17" Hi-Res Glossy Penryn MacBook Pro high pitched noise related to display brightness

[kilvano]

its a 1920 x 1200 i have

The guy was pretty sure i was getting that. Im happy either way...at least the dent on the back will be gone

 

[radarseven]

Definitely a design flaw

I purchased a 17" hi-res matte 2.6 MBP back in March (08) and mine arrived with the Samsung (9C7A) screen which to my eyes is near flawless, though I will admit that I am a discerning, but first time MacBook Pro owner. I feel that my display looks as good, if not better, than the LG-Philips (9C7A) hi-res screens I've seen on systems in various Apple Stores.

I came across this post because I have been festered by very minor flaws in the display (probably a result of my perfectionist nature) and am wondering if it might be worth trading up for a shot at the LG display which has received so many rave reviews in these forums. Much less praise for the Samsung screen in these parts, it seems. My gut tells me that I lucked out in the draw, albeit with a Samsung screen with very, very slight yellowing and some minor gradient banding, which is probably inherit in either of the displays too some degree.

@rezonat0r
As a discerning user who has had a good bit experience with both the LG-Philips and Samsung screen, is the LG far superior in your opinion? I've gotta feed that other voice that tells me it is.

As a musician and somewhat of an audiophile, I was curious to hear if my MBP exhibited the high-pitched noise described here at all. As it had never popped out in normal use over the past few months, I was almost certain it wasn't there, but I am now sitting in the dark in a near silent room and can attest that the high-pitched brightness noise is in fact preset, though it is indeed quieter than my hard disk and my fans running at less than 2000 RPMs. But it is no doubt there and as rezonator mentioned several times here, it is loudest smack dab in the middle. To be honest, I'm not sure yet if this is going to be a deal breaker or not. I could foresee a noise like this getting to me eventually.

From the multitude of posts I've read re: the hi-res 17" MBP, it seems as though I got one of the few to exhibit the flaws in a manner which doesn't overpower the many plus sides to this great notebook.

So, with Apple Care in place, do I count my blessings or try trade in for the newly designed 15" MacBook Pro and a nice ACD for example, though I can't say I'm too thrilled about a notebook with a glossy screen just yet.

 

[rezonat0r]

Hey there, well I long ago sold my 17" MBP due to that brightness whine. That and the fact that I was on my 4th MBP and wondering why Apple is getting "Pro" margins from me when they aren't really selling "Pro" systems.... but I digress.

My girlfriend still has her 17" with the Samsung screen and she does graphic design for web. It really is fine, although it is calibrated - but any screen needs calibration for serious work. The LG and Samsung are very similar once calibrated and they are both TN panels. So you really aren't missing anything.

I've since upgraded to one of the new unibody 13" Macbooks with LED backlighting, and interestingly there is NO brightness whine. I can't say if that holds true for the new unibody 15", but I would hope it does. I'm guessing the "new" 17" would still whine until they give it the unibody treatment.

 

[radarseven]

Hey rezonat0r, thanks for your feedback.

Hey there, well I long ago sold my 17" MBP due to that brightness whine. That and the fact that I was on my 4th MBP and wondering why Apple is getting "Pro" margins from me when they aren't really selling "Pro" systems.... but I digress.

I have to admit I agree with you on this one to some degree. I think I was one of the lucky few to get a good one on my first try. Even with some of the downsides though, it's still to me the best 17" hi-res notebook out there.

My girlfriend still has her 17" with the Samsung screen and she does graphic design for web. It really is fine, although it is calibrated - but any screen needs calibration for serious work.

Agree wholeheartedly with you here. Calibrated, my Samsung display looks spectacular, I'm a web designer as well. The LG screens I have seen seemed a bit more color accurate with the default color profile, whereas the Samsung looks slightly more yellow in the default color profile.

The LG and Samsung are very similar once calibrated and they are both TN panels. So you really aren't missing anything.

That's good to know. I had though there was speculation that the LG was in fact an S-IPS panel, but apparently not. Sounds like considering I don't have any of the other pronounced issues, like a prevalent brightness whine, sticking with the Samsung is the way to go.

I've since upgraded to one of the new unibody 13" Macbooks with LED backlighting, and interestingly there is NO brightness whine. I can't say if that holds true for the new unibody 15", but I would hope it does. I'm guessing the "new" 17" would still whine until they give it the unibody treatment.

I'm curious to know how you feel about the new glossy displays? I'd assume you use a Cinema Dispaly or something comparable in conjunction with the MacBook. But on its own, do you find you're liking it? I've never been a big fan of glossy screens in general (had one on an HP laptop that I despised) but I must admit I'm enamored by the new unibody design, almost enough to consider a new MacBook along with a new Cinema Display. I definitely prefer the Cinema Displays over the new 24" LED glossy display they've come out with.

 

[rezonat0r]

I'm curious to know how you feel about the new glossy displays? I'd assume you use a Cinema Dispaly or something comparable in conjunction with the MacBook.

Actually I've been holding out for the new Apple Cinema displays, and now that they appear to be going "glass" all the way I'm torn. I've written scathing thing about glossy screens here, but my Macbook screen really isn't bad at all.

I think it comes down to taste and calibration. If you can get accurate colors out of it then there's no problem. The one thing I *like* about glossy is that they do generally appear clearer because there is no anti-glare coating. On the other higher end IPS screens (including Apple's current 23" matte ACD) the anti-glare coating is very aggressive and gives a grainy/sparkly appearance. You don't get any of that with pure glass.

We won't know how good the new 24" ACD is for design until its out, but I'm seriously considering it, as its a perfect fit for the new notebooks with DisplayPort.

 

[danielsoftco]

Hello RezonatOr;

I have the same problem. I have a Hi-Res (1920x1200) mate LED screen in my macbook pro 17, and i heard a high pitch noise that generates when the brightness (in windows xp for example) is about 20 - 80 percent.

If the screen is in 0 or 100% of brightness, the sound disappears.

This problem has any solution? I has gone to an apple store and they have asked a replacement for the inverter, but the LED screen has Inverter???

Thanks for all

 

[rezonat0r]

That sounds like a slightly different issue; the whine we are referring to is present at any brightness, even full. I'm not sure if the LED backlights have an inverter per-say, but it does sound like whatever is regulating the brightness has gone bad in your case. I think they will get it fixed for you.

 

[danielsoftco]

Hello Rezonat0r.

I supose that the noise you are refering is the white noise of the procesor no?

My problem is that the screen do a noise "electrical" that is perceptible in windows, securily because windows uses other system to control de brightness.

Please do this; Put the ear in the back of the screen, for example in the logo of the apple, and you will hear a sound "as a buzz". In windows, that sound is more perfectible and i think is a generic problem because i have tested 2 macbooks pro (15 and 17 hi res as mine) and the sound is in those.

If you put using bootcamp the ear in the backscreen, and you reduce and up the brightness, you percibe a sound that is diferent about the level of brightness??

Thanks for all. Here is one topic that expose this unit.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8446017&#8446017

and this

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8434141&#8434141

thanks for all!

 

[danielsoftco]

Hello to all! Specially rezonator, thanks for the reply

Rezonator, the problem that we have i think is the same. A noise that provides of the screen, and change with the brightness of the screen.

My screen is a 17 Hi-Res Matte Screen, already LED.

The problem is already in mac os, the noise is distint, but already change with the brightness of the screen.

This problem i think is in all LED Screens, because i have gone to an apple store and i have tested one more macbook pro and have the same variety of noise under mac os, and in windows under bootcamp, already, (the noise is lower than in my mbp, but i think is because my screen is matte, and the other tested is glossy, i supose that the glossy screens needs low brightness to have the level of the matte, i dont know)

Is a solution for this problem actually? Apple Care don´t provides me a solution. They have said me that don´t know this problem when i have see that other users called to apple care and they said them that is a solution in progress.

Thanks to all...

Apple X

 

[rezonat0r]

This problem i think is in all LED Screens, because i have gone to an apple store and i have tested one more macbook pro and have the same variety of noise under mac os, and in windows under bootcamp, already, (the noise is lower than in my mbp, but i think is because my screen is matte, and the other tested is glossy, i supose that the glossy screens needs low brightness to have the level of the matte, i dont know)

Yeah, AFAIK the noise is there on all of the current 17" LED screens. Pretty sure its a design flaw. The redesigned 17" may not emit the noise, as none of the new LED Macbooks or 15" MBPs have the issue. But in the current design, I'm afraid its unavoidable.

 

[danielsoftco]

Razonator is posible than the problem will not be the screen, and will be the graphics chipset (the mainboard)??

I say this because the 8600 GT has problems, so i think that replacing the mainboard the problems solves?

What do you think?

Apple