27" Thunderbolt Display Model A1407. Middle of the screen gets slightly blurry after 30+ minutes

[pricehome]

I've been using this with my MacBook Air for a while now and it has been great.

Recently, I noticed that the text in the middle of the screen was getting slightly blurry after 30+ minutes of being on. When disconnecting, the area that was blurry looks white\"frosty" for a few minutes. The problem does not effect the whole screen, just the center. Once the monitor has cooled down, it goes away completely but always comes back after 30+ min.

Thanks!

 

[chscag]

Welcome to our forums.

Do you know what year your TB Display was made? That particular model was sold between 2011 and 2016 and is still supported by Apple.

The blurriness could be caused by a component in the display (such as the power supply) that is overheating causing the problem. When the display cools off it returns to normal. The display may be clogged with dust causing overheating. Or the fan in the display is not working correctly.

Are you able to test the display on another Mac? And have you tried placing a small fan blowing on the display to see if it stays normal?

The web site at www.ifixit.com has a breakdown of the display with step by step instructions that may help you to isolate the problem.

 

[pricehome]

Thanks for your reply! I'm not sure how to determine the age. Your trouble shooting ideas are very helpful. I will try the fan and also try testing it out on another Mac.

Do you think that it could be the entire LCD panel beginning to fail? I saw the breakdown on ifixit.com. That is very helpful as well!

 

[chscag]

Do you think that it could be the entire LCD panel beginning to fail? I saw the breakdown on ifixit.com. That is very helpful as well!

It's possible that the LCD is failing but without testing the other possible causes first, we don't want to even think about the LCD as that would be the most expensive part to replace. That is, if you could even find one to purchase. I know that you can find Apple TB displays on eBay at various prices. Some are working, others are sold for parts only. Changing out the display is not an easy job.

 

[ferrarr]

See if this can help you identify your display, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201864?

Here's also a great site for D-I-Y repair guides, https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_Thunderbolt_Display