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Macbook pro retina flicker

Dear Support,


I bought a Macbook pro retina recently, and now the screen keeps flickering, and is very annoying.

I am not sure how to reproduce it, when it happens, it will have horizontal lines cutting across the screen very quickly and disappear.

It happens randomly across all application.


It is the same as,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq0l-bHmSYE


I have updated all patches, and still doesn't help.


Could you please advice how to fix it? Do i have to send it back?


Kind Regards

Andy

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Oct 17, 2012 6:10 AM

Reply
249 replies

Sep 16, 2014 7:43 AM in response to showerkv

I wanted to add my thanks for your solution. I had been getting the flicker intermittently for quite some time, but never found a good solution. I tried all the usual restarts, resets, permissions fixes, etc. And others' observations that it had something to do with wifi were meaningless. This was happening both on wifi and when using a thunderbolt->ethernet adaptor (with wi-fi off already).


This solution stopped the flickering immediatedly. At least for now -- hopefully for good. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's maddening.

Sep 24, 2014 11:45 AM in response to YCLAM

Hi All,

Had the same problem:
I found the solution works for my macbook retina 2012 15 inch.


How I found the solution:

I've had this issue forever, since I bought my 2012 retina 15 inch. Today in the morning I got a silly idea, what if I disconnect one of the antennas that are connected to internal wifi chip (there are total of three antennas) So I opened the macbook without turning it off. I tried disconnecting antennas one at a time and tested each time if the screen is flickering (it flickers 99% of the time when downloading huge files at top speed, so I was testing screen flickers by downloading a file at about 9mb/s). I tried the following: I disconnected all of them and flicker stopped but wifi didn't work like 4 meters away from router. Than I connected the left one (left connector displayed on screen shot) I noticed small flicker, I disconnected it and connected two remaining (mid and right antennas on the screen shot) and FINALLY in 2 years a full day without any flickering even though I'm downloading huge files at high speeds and live in a apartment building with at least 10 other wifi routers that also cover my apartment.
Here is the screenshot of the antenna I disconnected (that worked for me):https://www.dropbox.com/s/jpkolucvhenw6yp/Fix.png?dl=0


Anyway let me know if this makes sense for you if not I can make a video of what to do and share it with you.

Oct 26, 2014 7:16 AM in response to YCLAM

I have a Retina Mid 2012 15inch macbook pro and my screen is flickering like crazy sometimes. I thought this was only me for the last 2 years, and by luck i found out that this was caused by a faulty production line. How come Apple is not addressing this issue? With this attitude, Apple's fall is inevitable in the upcoming years. Their rivals are working hard, where Apple closes his ears for his customers..

Jan 20, 2015 5:19 AM in response to YCLAM

I bought my new 15" MacBook Retina Mid 2014 last November. I noticed that the screen had a pink tint at the upper right corner.. It was an LG screen (LP154WT1-SJE1).. I went to Apple service provider in KSA and had them to replace the screen. It took them an entire month to do so.. They replaced it with a Samsung screen (LSN154YL01-A01)


I was happy for about 10 days, then the flicker started, It was like this; Random screen flickering followed by discoloration and Image retention !!!!!!


I took it back again to the service provider, they ran an MRI check, and cable reset, but could not find anything wrong with it, so they returned it to me as it is.. Once I'm home, all it required is a little press on the power on button and the darn issue is there


So, and for the third time, I took it to the service provider, but this time with some captured videos.. They said they are ordering yet another screen for me.. and this would take them 2 weeks +, and also, are keeping it for further testing..


I should have kept the LG screen... I paid USD 2.5K for a laptop that has been in repairs almost as long as it has been with me.. I just can not believe this..


BTW Apple, your telephone support is a total rubbish, It is only as good as a one time sweet talk and the bye-bye with case number.. I feel that your system is designed only to get you of the one year warranty period, or simply forcing us to buy an applecare package, which is, first of all, not globally available, and secondly, will only keep us vising service providers with no real resolution..

Jan 20, 2015 5:54 AM in response to YCLAM

oh yay hello, joining the "screen flicker" club too here. I posted my problem just now MBP retina screen flicker black? because I have never found this topic. my MBP is really new and what I got is screen flicker everytime I'm working with photoshop. The same thing happened to my friend who has a new MBP 13" retina too, he bought it last Sunday. Is this because of the photoshop or..? But photoshop is our main program to work 😟 this is so frustrating.

Jan 22, 2015 6:55 AM in response to YCLAM

ya.... mine is flickering as well mainly when i open photo booth and it is not gone one i take the picture... may be if your mac is made after 2013 diagnosis might help....instructions for diagnosis

-shut down your computer ...open it the hold the 'd' key and after you choose language it starts detecting the problem with your mac....

but if it is made before 2013 it will only identify the problem with the hard ware.... that is how i knew display flickering is not a hard ware problem.... hope this could help😕

Mar 16, 2015 7:50 PM in response to YCLAM

I've had mine now for 2 and a half years...thank goodness I got the 3 year warranty on it. I just got it back from Apple after taking in now 4...yes 4 times to them, for various issues unrelated to this problem. This time they literally replaced every single part in the machine. The only thing original is the magsafe power board and the bottom panel...and now my screen flickers. Really??

May 21, 2015 12:19 AM in response to tlaskows

I have some blurring on a mid 2014 MBP Retina. Called AppleCare and did the requested manipulations (I had made a test session and re-installed the most problematic program, to test, myself, already).


Problem is, all of a sudden I have screen flicker. Not the lines, just black screen for a flash then back to normal.

I would say my wifi has been strange sometimes but don't know if that's the provider.


When the AppleCare person told me the problem with screen blur was the graphics card, well, I'm not sure I agree, but now, with the new screen flicker and the wifi problems, maybe screen connector area + part of graphics card ? I personally think the blurriness is a OS software/firmware issue, possibly.


Very weird that screen flicker started after reboot into test mode with Apple Care. Never saw it before that, although the wifi problems started about a week or two before the screen flicker. Screen blur was never resolved so I have to call them back.

Anyway, the screen flicker does get better if I reboot the computer. It goes away for quite a while.

Macbook pro retina flicker

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