Coloured pixels, lines, or a distorted image on your laptop screen can look alarming — but they don’t always mean serious damage. In this article, we explain what usually causes screen artefacts and when it’s worth showing your laptop to a service centre in Warsaw.
In brief: Screen artefacts on a laptop — such as lines, green pixels, or coloured image distortions — most often point to graphics card damage. This doesn’t automatically mean an expensive replacement of the entire motherboard, because in many cases reballing the chip is enough. Below, we show you how to assess the scale of the problem yourself before you decide to visit a service centre.
Most common causes of screen artefacts
- Damage to the graphics card (GPU chip) on the motherboard
- Wear or mechanical damage to the screen — in this case, symptoms depend on lid movement
- Laptop overheating, which over time leads to permanent failure of the graphics chip
- Power supply voltage spikes, which damage BGA chips
What you can check yourself
Before you start worrying, pay attention to two things. First — do the artefacts appear all the time, or only in specific situations, e.g. under heavy graphics load (gaming, high-resolution video). Second — does the image change when you move the laptop lid. If artefacts appear precisely when you move the screen, the problem may be with the screen itself, not the graphics card. A full, simple test — involving connection to an external monitor — is described in the article graphics card or screen.
What NOT to do
- Don’t ignore artefacts hoping they’ll „go away on their own” — GPU damage usually gets worse
- Don’t try to disassemble the laptop yourself if you have no experience with electronics
- Don’t take your laptop to a service centre that suggests „heating it up” without explaining what that involves
Various lines appear, you can see green pixels, coloured artefacts on the screen — this is the classic picture of a damaged graphics card, which we see very often.
Apenfix technician
How we diagnose it
1. External monitor test
We connect the laptop to an external screen to check whether the artefacts reappear — this immediately narrows the problem down to the graphics card or the screen.
2. Current draw measurement
Using a lab power supply, we check how the laptop responds under load, which helps locate the faulty chip.
3. Inspection under microscope
We examine the GPU chip and surrounding traces, looking for signs of overheating or previous failed repair attempts.
4. Summary and quote
We tell you straight what’s causing the artefacts and whether repair makes sense, before you decide to go ahead.
The above information is general. The exact cause of screen artefacts can only be determined during a free inspection at the service centre.
Laptop repair for screen artefacts — we cover all of Warsaw
We accept laptops with screen artefacts from customers in every district of Warsaw — Śródmieście, Wola, Mokotów, Ochota, Żoliborz, Bemowo, Bielany, Ursynów, Praga-Południe, Praga-Północ, Targówek, Białołęka, Wawer, Włochy, Ursus, Wilanów, Rembertów and Wesoła — as well as from the surrounding areas.
We have more than one location in convenient parts of Warsaw, so getting to us is quick and easy wherever you live or work. Our current service point addresses are listed further down this page.
Why Apenfix
Frequently asked questions
Do screen artefacts always mean graphics card damage?
Usually yes, but they can also result from screen damage. A simple test with an external monitor lets us tell the difference quickly.
Can I keep using a laptop with screen artefacts?
In the short term yes, but graphics card damage usually gets worse, so it’s better not to delay diagnostics.
Is diagnostics charged?
The basic inspection is always free, regardless of whether you decide to proceed with the repair.
How long does graphics card repair take after artefacts have been diagnosed?
Most repairs take 1–3 working days, though replacing the graphics chip itself may take longer.
Can artefacts come back after repair?
With a properly executed repair, the risk is low. It’s also important to look after your laptop’s cooling, as overheating is one of the main causes of failure.
The cost of repair depends on whether reballing is sufficient or whether the chip needs replacing. Current rates can be found in the Apenfix price list.
Two service points in Warsaw
Visit whichever of our two locations is more convenient for you.
Location 1 — Wolska
Wolska 50A/Lokal 26
01-187 Warszawa
Location 2 — al. Szucha
al. Jana Chrystiana Szucha 1
00-580 Warszawa
See also
- Motherboard repair — when it’s worth it
- BGA reballing
- Lenovo cooling system cleaning
- Laptop overheating
