RPi 3B+ Black Flicker

[Kirk Fraser]

A new RPi 3B+ from Amazon flickers to black briefly but fairly often when watching YouTube videos. When the 32GB memory chip is exchanged with a 3B (no plus) it proves the software is not the problem, it's the hardware.

The 3B+ also heats significantly compared to the 3B, suggesting possibly a shorter life.

Should I send it back? Thank you.

[pcmanbob]

I don't know how to solve you black flicker problem, but the pi3B+ does get a lot warmer than the pi3B because it uses the ground plane and the usb and Lan pot shells as heat sinks.

[andrum99]

A new RPi 3B+ from Amazon flickers to black briefly but fairly often when watching YouTube videos. When the 32GB memory chip is exchanged with a 3B (no plus) it proves the software is not the problem, it's the hardware.

The 3B+ also heats significantly compared to the 3B, suggesting possibly a shorter life.

Should I send it back? Thank you.

You shouldn't send it back until you have ruled out the other possibilities - the hardware failure rate on the Pi is very low indeed. Which software are you using to watch Youtube videos? Also, the 32GB "memory chip" is presumably a micro SD card - is that correct? The memory installed on the Pi 3B and 3B+ is 1GB. The removable bit is the micro SD card.