Screen Flicker

Hi,

I have a slight flicker on my Macbook A1181 which i recently purchased second hand. I have replaced the data display cable which didn't solve anything. I have also tried replacing the ram to no avail. I have also reinstalled OS and the same problem occurs.

However i have just discovered if i select 256 colours rather than thousands or millions the flicker goes away, does this lead to an obvious fault?

Thanks- in advance!

I have that same machine (2008 MacBook, early version). One thing that could possibly cause the flicker is a defective graphics chipset. Your MacBook uses the Intel GMA X3100 integrated GPU which means it borrows memory from the system.

Lowering the color resolution to 256 colors would likewise lower the amount of memory used by the GPU. Maximum color resolution means maximum memory used. It does seem like the GPU is problematic. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it since the chipset is integrated within the Logic Board. If it is defective, it would mean a new Logic Board.

Did you receive any disks with the machine? If you received the original install disk set (Leopard) I suggest running the Apple Hardware Test to see what it comes up with.

I have done a Hardware Test and it came up with no errors.

I dont know if this helps but when i had it set to thousands or millions of colours it would flicker, unless i was in a window typing. When the flicker would stop.

It also didn't flicker when i reinstalled the OS and it played the initial welcome video, however when the dialogue boxes appeared asking to select country etc the flicker would come back?

Is the flicker constant or does it only happen shortly after waking the machine up from sleep (or any other instance in which the monitor is off)? I ask since an Apple authorized tech informed me that short periods of flicker after the LCD is turned back on was normal for the panels used in my MB (I also happen to have the early 08 MB).

No, its constant. But i suppose its more of a flicker shift than a plain flicker, for example the displayed content will flick 400px to the left for 1/8 of a second and then back again. But its odd that when i start to type in a dialogue box it doesn't flick at all.