I've got this old Acer AL1717 monitor that I've been using as a second screen. It's from 2007, so yeah, it's ancient! Lately, it keeps turning on and off by itself. Sometimes it flickers quickly, and other times it shuts off every ten minutes, only to come back on later. Other times, it will work fine for hours. I tried recording it, but it's tough to catch the problem since it's so unpredictable. I could replace it with something newer, but I really like this monitor! Any ideas on what could be wrong with it?
5 Answers
Honestly, it sounds like it's broken. Either the power cord or the outlet itself might not be working properly. You might want to troubleshoot a bit and see which part is actually faulty.
Yeah, I’d agree with the five-year rule, but I’ve got monitors older than that still kicking! Though, I wouldn’t count on a 2007 monitor being reliable at this point. If it’s giving you trouble, hitting up an e-waste recycler and snagging something newer could be a smart move.
It’s likely an issue with the power supply or the internal board, which is pretty common with older monitors. Personally, I think it might be time to recycle this one and look for a cheap used replacement at a local electronics recycling center. It could save you some headaches in the long run.
Old monitors from that era often suffer from what’s called the "capacitor plague," where failed capacitors cause all sorts of issues. If it’s been heavily used, the backlight might also be on its last legs. It could definitely be time for an upgrade.
As an IT lady, I'd say technology generally has a lifespan of about five years. It might really be time to consider a replacement. You could try switching out the HDMI or display port cable if you have one on hand, just to rule that out. But if the flickering continues, it's probably done for.
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