Member Avatar for Anpippin

Ok I have had a Dell monitor for about 2 or 3 years now, and when it's turned on, I guess about anywhere from 5-30 minutes after it's turned on it will start like flickering and looks like the light in it is about to burn out or turn off or something. Every time it does this it will only flicker for about 2 minutes or less, and then go back to normal and about 10 minutes later it will start flickering again. How do I make it stop doing this? Is the power cord broken or something or is the monitor messed up?

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For 's Dell that begins to flicker after several minutes of use, the on/off cycling and the way it stabilizes for a while before repeating points to a heat-sensitive hardware fault rather than a simple driver setting. The same symptom pattern often narrows the fault to internal electronics that change behavior as they warm, but a few cheap isolation checks distinguish an internal monitor problem from a PC/cable issue.

  • Quick isolation checks:

    • Power the monitor with no video source and open the on-screen menu (OSD). If the OSD itself flickers, the fault is inside the monitor; if the OSD stays steady while the image flickers, suspect the video source or cable.

    • Try a different video input type (VGA/DVI/HDMI) and a second computer or laptop to rule out the graphics card and drivers.

    • Move the monitor to a different outlet/circuit (avoid shared strips) and watch for audible buzzing, smells, or excessive back heat.

    • Lower brightness/contrast and see if the flicker frequency changes — thermal stress sensitivity will often change the symptom.

    • If comfortable with electronics and after unplugging and waiting, inspect the internal boards for bulging or leaking electrolytic capacitors, cracked solder joints or scorch marks; those faults commonly cause warm-up flicker.

Repair guidance and safety:
Small repairs (replacing failed capacitors or swapping a driver/inverter board) can fix the unit but require basic soldering and respect for high-voltage parts. If the OSD is unstable or there are physical signs of component failure, professional repair or replacement is usually the more economical route for older Dell panels. As recommended, start with the inexpensive external swaps; ’s report that a board-level replacement solved his case matches the component-failure pattern described above. Do not open the monitor unless experienced; the high-voltage circuitry can be dangerous.

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Member Avatar for sparkax

Difficult to say-but why not try a new power cable ?

Member Avatar for hughv

When my Samsung did this I eventually had to replace it. They said monitor power supply or backlight. Check to see if the warranty is still good.

Member Avatar for Anpippin

I am pretty sure the warranty is out of date

Member Avatar for hughv

I am pretty sure the warranty is out of date

Just check with Dell. My warranty was three years.

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