I was watching a video when my laptop display suddenly filled with red pixels, and then the computer powered off. Now it starts to turn on but shuts down again after about three seconds. What could be causing this, and what should I try before taking it in for repair?
3 Answers
The red pixels are visual artifacts, so a failing GPU or motherboard is a strong possibility. If the graphics hardware is integrated into the motherboard, the usual repair may involve replacing the motherboard rather than just swapping a separate graphics card.
If you can, check whether the red artifacts also appear on an external monitor or in the startup screen. Seeing them everywhere would make a graphics or motherboard problem more likely, while a normal external display could point toward the laptop panel or display cable. Either way, the brief startup time means it may need professional hardware diagnosis.
Unplug the charger and leave the laptop powered off for around an hour. After that, try starting it again with no accessories connected. If it still shuts off after a few seconds, avoid repeatedly powering it on, since the sudden shutdown and display corruption point to a hardware or power problem.
I’ve left it unplugged for now and will try again after it has had time to sit.
That was my thought too. Integrated graphics can make this kind of failure more expensive because the GPU is part of the motherboard.