Laptop Screen Showing Lines, Flickering or Black? How to Tell What's Wrong
A screen fault can be the panel, the display cable or the graphics. One test with an external monitor tells you which, before you spend anything.
Starts at $79Laptop Screen Repair
Freediagnostic
90 dayswarranty
Try this first
Connect an external monitor or TV. If the picture is fine there, the fault is the laptop's screen or its cable
Open and close the lid slowly: if the lines or flicker change with the angle, it's usually the display cable at the hinge
Shine a torch at a black screen. A faint picture means the backlight has failed, not the whole panel
On Windows, update the graphics driver and restart
If the external monitor shows the same lines, the fault is on the board or graphics, not the screen
What it usually means
Cracked or pressure-damaged panelWorn display cable at the hingeBacklight failure: dark screen, faint pictureGraphics or board faultDriver or software glitch
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If it needs a repair
Questions
Is it worth replacing a laptop screen?
Usually. A replacement panel costs far less than a new laptop, and the free diagnostic checks the rest of the machine first.
Can you get a screen for my laptop?
We stock and source LCD and OLED panels. Give us the model number and we'll confirm the part and the price.
What about MacBook screens?
MacBooks have their own page and prices: see MacBook screen repair on this page.
Nationwide
Mail-in repair from anywhere in the U.S.
Free diagnostic when it arrives. Free insured shipping back.
- 1Tell us your model and the problem
- 2Ship it insured. We diagnose it within a day
- 3Approve the price. Fixed and back in 7–10 days
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