Video Trouble With The New Unibody MacBook Pro

Posted by jasontomczak on December 10, 2008 Leave a comment (2) Go to comments

Well, it looks like the new MacBook Pro (aluminum unibody) is giving users a little frustration in the video department. One of the “hot, new, awesome” features of the new MacBook Pro is the dualie high powered video card – the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M.

The problem? When the MBP is connected to an external display and then goes to sleep for x-period of time and then wakes, something tweaks and the video card gets the delirium tremens, causing the external display to get all confused and flashing with static. Here’s what it looks like:

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Fortunately, unplugging the external display from the DisplayPort adapter and then plugging it back in seems to remedy the spasm, but it requires manual intervention (which is very un-Apple). Some folks on the Apple forums report that a full reboot or PRAM reset give temporary relief from the static.

Update: Within minutes of making this post, Apple released a firmware update for the unibody MacBook Pro that’s targeted (in part) at fixing this issue.

Update part deux: The firmware update fixed the video static. Thanks Apple!