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2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz) with 3 MB shared L3 cache. Released February 13, 2013.

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Screen tearing while using Boot Camp / WiFi?

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While using Windows off of a Boot Camp partition on my MacBook Pro, I found that the screen would occasionally go through periods of flickering/tearing. Strangely enough, said tearing would go away entirely when I disabled the WiFi or went into airplane mode. I have also noticed that the tearing became much, much worse (long, uninterrupted spans of more intense tearing) when my WiFi signal was weak or spotty.

I have used the MacBook primarily as a Windows machine, but to my memory have not seen the same issue occur while running OSX. Would anybody have any theories as to what could be causing this "interference" between WiFi connectivity and the display, or why it only seems to be occurring on Windows? If the cause of the problem can be pinpointed, what components should I look to fix/replace?

Additional information:

  • I purchased the MacBook in 2013 for use in university. I installed a copy of Windows 8 dispensed by the school and noticed the screen issues some time afterwards. I upgraded to 8.1 at some point and the issues were still present.
  • I dropped the MacBook off at an Apple Store for troubleshooting, but had to take it back shortly after because I needed to use the device for my education. I don't know if they opened the laptop up or did any testing during that span (I was not made to pay for any services). The issue persisted.
  • The MacBook's battery died some years afterwards, and I stopped using the device. In April 2023, I opted to order a replacement battery through iFixit. The replacement went over well and I installed Windows 10 on a Boot Camp partition, only to find the same issues occasionally occurring.

Thanks in advance for your help!

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I've never heard of this sort of thing occurring. I would be more inclined to believe that the issue was due to a failing display assembly or due to a connection issue with the display cable, and that the connection to Windows and Wi-Fi is coincidental. Next time the issue occurs, maybe you should try connecting to an external monitor to see if the issue persists on a separate monitor. If it does it's probably not a faulty display. Good luck!

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