Monitor has 'speckled snowy affect' on it

Combat squirrel · 20 Jul 2022 at 12:22

As title, I'm running an Acer BM320 as my main work monitor (100% ARGB for my work)

But today noticed it has white snowy 'speckles' randomly appearing on it - its not a huge amount you have to concentrate and look for them to see it, but its there

Obviously tried different cables, different connections to my MacBook Pro 16" 2021 (M1 Max spec), and checked the laptops own screen, and also connected the MacBook to another 2nd monitor, and no speckles on those - ONLY this monitor.

Is the monitor dying? It doesn't appear to be the MacBook itself?

EsaT · 20 Jul 2022 at 15:31

Have you tried changing monitor's settings like uniformity compensation just to see, if there are any variables affecting to issue?

Also obviously use of another signal source would be thing on check list.

Combat squirrel · 20 Jul 2022 at 22:28

EsaT said:
Have you tried changing monitor's settings like uniformity compensation just to see, if there are any variables affecting to issue?

Also obviously use of another signal source would be thing on check list.

Will try changing its settings, good plan.

Yeah I tried it with both Display Port, HDMI, and then tried those cables in the monitor next to it - all worked fine, both 4k monitors, its only this one that speckles

EsaT · 21 Jul 2022 at 18:22

I meant trying with another PC as source.
Can't exclude that there's some seriel number etc making that MacBook recognise monitor and enable output with same issue.

Rroff · 21 Jul 2022 at 18:43

Normally white dots or similar on the monitor is either cable/port problems or either GPU VRAM or physical memory on its way out or configured incorrectly. Occasionally it can be due to problems internal to the monitor circuitry but that is less common. If the monitor itself is dying then intermittent black screens, flicker, serious image distortion or just not working at all is more common.

PCM2 · 22 Jul 2022 at 09:10

Are these 'speckled snowy' artifacts moving, or static? Do they appear for all shades or really only brighter shades? If you're very used to glossy screens or matte surfaces with smooth finishes, could you simply be observing graininess from the screen surface?

Combat squirrel · 22 Jul 2022 at 11:08

EsaT said:
I meant trying with another PC as source.
Can't exclude that there's some seriel number etc making that MacBook recognise monitor and enable output with same issue.

Ahh yes will give that a go.

Rroff said:
Normally white dots or similar on the monitor is either cable/port problems or either GPU VRAM or physical memory on its way out or configured incorrectly. Occasionally it can be due to problems internal to the monitor circuitry but that is less common. If the monitor itself is dying then intermittent black screens, flicker, serious image distortion or just not working at all is more common.

Yeah that is my thinking, video memory, but its not doing it on the laptops own screen or a different monitor using the same cables, all those look rock solid - my other monitor also runs at a higher refresh rate so more data is going through - all fine.

PCM2 said:
Are these 'speckled snowy' artifacts moving, or static? Do they appear for all shades or really only brighter shades? If you're very used to glossy screens or matte surfaces with smooth finishes, could you simply be observing graininess from the screen surface?

They are moving, mostly brighter shades and only appear on the screen for a millisecond and move around the screen seemingly at random. It's defo not graininess it appears to be pixels flashing at random - the pixels are so small being a 4k monitor its a snowy effect.

Also it appears to be doing it intermittently now, I haven't noticed it today - then occasionally ill notice a little bit of it at random.

Because its all working fine on other monitors I'm thinking this monitor is the issue / internal circuitry / some odd intermittent issue between the laptop and screen itself ? I'm 99% sure the MacBook Pro 16" is working as intended.

Combat squirrel · 30 Jul 2022 at 11:01

Just switched my monitor on without ANYTHING plugged into it - so I just saw the Acer symbol & the green power logo from its bios - and the screen was littered in quite speckle dots, apparently its defo internal monitor issue then ?

Any ideas what could be causing that? I'm not averse to taking it apart if that would help, I have another one I can use in the time being.

I'm wondering if a cable has got lose inside it or something similar.