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

Davor, it was me who said that every time I run Onyx, my Flickering went away for 2 - 3 days. So someone replied maybe the reason is because Onyx cleans out the Cache. I've been mentioning running Onyx in this thread for a week now but no one takes it serious. They think it's a coincidence. And they make sarcastic remarks like "Why You Just Run Onyx Everyday? Is That A Solution?" I don't claim to be an Engineer or a Mac expert, but I like to Troubleshoot & I'm good at it. So when I started to get Screen Flicker, I ran Onyx. It did not Flicker for 3 days. So I ran it again, & another 2 days went by before I got the Flicker. My point is if Onyx is temporarily helping maybe it's a software issue and CAN be fixed with an update. When I run Onyx, I check all the boxes under Automation & let it do everything. Of course a restart is needed. Someone I told on here tried Onyx, but they said it did not help. Coincidence or not, it's worth a try. If it helps me stay Flicker for Free for 2-3 days at a time, it's worth it in the meantime, until I decide to turn my Machine in. I know it sounds almost insane but these are the facts. I tried resetting the PRAM & that worked for a while but the Second time I reset it, that did no good. Just try it! Check mark all boxes & let me know. Works comes to worse, you Mac is cleaned up a bit, which you need to do anyway. Now I'm ready for all the Negative comments. Go ahead Shoot!

Dino1956 wrote:
When I run Onyx, I check all the boxes under Automation & let it do everything. Of course a restart is needed. Someone I told on here tried Onyx, but they said it did not help. Coincidence or not, it's worth a try. If it helps me stay Flicker for Free for 2-3 days at a time, it's worth it in the meantime, until I decide to turn my Machine in. I know it sounds almost insane but these are the facts. I tried resetting the PRAM & that worked for a while but the Second time I reset it, that did no good. Just try it! Check mark all boxes & let me know. Works comes to worse, you Mac is cleaned up a bit, which you need to do anyway. Now I'm ready for all the Negative comments. Go ahead Shoot!

Hey no negative vibes from me.... I always suspected this may purely be a 'Snow Leopard' issue.

Please confirm what version of Onyx you are using - that brings this partial solution for you

Thanks

NULCGI, wasn't it you who answered my Question (in a positive way) about Onyx & mentioned maybe it works because of the Cache? Someone answered my Question, when I asked, what in Onyx, could stop Flicker? Maybe it was in the Yellow Tinge Thread. I'm part of that problem thread as well. I use the Latest Snow Leopard Version of OnyX, which is available on the macupdate.com site. I'm just trying to help. So YOU don't think I've lost my Mind? That's one person at least! Try it. It may not work. But you have nothing to lose. Maybe my iMac is different than others. Who knows? BTW, I have 21.5 NVidia Graphics, Week 45 iMac. Yellow Tinge & Screen Flicker.

I have an update on my machine's behavior:


It only flickers and blacks out when it has been started (or wakened from sleep) when it has had time to cool down. It has nothing to do with software or anything else (mine did it the first time when I first started it up after bringing it home). Mine always works fine if I let the display turn off then back on while it's still running.

My hypothesis is that it's temperature related for everyone, and that the only difference is at what temperature your machine does it. For me, it's starting up while cold. For others, it seems to happen when hot.

Mine only does it if it happens at startup (or wake-up). Others seem to do it when they've already been running awhile. Mine is pretty new still, so it's possible its behavior could change and it could also start misbehaving when it's already running.

yea that is quite the opposite of mine. It sometimes takes days to Flicker. It's fine when I first boot up or awake from Sleep. But who knows? That behavior could change & mine might start to do what your is doing. Isn't that the way everything is going with these iMacs?

Nulcgi, good luck with your new one, how is it working so far?
I am very disappointed that you also live in Australia and I have been waiting since.... well 20th OCT returned my 15 month 24", (video card died), 29th Oct we will replace, 27th Nov i5 in my house yay
30th Nov i5 is doa have case ID. I spoke to my insurance lady today still no word, still hoping for the 15th Jan like they told me last time.
can I please ask how you got a replacement so quickly compared to me?
PS/
Fingers crossed your new one is great!

Leisas4 wrote:
Nulcgi, good luck with your new one, how is it working so far?

Hi Leisa,
The 27" has not arrived yet (#$^&*)..... TNT went to the wrong house to make delivery (around noon today). I have just complained about it and was told something will be done today (I do hope so)

can I please ask how you got a replacement so quickly compared to me?
PS/
Fingers crossed your new one is great!

My existing 18 month old 24" iMac (C2D) was subject a great deal of component repair and replacement. Optical Drive (x2) HDD Fan, HDD and finally Logic Board & Video Card replaced.
None of which remedied the persistent 'Kernel Panic' - after 1/2 hour use.

Fortunately Applecare came to my rescue..... I was also told (by Apple Service Technician) that one can demand a replacement machine - if three or more items have been replaced in any one machine.

Given my professional needs for a reliable computer and my purchase history with Apple (20 yrs), coupled with the gross inconvenience placed upon me in the past month with the existing 24"
Applecare said that "Replacement Units" ordered by Applcare got a higher priority than general Sales Orders. Had the unit arrived today as planned the turnaround would have been 12 days (including NYE holidays) However, it has still yet to arrive, albeit a Logistical ****-up - with TNT at fault.

Nevermind... the day is not over yet. (still hoping it may show up in a cab today)

NULCGI wrote:

Nevermind... the day is not over yet. (still hoping it may show up in a cab today)

Hooray...... TNT has just delivered the 27" iMac (5:00pm local time)

So..... friends, it will be an early shower & dinner tonight and then it will be iMac play-time till the wee hours (I suspect)

Dino: I checked the new screen with the test found on Mac Rumors and it passed, no yellow tint no flickering as of today at 11:50 PM.

I installed it dec.30th and still having exactly the same flickering problems. staticy lines running across the screen and flashing ... the same problem.
Hey Mr. Steve Jobs, what's the matter?
I buy apple since the first mac... I don't want to change my opinion! Please.

Tom1631 wrote:
Dino: I checked the new screen with the test found on Mac Rumors and it passed, no yellow tint no flickering as of today at 11:50 PM.

It's a really good news.
So it seems that display and cable replacement could do the trick.
But with or without firmware update?
Furthermore, refurbished units availability could be a good news too.
I'd like to understand what actually does (or tries to do) the graphic firmware update.
For italian users, I summerized the state of the art into this post http://blog.armandoleotta.com/2010/01/nuovi-imac-stato-dellarte-sulle-anomalie/

Let's cross the fingers.
A.

I got a call from the apple store in south center today and they said after 18 hours of stress test they found nothing wrong and that I could come pick it up...I was like speechless! I told him that I had taken a picture of the screen where the menu bar was 3 inches down and the dock was above that so they could see there WAS a problem. I don't know what the deal is but I told him that I would not take it back until they replaced at least the video card, I don't have time to keep running up 50 miles and another 50 back because they didn't see it, I know I would have to come back if they did nothing. When I brought it in I told them they wouldn't see it and that is why I took the picture, so they couldn't tell me 'there is nothing wrong', oddly he managed to do it anyway. So he agreed to replace it and said they had already gotten the new video card. Has anyone else gotten the card replaced and if so did it work? I am still amazed that they still tell me that they haven't seen the problem, it's the first they have heard of it, very poor customer relations, I've personally seen 3 of them do it and I'm not around them all day.

Just tell them to read http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3181

After three weeks without a computer the replacement iMac finally arrived.

It has five dead pixels and started flickering again within two days, worse than the last one!

Not happy. Not happy at all!

Hi guys, sorry to join you!

Just got my 27 inch i7, (serial W8951...), and at the very first boot, I've got 2 short blackouts and a lot of flickering. A clicking noise can also be heard every few seconds.

I was somehow prepared, so I tried to do the firmware update, but...surprise. I can't. I did the update, downloaded 7 packages, but no firmware update there.
Tried to install it myself, I get a polite 'You don't need it'

If I check the graphics revision, it's 113-B9110C-425, which according to the apple page (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3181) looks as if the update HAS been applied.
Maybe it was already installed when I got this machine, but why isn't it in the updates list?

Has anyone experienced the same here?

Chris