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MacBook Pro screen issue

Hello everyone.

I'm running a Macbook pro retina late 2013 that I'm very happy with. Lately I've been running into this issue, and it seem to be occurring more and more often, and it's that my screen is turning bad. See picture below.

After a while it seems to stop doing it, but then the screen has a habit of flickering instead. The "top" of the screen never gets "weirded" out. My guess here is that it might be the cable connecting the screen to the logic board that is starting to get worn out, as it's a well used laptop. If not that my second guess it that it's the screen or lastly intel built in GPU.

It's hard to troubleshoot the problem as it comes and goes. It happened just now but it might take an hour, or a few days, before it occurs again. As I'm a student I want to know as much as I can before I hand it in to someone, (I don't have any real Apple stores where I live).

What do you guys think it can be, and have you seen this issue before?

Here's a video showing the problem:
MacBook Pro knas - YouTube

Best regards,

Pontus.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), macOS Sierra (10.12.6)

Posted on Nov 13, 2017 4:34 AM

Best reply

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,690 points

Posted on Nov 13, 2017 7:40 AM

As you have already figured out the "likely suspects" that people here would suggest and are far from an Apple Store, you have limited options and very little additional investigation left to do. However, there are a couple of things:

1) While the computer is running, move the display on its hinge while watching the screen. Any artifacts that occur during movement are strong evidence the display cable is worn and shorting out.

2) If you can lay hands on a known-good external monitor and find the proper adapters to make it work, it can help narrow the suspects.

Turn off the computer, attach the external monitor, and restart. If the image is normal on the external and stays that way as the computer comes to normal operating temps, the GPU is working properly, leaving the display, the inverter, and the cabling as the problem.

If it is the display and cable they are all one piece in your model and integral with the display case. The entire mechanism above the hinge must be replaced. I found a used one online for US$400 and, if you cannot do the fiddly bit yourself, add a couple of hours of labor.

As yours is still "supported" by Apple (parts should be available) I would call the support phone number and ask if a "Depot Repair" is available and request a shipping container. A depot repair is done at a central refurbishment facility and they go through everything and fix for a flat rate. Display repairs cost more than repairs like logic boards that do not require case parts but it should be cheaper than parts+labor from a private technician.

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MacBook Pro screen issue