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late 2012 Logic Board (i7)

A

arvetus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 10, 2013
25
0
Well, I did the cardinal sin. I was disassembling my late 2012 mini to add a SSHD and bumped the fan connector and broke it off the logic board.

Are these available to purchase anywhere and replace?

I still can't believe I did that. I have worked on laptops for years and at one time carried certifications to work on Toshiba and HP laptops and did that for a living. Just got a little clumsy...

Anywhoo, I am trying to come up with a way to solder the fan leads directly to the board, but it looks like the foil layer is starting to peel, so if I can actually get the wires anchored to the board and can solder it, I don't know for sure if it will even work.

So as a last resort, since I've already damaged the board and I can't do it any worse, I'll try to solder the fan leads directly to the board. If that doesn't work, is there a source for these, or might I need to wait a year until the next models come out, this thing goes out of warranty and there are some refurbs or replacements on the market?
 
O

Omnius

macrumors 6502a
Jul 23, 2012
562
30
Apple generally sells replacement logic boards at the store. They'll try to push the installation cost on you too but I believe you can just buy a board and DIY the installation.
 
M

MJL

macrumors 6502a
Jun 25, 2011
845
1
There are firms specializing in SMD repair. Even the foil lifting off the board is not a problem - they can glue that down again, as long as it is not a multilayer board (with more than a top and bottom layer where one of the in between layers is damaged).

Should be heaps cheaper than a new logic board.
 
A

arvetus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 10, 2013
25
0
I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware if they would sell a logic board at the Apple store to me or not, especially since they don't like the end user digging around inside their stuff, but oh well. I'll check into both options. I found macservice.com for repairs, but wasn't sure if they could service the late 2012 boards yet.

What does a new logic board from Apple cost?

If the board can be repaired for say $300 give or take, that might be a better way to go.

I bought another mini at the Apple store not thinking they would have logic boards. Since I already had the SSHD mounted in my old case, I just pulled the board out of the new one and put it in the old one, so the new mini's hard drive hasn't ever been booted. So if I can get my original board repaired or replaced, I can always sell the extra mini and recoop some of it, or just return the new mini within the return period. ;)
 
M

MJL

macrumors 6502a
Jun 25, 2011
845
1
arvetus said:
Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...


You're welcome. I used to work in the electronics industry many years ago and we would not throw a printed circuit board away because a track was damaged - almost always it could be repaired. I suspect anyone worth their salt should be able to repair it for under $100. Hope you held on to the connector and did not throw it away, sometimes little things like that can be time consuming to source.

New logic boards are about as expensive as a new computer in which case you may be financially better off selling it on eBay as is.
 
Yebubbleman

Yebubbleman

macrumors 603
May 20, 2010
5,809
2,392
Los Angeles, CA
arvetus said:
Well, I did the cardinal sin. I was disassembling my late 2012 mini to add a SSHD and bumped the fan connector and broke it off the logic board.

Are these available to purchase anywhere and replace?

I still can't believe I did that. I have worked on laptops for years and at one time carried certifications to work on Toshiba and HP laptops and did that for a living. Just got a little clumsy...

Anywhoo, I am trying to come up with a way to solder the fan leads directly to the board, but it looks like the foil layer is starting to peel, so if I can actually get the wires anchored to the board and can solder it, I don't know for sure if it will even work.

So as a last resort, since I've already damaged the board and I can't do it any worse, I'll try to solder the fan leads directly to the board. If that doesn't work, is there a source for these, or might I need to wait a year until the next models come out, this thing goes out of warranty and there are some refurbs or replacements on the market?
Click to expand...

Not really...you might be lucky and find someone selling a used one on eBay, but your serial number on the body of the machine won't match the one of the board you're buying unless the eBayer is selling you unserialized boards (in which case any AASP or Apple Store will assume that the last technician was clumsy and didn't serialize your board. Otherwise, that'll lead any ACMT working at an AASP or an Apple Store to suspect something fishy. If you don't care about such things, then I say go for it. Otherwise, either sell your machine for parts and buy a new one or pay the cost of the replacement.

Omnius said:
Apple generally sells replacement logic boards at the store. They'll try to push the installation cost on you too but I believe you can just buy a board and DIY the installation.
Click to expand...

You are wrong on this. Apple does not sell the parts without a repair. In fact, AASPs aren't allowed to do that either even though they tend to anyway.

arvetus said:
I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware if they would sell a logic board at the Apple store to me or not, especially since they don't like the end user digging around inside their stuff, but oh well. I'll check into both options. I found macservice.com for repairs, but wasn't sure if they could service the late 2012 boards yet.

What does a new logic board from Apple cost?

If the board can be repaired for say $300 give or take, that might be a better way to go.

I bought another mini at the Apple store not thinking they would have logic boards. Since I already had the SSHD mounted in my old case, I just pulled the board out of the new one and put it in the old one, so the new mini's hard drive hasn't ever been booted. So if I can get my original board repaired or replaced, I can always sell the extra mini and recoop some of it, or just return the new mini within the return period. ;)
Click to expand...

GSX quotes $539. Depending on what CTO options you ordered, it's a pretty costly part. The labor cost alone will bring you pretty close to the price of another 2012 i7 Mac mini.
 
O

Omnius

macrumors 6502a
Jul 23, 2012
562
30
Yebubbleman said:
You are wrong on this. Apple does not sell the parts without a repair. In fact, AASPs aren't allowed to do that either even though they tend to anyway.
Click to expand...

At my last visit to the apple store, the "genius" seemed to be pretty sure that the two things were not necessarily required. However, he didn't exactly impress me on his knowledge of a 2007 mini either.
However, I'm glad you are confirming that I'm correct that they sell the parts.
It might help if we got someone else to clear up if they can sell the part without a repair.
 
Yebubbleman

Yebubbleman

macrumors 603
May 20, 2010
5,809
2,392
Los Angeles, CA
Omnius said:
At my last visit to the apple store, the "genius" seemed to be pretty sure that the two things were not necessarily required. However, he didn't exactly impress me on his knowledge of a 2007 mini either.
However, I'm glad you are confirming that I'm correct that they sell the parts.
It might help if we got someone else to clear up if they can sell the part without a repair.
Click to expand...

Man, I do not need a third person to confirm to either of us what I already know first-hand to be true. I have worked at multiple AASPs and I know the drill.

Apple doesn't sell parts to consumers without a repair. Period. End of story. They do not do it from the genius bar; they do not do it from the internet. They do not do it via phone. They do not do it with or without the green eggs and ham.

AASPs also similarly are not allowed to sell parts to consumers without a repair. Period. End of story. AASPs often violate this rule and there is little that Apple does to enforce this rule as any AASP can make stocking orders for parts. But officially, you cannot buy Apple parts outside of a repair from either Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
 
A

arvetus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 10, 2013
25
0
Well, I'll just see if I can find a place that repairs these boards. I have a couple emails out to a couple sites (powerbookmedic.com and macservice.com). Are there any others that specialize in this that one might suggest to me?

I already purchased a new mini and put the board in my existing case that already had the HDD's mounted (so they might now be suspicious if it needs warranty service since the serial on the board won't match the case) and thus now have another system minus logic board in the closet. I was even able to boot to the OS just fine with the new board...it didn't even complain about serial #'s.

It was my thinking to wait a year until it goes out of warranty and then see if I could acquire a logic board at a service facility or on ebay or something. Or perhaps another mini that has a failed power supply and the user doesn't want to mess with it. A board with an i7 will still make a fairly nice system even a year from now.

Just was mainly looking to see where I could get the board repaired or where I might find a replacement.

I am suspicious that the fan connector may have had a cold solder joint anyhow. But now that the damage is done, Apple will never fix it. After I did the damage and attempted to repair it, I noted that the wire insulation on the fan's wires were almost blistered looking. That takes A LOT of heat to do that because I was messing around with a solder pencil to try and repair my damage before I noticed the foil starting to separate and I couldn't get that insulation to melt.
The the foil is still attached, it's just starting to lift and needs re-glued. The circuitry should still be fine. I am just not used to working with things this small with tolerances that tight.

I did save the connector, but there is a pin missing from it and I don't know what happened to it. Guess it fell out...
 
Last edited:
Giuly

Giuly

macrumors 68040
Oct 16, 2009
3,348
4
That depends whether you ask for timezone, state o
MJL said:
Hope you held on to the connector and did not throw it away, sometimes little things like that can be time consuming to source.
Click to expand...
You can source them for ~$4 from 2-5 pin on eBay. But whether that can be soldered in a DIY fashion is another matter.
1816_L3.jpg
 
Last edited:
M

MJL

macrumors 6502a
Jun 25, 2011
845
1
arvetus said:
I have a couple emails out to a couple sites (powerbookmedic.com and macservice.com)...
Click to expand...

I would look for a "normal" electronics repair shop - both these names are suggestive of the firm knowing how much computer repairs are worth (especially the prices Apple charge) so they will not be cheap.

Try to find a shop that does "SMD" (surface mounted device) repairs, there are plenty since all modern electronics are SMD. It takes specialized soldering irons and other things - I've attempted it but lack the steady hand with severe arthritis - but it is not overly difficult.

Lifting of the tracks due to overheating is a common thing and easily fixed. Good find on the connectors on eBay, I suggest you get that connector which will save the repair outfit spending time on sourcing it.
 
A

arvetus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 10, 2013
25
0
Yeah, I don't have the resources to do SMD repairs on my own. I do have a fairly steady hand and rebuild amplifiers and power supplies on occasion and I could do it, but the tracks lifting adds a whole different aspect.

I did try to solder the connector back down, but I didn't get a good enough solder tack because I was being cautious regarding the amount of heat and the length of time I let the board heat and I didn't get a good enough tack on the pins.

So, I will try to find someone else to do it that has the tools to do it properly...
 
A

alvincgp

macrumors newbie
Sep 10, 2013
2
0
hi all! i hope this thread still alive......
i'm having the exactly same problem with arvetus......
and my mac mini just two weeks old..... :( :( :(
so is the soldering really works?
 
A

arvetus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 10, 2013
25
0
If you can solder, it will work. Just be very careful not to damage the foil. This is a multi layer board and you can easily damage it.

The foil on mine started to lift, so I did not proceed with the repair - had to go buy a new Mini :(

So I have a mini in my closet with no logic board. I'm waiting for them to become available for purchase or find someone to repair it.
 
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