Update: Intel 4500MHD external monitor flicker

**puetti** · May 17th, 2010

Hi all!

I'm running Lucid on an (almost) brand new Dell Vostro 3300 with Intel chipset (Core i5, Intel graphics 4500MHD).

Basically, everything worked fine out of the box. The only BUT is that I am experiencing problems with my external monitor, connected via VGA. (Unfortunately, I don't have a digital port such as DVI or HDMI.)
While the laptop screen works perfectly, the external device shows some sort of blurred picture. All contours are somehow horizontally distorted and are billowing. Some may also call it flicker...

Here is what I have already tried to locate the problem:

Tested with 4 different monitors. Always the same effect.
All kinds of different resolutions and refresh rates. No difference.
Installed the new 2.6.33 (and now also 2.6.34rc) kernel from mainline and xf86-video-intel 2.11.0 because it's supposed to bring "improved support for Intel graphics with Core i5". Again, all the same.
Altogether, my problem seems to be pretty similar to some issues about ATI or nVidia cards. But I don't have such a thing...

As it works under Windows, I can also exclude a hardware problem.

Lately, I found out that seemingly it is NOT an X issue, as the problem also occurs if I only boot into the console without loading the X drivers.
Moreover, I can switch to the external monitor already while inside the GRUB boot menu. So far, the picture is just fine. But as soon as the boot process starts, I get the described blurring.

I'm really at a loss now...

Doesn't anyone have an idea that could help me? Or maybe is it a known kernel issue without a fix yet?
I'd be also curious if there's anyone facing similar problems.

Andreas

**kmatteo** · June 7th, 2010

I have the same problem with dell VOSTRO 3300 and Ubuntu 10.04..

**vipw** · June 18th, 2010

I also see this problem, but again on Vostro 3300. It would be good if someone could confirm this on any other 45000MHD. Perhaps it is specific to this laptop.

**zluspai** · June 21st, 2010

Hi,

Same here with a vostro 3300 and the intel i3 processor. I think that's a linux driver bug; because the very same machine and monitor is perfectly fine when I boot to Windows 7.

Zoltan

**vipw** · June 23rd, 2010

Originally Posted by zluspai

Hi,

Same here with a vostro 3300 and the intel i3 processor. I think that's a linux driver bug; because the very same machine and monitor is perfectly fine when I boot to Windows 7.

Zoltan

My Vostro 3300 has an i5 processor so, we know that this is a problem for both CPU families.

**puetti** · June 24th, 2010

Well, at least I don't seem to be the only person in the world to have this problem any more...

However, this doesn't help, of course...

By the way, meanwhile I switched from Ubuntu to Fedora 13 which naturally runs on the 2.6.33 kernel. Unfortunately, as could be expected from my unsuccessful tests with the mainline kernels, which I described in my first post, this didn't make any difference either.

Anyway, it's really interesting that the problem has so far only occurred on the Vostro 3300...

**julio prada** · December 2nd, 2010

Originally Posted by zluspai

Hi,

Same here with a vostro 3300 and the intel i3 processor. I think that's a linux driver bug; because the very same machine and monitor is perfectly fine when I boot to Windows 7.

Zoltan

Same for me, my AOC f22s 22" 1080p flickers with Ubuntu but not Windows 7.
I have a Toshiba with a P6100 processor with integrated graphics like the Core i, this is what lspci displays:
Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02)