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

Hey pazuita, congratulations for your second machine, and yes ... I wish you a perfect machine!

Good to hear, that your first impression is positive. What week did you get?

To be honest I didn't even know they did that until they offered it to me. I had gone in to the store the first time when they replaced my logic board. But they had ordered the logic board and video card, and were going to replace both of them. When I got there to pick it up after the repairs they told me that the logic board was the only repair needed. Then I told them about the issue it was having, the assistant manager told me she had no idea that was happening to the iMacs.

It started flickering the next day so I called Apple Care and the Senior Adviser on the phone wanted to get the video card replaced. They gave me on-site service as an option so I picked it, because I didn't want to go to the Apple store again. They actually send a third party out for on-site repairs. It's kinda funny though that they would replace it even when it's not the problem....but whatever.

I have applied the latest display firmware update. [Around midnight GMT] I've been editing and surfing etc etc - so far no flicker at all.

Yellowing wise I have a tinge in the bottom right of the screen - But to be honest I can probably live with that. I'll post again as it goes on. But happy as I may not have to replace my machine after all.

I intalled it, even I didn't have so frequent flicks and blackouts as some of you, only when playing games or something, I'm now in the test process, so, I will leave it like that until tonight, I hope he stays inthis condition.

Hi,

As far as I'm concerned, this new patch worked for my iMac 27" (week 50)!

I received my iMac mid-December and was able to consistently reproduce the issue (flickering and black out), after about an hour of utilization, when the GPU diode would reach about 60 Celsius degrees. After installing the new firmware, I haven't noticed any issue though. It's fairly safe to say this new firmware worked for me.

There is still a very slight yellow tint, but as many others mentioned, I don't believe it can be fixed with a firmware update. In my case, it's hardly visible and I think I will live with it unless there is a massive recall, as I don't want to go through the burden of exchanging my computer for another one that may have the same issue (or worse!). I still have AppleCare to cover me in case the problem worsens.

This is my first post in this thread (although I've been following it for quite a while) and I felt I had to provide some feedback. Thanks for all the info provided in this forum and most of all, thanks for keeping up the hope that this issue would be addressed promptly!

Cheers,
Eddie

I live 20 miles away from an apple store and they offered me on-site service. I don't think they usually offer it unless the issue calls for it (case by case basis at Apple Care Adviser's discretion?)

Eagle......I doubt that you are the only one who is puzzled.

Most who follow this thread too often are probably already in a confinement center somewhere.

I would believe that most who have posted here have had their issues resolved. I have pointed out on several occasions that I went back through the first few dozen pages of this thread, and found that not one single poster who had an issue in those early days continues to post here, other than the very rare occasion when one comes back to brag a little, that they have a perfect machine.

Complainers dont just go away.

This thread is kept alive by four or five posters who are very active, and account for a very large percentage of total postings. Were it not for those few, this thread would probably have been closed quite a while ago. As long as the thread is active, there is always a chance that some good information will accidentally slip through all of the misinformation, and contradictions that have confused so many of us.

Most have obviously had their issues resolved through either the first firmware update, or repairs.

The numbers on "squeaked.com" have fallen consistently over the last few weeks.

I would consider those good indicators that the flickering issue is very near a "final solution"

Thanks Shiromi!!! These are the feedbacks we want to see here. Let's hope we got the medicine we needed. Good Luck!

Citrus.......The perfect machine I was referring to is my old one, after the firmware update.

I'm still waiting on the new machine, should be here any minute now.

I missed the FedEx guy yesterday when they attempted delivery, it wasn't due until Feb 3rd, but it came two days early. FedEx isn't getting past me this time.

That's a dilemma I'm facing. If the firmware update does indeed correct the issue, I may end up sending back a perfect machine, for one that is basically untested.

I was hoping to get a week 04, but some on here received 05's in the last few days, so now I'm hoping for that.

I'll post the info as soon as unboxing is done.

Pazuita,

Applecare terms and conditions says "the covered equipment as to be within
50 miles/80 kilometers of an Apple authorized onsite service provider".

So if you live more than 1 hour from a service provider, you are out of luck for onsite service.

Update on my week 52 refurbished C2D 27". Rock solid... no flickers, no dead pixels no discoloration, no noisy fans. FYI it came with the first firmware update installed (113-B9110C-425). The HD is an Nvidia -- no problems, very quiet. Also, from startup I have dedicated a single outlet with a surge protector to the unit; all peripherals are on another outlet. Still not sure about the actual manufacture date: i.e. whether the "52" refers to that or the week it was refurbished at the Elk Grove, CA facility.

andraki01,

I also have the dark band going all the way across about 2 inches from the bottom of the screen.

It's very subtle in my case, but it's there

Oh..forgot to indicate that it's been 9 days since startup on 1/24/09.

Oh, I see, sorry for the confusion. Now I understand, why Dino said, you should run it to the ground. Yea, do it!

Nexus.....it would appear that Apple does handle those things case by case.

I am well beyond the 50 mile limit. Almost 200 miles away, yet they sent a tech to my location twice to make repairs. That was on a thirteen month old machine, in it's first few weeks of the Applecare extended warranty. (which I purchased about a week before the original warranty expired)