A flickering screen makes a laptop hard to use and can give you a headache in minutes. Sometimes the cause is a simple software setting, and sometimes it’s a worn cable or a failing screen. The checks below help you tell the difference, so you know whether you can fix it yourself or need a repair.
First, work out whether it’s software or hardware
- Connect an external monitor or TV. If the external screen is fine but the laptop screen still flickers, the problem is almost certainly the laptop’s screen, its cable or the backlight. If both flicker, it’s more likely the graphics driver or the graphics chip.
- Watch the start-up screen. If the flicker appears on the manufacturer’s logo before Windows loads, it’s a hardware fault.
- Open Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. If Task Manager flickers along with everything else, a display driver is the likely culprit. If it stays steady while other windows flicker, a particular app is probably causing it.
Software fixes to try
- Update or roll back the graphics driver. Get the latest driver from your laptop maker’s website, or if the flicker started after an update, open Device Manager, find your display adapter and choose Roll back driver.
- Check the refresh rate. Go to Settings, System, Display, then Advanced display, and choose the recommended refresh rate for your screen.
- Turn off automatic brightness. Adaptive or content-based brightness can cause pulsing on some laptops. You’ll find it in Settings under Display.
- Update Windows and your apps, and uninstall anything you installed just before the flicker started.
Common hardware causes
- A worn or loose display cable. The cable runs through the hinge and wears over time. If the flicker changes when you move the lid, this is the most likely cause.
- A failing backlight. The screen may dim, flicker or go dark while the picture is still faintly visible with a torch.
- A damaged panel. Lines, coloured bars, dark patches or dead pixels usually mean the screen itself needs replacing.
- A graphics chip fault. If odd shapes and colours appear on an external monitor too, the problem is on the motherboard.
Only flickers on battery?
If the screen only flickers when the laptop is unplugged, power-saving features may be lowering the brightness or refresh rate. Try a balanced power mode, and look in your graphics settings app, such as Intel Graphics Command Center, AMD Software or the NVIDIA Control Panel, for battery-saving display options you can switch off.
What not to do
- Don’t press on the screen or flex the lid to make the picture come back. It can crack the panel.
- Don’t keep opening and closing the lid to “fix” it, as this wears a damaged cable further.
- Back up your important files while the laptop still works, in case the fault gets worse.
How long does a repair take?
Once the right part is in, replacing a laptop screen or display cable is usually quick, and many repairs are finished during a single visit. Less common panels may need ordering first, and we’ll tell you how long that will take before we start.
Is it worth fixing?
Usually, yes. Replacing a display cable or a screen costs far less than a new laptop, and everything else stays exactly as it was. Our laptop screen replacement page explains how we repair screens and cables, and Repair or Replace? When It’s Worth Fixing Your Laptop can help if your laptop is getting on. For other laptop faults, see our laptop repair service.
In short: connect an external screen to find out whether the fault is hardware or software, then try the driver, refresh rate and brightness settings. If the flicker changes when you move the lid, the display cable is the likely cause, and that’s usually a straightforward repair.
Need a hand? PC Masters offers a free diagnosis over the phone, a £59 same-day call-out across Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Harpenden and Leighton Buzzard, No Fix, No Fee, and a warranty from 1 month up to 36 months. Book online or call 0800 145 5521, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.