T400 Screen Flicker: Cable, inverter, or LCD?

Within the past four months or so, my T400 (Win7 x64, switchable graphics, LED backlight) has developed an irritating though thusfar harmless flicker in the screen. There's no graphical distortion or blank screen, but the effect is like the brightness or sometimes the general contrast of the screen is getting tweaked back and forth between a few settings.
It's most definitely not OS related, as the issue occurs occasionally on bootup and in the BIOS screen, and I confirmed that it happened while I was running Ubuntu 12.04 from a USB stick. The problem occurrs whether I'm running on the integrated Intel graphics or on the discrete Radeon HD3470.
I was installing a memory upgrade the other day and I took the opportunity to try to check the connection of the LCD cable to the motherboard. Everything looked fine from that end, and I couldn't really find anything that would suggest a loose connection there.
The next step is to have a look at the connection inside the monitor, but I'm a little reluctant to crack it open--the way to Thinkpad innards is well documented and I have a more-or-less steady hand, but I also feel a little cursed from time to time in that electronics never quite fit back together the same way after I've opened them (how the heck do you even get the little screw covers off the screen? And what do you reattach them with?). I'd obviously like to check to see that the cable to the LCD is firmly seated, but if it were coming loose wouldn't I be having issues with the display itself cutting in and out or getting corrupted, rather than just this odd brightness adjustment? Are there any old hands out there that can immediately recognize this issue as symptoms of a failing LCD, or a bad inverter, or...?

gsl,
There isn't a T400 video but you can refer a bit on the T410 one.
http://frusonfone.com/fof/T410/index.html
Also you can check the HMM for T400.
Try reseating the cables on the LCD side and see if that helps. If no then I think next part to replace LCD Cable since its a cheaper part (hopefully that would eliminate the issue) worst come to worst then LCD panel replacement.
*Non Lenovo employee*
I have a Y2P (i5) ... Feel free to ping me if you want me to test some applications with your Y2P if you have the same model. I don't mind keep doing recovery on it if needed .... =)

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Lenovo G530 laptop screen flicker

I have a Lenovo G530 laptop that has an issue with screen flicker that is getting worse. The computer screen will start going thru a crazy screen flicker then will stop and start again. I have already checked cable connection to lcd on motherboard and reseated connection of lcd to motherboard located under the keyboard as someone suggested in another posting I found online that resolved issue for them. I am starting to think it might be a bad inverter or screen because I have hooked up laptop to external monitor and it is running fine with no flickering happening when the flickering is occurring on laptop.
I am attaching a link to a small video I shot of the issue as it is occurring on laptop screen.
Does anyone have any further suggestions?
Bad inverter or screen?
Screen flicker vid
Solved!
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Johnny,
If your system does this pretty regularly, we'd like to see it and see if we can fix it.
Please send me a PM with your contact information if you would be willing to let us have a look and fix it.
Mark
ThinkPads: S30, T43, X60t, X1, W700ds, IdeaPad Y710, IdeaCentre: A300, IdeaPad K1
Mark Hopkins
Program Manager, Lenovo Social Media (Services)
twitter @lenovoforums
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How can I reproduce my screen flicker so they'll believe me?

The intermittent nature of the annoying screen flicker on my Macbook makes it difficult to show a tech that it is a real problem and not some figment of my imagination. Does anybody know of a "sure fire" way of reproducing it? I have been able to recreate the rapid dimming and brightening of my Macbook screen by moving the brightness indicator all the way to the left and then bumping it up one click. This only works sometimes and it only works when I do it by clicking and dragging on the ball on the display screen in system prefs. It doesn't work by using f1 and f2. I made a video of my screen while it was flickering and put the video on the desktop. I'm sending it in as soon as my box arrives on Tuesday. They're also replacing my stained top case. I hope they will look at the video and at least test the inverter and cable to see if they're the problem. Any help with how to encourage them would be greatly appreciated.
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I am the victim of this problem also. The screen flickering & brightness of the screen suddenly fade to low intensity. The screen flickering happened everytime I use my MacBook.
May MacBook was the initial Jun 2006 version.
I already get those problems (a) sudden shutdown (replace the logic board), (b) palm rest area discoloration (change the bottom case), (c) power adaptor pin contact problem (replace the new one), (d) poor performance of battery life (awaiting confirmation from local Apple support, 180cycle max. charge only 50% of initial capacity) & (e) screen flicker issue (today just send in my MacBook for them to do diagnostic).
I really lost confident with my MacBook.
Should I request a replacement of entire MacBook?
My warranty period will be expired mid of next month & the are asking me to purchase the apple protection plan. But, I claim that the unit is poor in initial build quality & why I should considered the plan. It is unfair to me.
If the MacBook is in good condition then I will consider the plan for support another 2 years (fair), not in this reverse way.
Anybody please guide me how to pursue this matter.
I previously own an iBook G4 & PowerBook G4 TI don't have these problem at all.
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Screen flicker on external monitor

Has anyone had any experience with screen flicker on an external monitor? I connected my laptop to an external monitor and I get consistent flicker on the whole screen. If anyone can help, or could help pointing me to website etc. I'd appreciate it.

Good suggestions guys I'll put out some more information. The cable is ok (good thought to check for it). I plugged my vga cable to my tv and do not get the screen flicker. Also I'm using the ati driver which possibly has the same problem as the intel, one. I configured my xorg.conf as describe in the wiki xrandr page:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xra … _xorg.conf
One thing that I noticed that is a bit odd is the xrandr reports the display rate as 60.1. I've never seen this before so right now I'm thinking that it has to do with that.
xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1440 x 900, maximum 1440 x 1440
VGA-0 connected 1440x900+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 410mm x 257mm
1440x900 60.1 + 75.0*
1400x1050 74.9 60.0
Still up the river so any more suggestions would be definitely appreciated.

Thinkpad T400 Screen broken

Basically, I set my laptop down on my books too hard, and the LCD cracked(Not horribly, but I want it replaced).
After a while of searching with lenovo's system, this is what I found:
http://gyazo.com/b8b094e346dd7263d26c5986d48ea8b5.png
So I assume I need an LCD with Manufacturer's P/N of 42T0495? Does it have to have that part number, or is it fine to find any other PANEL LGD 14.1" WXGA from a thinkpad, or do I have to have a LCD with the FRU number that is the same as it says on the page?
Where would you recommend me buy the LCD?
Any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Will this screen work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/380653720307?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
According to your posts, I think it does. But I just want to confirm.
Also, from the photos on eBay, the some LCDs for the screen seem to have different cables on the LCD.
When I opened up my laptop, I took a look at the back of the LCD, there was no cable runnning down from it.
T400 screen with no cable running from it:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thinkpad-R400-T400-14-1-LCD-WXGA-Screen-B141EW05-V-3-42T0699-grade-b-...
Screen with Cable running down the back:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ThinkPad-T400-14-1-LCD-Screen-Panel-42T0580-42T0581-Samsung-LTN141W1-L05-WXG...
Or maybe I'm just being really stupid, cause I unplugged a cable when I removed the LCD. Is that what it is?
Take apart video I used:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2R4oUUM5nc (skip to 3:20 for when he takes off the LCD)
Thanks so much for your help.

T400 screen - loose connection

Dear All,
The screen of my Thinkpad T400 has started to act weird the last couple of weeks. As far as I can tell, it seems to have a loose connection as it goes dark if the hinge is not in a specific angle where the connection is working fine.
I have been searching around thius forum and others but without any luck. However - I found a video on youtube with someone who has the same problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O2cx9T4DI8
Does anyone know how (if possible) to fix this?
Regards,
Jakob - Copenhagen
Solved!
Go to Solution.

I can think of the cable being loose, or the connection to the mainboard.
If you are not afraid of opening your laptop you can download the HMM (hardware maintenance manual) from here => click me! and remove the battery, palmrest and keyboard bezel following the instructions from the manual. Then check the lcd to motherboard connector as shown in page 117 of the manual (not page 117 from your pdf reader!)
If that doesn't change you may need to check the connection of the cable to the LCD, this means more dissasembling, but let's try the motherboard one first.
Hope this helps!
Cheers
/L40SX/240/240X/2*340CSE/360PE/365XD/380D/380E/380XD/380Z/390/560E/560X/2*570/2*600/600E/750Cs/755C/760CD/760EL/760XD/770E/A20p/A22p
A31/i1600/G40/R50p/R61i/S30/SL510/2*T22/4*T4x/11*T6x/6*T4x0x/6*T5x0/3*W5x0/W700/3*X2x/4*X3x/3*X4x/5*X6x/3*X6xT/10*X2xx/2*X200T/4*X30x/Z60m/3*Z61x
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Just got the Mac mini Late 2014 a week ago. It serves me well except the screen flicks randomly.
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Hi people,
Does anybody else also experiences screen flicker on the Mac Mini i5 2.3GHz 2011 model, during startup from sleep-mode or a cold-boot in the morning?
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mmster55 wrote:
Good point. I fiddled with my friends laptop after I was convinced I could fix his Dell screen. Its still sitting in my room 2 years later. Thanks for the info.
i am in the same boat with my T30, T40, T42.... i decided to pull them apart and have yet to put them back again, i think i have lost some of the screws too.....
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Message was edited by: jdamien75

T400 Screen Flicker: Cable, inverter, or LCD?

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