LCD screen flickering on gray background and low backlight

Symptoms:
There's a slight flickering on the screen that looks like somewhat darker horizontal waves running from the bottom of the screen to the top if you're viewing a large-scale uniform gray image and the backlight is about 50% brightness. There's no noticeable flickering if either the backlight is at 100% or if the image is not uniformly gray(for example it's not reproduced on black or white images). The flickering is barely noticeable and has frequency about 60Hz and looks almost identical to flickering that old CRT monitors had on lower refresh rates like 40-60Hz. Yet it's definitely visible and annoying in some applications like microsoft visual studio with dark background or steam.

The issue is widely known for years all over the internets:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...cker-m17x-r3-lower-brightness-settings-2.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/77772-lcd-backlight-flicker.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/77772-lcd-backlight-flicker.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/toshiba/31113-backlight-flickering-low-setting.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...acklight-syncing-issue-cause-blown-lcd-2.html

There's also an explanation of why it happens: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/pulse_width_modulation.htm
And a very decent thread with numerous workarounds that do not work for me unfortunately(see reasons below): https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthre...flicker-(dark-backgrounds-and-low-brightness)


It's not restricted to any particular laptop model or manufacturer: people report it on asus, msi, macbook, fujitsu, dell, etc. It does seem to be related to hardware configuration and LCD backlight inverter in particular but in most cases its replacement did not solve the problem. According to the internet what does seem to solve the problem is setting screen refresh rate 67Hz so that backlight frequency coincides with backlight frequency. But on my laptop (MSI GE70 2PL) the only available refresh rate is 60Hz. Using intel built-in utility c:\Windows\System32\CustomModeApp.exe fail to add a new resolution with 67Hz refresh rate(bandwidth exceeded message) and NVidia has removed an option to add user-defined screen resolutions and refresh rates so I'm currently out of ideas how to remedy the problem.

 

Thanks for opening this thread! I have this very same problem too. I have GT70 barebone but I believe our screen is CHI MEI 17 inch. By setting brightness to %0 to %50 (%60 and %70 too but lesser) and the problem occurs. No issue at full brightness except it burns my eyes. I tried to ignore it first but I just can't. I see you did your research as mine but like you say we can't set refresh rate to 67 hz. Intel's graphics driver won't allow it. I'm out of the options too. Did you manage to resolve it by any chance?

 

Please help. Anyone?

 

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthre...-low-brightness)&p=47057&viewfull=1#post47057

I did this person said with Volumouse x64 and it apparently solved the screen flicker but the colors and the screen look very weird than before. It made unnatural so can't say it is a fix.

I absolutely sure this problem occured after I tried calibrate my monitor. Before that there wasn't any screen flicker or something. I did used Notebookcheck's ICC Profile for MSI GT70. Wish I hadn't cause I get the very near results just adjusting in Intel HD Graphics driver.

Should I send my laptop to RMA just for this problem? My laptop's brand tech service also said they will clean the fan and also repaste CPU and GPU with new thermal paste (AKA general cleaning). Although when I asked them how do you do thermal pasting, they said we use credit card method and they claimed this method is the best cause the pea and the line methods won't cover the entire dies Isn't it worse method by far than the pea and the line method? There will be alot air bubbles in both dies.

Whether it is hardware or software issue, I obviously can't fix it and no one here at NBR don't know how to fix of this problem. I can live without my laptop about a week but I'm afraid if I send just for this problem and if it will come back worse than before

 

Up for the fourth time

 

Isn't there a way to bypass Intel's limitation for overclocking screen? Has anyone done this before with Intel's driver? It may be the solution for this problem.

 

delete

 

No 10 Char!

 

delete

 

karasahin, did you remove your calibration profile in control panel?

 

Yes I did. Also I used Acronic backup which had no flicker issue or whatsoever t but it didn't help. I think it is a hardware problem

 

Up. Isn't there a no way to fix this PWM that cause it? I RMAd it. They said they changed the screen but the problem persists. My GT70 also came lots of scratches on its left and right side black piano finish plastic which they did in the process to change the screen. I am so frustrated...

 

i had this problem with nvidia cards in alienware m18x and some clevo sm, fixed it by modding the graphics driver inf file. what is your gpu?

 

Thanks for your reply. It is great that you managed to solve it. I have the GTX 870M. What exactly did you do by modding the graphics driver? And how can I do it?

 

let me know your hardware id for the gpu, laptop model and windows verison and we can try that out.

 

Sure here you go;


and MSI GT70 - MS 1763 barebone, Windows 7.

 

is it optimus machine?

 

ah yes, msi gt70. i dont think it will work for optimus, since you have intel controlling the LCD.

if you take the gpu out, the problem still stays, right?

 

Yeah... It is what I was afraid of. I think you were gonna edit some HZ values of the LCD. I have heard that solution in case of in Asus Rog forums. Like you said, it is not possible to do in an Optimus machine. I didn't remove the GTX 870M ever but the problem persists even if only Intel driver is installed. So yeah, the problem still stays. I think I am gonna let it go. It gave me too much headache already.

By the way, did you encounter any issues like in thread below from your previous machines? I am wondering if these two issues are relevant with each other. Thanks.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/snap-crackle-pop-sounds-from-your-gt-70-60.698297/

 

i have no idea, really