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Vega MBP screen flickering (with Poll!)
- Thread starter ThisBougieLife
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A new beta of 10.14.3 was released yesterday (https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/07/apple-seeds-macos-mojave-10-13-4-beta-3/). Maybe someone can test it and see if anything was fixed.
Same here I wiped my new 2018 MacBook Pro 15" i7/16GB/Vega20/1TB and installed Mojave 10.14.2 as soon as I got it. Been using it for about a month with an external monitor and now traveling and using the MBP display no flickering or any other issues except dongleville.
Made an account just to post:
- I mostly use my MBP 2018 Vega 20 connected to an external display and only my MBP screen flickers
- Took to a genius to do a diagnostic (twice) - nothing came up
- Genius mentioned that the apple team is aware of the screen flickering issue (and to not do a RMA) and described many of instances listed here and reddit (diagonal netflix, flickering in web browsers, flickering during sleep-boot) before I described it to him
- I notice most of the time the issue occurs in a browser (I mostly use safari), perhaps something javascript/browser related?
- Others on reddit and youtube seem to have this issue with any MBP (so perhaps its not a Vega 20 issue)
- Still angry at apple for ruining this $4k machine's UX; an otherwise perfect machine
- I mostly use my MBP 2018 Vega 20 connected to an external display and only my MBP screen flickers
- Took to a genius to do a diagnostic (twice) - nothing came up
- Genius mentioned that the apple team is aware of the screen flickering issue (and to not do a RMA) and described many of instances listed here and reddit (diagonal netflix, flickering in web browsers, flickering during sleep-boot) before I described it to him
- I notice most of the time the issue occurs in a browser (I mostly use safari), perhaps something javascript/browser related?
- Others on reddit and youtube seem to have this issue with any MBP (so perhaps its not a Vega 20 issue)
- Still angry at apple for ruining this $4k machine's UX; an otherwise perfect machine
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Wow great catch! I also was using the resolution option below the Default one (looks like 1440x900). I will test out the default option and see if I still get the flicker. If it turns out to be this, then it is 100% software and makes sense that it must've been a bug with 10.14.2 and must be a problem with how it handles resolution scaling on both the internal screen (as well as external monitors) which sums up the problemThe tech at the Apple store had not heard of the flickering issue before and they replaced the laptop with a new one. I setup the new laptop at the store. The default install was 10.14.1 and I turned the Automatic Graphics Switching off, set the resolution to "Looks like 1440x900" (one below Default) and put the unit to sleep and woke it back up - the screen did not flicker. I proceeded to update it to 10.14.2, checked the same switching and resolution settings and put it to sleep and woke it back up - it flickered just like my other laptop!
I had them do a return on the freshly opened laptop and will wait to see if/when this issue is resolved before purchasing another.
It's funny to see how people try to fix a driver/macOS issue by swapping hardware. It seems that sending in or bringing the Laptops to the Apple stores is more fun than just changing the scaling to normal until Apple has fixed the issue by a macOS update. I posted on Dec 19th already that it's a macOS issue but ignoring and raging seems to be the better option.
All Apple can do for people is swap hardware since they don't have a software fix yet. I knew it had to be software because it literally showed up the second I updated to 10.14.2. I'll start raging if 10.14.3 is released and the flickering problem isn't fixed.
since it can be reproduced on a clean system (at least my flicker problem was) either all macbooks would have it, or none would. a few every now and them does seem more of a hardware issue yes.
So I think there is more evidence pointing that it is a software issue as:
1a) A good chunk of people got their VEGA MBPs before Dec 5 2018/release date of 10.14.2 (i.e. they ordered the VEGA right away) and probably didn't update to .2.
1b) I personally remember my MBP 2018 V20 running like a beaut when I picked it up (manufacture date was before Dec 5), but then this crap happened last week (I don't remember when I updated).
2) According to the release notes here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209149#macos10142, there were some updates to drivers/firmware/OS-level stuff related to when the MBP is connected to displays (I only get the flickers when my MBP is connected to an external monitor)
1a) A good chunk of people got their VEGA MBPs before Dec 5 2018/release date of 10.14.2 (i.e. they ordered the VEGA right away) and probably didn't update to .2.
1b) I personally remember my MBP 2018 V20 running like a beaut when I picked it up (manufacture date was before Dec 5), but then this crap happened last week (I don't remember when I updated).
2) According to the release notes here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209149#macos10142, there were some updates to drivers/firmware/OS-level stuff related to when the MBP is connected to displays (I only get the flickers when my MBP is connected to an external monitor)
- "Resolves an issue that prevents displays from working when connected to MacBook Pro models introduced in 2018, if certain third-party USB graphics devices are also connected."
I'll give it until the final release, but yeah, if they can't fix this, that just shows Apple doesn't have a clue how to fix anything anymore. First the T2 crashes, now this. This thread shows there's a 50% chance of having a flickering problem if you order a Vega 20 machine. That's unacceptable.
I'm well aware that forum statistics like this are extremely unscientific, but... 50% out of ~40 voters with Vega 20 having issues? That's a top of the line machine fetching an exorbitant price tag.
When the new card released, I wished I had waited a few more months to get it (I have the July 2018 model with the 560X). But seeing these threads, I don't know what to think anymore. Since the 2016 redesign, it seems that literally any MBP you can get can be... problematic in some way.
When the new card released, I wished I had waited a few more months to get it (I have the July 2018 model with the 560X). But seeing these threads, I don't know what to think anymore. Since the 2016 redesign, it seems that literally any MBP you can get can be... problematic in some way.
They haven't really fixed the keyboard issues either, evidenced by people already having issues, sometimes on 2, 3, 4 units. Gen. 3 and still not fixed.
After using my MacBook pro normally with the resolution adjusted to the default 4 days ago, my flickers no longer happen. This to me clearly indicates a software issue with 10.14.2 and confirms that it is something to do with resolution scaling for scaling resolutions on the internal display, as well as scaling resolutions on external displays
I bought out a maxed out 13.3 MB Pro this afternoon. I need a new computer and cannot wait any longer. This Intel-AMD collaboration I think in hindsight will be remembered as plauged and I can't see patched software updates fixing the issues. I think there will be bigger issues long term.
I also own a Haydes Canyon NUC which has the Intel-AMD chipset and I'm not to crazy about it either.
I also own a Haydes Canyon NUC which has the Intel-AMD chipset and I'm not to crazy about it either.
So apple is willing to do a late return/exchange on this unit but I'll out of my only computer for ~2 weeks, should I do it? There's still strong suspicion that this is a software issue. Need advice, thanks. Props to apple for owning up to their (potential) lemons.
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Yes I’d return it as I think it’s hardware. You could always rebuy this once they have it figured out.
Just read this - will test it out.
Can anyone chime in and say if they got flickers with the non-default resolution? I personally used mine at max res for more lines of code and yes major flickers on the MBP. External monitor is at its normal res (1080p). Please chime in guys, we can solve this together!
https://twit.tv/shows/the-tech-guy/episodes/1557?autostart=false
Called into Leo Laporte's show today to report the issue thinking someone from Apple might be listening...
Starts around 1:23:45
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From my experience, this is NOT a compatibility issue with your external monitor and laptop as I tried a lower resolution external monitor, and scaling down the laptop resolution and still got the flickering.
I think the problem is the chipset, in particular, the GPU, which is why I ordered the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro.
OK just to clarify - was your MBP at non default res? Mine is at 1920x1200 and flickers like your youtube video but my 1080p default monitor doesn't (also tried two monitors via DP and HDMI) - so you're right that monitors having nothing to do with it.