Distorting lines, what is the cause?

[ezee]

Hi,

Can someone please tell me what is causing these lines on my dell n5110 laptop, screen itself, integrated GPU, RAM or something else?

These lines start showing up as I press power button.

https://youtu.be/u3EyrCpxa_w

Thank you for your time and reply

 

[ElectrO_90]

To eliminate it being the monitor, use a different display
If it then does it again, I'd say graphics card, but that still needs testing, by using a friends/swapping it out and/or using onboard iGPU.

 

[geofelt]

Do the lines persist after boot is complete and the graphics drivers start?

If they do, I would suspect first the monitor, next the psu, and lastly the graphics adapter.
A remote possibility is electrical interference from something nearby.

If all is normal after boot, do not worry.

 

[ezee]

Do the lines persist after boot is complete and the graphics drivers start?

If they do, I would suspect first the monitor, next the psu, and lastly the graphics adapter.
A remote possibility is electrical interference from something nearby.

If all is normal after boot, do not worry.

Yes they do. Using nvidia settings I switched to dedicated one but the problem continues to remain after reboot. It is a laptop, so do you really think psu could be the player?

 

[Solandri]

Does it do it with any other OS? (Try booting from a Windows install disk, or something like the ultimate boot CD.) I'm betting that the problem is limited to Ubuntu (and Linux in general).

The N5110 with Nvidia 525M is an Optimus laptop. In Optimus, the Intel graphics always drive the screen. The Nvidia GPU acts as a co-processor. When the Nvidia GPU finishes a rendering a screen, it transfers the completed image to the Intel graphics for display. The process is highly driver-dependent, and I wouldn't at all be surprised if Ubuntu's drivers for it are sub-par (especially for a 525m, which is one of the earliest models to use Optimus).

https://www.dell.com/community/Laptops-General/n5110-NVidia-gt525m/td-p/4184568

If the problem doesn't happen with other OSes, then it's probably a driver issue. If you don't need the Nvidia card, I'd suggest try forcing Ubuntu to use only the Intel HD video card and drivers.

Edit: Also check your laptop's BIOS settings. Some of these earlier Optimus laptops had BIOS options to completely disable the Intel video, running solely on the Nvidia card (at the cost of reduced battery life). Or vice versa.

 

[ElectrO_90]

Unless you plug in a new display as I suggested, you are going to be guessing all day long.
Laptops are complicated, more so than anything else, because you can't remove anything.
Plug in a new screen, and see if it is doing it. Then if it isn't its your monitor, if it is, it is the computer.