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

Jerry D wrote:
Everyone start including the complete Serial Number in their entries.

I believe you only need the first five chars. The week number (according to this thread) is the two digits in position 4 & 5. Also, and not referring to you Jerry, isn't posting both i7 (or i5) and 27inch redundant? The quad-cores only comes in the 27inch model.

An easy way to do that is to save it in you "Other Details" info.
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The site does state:
The data presented here is based on information submitted by people on this web site or taken from comments posted in Apple's Discussion boards (this is an "unscientific" survey and as such should not be considered representative of all iMacs sold). The vast majority of computers received by customers are problem free and this site is only meant to collect and present some common problems that users are experiencing.

I'm currently on hold with Joe, an apple supervisor and I was very straight forward in telling them I had the flickering and black screen issues. I just want a replacement and if they can't give me a new one I want a replacement. They have been giving me the run around for about 20 minutes now, and asked me numerous times if I had run a system update. My imac came with 10.6.2 already installed. I just want a new machine. I thought since previous posts had mentioned that the stores allowed them to exchange no questions asked that this would go smoothly. Boy was I wrong! Let's hope when Joe gets back on the line I get some good news of a replacement.

Hundreds of serious reported problems in the first few weeks of shipping is a large number IMHO - I'd bet a ton of people are experiencing this and not reporting it, have taken their Macs back for replacement at the store without visiting the forums, etc.

I would therefore not assume this is limited to a small sample of Macs - esp. given that we have seen multiple posters get more than one Mac with the same issue, this is likely much more widespread than some people would like to acknowledge. Even if it was only 1 in 100 Macs, your odds of getting two in a row with the defect would be 10,000 to 1 against. We've seen multiple occurrences of this here. (Didn't someone post, here or on MacRumors, that there was a German distributor who stopped selling them because of these issues/the number of returns?)

Message was edited by: JiminSF

Ok I guess I jumped the gun. Joe worked his apple magic and they are sending an advanced replacement!
I really hate threatening to return products as I have been a loyal mac user for so long. It's a shame to see a product like the imac not live up to the apple standards and expectations.
Hopefully I won't run in to the same flickering again. (cross fingers, throw salt, and whatever else to get rid of bad juju)

Does anyone know the current week of produciton (i.e, 50, 51)? I have all of the RMA materials but have until 12/15 to submit my return. I may wait until the last day to try to get the absolutely latest build from manufacturing. Thanks

My i5 is from the W45 batch. It has been perfect until yesterday (6th day of ownership) when it exhibited the flicker (little 1 microsecond blip) twice within 20 minutes. No problems since. I'm torn on whether or not I should exchange it. Will it get worse?

Warren Beasley wrote:

pors wrote:
Cross fingers that you not just received one of the iMacs another customer has delivered back because of the flickering problem ...

(...)
Just imagining the picture of a revolving door where one customer brings back or ships back a damaged or defective unit, just to have that same unit sent or given to another unknowing customer is very unsettling. Ignorance is bliss. But now that you've opened the can of worms, I wonder how many other people have considered this very same possibility.

(Bad nightmare is over! Pull the plug! Away evil thoughts! Out bad, in good! Breath deeply. Rel-a-a-x!)

Sorry, I didn't want to make you having bad dreams.

KJH1986 wrote:
Its really bizarre that this issue has not been solved yet. So far the packing theory seems to be pretty good though. It seems too widespread (through serial numbers) to be a batch issue, too inconsistent to be a software issue, and the graphics card theory seems to have been shot down at the moment for various reasons (no issues with external displays etc).

Well the theory about sensitiveness for bad power signal is still open (has anybody running the iMac connected to an UPS ever reported a flickering screen?).
And somewhere (was it in this thread?) I read about a theory that this problem only occours when a display is connected to the video card using the Mini-DisplayPort connection (like the internal display does). External displays connected with a Mini-DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter make the video card switch over to DVI signals which don't seem to be flickering. Has anybody connected an external display with a native Mini-DisplayPort input to a flickering iMac? Did it flicker too?

@Jan:

(Oops... just noticed you are not in the U.S.; does anyone know if a separate but similar arrangements were made by the Apple Store for overseas purchases?)

If you are a U.S. consumer and purchased your iMac through the Apple Online Store sometime after Oct 31, 2009, you may be able to return it through Jan 9, 2007. See the Apple Store, "Sales and Refund Policy: U.S. Consumer" (link and clip below).

http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/1614/store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/sales policies.html#topic-20

"Return and Refund Policy
Items purchased at the Apple Online Store between October 31, 2009 and December 24, 2009, may be returned through January 9, 2010. Please note that all other terms and conditions provided in the Apple Online Store Sales and Refunds Policy are still applicable with respect to such items purchased, including the assessment of a 10% restocking fee on any open box item. All purchases made after December 24, 2009 are subject to the standard Apple Online Store Sales and Refunds Policy, which requires returns to be made within 14 calendar days of the date of receipt."

Hope this helps.

Message was edited by: MeBeMac

Message was edited by: MeBeMac

Everything is speculation at this point, The one we recieved I7 27 inch 846 model so far is good, Others fail or are doa out of box failures, some say problem comes later, some have it then not, some have hissy fits and then calm. I have no clue , everything I hope is being logged and taken apart by Apple so they can find the fault , I would say if one exists but that would be adding insult to injury for those with the problems and a ( I consider large ) hole in their finances. Just keep posting info and returning units until its right.

Simon how is the replacement unit going ?

Message was edited by: ellsmako

Very likely. My 27" started the same way and in less than two weeks was totally messing up.

Well add me to the list!!!! 12 days in and aside from the dead pixel...FLICKER AND BLACKSCREEN STARTED UP!!!! I went to the apple store....got a gift card and am waiting until all this BS is done!!

Oh and YES my iMac was connected to an APC UPS!!

Well that means I have only two other guesses since clean power may be out. Still really sound like a bad labelling shipping and handling problem, and hopefully not some Major snafu fubar. Feel your pain

Message was edited by: ellsmako

Oh man! I was working on a Numbers formula and "Freeze,Flickering Little Rectangles all over screen" unable to close anything or Quit or anything. I had to hold the Power button for about 10 seconds to get it to shut down. Long time to restart. I'm waking up from my wet dream just like always. This could be an unhappy purchase.