Can having a Macbook's Top Case replaced cause issues? (Details inside)

[SPNarwhal]

Here's the sitch:

I recently had a 13" Unibody Polycarbonate Macbook taken in to Apple due to having the infamous cracking hinge issue.

I just got it back today after they've replaced the top casing, and when I turned it on and opened up Safari, I got some red markings on the screen and the laptop froze. I rebooted and used it for about 5 minutes and it did it again.

Here is a photo of the event in action:

It wasn't doing this before I took it in for a repair.

So here's my question:
Can this be caused by a top case replacement?


Let me explain though.
I know the "common sense" answer might be that "if it wasn't happening before the repair, and now it is, then it is most likely caused by that."

But the thing is, in all past experiences that I've ever seen red artifacts appearing like this, it's been in the case of a faulty graphics card. (Although in most cases, didn't cause the laptop to actually freeze, it just caused the display to replace certain solid colors with pure red.)

I've never actually taken a top case off and am not positive of all that it consists of. I know that you can remove the bezel housing the LCD cable without taking the mobo out, but to remove the entire top casing / LCD assembly?

Can this repair be linked to this issue that I'm having? Apple did a diagnostics check before going under the knife and all components checked out A-OK, so not completely sure as to what might be causing this.

It also seems to happen at random, nothing specific reproduces the issue.

 

[justperry]

Seems like a damaged cable to the display, AFAIK they have to remove the display to replace the top case, if this is the case the cable('s) might be damaged and if you move the display it act up, I had this long ago on a pismo, as soon as I moved the display it got artefacts on the display and crashed.

(P.S. resize your image by using TIMG tags instead IMG, it's fairly slow to load the page)

 

[SPNarwhal]

Seems like a damaged cable to the display, AFAIK they have to remove the display to replace the top case, if this is the case the cable('s) might be damaged and if you move the display it act up, I had this long ago on a pismo, as soon as I moved the display it got artefacts on the display and crashed.

(P.S. resize your image by using TIMG tags instead IMG, it's fairly slow to load the page)

The image is resized already with tIMG, and working fine for me. Not sure why it would be showing up on your screen as full size if it is. ?

I'll bring it back in to them, problem is is that the Macbook isn't actually under Warranty, was just under a specific policy to repair this problem since it was so common on this model, but I am assuming that they would provide a circumstantial acceptance due to this potentially being caused by them in the first place and not just a random hardware failure.

The problem does happen at random though, and I don't think it's related to moving the display since I've let it just sit untouched while turned on and it will freeze. (The last few times it's just been freezing, not even showing the artifacts on the screen. Just purely freezing.)

I'm going to swap out the RAM and HDD as well just to be test and safe from them telling me that is a possible culprit.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[finishmarketing]

I see you got two options:

option A.go back to the store immediately
tell them they broke it and and to give you a new one

ACT SUPER FURIOUS. in raging anger and scream.
i never done this but could work
(may help to eat jalapeno so when you go in you dont lose your anger) hahaha

or option B.. just hand it over to the "geniuses" and go wait in the corner again........

 

[Munkypoo7]

I'll bring it back in to them, problem is is that the Macbook isn't actually under Warranty, was just under a specific policy to repair this problem since it was so common on this model, but I am assuming that they would provide a circumstantial acceptance due to this potentially being caused by them in the first place and not just a random hardware failure.

The problem does happen at random though, and I don't think it's related to moving the display since I've let it just sit untouched while turned on and it will freeze. (The last few times it's just been freezing, not even showing the artifacts on the screen. Just purely freezing.)

Well, two things.

1. I'd definitely take it back, but stay there and let the geniuses use your laptop, or you use it, until the red stuff pops up, that way they see it on the spot. That way there's no "he-said, she-said."

2. Freezing. Yup, try to play with the RAM and HDD, might be worth running Memtest 4.23 just to play it overly safe with the RAM modules? :\

 

[SPNarwhal]

Well, two things.

1. I'd definitely take it back, but stay there and let the geniuses use your laptop, or you use it, until the red stuff pops up, that way they see it on the spot. That way there's no "he-said, she-said."

2. Freezing. Yup, try to play with the RAM and HDD, might be worth running Memtest 4.23 just to play it overly safe with the RAM modules? :\

So, dilemma. (potentially)
I haven't taken this in yet, BUT here is an observation.

I swapped the SSD and 4gb out and put in 2GB original and 120gb HDD
The freezing and red lines stopped happening..

I did run Memtest on both sets of ram, both passed with no issue.
I ran a test on the SSD, and that also came back in a green light.
So no hardware failures..

Thing is, I put the SSD and 4gb of ram back in and it ran fine, so I thought that maybe the RAM was just not seated properly before, but then thismorning I go to use it and I get the red lines again, twice in a row before I was even able to open my e-mail. (have to hard-reset it every time it does this)

so now I put the 120HDD and 2gb of ram back in and trying to make it reoccur. I just can't tell if it's the computer, or if it's the SSD, or if it's the RAM. It seems to happen for no apparent reason, and sometimes it's instantly, and sometimes it's after a few hours.

This is extremely confusing.

Here's my question: Can the RAM or SSD Harddrive cause the display to give red lines and freeze? I feel like it could just cause the computer to freeze, but not affect the display really. This is all very confusing, and until it happens with the HDD and 2gb of stock ram, I won't be taking it to Apple since I know they will more than likely blame my upgraded (non-apple) components.

 

[brop52]

When the computer freezes you can have some very odd flashes and display changes.