fingers crossed.

An update to this: I am a technical journalist covering this issue. My own MacBook Pro is affected by the problem, and like everyone else I have been waiting for a solution to the issue from Apple.

I now strongly suspect that the issue is hardware related, because after contacting Apple's media relations department I was asked to bring my MacBook Pro into the Apple Store Sydney for repair and lent a loan-pool MacBook Pro. The loan MacBook Pro does not have the problem at all... neither the scrolling graphics corruption nor the flickering/flashing animation/video problem.

The notebook they've lent me is almost exactly the same config as the one I had problems with too -- a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo with the 512MB NVIDIA 8600M GT graphics chip. The only difference with theirs is it only has 2GB of RAM, whereas I had mine upgraded to 4GB.

Looking at the System Profiler info, I can see the NVIDIA chip has the following device info:


Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 512 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212

Can someone with a faulty machine look at their System Profiler > Graphics info and see if their ROM revision or Revision ID is different?

Interesting, I too have 4GB of RAM and I noticed that in some of the other posters with this issue. Here are my specs;

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 512 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212

The same as what you have posted with the 2GB machine. Can you dig up some 2GB RAM SODIMMs and see what happens with 4GB of RAM?

P.S. I also have the faster 7200RPM drive as well.

I don't have any 2GB SO-DIMMs unfortunately but when I get my original MBP back from Apple I'll swap out the factory RAM in this loan machine with my 2x2GB DIMMs and see if the problem returns.

I had also wondered whether 4GB RAM might have been a factor in this issue (and indeed whether the RAM we have all bought is not within Apple's spec somehow.) I bought my RAM from Transintl.com -- I've been buying RAM from them for 10 years without a problem on any Mac I've had in the past, but there's a first time for everything I suppose.

My RAM was Apple supplied as configured by me....also I have the 2.5 and not the 2.6 processor...

I've got this same problem with my MBP that I got in December of '07. When I took it in to the Apple store, I could only describe it, because it wouldn't repeat itself. I now have screenshots which look just like the screenshots I see in this thread. So - We know Apple is well aware of this problem, won't acknowledge it, but (because I trust them) are working on this problem. I also suspect it's hardware. Here's my configuration:

GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3175

The differences are in the VRAM total and the ROM Revision. Revision ID is the same.

I wanted to add my name to this list.
This just angers me.
How long has this gone on with out Apple's attention?

Adding my name also. Same specs:

GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212

However, I do notice that the problem occurs most when I have been using graphics intensive applications and then go to Safari to check a web page. I reboot the system and try the page again with no problems. Maybe it is a memory type/handling issue. I purchased 4 GB ram from Kingston and have had no other issues with it.

Gary
Venice, Fl

Yep ad me to the list. Just bought mine not even a month ago. Brand new out of the box and flickering with text corruption. Really bad for me in iphoto too. Should've taken it back immediately. I haven't added any additional RAM yet. What the f#$@?

Try hovering over events in iphoto for a real flickering light show. Just brutal.

count us in.

GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3175
Displays:
Color LCD:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1440 x 900
Depth: 32-bit Color
Built-In: Yes
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected



it's really distracting when we're trying to do serious work. actually, it's distracting when we're being frivolous too.

Can everyone give spec's of there machines? If you don't know where to get them, they are listed under  > About This Mac > More Info... > Then copy the details to this forum for OS version, processor, memory, Hardware Overview and Graphics/Displays section
then we can all compare

here are mine
---------------
OS X 10.5.4
2.6 Ghz Intel Core Duo
4 GB 677mhz DDR2

*Hardware Overview:*

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.6 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP41.00C1.B00
SMC Version: 1.28f1
Serial Number: *****TYP4
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

Graphics/Displays
GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 512 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212
Displays:
Color LCD:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Depth: 32-bit Color
Built-In: Yes
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected

Having the same issue.

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.6 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP41.00C1.B03
SMC Version: 1.27f1
Serial Number: W882224KYK0
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 512 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212
Displays:
Color LCD:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1440 x 900
Depth: 32-bit Color
Built-In: Yes
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected

Add me to the list. I have noticed it's only a problem when using the battery, not with the power cord. No battery setting seems to matter.

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.6 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP41.00C1.B03
SMC Version: 1.28f1
Serial Number: W88190EJ1SG
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 512 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212
Displays:
Color LCD:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Depth: 32-bit Color
Built-In: Yes
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected

This happens to me when using Safari. I also use Firefox and Opera and I have not seen it in them. I really like Safari so please Apple please fix this problem!