Is my AR monitor really broken!?!? :(

Hey

I have a Vaio AR21M which has worked great for 1,5 years ... until now.

When I start my computer I get this weird line in the middle of the screen, it seems to be related to dead pixels, but an entire line!? I havnt done anything custom to my laptop, like overclocking or anything. Anyone knows what this might be? it appears as soon as I start the computer and sometimes if the backgrounds is white for a longer time, it seems to disappear, for a while.

What can I do about this? is my monitor broken? I think I just had 1 year of warranty... so if I cant use that can it be repaired?

Here is a picture of it:
(its the line that goes vertically to the left)
http://img172.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01916jf7.jpg

 

Last time I saw anything like that was due to one of my memory chip for the GPU failed, but the color is uniform (i.e. green) so your scenario is like either some type of GPU RAM failure or that the LCD controller is at fault (the one which address that particular column of pixels).

If you see that line at the BIOS Stage it would indicate a GPU RAM problem.
Else try to set it at different resolutions (in windows) and see if its the same line or the line changes.

 

Thanks for the reply!

At least now I know what the problem is. I tried to change resolutions in windows but it didnt help so my guess is that it's like you say, GPU RAM failure.

Is this repairable at all, or do I need to buy a new laptop?

 

Here's an easy test - connect an external monitor via VGA to your AR and look at the picture there. Do you still see the line? If so, then I'm afraid it's the GPU. If the picture on the external monitor is perfect, then it might be a problem with either your LCD or your video cable. Try lightly flexing the screen to see if the line changes/goes away. That might indicate a loose connection of your video cable, which is not too bad to fix yourself if you're out of warranty. Otherwise, it sounds like your LCD might be going, unfortunately.

 

Do you see that line when during the booting from BIOS stage? And try what Lattice suggested bear in mind the connection from your GFX Card to the LCD do take a different path than the VGA/DVI

 

Perhaps the LCD/motherboard connection needs to be reseated.

 

Hi again,

I tried to connect it through the VGA port onto a 17" CRT monitor and I can confirm that the lines were NOT present on the external monitor.

I take it it means that my screen is going bad? Is that better or worse than if the GPU was broken?

Now I went to the closest sony centre here in town and they told me to contact vaio link for repair but I can't seem to register my vaio on there website by some strange reason... I'll try to call them on monday instead.

I wonder I much it would cost to repair an LCD like this... if it's worth it that is?

 

This could either be the screen going bad, or if you're really lucky, just the video cable needs reseating. It's a 17" screen, so it's gonna cost a bit. ScreenTek has a replacement going for anywhere from $400-$600. You will probably find cheaper on eBay if you can find the exact manufacturer & model of the screen.

Is your machine out of warranty? If it's still within warranty, just call Sony and send it in for repairs. You don't need to register. When I sent mine it, they registered it for me automatically. If it's not physical damage, it should be covered under the warranty.

If it's out of warranty, Sony charges $700 for replacing LCD screens, $99 just for diagnosis if you decide not to eat their charges, and something like $200-300 to fix smaller problems like the video cable. It'll definitely be cheaper if you troubleshoot/replace it yourself. Here's a guide on taking apart the LCD screen of a Vaio.

First thing to do - after making sure you're not electrostatically charged - is to re-seat the video cable. Then see if it fixes the problem. If not, check the LCD screen for the manufacturer & part number and see if you can get it for cheap on eBay. Alternately, see if you can buy a broken AR (like fried motherboard or something) just for the working screen to replace on your laptop.

I'd say LCD repair is just about as expensive as a motherboard/GPU repair. =\ Considering yours is a desktop replacement, if you don't move it around much, cheapest option is to just buy a new 17" LCD external monitor and just use that instead of the Notebook's original screen.