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What LCD Monitors REALLY work with the new MacBook Aluminum

S

SoupyFlow

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 9, 2008
47
2
San Francisco, CA
I am wondering what LCD Monitors (Besides the new Apple 24incher) work with the new MacBook Aluminum without any problems.

The reason I ask this is because I have heard and experienced a problem where an external monitor hooked up to the new MacBooks using either Mini-DisplayPort to DVI or Mini-DisplayPort to VGA are experiencing problems where the external screen will randomly go black for a couple of seconds and come back.

I recently purchased a new MacBook Aluminum about 3 weeks ago with the intention of eventually getting an external LCD for it, and 3 days ago I picked up a new 22inch LG L227WTG-PF widescreen LCD from Best Buy. I also picked up both a Mini-DisplayPort to DVI and a Mini-DisplayPort to VGA adapter for the MacBook. Both adapters have the black screen problem, and at first I thought it was a problem with my new monitor, until I found multiple threads on multiple mac forums discussing this problem. I also hooked the new monitor up to my wifes PC laptop and it worked fine with no black screen problem. Also for some reason the new MacBook shows my screen refresh rate at 59.9 Hz and not the 60 Hz it is suppose to be at, and this has shown up for other people as well.

Right now it sounds like a software or firmware fix could solve the problem, people have even taken back their MacBooks and gotten replacements two or three times with the problem still occurring. I am willing to take my LG monitor back and pick up a LCD that actually does work.

So anyhow, to make a long post short, I am trying to get a list of LCD monitors that work with the new MacBook Aluminum without any problems. Thanks in advance.
 
I am also wondering this.

My new Pro is coming tomorrow, and will test it with the Dell 20" Widescreen (DVI) e207WFP. but if anybody knows this one already works please let me know, so I can order some more.
 
I don't know that there is such a list. Even the new 24" ACD has not been out long enough to get reports either way. I've seen posts on just about every brand imaginable (including Apple'sown) that exhibit this problem. There are multiple active thread on the Apple forum on this and other display issues. There is also no guarantee that there will (or can) be a software fix.

UPDATE: There is already one thread on the Apple forums regarding flickering when using the iTunes visualizer and the new 24" display.
 
I recently purchased the Dell 2408wfp to use with my macbook and to begin with used the vga connection - same problems were occuring that have been mentioned on other posts however purchased the displayport to dvi and used dvi to hdmi as the dell has an hdmi port and no problems now :)

The monitor itself, IMO, was worth every penny i paid (£400) and has a good range of ports from vga, 2xdvi hdmi, usb (2 on back and 2 on side) and it does have a display port so I don't know if this is something I will be able to get a connection for in the future from apple - here's hoping ;)
 
ya i would love an answer to this as well. Just picked up the alumbook with the same intention. From what i've been hearing it can be patched with a software update.
 
My Dell works fine apart from the hickups that I encounter when the Macbook wakes for sleep mode. All that happens is that the screen flickers when waking up from sleep and I have to take the display cable out and then putting it back in solves it. I think its happening to pretty much any monitor out there.

I've got videos on my youtube channel (see sig) of my monitor with my aluminum macbook - works a treat :D
 
I use an older Samsung LCD 213T (1600x1200) - no problem.
Tested with someone else's Acer 21.6" Widescreen LCD Monitor (X213WBD) at work - no problem.
 
From what I gathered it seems to be more a VGA problem than a DVI problem. My Dell 2407 works nicely with the Macbook 2.0 under OSX and through DVI, but sometimes when it wakes from sleep the screen has static lines on it (workaround is to resleep the computer and wake it up again till the static goes away). It's horribly broken under Windows bootcamp though, so looks like a firmware/software driver issue.
 
tubbymac said:
From what I gathered it seems to be more a VGA problem than a DVI problem. My Dell 2407 works nicely with the Macbook 2.0 under OSX and through DVI, but sometimes when it wakes from sleep the screen has static lines on it (workaround is to resleep the computer and wake it up again till the static goes away). It's horribly broken under Windows bootcamp though, so looks like a firmware/software driver issue.
Click to expand...
There are multiple reports on Apple forums saying it affects both VGA and DVI monitors, including Apple ACDs.
 
I'm connected to a Dell 2007WFP at home via VGA and never have any problems.

I recently visited friends and used two models of Samsung displays, both of which gave me the random blackouts. Sorry, I can't remember which Samsungs they were.
 
I have my new unibody pro connected to a Dell E228WFP, 22inch widescreen LCD. DVI input.

No problems, awesome screen, got it for 180 at the dell outlet.
 
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