Q: MacBook Pro screen blinks

I WAS referring to the 5,1 model. The 2009 MBP was just for comparison. A 5,1 MBP will not use the, faulty, 9400 under Linux under any circumstance!

Poochie, Getting it to run on the 9400 was well-documented.

My main point was that software has resolved the issue for the MacBook Pro 5,1.

Not a single logic board replacement had fixed it.

Logic boards should only be replaced for extreme circumstances.

This is interesting in order to understand if is something hw related or just sw related...

Can someone of you post some link that can support his thesis?

Booting from an alternate or earlier OS via external HD or optical drive is a common troubleshooting method.

I was introduced to the Linux method by an Appke Authorized Service rep.

Refering to what is suggestin poochie2, i understand that he says no OS has got the drivers compatible with 9400 except MAC, so the question is: when you have booted your mac with linux, which video card was using? 9400 or discrete one?

Many people in this discussion had logic boards replaced and found that the problem persisted.  I had the problem as well as other things I thought had to be seriously the computer -- disk drive unable to read a blank disk, USB port intermittently failing, and the blink -- got a new disk drive and logic board and everything was better except the blink, which remained.  It has not happened since the firmware 2.8 update this morning -- but it was always intermittent, so there's no telling yet.

I agree that there is some mystery surrounding the fix, but performance is as before. I would appreciate some additional details from Apple about how the fix was discovered and why now, boubt we'll ever know.

lordsoft wrote:

 

That's just great. Great that it tooks only 3.5 years!! to finally release this update. Sad story is that I just bought a new iMac only because of that super annoying flickering. And just after 5 days - EFI update comes. Really sad day for me.

Luckily you are still within your 30-day return window!  I bet you can't bring yourself to return the iMac with that big glorious screen and quad-core chip.

You could sell your MBP.   I was about to get rid of mine and get an iMac, but now I'm going to hold onto it longer (assuming the flicker is actually gone for good).

I'm still gonna get an Ivy Bridge iMac when they come out though.

sdaniel5 wrote:

 

It has not happened since the firmware 2.8 update this morning -- but it was always intermittent, so there's no telling yet.

So far a bunch of people have updated, and there hasn't been a single report of the flicker happening afterwards, so I think it's a Good Sign.

Dunno if is something related to the EDI update but starting from today i get system hangin from now and then. Tipically at the login screen, i insert password and system becomes unresponsive for a while, then unlocks.

Working as i normal did and system hangs again, for some time and unlocks again... reboot, reset PRAM did not srt any effect.

Is something someone has experienced in the past?

Updated the firmware on my MBP5,1, Late 2008. Now running MBP51.007E.B06 and 8GB of RAM is still there (memory from OWC).

Thanks, Gee!

I too have been firing on all 8 GBs with no problems.

@Benna

Just to be safe, make sure that your hard drive says, "Verified", under Disk Utility.

From what I have seen, those system hangs could be hard drive related.

Do you get the spinning beach ball?

Confirmed the spinning beach ball. I'll check the drive status, i've installed one month ago a crucial SSD drive...

Status Verified in disk utility.

I've run Onyx cleaning as much as possible and now situation SEEMS to be the same as before the upgrade.

Anyway, i don't think this has something to do with the efi upgrade, i rather guess is something related to the disk or some program/utility installed.

I'll keep you informed wether problems comes back again

Just wanted to share my experience. My late model 2008 15" MBP had the same issue. Screen blinked every 10-15 minutes. I did my research on the forums and found that other users experienced the same issue. I took my laptop to Apple and they shipped it to the repair depot. I mentioned the threads about the issue and they replaced my logic board free of charge. Apple support was very helpful and I did not experience any pushback at all (despite the fact that I bought it in 2008 and the issue occurred in 2012).  I've been a mac user for many years now, and the customer service that I received is a reason why I will continue to be a mac user.