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    Lights going out....

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by Hikermann, Dec 1, 2015.

  1. Hikermann

    Hikermann Newbie

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    MacBook 13" (2006 Intel DuoCore) - OS X 10.6.8 : Seems like the screen is becoming less and less bright over time (adjustment is at highest); occasional flickering as well: are "my lights going out"? and is there a replacement/repair I should consider?

    Many thanks.
     
    Hikermann, Dec 1, 2015
    #1
  2. saturnotaku

    saturnotaku Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    The backlight or screen is probably going bad, but one way to check if it's not another piece of hardware (eg logic board or GPU) is to plug the notebook into an external monitor or TV. If there is no flickering or loss of brightness, then it's likely something with the display.

    On a computer that old, the time and money it would cost to track down a replacement part and install it would be better spent looking for a new machine. You should be able to find a 2010 or 2011 13-inch MBP for a couple hundred dollars, and they should still be capable of running Snow Leopard if that's the operating system you need. Otherwise, they can be upgraded to the latest versions of OS X.
     
    saturnotaku, Dec 2, 2015
    #2
  3. mmoy

    mmoy Notebook Deity

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    I think that Apple didn't switch to LED Backlights until 2007 so you may have a CCFL (compact fluorescent backliit-screen) and these do get dimmer with time. I have a 2008 Retina MacBook Pro with the "spotlights" problem - it's annoying but usable but I mainly use that system with an external monitor and it's only a backup system at this point. I'd guess that you could fix it but the cost of the parts and labor may be more than your system is worth. I'd suggest either using it with an external display or considering an upgrade.
     
    mmoy, Dec 3, 2015
    #3
    Kent T likes this.