17" MacBook Pro (late 2008) display banding in smooth gradients

While running the Screen Savers: RSS Visualizer or Spectrum, I noticed the graphics background looked different in sort of a high contrast, banded, sort of way. I compared it to the same Screen Saver on my Mac Pro w/30" Cinema Display and that looked fine and smooth, with no banding what-so-ever. Has anyone noticed a difference? Is this what I am to expect with this latest 2008 17" MacBook Pro LCD glossy display??? As a pro-photographer I find it less than perfect for editing purposes and will probably take it back, unless it is malfunctioning and it can be fixed. I've even seen 24" iMacs look practically indistinguishable to the 30" Cinema Display. Are they not able to make the 17" display as well?

I made an appointment with the Genius Bar and they ran an external FireWire Video Graphics Card Tester on the 17" MacBook Pro and found no problems with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT card itself. Although, after consulting with other repair technicians and observing the Screen Saver "RSS Visualizer" and more notably "Spectrum", the Genius's agreed that they was an obvious undesirable increase in dithering contrast compared to LCD iMacs and LCD Cinema Display panels. They concluded it may be a problem with the LED display and wrote up a ticket and took it in for a display replacement repair.
I went nearby to a Best Buy store to see if other 17" and 15"LED MacBooks exhibited the same appearance and found that they also had an undesirable increased contrast in dithering of gradient tonality compared to Apple LCDs. While I was there, I received a call from the Apple Genius requesting I pick up the MacBook Pro since he reneged on his decision to replace the display after further checking and found no evidence of a faulty display. He said "That's the way it apparently is supposed to be." So, currently, my conclusion is that the new LED displays regardless of model are inferior to an LCD in representing smooth tonal gradations.
I hope others more knowledgeable will chime in here to explain what the heck is really going on and offer their experience with these new LED displays. For me, I will continue to test this 17" MacBook Pro LED display with high res images from a Nikon D300 and PhaseOne P45+ comparing them on my MacPro Quad Xeon w/NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT card and 30"LCD Cinema Display. It may be that the resolution in the Screen Saver is not up to par for these new LED displays.
Visually Yours,
Bruce Christianson

Similar Messages

Problems with Macbook Pro (late 2008) display

Hello everyone...
Yesterday I was using my macbook pro, when suddenly one third of the screen became fuzzy (i know, weird!). Then, like 10 minutes later it became normal again....2 minutes later, fuzzy again (same third...) and its been that way since...I thought that with a reboot it would get fixed....maybe an software or a driver glitch....but nope.
I've been searching in forums for something like it, but I got back no answer...maybe one of you have answers for me
I'm posting some pictures of my screen so you can see what I'm talking about...
http://img256.imageshack.us/i/img9982lr.jpg/
http://img338.imageshack.us/i/img9993lr.jpg/
http://img338.imageshack.us/i/img9985lr.jpg/
Alejandro.-

The cause is likely a manufacturing flaw of some sort which just took some time to manifest itself. Apple will likely replace the display for you under warranty. If you don't have 3 year Applecare, be sure to contact Apple before your warranty runs out. Once you have reported the problem and gotten a case number to document it, you can arrange for the repair at your convenience.
Good luck!

Macbook pro late 2008 13 inch won't run 8 gb ram

Hello, I have a question that has been bothering me for a while now.
I bought a 4gb Ram Module at best buy, it is 1066GhZ DDR3 SODIM.H from PNY to upgrade my macbook pro to 8gb of RAM, everything was going well, I got home and opened up my macbook, inserted the module and turned on my mac.
Everything started working fine until I tried to open google chrome, my machine went into a kernel panic and restarted itself.
Being as I am, I decided to wipe my machine and re-install mountain lion (I run it because mavericks slows down my computer) but my machine wouldn't let me install it.
I opened my computer up again, re-installed the 1gb module from the fabric and the computer worked well.
Now, my question is this: Isn't my computer able to run 8 gb in RAM? I already upgraded my firmware and read a bunch about it on the internet and have done everything necessary but my computer won't accept the module!!
I really would like to know what is going on :/
My specs:
Macbook pro late 2008 unibody
Version 10.8.5
H2.4 GHZ Intel core 2 duo processor
5 gb 1067 MHz DDR3 memory
Model Identifier: MacBook5,1
Boot ROM Version: MB51.007D.B03

According to http://mactracker.ca database (free download) the MacBook Pro
13-inch model identifier5.1 you've stated that you have, is Not as you've said.
However, there was a 15-inch with the 5.1 model identifier.
•How to identify MacBook Pro models
Be sure to correctly identify the MacBook Pro model, and then get high quality
RAM of proper specification of known good brand for Apple portables.
Find an Example of correct spec RAM, by model & identifier; display size, build year:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Apple_MacBook_MacBook_Pro/Upgrade
The budget name brands seldom work well in Apple products; they do OK in some
models of old computers or loose-spec PCs. OWC/macsales and crucial.com are
two better known reputable suppliers of upgrade parts for Macs. Be sure to match
the correct part to the exact spec for your computer.
•How to identify MacBook models
•The MacBook 13-inch (Aluminum Late 2008) -- is not a MacBook Pro:
Model Identifier    MacBook5,1
Model Number    A1278
EMC    2254
As such the RAM spec according to MacTracker is as follows:
Maximum Memory    8.0 GB (Actual) 4.0 GB (Apple)
Memory Slots    2 - 204-pin PC3-8500 (1066 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM
OWC site points to this page for RAM. Double check detailed specs:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Apple_MacBook_MacBook_Pro/Upgrade/DDR3
Good luck & happy computing!
edited 2x

Flashing Question mark: New hard drive not working Macbook Pro late 2008

After following several peoples advice on this forum I decided to upgrade my Macbook Pro late 2008 with a Seagate (1TB) Solid State Hybrid Drive 2.5 inch.
Heres the device.
http://www.morecomputers.com/spec.aspx?pn=ST1000LM014
After creating a mountable boot on a External hard drive with Mavericks install I removed the current hard drive and replaced with the new seagate drive. However it didn't seem to recognize the external hard drive (it is quite old but works perfectly) and went to a flashing grey question mark screen and wouldnt do anything else. Ive tried holding down command-r and option-r but I get nothing. Its just the same flashing question mark. I have done this several times and the same result.
I put the old drive back in and it works fine.
I am trying to work out is the problem with the mountable external hard drive OR is it the hard drive is not compatible with my computer?
Appreciate your help
Gary

Sorry I think you may be confused.
I am trying to install the new Seagate hard drive to my mac (not as an external hard drive).
I replace the macbook pro hard drive with the seagate drive:
http://www.morecomputers.com/spec.aspx?pn=ST1000LM014
I then started up the machine with a usb external hard drive with a boot copy of mavericks on it. However, it just displayed a flashing question mark and wouldnt start booting the osx.
I am trying to work out is the problem with the mountable external hard drive OR is it the hard drive is not compatible with my computer? Im guessing it must be hard drive. Would it be better to use a USB pen drive as the external hard drive is quite old?
Does anyone know what the problem could be as the hard drive is brand new.
Appreciate your help
Thanks, Gary

Macbook Pro (Late 2008) versus OSX Mountain Lion

Kuzuzangpo:
I've been updating most OS updates on my Macbook Pro (Late 2008) via the App Store. The process has worked seamlessly so far. I love Apple. I wanted to ask if I should update to the Mountain Lion OS as well on my old Macbook? The App Store reviews state that it slows down the Macbook considerably. I am also thinking of getting the new Macbook Pro (with Retina Display) but want it in a 13". So far, there's only the 15" which - given my current Macbook and type of work now - is a bit too bulky to lug around. Any advice is most appreciated.
Kadrinchey

I have already installed it from the mac app store, i open it from the launchpad but it does not open in a boot kind of mode, it only opens as if it's an app.

MacBook pro (late 2008) shutting down even without the battery

Hello
I have a MacBook pro late 2008 model, recently it started to randomly shut down.
I have tried the following
- Reseting Pram
- Reseting the SMC
- Recalibrating the battery
- New hard drive
- Returned to original RAM (from 4 to 2Gb)
- Removed the battery and run with the MagSafe only
- Downloaded a fan control program to run it at max and verify if this was not a heating issue (although this also happens right after starting the laptop)
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm already loosing hope on my Mac :(
Thanks for any help that you could provide

Hi V,
Even though the symptoms don't match up exactly, you may have the NVIDIA issue. First, go to System Profiler > Hardware > Graphics/Displays and see if you have the GeForce 8600M GT GPU. This is the GPU covered under the free repair program. While there, also look at PCIe Lane Width. If it says anything other than x16, the GPU has issues (but this is only one potential symptom). If you have the 8600 GPU, bring the MBP to an Apple Store or AASP for free testing. If Apple's free test confirms the issue, repair is free. Read all about it here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
Also, whether you have the 8600 or not, you should run all the updates in Software Update.

Macbook pro late 2008 max hard drive size

I have a MacBook Pro Late 2008. I think the max RAM is 8GB but what is the max hard drive size. It is running Yosemite. It currently has a 1TB drive.

I solved the heat-issue in Windows Vist32 (tested and worked!)
This should also work in XP, XP64 and VISTA 64 although not tested.
Goto the Nvidia website and download the latest notebook drivers (http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_drivers.html).
Uninstall your old notebook drivers through device-manager and restart.
Now install the Nvidia notebook drivers you just downloaded and restart.
*NOW THE IMPORTANT PART!!!*
After numerous hours of testing i found out that installing new Nvdia display drivers overwrite some Nvidia chipset drivers. This causes your fans not spinning at all under heavy GPU load.
*THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE BECAUSE TEMPERATURES CAN EASILY PASS 100 degrees celsius.*
Now for the fix in four easy steps!
1. Under Windows insert your MacOS original install-disc (the one with the bootcamp drivers)
2. Choose to explore the Bootcamp folder.
3. Now open the drivers folder and browse to the Nvidia folder.
4. Now install the package called nvidiachipset. These come in all flavors (XP, XP64, VISTA, VISTA64) choose the correct version for your OS.
After installation a reboot is not even necessary. Start your favorite game and notice the extreme humming of your speeding fans! Should sound like music!
*So remember. Every time you update your graphics drivers A REINSTALL OF THE CHIPSET DRIVERS FOR YOUR UNIBODY MBP MUST BE DONE!! If you don't the fans won't come up under heavy load which will result in a BUSTED GPU!!!*
Message was edited by: geethreeforce

Macbook pro late 2008 (unibody) backlight not working, trackpad issue

Hi,
My wife is running 10.7.4 (Lion) on a MacBook Pro late 2008, first gen unibody. There is two issue with her computer.
The first issue is that the backlight keyboard is not working correctly. In fact, it is not working at all. My assumption is that it stopped working when it had a a display assembly replacement in 2010. My wife not behing to technical realized she did not had this feature when I bought a MBA 13" last year. It could be something with the system (OS) but I'm pretty sure it is not. I open the back of the case to see if something (a missing wire connectivity) could be found, but none step to my eyes. I did not want to dismantle everything in case I'll be making it worst!
The second issue is the trackpad. She told me many times that her mouse was not working as expected, and when I looked at, I finally found that the problem was not the mouse, but the trackpad. What I found is that the trackpad button, sometimes, stayed pressed. If that happen, eventually, the mouse is acting very trangely! My wife never uses the trackpad, so I can't figure out it is an abuse of it. To temporaly resolve the issue, I dissabled the trackpad when a mouse is connected in the Universal access system pref.
I plan to have it send to the Apple store next time I go near one. The Apple Care is expired...
My questions are:
any idea of what may be the problem and is it repairable easily by myself?
Could it be that the trackpad is broken in anyway?
Could it be possible that the technician forgot to reconnect a cable near the keyboard (under the motherboard) that prevent the backlight to work?
Thanks

Hi,
My wife is running 10.7.4 (Lion) on a MacBook Pro late 2008, first gen unibody. There is two issue with her computer.
The first issue is that the backlight keyboard is not working correctly. In fact, it is not working at all. My assumption is that it stopped working when it had a a display assembly replacement in 2010. My wife not behing to technical realized she did not had this feature when I bought a MBA 13" last year. It could be something with the system (OS) but I'm pretty sure it is not. I open the back of the case to see if something (a missing wire connectivity) could be found, but none step to my eyes. I did not want to dismantle everything in case I'll be making it worst!
The second issue is the trackpad. She told me many times that her mouse was not working as expected, and when I looked at, I finally found that the problem was not the mouse, but the trackpad. What I found is that the trackpad button, sometimes, stayed pressed. If that happen, eventually, the mouse is acting very trangely! My wife never uses the trackpad, so I can't figure out it is an abuse of it. To temporaly resolve the issue, I dissabled the trackpad when a mouse is connected in the Universal access system pref.
I plan to have it send to the Apple store next time I go near one. The Apple Care is expired...
My questions are:
any idea of what may be the problem and is it repairable easily by myself?
Could it be that the trackpad is broken in anyway?
Could it be possible that the technician forgot to reconnect a cable near the keyboard (under the motherboard) that prevent the backlight to work?
Thanks

Macbook pro late 2008 graphics

Does the Macbook Pro late 2008 automatically switch to the Nividia 9600m( high performance) graphics chip when you plug in an external display? I thinking about buying a Macbook pro that the display freezes on startup and I think it might be the display chip. Don't know how to switch over chips in this condition.

Call your local Apple Store and ask. I don't see that it's still active: Exchange + Repair Extension Programs - Apple Support.

Macbook pro late 2008 battery problem

I have a macbook pro late 2008 and I've been experiencing problems with the battery. I have changed the battery two times till now and now it's telling me to service battery. I am not a heavy user and I always try to drain the battery twice a month. Can it be the power supply?
I need help

Hi there,
I seem to have the same problem. My battery indicator gives me no more than 2 1/2 hours of battery life.
I checked to see if my computer was set to better battery performance and it was.
Now initially I thought that this may because of my external display (ACD 23") and my LaCie rugged external HD, which takes power from the FW connector. But even when I disconnect both of them I still only get two and a half hours of battery life, even when I leave the computer alone to just sit there.
Now I'm guessing this isn't normal. It may take an software update to correct this. But if this doesn't get corrected this thing is useless to me. And I will no doubt return it.

Instaling ML on Macbook pro late 2008 from dmg problem

Hello all
a friend of mine has a macbook pro late 2008 with snow leopard installed.
He wanted me to clean install the machine and install ML on it
i checked the requirements and i saw that this is possible
went on my mac mini and restored the image file to a usb stick and holding option key while booting i started the process
first erased the hard drive and then back to main screen press install ML
the next screen after confirming that i agree the dialog box was reading tyhe instalation files..it went throughh till the last bit and then just stuck there!
left it almost all night and nothing happened
Any ideaw on how to proceed?
Maybe the installation image that i have used is only for my mac mini and that is the reason that this happens?
a possible solution is to install snow leopard again and inform him to buy the software so as to be machoine specific from the mac app store?
Any help will be much appreciated
Many thanks

Your friend has to purchase OS X Mountain Lion with his/her Apple ID. If you install OS X Mountain Lion without having purchased it with his/her Apple ID, he/she won't be able to reinstall OS X Mountain Lion if it gets damaged, so this is dangerous.
He/She must purchase OS X Mountain Lion, so he just have to open  > Software Update and install all available updates. Then, open App Store and purchase OS X Mountain Lion, so it will be downloaded into his/her MacBook and the Mountain Lion installer will show up when the download finishes, so just follow the steps to upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion.
He/She should make a backup of his/her files with Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner before upgrading, and also, check if the applications are compatible > http://www.roaringapps.com
The OS X Mountain Lion version used is the same for all Macs (except the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the Late 2012 Mac mini and iMac because of driver problems), so this is not a problem

My macbook pro (late 2008) shuts down but battery is at 25-30%

My macbook pro (late 2008) shuts down but battery is at 25-30% and I don't get a low power warning box before this happens. This only happens when the power chord is not connected, and it restarts with no problems once I put the power chord in. Does this mean I need a new battery, or is it an indication of something else? Using osx 10.5.8

Mine is Unibody 15" MBP late 2008, with the exact problem as yours. It can be a sudden shut down at 25-32%, or, after upgrading to OS 10.7.2, can be hang all of sudden on battery power.
Condition on, "Replace Soon". From 4.5 - 6 hours when new, goes down to 1 - 2 hours on discrete graphics.
But after 'abusing' it for the first year in the heat of Jakarta's climate in a non AC room when doing a video editing, before moving back to a comfort AC room at home sweet home, the battery performance is still top notch comparing to other kind than Apple. Also, it caused me to replace the right fan, after a lot of hard work on that first year. Oh, and by the way, I regularly done the battery calibration, at least once or twice between 3-6 months.
Here's also an useful link about battery I found on the internet:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batterie s
My battery condition:
Battery Information:
Model Information:
Serial Number:          6N8389BD13EB
Manufacturer:          SMP
Device Name:          bq20z951
Pack Lot Code:          0
PCB Lot Code:          0
Firmware Version:          002a
Hardware Revision:          000a
Cell Revision:          100
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh):          2192
Fully Charged:          No
Charging:          Yes
Full Charge Capacity (mAh):          2716
Health Information:
Cycle Count:          616
Condition:          Replace Soon
Battery Installed:          Yes
Amperage (mA):          254
Voltage (mV):          12392
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          0
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          15
Automatic Restart on Power Loss:          No
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Wake on LAN:          No
Current Power Source:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
PrioritizeNetworkReachabilityOverSleep:          0
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          5
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
Reduce Brightness:          Yes
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed:          No
AC Charger Information:
Connected:          Yes
ID:          0x0100
Wattage (W):          85
Revision:          0x0000
Family:          0x00ba
Serial Number:          0x0063ac36
Charging:          Yes
Got the battery replacement today. Hopefully it will last for at least 3 years like it predecessor.

HT3053 Can I run my MacBook Pro Late 2008 without battery forever? Is it bad in long term or anything? Does it make the system less stable?

Can I run my MacBook Pro Late 2008 without battery forever? Is it bad in long term or anything? Does it make the system less stable?
My battery got swollen (and I unfortunately noticed it very late and might have be running with it for months, which potentially explains all the crashes everyday and the trackpad not working anymore, the Apple test also says I have a bar of ram broken...) and I had to remove it because the back pannel did not close anymore... Can I still use my MBP normally forever that way? I was planning on buying a new mac anyway but maybe waiting for the next iMac upgrade in the year... Should I wait?

Other than the system shutting down instantly if you have a power outage, whcih could corrupt the OS. Nothing else bad will happen.

Macbook Pro Late 2008 Boot Issue

Hello All!
So I have an issue i would like to throw into the ring and see if I get any responses I have not thought of yet. Let me give you a quick backstory to my recent macbook adventures.... I will start with a quick prelude story.
Chapter One:
Purchased a used Macbook Pro, Late 2008 2.53ghz, 4gb DDR3 ram with no charger off ebay. And yes, I should know better. But honestly, it only had a cracked screen but still worked perfectly connected to an external monitor and i could not pass on the price of it.
Chapter Two:
After recieving my purchase, I determined that it was just a cracked cover over the LCD screen which is easily replaced, but the backlight was out on the LCD. So i ordered a new LCD. The new LCD did not fix my issue, which then pointed me to a problem on the motherboard. I then sent it out and had it repaired.
Chapter Three:
Upon recieving my newly repaired macbook, I installed a new SSD drive, battery and replaced the screen cover for the newly installed LCD. It looks Fantastic if I do say so myself! I then proceded to install lion and I have a perfect running Macbook Pro for less than 700 bucks after all was said and done.
Chapter Four:
Now, at this point you should know why I bought it... I use it for djing. That is it. There is nothing else on this. No apps, programs, or scripts. It has an updated lion OS on it and my serato itch Djing software. There isnt even any music on it as i store that on an external 3T WD elements drive. (I only installed an 80gb SSD for the OS system). Unfortunately i have had some instances where the Mac Pro has just shut down completely while im spinning! Not good for business!
Chapter Five:
Over the course of the last year I have noticed some things happening. Longer than normal boot times (especially since it has an SSD in it this seems wierd to me) and crashing of the Itch software while trying to analyze music or just not closing itch at all when im done playing a show and having to press and hold the power button to turn off the mac. Now for the kicker... Unbeknowst to me, apparently you cant use a 65W charger on a macbook that requires an 85W charger, this i just recently learned. The charger i was using was a 65W from a white 13 inch macbook 2006. I just recently aquired the 85W charger.
This brings us to the present.....
Here is the issue. I was analyzing my music files using itch, when suddenly & randomly one of the 2 analyzing indicators would just stop analyzing the track it was on... This leaves only one analyzer bar going and the other just stuck where it is (16000 songs will take awhile with only one analyzer going). If i stop analyzing and restart it, it picks up where it left off and continues for a bit and stops again, but its never the same track or same length of time before it stops analyzing. Now I have tried this with both Lion and Snow Leopard (the white macbook 2006 has snow) and it appears to happen with either OS.
So I decided to install Snow on my Mac Pro 2008. For some reason, and I dont know why, it would not let me install snow to the partion I made on the drive. The disc would just keep rebooting the Mac pro over and over again. I know for a fact that snow works because I took the drive out of the white Macbook 2006 and put it into the Mac Pro 2008. Booted right up.
So, I have re-installed itch on lion... Still has the same problem with lion.
I have restored a copy of snow to the partioned hard drive of my Mac Pro 2008 from my white macbook 2006. This seems to be the only way to do this if i want snow on my Mac Pro 2008 since it won't boot Snow from disc or USB. Installed a new copy of itch, still the same problem.
So my question is this.... Is it hardware or software?
And to stop those from putting the obvious, I have done all the PVRAM, SMC etc resets!! I am not some 12yr old trying to make daddys computer work again because i used it like i shouldn't have. Im looking for something besides the obvious!
Sorry, but I felt the entire story needed to be told in order to get the responses I'm looking for....
And thanks for taking the time to read about my issues! Hopefully someone can point me in the direction I need to go to get this to stop doing what it's doing. I will be more than happy to answer any and all questions concerning this issue as best I can.

The heat generated may be a function of what you are doing on the Internet. Watching videos will stress the CPU/GPU and create heat and result in faster fan speeds.
First try a SMC and PRAM resets:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14222?viewlocale=en_US
If there is no change, post back.
Ciao

MacBook Pro late 2008 no longer working with Airport Express

Hi,
since a few days I have big problems with my MacBook Pro (late 2008) and my Airport Express. The MacBook can't find the airport express anymore, even not with the airport utility...
The Airport Express is correctly configured as my Ipod, Blackberry and Dell pc are connecting to it and do have internet access...
I can only manage the Airport Express when I'm directly connected to it with an ethernet cable.
My brother has an airport expreme, I tested it with my MacBook Pro and there it just works fine...
Can anyone help me? Has it something to do with an update for Mac OS X or the firmware from the Airport Express?
Many thanks in advance!

Thanks for the response,
1. I live in Atlanta, close enough to an Apple store. But I just know that going there will probably mean I'll have to get the logic board replaced.
2. The only thing I noticed before the first USB port started acting funny was that my battery status changed to "Service Battery". I plan on replacing it this week too.
3. Nope only difference is that my battery drains kind of fast. After about 3-4 hours of my normal usuage with it (Internet, music, videos, and sometimes using Logic) it will be time to hook up the charger.
Would replacing the battery do anything? I'm not thinking it would but figure it'd be worth a shot since I've got to replace it anyway.
And to goofyziggy,
I too noticed that most people who had this problem had some version of OSX 10.8.x

17" MacBook Pro (late 2008) display banding in smooth gradients

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