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intercept789

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 12, 2008
2
0
Hi everyone. I don't have Apple Care. I am out of warranty.

My computer recently, today, got a problem where the monitor no longer works, and an external monitor doesn't work. Thought it was maybe this can't get out of sleep problem, but it's not. A shut down and restart, battery removal, connect a another monitor does not do anything. It seems to work fine otherwise. Took it in and they said the entire logic board had to be replaced, and would be $1,300. owwww.

Is this reasonable? Anyone have a cheaper way to go about this? This is a 2.4 MacBook Pro. Another option, I would hate to do without my computer for a length of time, but $1,300 is money I really don't have now. I see in the Buyer's Guide another incarnation of the MacBook Pro is coming. Does that mean the price of my logic board would drop soon?

Thanks in advance!
 

NotFound

macrumors 6502a
Nov 30, 2006
792
0
I would just go for the new computer. If you don't have the money, Apple can finance or you could do credit?
 

nikhsub1

macrumors 68030
Jun 19, 2007
2,587
2,535
mmmm... jessica.'s beer...
Your graphics chip is dust, it happened to me last month, 2 weeks out of warranty. Apple replaced it for free. I was told that if it was not under warranty that it was a flat fee of like $300 or so... $1300 does not seem right at all. This is a known problem BTW and Apple should fix all of these issues under warranty (I'm not saying they do but they should).
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
Honestly it sounds like it's be prudent to buy a new one. A $1300 replacement for an older machine is insane.
 

intercept789

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 12, 2008
2
0
Your graphics chip is dust, it happened to me last month, 2 weeks out of warranty. Apple replaced it for free. I was told that if it was not under warranty that it was a flat fee of like $300 or so... $1300 does not seem right at all. This is a known problem BTW and Apple should fix all of these issues under warranty (I'm not saying they do but they should).

So is it possible to just replace the graphics chip? The repair place said the whole logic board would need to be swapped. Course, we know how that might be...
 

Fenir

macrumors regular
Jun 27, 2007
220
0
Kalamazoo, MI
If possible, try and take it to another apple store and try your luck elsewhere. You shouldn't have to pay that much for a repair for something that is not your fault, esp. when you can get a brand new macbook for less than that price.
 

nikhsub1

macrumors 68030
Jun 19, 2007
2,587
2,535
mmmm... jessica.'s beer...
So is it possible to just replace the graphics chip? The repair place said the whole logic board would need to be swapped. Course, we know how that might be...
Yes and no. The board and CPU and chipset chip are fine, it is just the GPU that is dust. Apple can probably reuse (refurbish) the logic board but it is NOT something that they would do at the Apple store. They will say it is not a serviceable item so for all intents and purposes the whole logic board does need to be replaced. What the apple store here in LA told me was that they charge a flat fee for this (much like the flat $249 to fix a broken 1st gen iphone) of around $330. Try again or try a different store altogether.
 

bomberbear

macrumors newbie
Aug 14, 2008
1
0
This exact same problem happened to me just 2 days ago. I eventually took it in to an Mac servicing company. I was told that my 1 year limited warranty was 2 months expired and later in the day was quoted a repair at $2943 NZD. God damn nearly fainted.

The tech there suggested I call up apple's tech hotline directly and ask them if there was anything they could do. After explaining my situation (student, can't afford blah....) to the tech, I was put through to a Customer Relations Officer, who was really nice and eventually offered to cover the mac under warranty. He rang the servicing place to confirm my details and story, then approved the warranty.

I suggest you try that route before you commit to anything else.
 

joequincy

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2007
11
0
Sacramento, CA
get Applecare
things break. it happens. don't get yourself stuck with a $1300 repair on newish hardware.

because your forehead will sting from the /facepalm
 

PDE

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2005
2,482
13
Did you buy it with a credit card? If so, it's likely that you can take advantage of your CC company's extended warranty service which gives you double the original warranty for free. Just call them and ask! If you're covered, you'll get the repairs covered for free.
 

ukdn

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2008
1
0
Macbookpro failure

Had what I thought was a video card/board failure and found out some 6 days later from Apple they had changed my logic board/mother board. You should know I search the web about the video card failure and found a site for gathering info about these types of failures with the main goal of gathering enough support for a class action suite against Nvidia/Apple due to "inferior"/overheating video board. Don't know where it stnad today but Apple did exchange my logic board for nothing after I referred to the class action issue and additional complaints.
 

Ampidire

macrumors 6502
Feb 1, 2007
422
164
WA
Had what I thought was a video card/board failure and found out some 6 days later from Apple they had changed my logic board/mother board. You should know I search the web about the video card failure and found a site for gathering info about these types of failures with the main goal of gathering enough support for a class action suite against Nvidia/Apple due to "inferior"/overheating video board. Don't know where it stnad today but Apple did exchange my logic board for nothing after I referred to the class action issue and additional complaints.

You shouldn't have had to point them to any lawsuits or complaints, they already agreed publicly to replace the faulty logic boards even if they are out of their initial 1-year warranty.
 

ogacon

macrumors newbie
Mar 20, 2008
20
0
Minnesota - Twin Cities
You shouldn't have had to point them to any lawsuits or complaints, they already agreed publicly to replace the faulty logic boards even if they are out of their initial 1-year warranty.

I was wondering if you could post a link to this information where they said this as this just happened to me today and would like to not pay hundreds of dollars to fix a problem created by mac.
 

Lokrado

macrumors regular
Jan 26, 2009
210
0
Denmark
I was told that if it was not under warranty that it was a flat fee of like $300 or so... $1300 does not seem right at all.

correct, I live in denmark and my logic board died, they wanted $1600 to replace it, I then took it to the US and got it fixed for $300.
 

ogacon

macrumors newbie
Mar 20, 2008
20
0
Minnesota - Twin Cities
Here you go - http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2377

(Note the problem was created by NVIDIA not Apple)

You're right. I was just irritated my 2000 dollar computer stopped working.

But in case anyone has this same issue, I dropped it off to get it looked at and called to check up on the progress and apparently it was already sent in to be repaired. I was never charged nor did they say I will be. I did nothing but drop it off.
 

gemdeepak

macrumors newbie
Aug 27, 2010
1
0
Macbook Pro Logic Card big failure

i have 15 inches Macbook pro early 2008. one month ago i got some problem with my video display. it started getting shut doen its own after every 20 minutes and then i did a hardware test and it showed me an error 4VDC|1|40000003 and then one day suddenly it stopped working. i send it to apple customer care and they say its problem of the logic board,which repairing cost is around 900 dollars but as i did a long research on net. i got to know its a problem of the nvidia card in these generation macbooks and its known to apple and they fix it for free. as i am a student its really hard for me to spend this much amount again for repairing. i requested them to do a check again but they said unless my macbook wouldn-t respond they can't get the last crash Log file to see the nvidia crash problem. i talked with my local service provider here in switzerland he said unless i can't get a graphics card crash error code something like ( NVQ-cer0098od-14). and he said its somewhere inside my hard drive console files. i tried a lot to find but couldn-t find. he tried with the external USB hardwaretest but that also not responding.

Can anybody help me in this matter? I am a student and can not bear such a big amount.

Pleeeeaasseeeeee Helppppp!!!
 

cyberfed

macrumors newbie
Apr 27, 2011
7
0
This just happened on my MBP made in 2008.

I was out of warranty for Applecare.

I brought it to my local Mac store, they quoted me $530 to fix. I explained to them about the Nvidia flaw and they replaced it for free.
They were unable to run the video card testing program that Apple has to verify. However since the symptoms were textbook for the logic board flaw they went ahead and submitted to Apple as such. 5 days later I had my MBP back in working condition.
 
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