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gwhitta

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 11, 2009
44
0
While I excitedly await the arrival of my new i7 quad I'm also a little bit worried about this issue with screen flickering/tearing/going black that a lot of users of the new iMac seem to be complaining about. I don't know if the quad-core models with the 4850 card may not have this problem or if the 10.6.2 update addressed any of these problems but it's making me a little bit anxious as I await arrival. Anyone got anything to report?
 
I haven't read any reports coming from the i7 owners about the display issue.
I would hope that the 10.6.2 update did help those people who were having issues.

Will be good to hear from the i7 people.
I'm about to place an order for one myself unless there's more issues coming up.
 
don't worry

While I excitedly await the arrival of my new i7 quad I'm also a little bit worried about this issue with screen flickering/tearing/going black that a lot of users of the new iMac seem to be complaining about. I don't know if the quad-core models with the 4850 card may not have this problem or if the 10.6.2 update addressed any of these problems but it's making me a little bit anxious as I await arrival. Anyone got anything to report?

Although it wasn't stated in the 10.6.2 update download panel for general mac useres. the flickering issue was addressed in the build when it was seeded to developers. I have credible source for this information but I just can't find the link.
Relax
 
I have the screen flickering problem. (27in , late 2009 model, intel core duo).

First iMac 27in, had some bad HD sectors so I took it, and they did a retail swap. Looks like this one has the screen flickering problem. I'll be taking it back for another replacement. So much hassle. Backing everything up on TimeMachine.
 
While I excitedly await the arrival of my new i7 quad I'm also a little bit worried about this issue with screen flickering/tearing/going black that a lot of users of the new iMac seem to be complaining about. I don't know if the quad-core models with the 4850 card may not have this problem or if the 10.6.2 update addressed any of these problems but it's making me a little bit anxious as I await arrival. Anyone got anything to report?

There was a number of threads on this topic, some of them closed now, but problem seem to be quite widespread. There is a POLL here, and up to now 200 people reported the screen problem and 230 reported no screen problem. It is not a scientific poll, but the randomly blinking screen was reported and discussed quite widely here and even on the Apple own site (Topic : New iMac 27inch screen flickering/tearing/shutoff).

It doesn't look like 10.6.2 fixes it, but you would have to go through the specific posts. The best guess right now is some unseated connector inside the unit (assembly problem).

The good news is that Apple exchanges affected computers, the bad one is that sometimes blinking develops after the 14 day exchange limit.

Tom B.
 
Although it wasn't stated in the 10.6.2 update download panel for general mac useres. the flickering issue was addressed in the build when it was seeded to developers. I have credible source for this information but I just can't find the link.
Relax

My i7 came with 10.6.2 installed. Flickering was really bad and included blackouts. Even set fan manually to cool the CPU/GPU (45/55 c) and is still flickered.

I plugged in a 24" led ACD into the imac and that had no issues at all, while the imac flickered away
 
The issue is pretty widespread. Just look at the Apple Support Forums. My i7 iMac has the issue. There seem to be some reports cropping up about some kind of flaw in the graphics card. I'd suggest holding off purchasing. I'm on the fence about exchanging mine in fear that I'll get a new machine with worse problems (dead pixels, yellow tint, etc.). My real hope is that it is a driver or firmware issue which can be resolved with a download. I am curious if anyone with the issue has run Windows in Bootcamp on an affected iMac and seen the flickering/blackouts.

EDIT: Also, I can't believe how HOT the case on this thing is. I can't hold my hand on the back of the unit longer than a couple of seconds for fear of burning my hand.
 
EDIT: Also, I can't believe how HOT the case on this thing is. I can't hold my hand on the back of the unit longer than a couple of seconds for fear of burning my hand.


That is a good thing the case is warm to the touch, means the inside is cooler (remember law of thermodynamics). Would you rather have the case to be cool to the touch and the inside parts be burning up? The inside is the important part. Just install iStat and don't worry what the case feels like.
 
That is a good thing the case is warm to the touch, means the inside is cooler (remember law of thermodynamics). Would you rather have the case to be cool to the touch and the inside parts be burning up? The inside is the important part. Just install iStat and don't worry what the case feels like.

Well, yeah but it is not warm to the touch, it is HOT. I never thought a computer case should get so hot that it would burn you if you hold your hand on it.
 
Well, yeah but it is not warm to the touch, it is HOT. I never thought a computer case should get so hot that it would burn you if you hold your hand on it.

patseguin,

Is there any way you could actually measure the temperature? There are some safety standards on how warm enclosures may be.
Then you have to remember, that the 27" iMac is rated at 365W. It is quite a chunk of power.
Do you use it at MAX brightness?

Tom B.
 
I have found that my i7 iMac is significantly cooler to the touch than my previous 24" iMac, which I think was only 2.4 or 2.6 GHz. The 24" used to get uncomfortably hot to the touch on the top.
 
There was a number of threads on this topic, some of them closed now, but problem seem to be quite widespread. There is a POLL here, and up to now 200 people reported the screen problem and 230 reported no screen problem. It is not a scientific poll, but the randomly blinking screen was reported and discussed quite widely here and even on the Apple own site (Topic : New iMac 27inch screen flickering/tearing/shutoff).

It doesn't look like 10.6.2 fixes it, but you would have to go through the specific posts. The best guess right now is some unseated connector inside the unit (assembly problem).

The good news is that Apple exchanges affected computers, the bad one is that sometimes blinking develops after the 14 day exchange limit.

Tom B.

I've been trying for a week to vote on this poll but it will not allow any voting when I try. If other's are having the voting problem it is worthless. One of the commenters said:

MacLover said on Nov 21 2009, 05:59 PM:
Absolutely worthless poll. Also, the person who started it is campaigning people to vote Yes. Don't waste your time fueling his personal agenda.

After 10 days I have no problem with my i7. Sorry for those that do.
 
While I excitedly await the arrival of my new i7 quad I'm also a little bit worried about this issue with screen flickering/tearing/going black that a lot of users of the new iMac seem to be complaining about. I don't know if the quad-core models with the 4850 card may not have this problem or if the 10.6.2 update addressed any of these problems but it's making me a little bit anxious as I await arrival. Anyone got anything to report?
The update did not address the screen flickering or yellow tinge issues, which may or may not be related (seems likely not to me, but who knows). The flickering/blackouts problem is widespread and the tinge even more so - the flickering thread on the Apple Discussion Forums is now sixty-something pages long with numerous new reports every day of people getting new machines with the issue, and Apple is not acknowledging the problem as of yet but is apparently replacing machines and issuing refunds.

Given that people are getting replacement machines with the same exact problem (which in itself says something about how common this really is), I took a refund to an Apple gift card and will wait for this to be publicly acknowledged and fixed, or get a different machine and use the gift card to buy a Cintiq for myself and a Macbook for the wife.
 
The issue is pretty widespread. Just look at the Apple Support Forums. My i7 iMac has the issue. There seem to be some reports cropping up about some kind of flaw in the graphics card. I'd suggest holding off purchasing.

If it's a flaw in the GPU hardware it is limited to a certain batch because I've not experienced any problems with mine.

I have found that my i7 iMac is significantly cooler to the touch than my previous 24" iMac, which I think was only 2.4 or 2.6 GHz. The 24" used to get uncomfortably hot to the touch on the top.

Same here, my mid-2007 24" is WAY hotter to the touch. My i7 barely gets warm in comparison. It certainly doesn't get warm enough to be uncomfortable to touch. The 24" would get close at times under heavy activity.

After 10 days I have no problem with my i7. Sorry for those that do.

10 days for me as well and I couldn't have said it any better.
 
While I excitedly await the arrival of my new i7 quad I'm also a little bit worried about this issue with screen flickering/tearing/going black that a lot of users of the new iMac seem to be complaining about. I don't know if the quad-core models with the 4850 card may not have this problem or if the 10.6.2 update addressed any of these problems but it's making me a little bit anxious as I await arrival. Anyone got anything to report?

gwhitta,

You can find three kind of people here:
  • Those who don't have problems with their iMac - they are delighted with it (as they should be);
  • Those who had problems and replace the computer (in some cases a few times, - or not) - they are not so happy, but apparently keep coming back;
  • Those who had problems and returned the computer. They will, or will not be back.
The only numerical measure of the flickering screen problems is here. It shows 45% failure rate on the sample of more than 440 votes (but was only voluntary and is not scientific). This poll is currently closed, but you can still see the (inconvenient) results (if you hurry).
Also, a 1000 posts on the Apple community site on this topic tells you something on the magnitude of the problem, as well as does availability of the refurbished 27" iMacs.

Tom B.

Thats too funny:D LOL

Trek2100,

The poll apparently is no more (couldn't get to the question page, my link was going directly to the results - for now anyway).
This leads me to two questions:
Who wouldn't want us to have this kind of poll?

Am I becoming paranoid?
By the way, I have an old Trek750 (a hybrid, still going strong, I use it for touring, we have been places)...

Tom B.
 
Trek2100,

The poll apparently is no more (couldn't get to the question page, my link was going directly to the results - for now anyway).
This leads me to two questions:

Who wouldn't want us to have this kind of poll?

Am I becoming paranoid?

By the way, I have an old Trek750 (a hybrid, still going strong, I use it for touring, we have been places)...

Tom B.



My macbook pro screen starts flickering whenever I read this thread. :D

I've got the money for a new I7 sitting in one of my debit card accounts, and it's waiting for me to pull the trigger. But...I am waiting for Apple to acknowledge these problems and offer up a fix.
 
People who wouldn't want such a poll:

1. Rabid fanboys to whom Apple's perfection is practically a religious belief and who feel the need to attack anyone who suggests anything to the contrary (lots of those here)

2. Apple itself.

One of my posts to the thread in the Apple support discussion forums was actually deleted by the Apple moderators after I suggested that people tweet their friends, post to Facebook and otherwise use social networking to let others know about this and keep their friends and family from buying defective units which Apple is still selling rather than fixing the problem first.
 
People who wouldn't want such a poll:

1. Rabid fanboys to whom Apple's perfection is practically a religious belief and who feel the need to attack anyone who suggests anything to the contrary (lots of those here)

2. Apple itself.

One of my posts to the thread in the Apple support discussion forums was actually deleted by the Apple moderators after I suggested that people tweet their friends, post to Facebook and otherwise use social networking to let others know about this and keep their friends and family from buying defective units which Apple is still selling rather than fixing the problem first.

Well, that must rank as an acknowledgment of the problem, at least! :rolleyes:
 
Well, that must rank as an acknowledgment of the problem, at least! :rolleyes:
Well, to me maybe, though not to all the people who never saw the post because it was deleted!

I actually thought this was pretty slimy and was very surprised they would actively try to suppress discussion in this way.
 
Well, to me maybe, though not to all the people who never saw the post because it was deleted!

I actually thought this was pretty slimy and was very surprised they would actively try to suppress discussion in this way.

Are you aware of a site where I can read some legitimate news about these problems, news that is legit and not censored by fanboys? :D
 
Are you aware of a site where I can read some legitimate news about these problems, news that is legit and not censored by fanboys? :D
Very true, but it's one thing for the jihadist fanboys to deny everything and quite another for Apple itself to actually be deleting posts from the forums - we all know to expect fanboy stupidity by now (well, "we" being those other than people who have for some reason staked their personal identities in a corporate entity whose products they consume...), but for Apple itself to try and suppress news about this? Perhaps I'm naive, but I didn't expect them to take it that far. Color me a bit more educated today.
 
I have the screen flickering problem. (27in , late 2009 model, intel core duo).

First iMac 27in, had some bad HD sectors so I took it, and they did a retail swap. Looks like this one has the screen flickering problem. I'll be taking it back for another replacement. So much hassle. Backing everything up on TimeMachine.

How did you determine there were bad sectors? Thanks.
 
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