Q: New iMac 27inch screen flickering/tearing/shutoff

I posted earlier on in this thread, 10.6.2 didn't work but after calling support & doing the stress tests & PRAM reset I was happy that everything was cool.

Couple of days later I got the issue (horizontal lines) again but with the added bonus of the momentary black screen (which hadn't happened before.

I called Apple and spoke to three folk, was offered diagnostic support, then I was offered a repair, I pushed for a replacement. I was caled back the next day with the agreement to send out a replacement.

UPS picked up the faulty iMac today. Currently waiting for my replacement.

Can someone tell me how to find out which batch/week my faulty iMac was? I have the serial number.

Cheers.

Sonics99,

Just a quick question: Are you equipped to test the LED backlight power supply? At least some of the described symptoms would be consistent with simply the power supply for some reason reseting and starting up. Just my 2 cents...

To find the week your computer was built look at the first five numbers (should be something like "W8947"). The last two digits of that are the build week (i.e., "47" = 47th week).

Thanks, Scopro. Seems to be Week 37.

Correction, week 43 (I had remembered the serial number incorrectly).

Hi folks,

I'm one with same display problems with my new imac 27 quad i5...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvYcOLQVbsk

I bring it back to my seller. Now I have to wait until 10-14 days for repairing this issue... And all this experience for only 1799,- EUR

May we get little money back for testing hardware for apple!?!

(creation week 46)

Message was edited by: bigshoot

Report on W8949 27" i7 - started up and not turned off for four days.... all is fine.

Went to the Munich Apple Store today.

They got 4 27" on display.

Played around with one for a couple of minutes.

Right when my dad walked by I saw it flicker. He saw it too, so I have a witness

After that it flickered two more times.

It's a week 42.

No yellow tinge and no dead pixels. Not even the isight. Checked all that.

Really wanted to buy one this year before my EDU rebate option runs out.

I'd rather pay the full price and get a flawless one.

Hey Apple, you'll get your money! But fix the problems first!

Had a first generation MacBook. Flickered, had the logic board changed twice. No problems after that.

Got a MacBook Pro (mid 2009) now. No problems.

Looking forward to my 27". But I' gonna wait till end of January. Maybe I get an even faster one by that time.

Dude_LWood wrote:
Right when my dad walked by I saw it flicker. He saw it too, so I have a witness

After that it flickered two more times.

Did you tell the store personell about the flickering iMac? If yes: what did they say?

old john wrote:
Here I sit on day 24 of my new iMac 27" and so far (knock on lots of wood) my week 41 computer is not showing any of the issues the others seem to be having. I just feel that I am sitting on a time bomb and where I had my iMac G4 for seven years without issues I am not so sure that this computer will last that long.

John, I don't doubt that right now, a lot of Mac users share your very same sentiments; I know that I do, and I haven't even received my i7 yet. Today marks day #30 since I finalized my order. I should be filled with happy, eager anticipation, knowing that within a matter of weeks, I may receive my new unit.

Instead, I am filled with dread at the thought of the problems that I might encounter once it finally arrives. As I've said before, I have never felt this way before regarding a Mac purchase, and I shouldn't feel this way, and yet I do.

I tell myself that maybe I should just stop reading these Apple forums, but it is too late for that. I'm sucked in and following these topics like a hawk, just hoping for some good news that Apple has spoken an official word, and has clearly identified the problems, and corrected them all.

So far...nothing.

I have the flickering lines as well--and the mouse goes dead--This is the second time in a month.
I have to shut-down manually.
Have there been any signals from Apple about this issue?

Hey Sonics99,

First, I was instructed to reset the PRAM....that worked for about 4 hrs.

Next, I re-installed the OS from the disc (did not delete data)....problem has been gone for 2 days now. I'm hopeful that it actually was a software issue. I only saw the issue on the internal display and never on the external I have plugged in.

The support tech I talked to said so of the iMacs went out with a bad OS version installed.

We shall see.

Joe

Flickering for me too. None of the above suggestions will sort it out. I think it must be a hardware problem of some sort and await a fix.

Hey John, I think you're going a bit overboard. Let's see if I can defuse your time bomb for you. Most electronic equipment reveal whatever problems they may have very quickly, if you can go a month with an issue-free Mac I imagine you'll get through the next six years and eleven months issue-free too. And if you feel nervous about a purchase, that's what Apple Care is for, right?

I've had my week 49 only for a couple of days, but so far no flickering, no dead or stuck pixels. Slight yellow color shift at the bottom, easily within acceptable tolerances.