Q: MacBook Pro screen blinks

I have a macbook pro late 2008. Same exact thing, within the first year the flickering screen got so bad i brought it into an apple store and logic board was replaced i was told that was the problem. It helped but the flickering began again slowly and the machine wouldn't go to sleep when shutting the cover about another year in. I brought to the apple store again, 5 days later it was returned last night to the store and i got phoned it was ready, I waited 20 minutes for a manager to bring the machine out to me, asked if i wanted to fire it up at the store, i said i beleive them (plus they supposedly test it in the store too before giving back to the customer) and got home to a worse flickering screen. Went back today, all they suggest is to send it off to apple care again. Short of demanding a new computer (doubt they will do that?) i told them how unhappy i was to now be put out yet another week. They said take up w/ Apple Care. I called Apple Care, they said take up w/ the store. I almost gaurantee the next shipment will have the same problem since its the logic board everyone here has mentioned is the problem. If they replace my logic board again, its the third one in 3 years as my apple care runs out in 30+ days. Very frustraded. Emailed apple feedback, positive nobody will write back. Seems like you're put in a corner to either deal with it or buy a new computer

keep trying! go back to back to back everyday. It took me more than 2 months of waiting and 3 logic boards, 2 displays, 1 trackpad replaced and a lot of software tests. Finally after all that and a lot of nightmares, I got a new 2011 MBP. Don't worry about the applecare expiring, you have 90 days of warranty with each part replaced and they need to fix your problem even if your applecare expired. Also call applecare and speak to costumer relations and explain all the issue. Remember not to be too mad but very disappointed.

BTW if they approved a replacement, apple will give you a new MBP but with alike specs. I had the top late 2008 15" MBP and they approved the 2011 lowest model because it has same or better specs. BUT I insisted and they gave the top one and  I did a few upgrades (7200 HD and HiRes display); at the end it was all free of charge.

15" MBP 2.4 / 1G VIDEO CARD/ 7200 HD / HiRes display

Hello everyone

I have an early 2009 17-inch MacBook Pro, 2.93 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with NVIDIA GeForce

9400 M and 9600M GT.

I've been using and loving my MBP for 2 and a half years.

Three days ago the flickering issue started.

I tried everything I could find:

- Tested both graphics cards

- Reset the System Management Controller (SMC)

- My graphics firmware is up to date - gMux Version:          1.7.10

- Reset PRAM and NVRAM

- Removed Snow Leopard and installed Lion.

The issue is still here. I talked via phone to Greece's Apple support and after trying some of

the above approaches, he concluded that it is a hardware issue.

He told me that Apple had a program to replace a previous MBP model

but they did not have one for my model.

I guess he was referring to this http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

I really don't get it….people still report the same issue over and over which means it is

a manufacturing problem. They are replacing the previous model and not mine which

has the same issue? Considering also that I'm not the only one with an 'early 2009'  flickering model.

The technician told me that the previous model had faulty NVIDIA graphics (8600M) cards and Apple's

replacing program was about that. The fact that the flickering is still here means one thing..it was not just the graphics card that was faulty. The problem is more serious and deep and there is still no solution.

The technician advised me to fix it with my own expenses..fix what? The logic board? The graphics card?

The display?  ( btw it is a beautiful matte display )

I paid 2900 Euros in cash and after 2 and a half years my screen behaves like a broken TV set.

I switched to Apple 12 years ago and I was always happy for that move.

Now I feel terrible

This is my situation also except that I have the 15 in. MacBook Pro, 5,1. I don't regret buying the computer but I think Apple should be concerned that the problem extends beyond the range where they defined it. It is not bad enough to cause me to shoulder the expense of the repair, and I have resorted at times to using the higher quallity display, at the cost of battery life and elevated temperatures.

Ok... so 1413 post and 165920 views later.

Everyone posting this issue in this thread and elsewhere on the internet experiences the same issues, and the same "repair" process with Apple, which basically pussyfoots around the actual problem... oh lets try the logic board... oh lets try the HDD... oh lets try the display... oh it's basically no longer the original computer and still has the same problem... but it's the same model.

That's the jist of it. It doesn't really matter so much what specifically is wrong with this model / range just the fact that there is something wrong with it that makes it very annoying to use and Apple doesn't seem to be able to fix it other than offering a full upgrade as a replacement (after much pestering).

So what do we do from here?

I'm guessing that for the vast majority of users, messing around for 3 months gradually replacing parts until forcing apple to give into a full replacement is too much of a hassle. I can only speculate as to what Apple and their retail outlets think. I certainly don't have the time and need to use this machine as is as best i can for work. And if push comes to shove then maybe i'll go buy a pc and get friendly with linux.

What i'd be happy with, ether:

1. Once completely understanding this issue, Apple offers a fix, that costs 1 trip not 100 (i.e. replacing the logic board with a compatible one for that model that does not use nVidia 9400/9600)

2. They offer a replacement THAT WORKS.

3. They offer a good trade in for an upgraded model, after all we've been able to make use of these computers trouble free up until the incessant blinking starts to occur. I think that would be fair. (as far as i can tell newer models with ATI and Intel GPUs don't have this problem.)

What do you think?

How do you think we can go about making this clear to Apple as a large group of their customers? (beyond merely making this thread longer)

I can only say I'm fortunate so far.  I have a late 2008 15" MBP which developed a screen blink about 6 months ago.  At that time I had it in for other repairs, which included a logic board replacement.  Which did not change the screen blink, but it's a very mild form of this problem, not even at the level of annoying.  However, I was concerned that it could lead to something worse, so looked it up on the forum, and took it to a certified repair place, where they were unable to get the screen to blink.  Sometime later I set up a video camera and filmed the screen for 6 hours of use, during which time it never blinked!  (Camera shy?)  The blink I have is the same no matter which graphics setting I use it on.  AppleCare has of course run out by now.  I find this whole issue very mysterious. I'm grateful, though, that whatever this is, is in a mild form in my computer.  (But why? !!!!!)  I would like to see Apple show some integrity about this issue, especially for those who have the problem in such awful forms.

Same problem here... I am a proud owner of a late 2008 15" MBP (born 10/27/2008, Quanta Computer Shangai and bought 11/18/2008) In the meanwhile I upgrated the memory to 8 Gb (from OWC) and the HD with a 500 Gb WD Scorpio Black. The screen blink was here, very mild but annoying, and STOPPED after I've installed smcFanControl http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/23049/smcfancontrol as recommended from LeighMac (page 92) I tested both 9400 and 9600 vcard. I set the control at 3500rpm and CPU temp is at 52 C with 9400

Give it a try. Hope it helps

What I still do not understand:

The problem exists with the 9400 chip but I only experience the problem on the screen of the macbook pro. When I connect my led cinema display there is no blinking on the led cinema display (still using the 9400 chip, clamshell mode)

Correct.

Thank you iDeck for the suggestion.

I tried it and the flickering is still here.

Now, there are also horizontal 'shadows' extending from the left and right side of every open window up to the end of the screen. When I move the window, the shadows follow it. It is a shadow indeed

Also, when I scroll in preview or safari, the shadows move along

I regret that it doesn't help you I'm using safari just now without any flikering or shadows.

My MBP is:

MacBookPro5,1

2,53 GHz

Boot ROM:          MBP51.007E.B05

SMC:          1.33f8

Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549)

kernel:          Darwin 10.8.0

I'm moreover using gfxCardStatus to switch between vcard

Did you increase the RPM of both fans?

I increased both fans to 3500 rpm.

The good news is that the flickering is not happening very often, like yesterday and the day before.

The shadows are always visible but they are not that annoying.

I guess I'll just have to get used to them until Apple does something.

Thank you iDeck

ok. Had same problem. After two motherboards and one screen replacements got new machine! So, good luck everyone!

Argh! the flickering is back! Now I rarely see, maybe is the problem temperature related?  Hope Apple do something.

Guys, there are 95 PAGES of posts.

That should be enough.  Don't bother posting "me too" messages at this point.  It's a hardware defect, and nobody should be putting up with it.  There's no software workaround.  It's a hardware defect that demands replacement of the computer.  OK?