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Laptop Screen Faults

southken
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Registered: ‎17-07-2010

Laptop Screen Faults

Hi All,  my acer laptop has developed a couple of faults, one is a tiny (4mm) mark on the screen, noticeable when in use, I've ignored it as it doesn't really bother me but now I have been seeing a vertical line straight down the middle of the screen but it's not there all the time unless I tilt the laptop up a few inches.  It's still under warranty as I've only had it 9 months and the place I bought said they will have a look and see what's wrong.  I'm just wondering if others have had similar things and might know what it is, I don't really want to send it back but I don't want to keep it if it's going to get worse.
22 REPLIES 22
nanotm
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Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: Laptop Screen Faults

make sure you backup any files you have on the machine and take it to the shop, it sounds like your graphics solution might have a fault, either a loose connector or an actual faulty component part, either way your warranty will be invalid if you try to fix the problem yourself.
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
southken
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Posts: 138
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Registered: ‎17-07-2010

Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Yes, I will do, the line is on all the time now, maybe because I've had the laptop on a while and it has warmed up.
ReedRichards
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Acer laptops are not renowned for their robustness.  Since it will probably be easier to replace your laptop than to repair it, be prepared to never see it again by making a back-up of all your data before you take it into the shop.
southken
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Posts: 138
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Registered: ‎17-07-2010

Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Yes will do, it's so annoying because it replaced an hp laptop that was stolen when the house was burgled last year, but at least this time I've got the chance to back everything up, I lost some stuff on the last one, but it did teach me a lesson to back up regularly.
twocvbloke
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

A column of pixels that are not functioning properly means there's a physical connection problem within the screen itself (whether or not it's related to the "mark" (which could be impact damage) is anyone's guess without seeing it), so the screen panel needs replacing, but as it's under warranty you should get that done free of charge assuming it's not been dropped, hit or impacted in any way that could cause screen damage... Smiley
I'd second performing the backups just incase they're too lazy to to genuine warranty work, some places are quite lazy and just do a like for like swap and sell the trade-ins for scrap...
nanotm
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

I was under the impression a colum of grey or red pixels was either a dodgy connector or a vrm fault (change in colour based on screen type, led or lcd), multiple columns was bad vram and crazy paving screen effect was overheating gpu.

I am always happy to be corrected on this though, but certainly all the gfx faults I've had in the last 25 years have followed those general rules.
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
twocvbloke
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Quote from: nanotm
I was under the impression a colum of grey or red pixels was either a dodgy connector or a vrm fault (change in colour based on screen type, led or lcd), multiple columns was bad vram and crazy paving screen effect was overheating gpu.

If the lines of iffyness are repeated in an equally spaced pattern, it usually the GPU at fault (frequently demonstrated by ATI/AMD brand graphics chips), but if it's one lone column of pixels or several columns in an irregular and colour-mismatched "barcode" effect, then generally it's the connections between the display's controller ribbons and the LCD itself that have either worked loose or are damaged from an impact, pics below show the differences...
In the latter case, it's new panel time (easy job, usually a few screws, undo a couple of plugs, play panel swapsies, reassemble and done), for those out of warranty panels can be had for not a lot of money (between £20 and £50) which can revive a perfectly working but damaged screened laptop for not a lot of money, done this many times myself both at the computer shop I worked at and for my own personal laptops... Smiley
GPU at fault:

Panel at fault:
HPsauce
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

I'll second all the above, sounds very much like a faulty LCD panel which should be replaced under warranty if the conditions are met.
If not, they're usually pretty easy and cheap to replace yourself or at a computer repair place if you're not confident.
nanotm
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Yeah I've repaired a number of laptops and monitors over the years, last one was twelve weeks ago (toy impact damage) much cheaper than a new monitor, but I had an NVIDIA gfx card develops a fault last year, that gave a single solid line on the display which the helpful chaps on the rma desk explained was due to a faulty vrm.
I'm well acquainted with the amd problem after a certain manufacturers faux pas with using some dodgy electrolytic capacitors a few years back......edit; I should of probably mentioned that all credit to them they didn't even want the suspect kit back, just rang them up to say it was faulty gave the serial number and they fedex'd a new one by 9 am the following day, that they didn't check the replacement batch number was annoying but no more troublesome when it also needed replacing within a month ......some companies do spend a lot to get over their problems whilst others just pretend they don't exist (looks at the pile of knackered FTTC modems that keeps overheating.....wonders if BT will ever get any better)......
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
ReedRichards
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

In the era when Vista was the current version of Windows there was a generation of nVidia GPUs that ran so hot they tended to soften the solder and work loose.  http://www.cnet.com/news/summarizing-the-nvidia-problems-with-laptop-chips-overheating/
southken
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Registered: ‎17-07-2010

Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Thanks for all your replies, the annoying thing is the line isn't always there, is that normal? I would have expected it to there all the time with a faulty connection.  Anyway it is being collected on Monday for repair, they have said if it's a software problem or caused by damage then it won't be covered by warranty.  I know it has never been damaged as I am the only one who uses it so I'll see what they say.
VileReynard
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Is it temperature dependent?

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

nanotm
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

if its run time dependant its likely a faulty component within the gfx circuit like the vram or a vrm creating noise at a fixed value in the circuit
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
twocvbloke
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Re: Laptop Screen Faults

Quote from: southken
I would have expected it to there all the time with a faulty connection.

They can be like that, it's basically a poor connection between the edge contacts and the LCD, sometimes makes full contact, some times doesn't (causing a solid line to appear), sometimes it's in the middle and flickers like a demented giant cursor...
But that said, as mentioned, Acer aren't exactly well-known for building decent laptops (I developed quite the disliking for them when at the computer shop), probably picked a budget-brand panel or something in a dodgy batch that wasn't up to specs so it was going cheap, but a new panel's definitely needed, whether or not the people doing the RMA agree is another matter...