Thinkpads Forum

HI Guys,

My dell 24 inches LCD is flickering when connected to my thinkpad t60 which has the ATI x1400 video card. I don't know yet if it is my external LCD, or my thinkpad's video card.

Anyone has this problem?

madcow wrote:HI Guys,

My dell 24 inches LCD is flickering when connected to my thinkpad t60 which has the ATI x1400 video card. I don't know yet if it is my external LCD, or my thinkpad's video card.

Anyone has this problem?

this is a problem with all ATI video cards in T60 Thinkpads, the only fix is to throw money at the problem, e.g. buy an advanced mini-dock and use the DVI-out available through the dock.

I occasionally have this problem when connected to any external display. The flicker can occur on the T60's display or the external display.

One way that I've found to make it temporarily go away is to go into display properties and disable the external display, then re-enable it. Roughly 50% of the time this will just move the flickering from one display to the other, but a repeat of the process seems to get rid of it on both displays.

After the T60 goes traveling with me, though, the problem returns on reconnection to an external display. One or two disable/enable sequences fixes it, though.

Is this considered a hardware flaw? Can we get Lenovo to replace the video card? Or refund the laptop?

Anyway, I tried a different laptop with integrated video, the LCD does not flicker.

Did you install a monitor profile for the external monitor? Do you have the refresh rate set to a high level that is compatible with the external monitor? If possible, try to increase the refresh rate.

This problem has been widely discussed on this forum. There are two work-arounds:

1. Use BIOS version 1.09. Depending on your configuration, this may be an option.

2. After you T60 boots, press Fn+F4 to put your computer to sleep. Then, press the Fn key to wake it up. The flicker should be gone until you boot again.

RonS wrote:This problem has been widely discussed on this forum. There are two work-arounds:

1. Use BIOS version 1.09. Depending on your configuration, this may be an option.

2. After you T60 boots, press Fn+F4 to put your computer to sleep. Then, press the Fn key to wake it up. The flicker should be gone until you boot again.

I don't think BIOS version 1.09 is an option for me. I only see version 1.07 which is the same version that I have.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-63024

I just bought t60 with 14.1 LCD few months ago from Lenovo.

GomJabbar wrote:Did you install a monitor profile for the external monitor? Do you have the refresh rate set to a high level that is compatible with the external monitor? If possible, try to increase the refresh rate.

Thanks. I will try that.

madcow wrote:I don't think BIOS version 1.09 is an option for me. I only see version 1.07 which is the same version that I have.

You are looking in the wrong column. You are looking at the Embedded Controller version, not the BIOS version.

I believe RonS is very knowledgable regarding monitor issues. I was aware of flickering problems with some ThinkPad displays and Vista, but I did not remember reading about it affecting external monitors. My memory is failing me I guess.

I have this problem too (2007-4AU). I am able to get it to go away by un-extending the desktop to the external monitor, then re-extending. But this is not acceptable.

Has anyone tried contacting IBMSERV recently to see if they have a solution yet?

I'm probably going to call tomorrow.

Loof

he didn't say if it was Vista because as far as i know there is a flicker problem with ATI, Vista and Lenovo for some reason. It wont set the refresh rate higher than 50Hz for some reason, the option is not available. I installed the LCD drivers which allowed Vista to properly display my LCD as "Thinkpad LCD 1400 x 1050" but it still doesn't have more than 50Hz in there. Some people mentioned using PowerStrip will increase the actually refresh rate even tho the Windows dialog box doesn't show that, the flicker goes away and everyone is happy

(you can uninstall Powerstrip after you've applied the change)

found an easy solution for the flickering external LCD problem on VGA out for T60 series with discrete ATI Graphics: play a video on it.

If you want to do web browsing/word processing/image editing, open a video and move the video window to your external LCD, then hit pause and let the video stay in the background. The flickering is gone as long as the video stays open.

This is sort of a bad workaround but it works well, especially considering how much effort is required to be put in.

I have the same problem with my T60p. If I connect it to an external display I have flicker. This happens both with T60p connected to external display or with T60 docked in the "Essential Port Replicator" both from T60p external display connector or from "Essential Port Replicator" external display connector.

The solution is simple, change the refresh rate to 75Hz or maybe greater and there won't be any flicker.

My external display is a Samsung 710N.

Regards,
v.

I have the same issue both with Vista and XP...
Maybe the new BIOS is worth a try:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-63027

Version 79ETD4WW (2.14)
(Fix) You might see phenomenon of flicker on NEC analog monitor if you use the T60 models installed the ATI 5250 chipset.

I can't test it atm, but will do so soon.

Ben

by flickering do you guys mean constantly, or like one frame that flashes only once in awhile? mine does the latter, flickers one frame with everything distorted then goes back to normal.

If it's just an occasional thing, you should try this:
connect it to the external display, make sure it's pumping out to that display...
make your computer go to sleep (Fn F4)
wake up your computer.

Works for me every time... T60 / ATI / XP