Screen Flickering on 27" iMac Core i5, anyone solve this yet?

Well the firmware update didn't work on my new 27" iMac. I installed it yesterday and still having exactly the same flickering problems. staticy lines running across the screen and flashing on and off. I've ordered another replacement. This is the second machine since November that has had exactly the same problem. I'm now waiting for my 3rd 27" iMac! Hopefully it will be a case of 3rd time lucky and this one will actually work. If not, I'll return it for a full refund and wait until the next version. I would strongly recommend not bothering with this machine though, as lovely as it is. Not worth it with this flickering.

Hello

I recently bought the new iMac 27 and had a few flickers, at first I thought nothing of it and then the screen started to split in half with the dock towards the top of the screen. I done a search on the internet and found others had similar problems, the update was released so I updated straight away. I haven't used the machine for the last few days, turned it on today and it is now worse than ever.

I've used Macs for years and never experienced a problem like this.

Yeah, it's the same for me. I've been using Macs every day for the past 13 years at home and at work. Never had anything like this. I don't understand all the technical jargon but to me seems like they've just had a major f* up with this latest machine. Other than the flickering, the machine is great but it's not something you can live with. It's incredibly distracting. I'm almost thinking I should just cancel this 3rd replacement and wait for them to bring out a new version. I can't really see how this problem slipped through with all the testing they must have done. And the firmware update definitely does nothing to fix it.

SalsMac wrote:
And the firmware update definitely does nothing to fix it.

while that holds true for some, it doesn't for all. Not very helpful either.

if you experience flickering, try the update. my machine was cured so far and I doubt my machine is the only one that was.

happy 2010

Message was edited by: Volker Runkel

As I said before, I installed the firmware update and it didn't make any difference at all.

i believe you, but you make it sound it doesn't do anything at all for everyone... which isn't the whole

I had a perfectly fine 27" no flicker but since the update I've noticed flicker and the screen go occasionally black for an instant. It's been getting worse as time passes I hope apple fixes this soon before it affects my work.

I have a week 2, 2010 model and it flickers even worse than the last one I had.

Yet to see it completely black out, but the backlighting does darken (to varying degrees) for a split second every ten minutes or so.

It came with the update already installed, so that hasn't fully covered it.

This one also exhibited the ear-splitting high pitched whine about 40 minutes after we first booted it up, but zapping the PRAM seems to have fixed that.

Something I am happy about is that this iMac is definitely quieter than the last two we were sent in November / December. The fans don't run as much and there isn't any rumbling transmitted through the stand.

I'm in the exact same boat as a previous poster. I hadn't noticed any flickering at all prior to installing the firmware update. I woke the sleeping beauty up this morning (i7) and she's flickering with segments of noise and interference, and periodically going to a black screen for a second. Going to try a restart, but I fear this is just the beginning.

Also, to whomever keeps trying to drive a fork into his/her idea that this firmware update fixed this for the majority, what I'm hearing is "But guuuUUUuuUUuys, it worked for me, so that means it must be working for everybody!" Unless you've conducted any surveys to back up your Apple idolatry, pipe down. We're trying to find fixes to problems here, not reinforce that you're doing fine.

to try to find fixes you need a subset of both working and non working Macs with the updates applied before. otherwise you have to steer through the dark for much longer....

my 2 cents based on a small heap of experience.

we have purchased 6 new 27" imacs up dated the firmware & only one so far is having the flickering issue. going to take it to the apple store today to get a replacement.

It's really kind of disappointing that no one from Apple itself has responded to any of the threads about this issue. It's clearly a major problem.

I got my new iMac this year - about 2 weeks ago or so - so the patch came pre-installed. However, I still have the flickering issues. They usually happen soon after the computer comes out of sleep mode - flickering, blackouts, the works.

After a few hours of use, though, they stop. Until the next sleep cycle.

Come on, Apple, fix this.

Godheval wrote:
...no one from Apple itself has responded to any of the threads about this issue.

Godheval ~ Welcome to the discussions. These are user-to-user forums, so you shouldn't expect Apple to respond here. This article may be of interest:

_A Quick And Dirty Fix For The 27-inch iMac Screen Problem_

And from the comments section there (now deleted):

"I purchased the 27″ iMac back in early December and immediately experienced the “flickering” effect on the screen. I had one call to Apple support and they walked me through a fairly simple “fix” which included re-starts and the like and it’s been perfect ever since. I was worried at the start considering it was the first-ever purchase of an Apple computer for me…so it was either luck with the system or with the guy I got on the phone."

...To contact Apple for support, see HERE.

Godheval wrote:
Come on, Apple, fix this.

You can send them some feedback via THIS form.

Hi All, couple quick, easy to answer questions.
I Bought the new iMac 27" i5 and 2nd day I had it, had flickering, and white horizontal bar, and a couple other similar things when downloading an hr of video in iMovie (approx 10 gigz), the very first thing I did w/ it. I FREAKED.

1) I did by Applecare plan w/ this. Am I covered, should I have to take this puppy back, even if it's outside the 14 days (which are coming this weekend)? PLEASE confirm this. I'm willing to wait and try a few things, AS LONG AS I"M COVERED for a full replacement, if necessary. If I HAVE to have it back in 14 days, guess I'm boxing it up tomorrow.

2) the Serial # on my iMac is W89534BA5PJ. What WEEK is this mac (does that mean week it's built)?
2A) what firmware fix should I be looking at then (I don't want to download one if this already new iMac has it)?

THANK YOUm ahead of time!

spacejace,

First, you have a week 53 model, last week of the year. W8 is where is was built, 9 refers to year, then the week, so a W8002...would be week 2 of 2010.

second, there have been two firmware updates for the imac27", the first in December for the graphics card that didn't seem to fix the flickering for most. Then, I believe on the 1st of Feb, another firmware for the display came out. That one, in conjunction with the first seems to have fixed the issue for most, myself included, although I'll need about 3 weeks to fully relax on that.

Basically, make sure that BOTH firmwares have been installed.

Check here http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338 to see if anything comes up on your computer, otherwise here are the links for the two updates

Graphics Firmware (December 21) - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL984

Display Firmware (February 1) - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL998

Hope that helps