Why is the laptop screen flickering

Steve C · 27 Jul 2023

cns00 said:

I did a search on the cable which connects the screen to the motherboard for my laptop. I found https://i.imgur.com/TTiXWK7.png. Is that the ribbon cable that you are talking about?

Yes, that's similar to mine but I don't have the smaller third connector.

Try3 · 27 Jul 2023

cns00 said:

Why would a broken hinge affect that wire?

Because the display cable [the cable connecting the display to the motherboard / GPU] fits around the hinge so tightly that distortions caused by faulty hinges can break down individual cables [it is not just a single cable but more than a dozen within one tight outer sheath] and the very thin insulation between them.
I have had to replace the display cable, for symptoms matching yours, on every one of the four Dell laptops I have owned after hinge problems had developed.

Once you are armed with the computer's Service manual, it is not a technically demanding job. But it is time consuming.

I'm just about to have to fix the hinges on my Dell Inspiron 7779.
One day, the hinges' fixing screws decided to rip out their sockets.
This laptop, my main computer, is currently held together with a strong webbing strap intended to stop things getting any worse and I can never move the lid.
I estimate that it will take a whole day to repair.

All the best,
Denis

cns00 · 27 Jul 2023

Ok thanks for your replies. You have been helpful. Thus all the things that can cause the problem are:-
1) The wire which connects the screen to the motherboard is damaged
2) The connector for that wire on the motherboard or on the screen is damaged
3) The hinge is broken and it keeps on pulling at the wire and slightly disconnecting it

I sent a message to the shop and I told them to check the connecters and the hinges. If they are ok then I told them to change the wire which connects the screen to the motherboard

Try3 · 27 Jul 2023

cns00 said:

3) The hinge is broken and it keeps on pulling at the wire and slightly disconnecting it

Near enough but it is not pulling at it & disconnecting it that is the problem.
The display cable is not free to move very much at all. It is held tightly in position around the hinge.
Defective hinges can foul the display cable and physically crack individual wires within it & the insulation between them. The wire & insulation cracks cause abnormalities in the electrical signals as they pass through and those cause the flickering you see. So it's your item one that is the significant issue:

cns00 said:

1) The wire which connects the screen to the motherboard is damaged

Denis

Shredder · 01 Aug 2023

Sounds about right. The wire is the culprit, but do check the connectors and hinges.