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Macbook Pro Early 2008 with dead logic board - what now?

Anyone seen this? Baking the logic board..

Hi, I have the same problem, put it to sleep, it never woke up.. anyway, as soon as I get it back from the useless *******s who couldn't tell me anything that I didn't already know (for €50) I'm going to try this, there are vids linked in the comments.. seems to work, would be amazing if it did..

http://russell.heistuman.com/2010/0...r-baking-my-macbook-pro-logic-board/#more-180

Let me know if you tried it or are willing to.. I'm hoping to try it tomorrow night.. will keep you posted if interested..

Cheers,

Rob.
 
bildungsroman said:
...Two weeks ago, my mid-2008 2.5GHz 15" MacBook Pro went to sleep and never woke up. I tried all the usual tricks and resets, including every RAM configuration under the sun, to no avail. When I press the power button, I get a steady light, the hard drive boots up, but no chime and no screen...

...Any better options out there?
Click to expand...

This is pretty much the same situation I had. That's my blog post referred to above about baking my logic board successfully--which is the good news. The bad is, I have had to bake it four times now since last April. So baking it isn't a final cure-all. The additional good news, is that it has responded successfully to baking all four times now. In addition to the post above, I have also posted for each additional baking experience. I'm currently typing this reply on my baked early '08 17" Penryn MBP board. It also failed the Nvidia test (actually, it can't even initiate the test, which is why it fails it). As much of a pain in the arse that it is, it's definitely cheaper than a $1200 replacement or parting it out on Ebay.

Here's the other posts:

http://russell.heistuman.com/2010/07/06/twice-baked-mother-board-or-refried-logic-of-my-macbook-pro/
http://russell.heistuman.com/2010/08/09/ooops-i-baked-it-again-3rd-time/
http://russell.heistuman.com/2010/09/23/its-officially-a-quad-baked-macbook-pro-4-times-and-counting/
 
My dec 07 MBP died as well

I seem to have the same problem. I bought my 2.2GHz Macbook Pro in November/December 2007, two weeks ago, out of nowhere while surfing the net in safari, the machine froze with distorted graphics on the screen. I had to force shutdown by holding the power button for several seconds and when booting up, I got the multi-language message telling me to reset the computer.

After several attempts with single user mode and safe modes, I was able to boot it up again and use it for several days, luckily I managed to back-up everything on the harddrive, when two days ago the MBP died for good.

I took it to Apple certified service center, they told me, its not the nVidia issue, it's a dead logic board. Cost of replacing is roughly $1,250.

Bloody hell, only a month ago, I've spent $300+ on a new battery and a new charger.

Anybody has an idea how much money is it possible to get by selling it for parts on eBay?
 
+1 on the heat theory, my 5-year-old MBP 15 fritzed itself last week, had over 850 cycles on the battery, the base got almost too hot to touch, have been quoted £900+ sterling for new logic board which reduces it to the world's most expensive doorstop.
 
Tried the bake.. Sweet results..

I baked the logic board and it worked!! Just woke up out of the sleep where it was when it died.. Absolutely over the moon!

I followed Russell's guide to the letter and it worked a treat. Thanks for the guide Russell, you're a star!

I'll keep this thread posted if it goes again and how long it lasted..

Cheers!

Rob.
 
dobbler said:
I baked the logic board and it worked!! Just woke up out of the sleep where it was when it died.. Absolutely over the moon!

I followed Russell's guide to the letter and it worked a treat. Thanks for the guide Russell, you're a star!

I'll keep this thread posted if it goes again and how long it lasted..

Cheers!

Rob.
Click to expand...

Very cool. Hopefully it will last you a good while.

For those that are still thinking about it, I sometimes think I should put more of a disclaimer on my posts, that this is really only an option if you're at the point where you don't have anything to lose--like, if you can get the problem nailed on the Nvidia issue, or you have AppleCare coverage. But if you've had it tested and been told its a dead logic board and have no other option but spending either $600-$1200 for a replacement board or parting it out for maybe $600 total if you've got the time to manage all the different ebay auctions it would take, then this option is worth taking seriously. You also definitely need to feel comfortable tearing apart some very expensive equipment. But more good news for those thinking about giving it a try, I haven't heard of anyone with the same situation who has baked their board and not been successful. Not that it hasn't happened or that it couldn't happen--its just that I've only heard success stories (including my own) and that would give me the confidence to try it out.
 
Aside from the heebie-jeebies inherently apart of any procedure that involves cooking expensive computer components, there isn't necessarily anything wrong or voodooish about baking the mobo. As long as it's hot enough to make the solder reflow, but not so hot as to being to break down the components. Infact, there is a video floating around of a few people who were invited into a runcore SSD factory, and they documented the process. Did they have some low paid worker sitting there with a soldering iron, soldering each chip to the pcb? nope. they put the modules on the board, then put it through a moving oven type fixture. When it came out of the other end, tada. Freshly minted SSD ready for casing.
 
Similar Issues, different circumstances

I have a 17 inch Macbook Pro that is out of warranty and I have the same problem. I've been told that it is the logic board but I believe that it is actually a problem with this NVIDIA card. I took it into the Genius Bar and they told me that they could repair it but because I have a dent under my USB port they can no longer help me. The dent actually occurred a month after I purchased it when it slipped off of my desk and fell on the might mouse cord. It bent the port and cause a really obnoxious problem for the life of my Macbook.

I'm just looking for any suggestions to resolve my problem. Would replacing the bottom case resolve this issue and potentially get them to do that work for me? I'm trying to avoid the $1200 that they are trying to charge me to repair it at Apple. I actually found a repair service that claims they can repair the problem for $250 but when they returned it to me I had the same problem after just a few weeks.

Thanks for your help.
 
The logic board on my old HP laptop (how I wish it had been a Mac) also died at 2 years old, and I got it replaced. If I were you though, I would just go for a new MBP or, if you can, wait a bit for the upgrades since I don't think it's worth upgrading the logic board on your 08' MBP.
 
Hi guys, I thought I'd share an update on my situation, because given the alternatives, it ended pretty well for me.

So as I posted before, my mid-2008 15" Penryn MBP (no Applecare) booted to black screen, no chime. I sent it off to Apple - they said it wasn't the NVidia issue and wanted $930 to install a new logic board, and I told them where they could shove it.

Long story short, I found a reliable local Mac guy that could install a new board for me for $100, I just had to find the board. After looking around online for days, I found an eBay seller (vectusllc) who was selling brand new boards for almost the same price as most others were asking for used ones - about $400. I was a bit skeptical because the company is based in Hong Kong, but out of desperation I wrote to them asking if they would give me a discount if I sent in my dead board. The guy agreed and brought the price down to $325 (+$50 shipping), so I sent in my old board and waited for the new one. After a pretty long delay, the seller, Ralph, wrote to me that they got the board in, but there were some problems with the quality checks, so he would offer me a free upgrade to a 2.6GHz board (mine had been a 2.5) but I had to wait another week. While that wasn't ideal, I preferred to be patient and get a better, working board, so I waited. Finally, the new board came in, and Ralph wrote back that they had shipped it, and it arrived the next day! I took it to my local Mac guy, who installed it and the next morning I had my baby back, now pimped with a faster CPU and GPU, for under $500!

So if you're in the unfortunate situation of having to pay for a new logic board, I highly recommend vectusllc on eBay. However, my situation is complicated by the fact that I live in Europe, and outside of the UK, it's pretty impossible to find a Mac specialist that offers to repair logic boards for a flat fee. Those in the US or UK might want to look into that option first.
 
aaditotjo said:
Yes I did actually check, and it was a Logic Board failure that caused the computer to power off as soon as it was switched on.
Click to expand...

OMG I HAD THAT SAME ISSUE. In fact 23+ people had that issue in the month of october last year. I'm convinced it's something to do with the Nvidia issue
 
same issue with mine (2.4 c2d A1260).

I suspect overheating is the killer. A few months ago, I closed my MBP abruptly, and put it in my case. A little while later (hour?) I pulled it out and it was burning hot all over. But it was OK after letting it cool down.

When it died 2 days ago, I did the same thing... closed it and left the house. Came back to a dead Mac. I very much suspect it super over-heated again, fried, and cooled down by the time I returned. But was dead.

I found repair service ("clean and reflow") for $400, but am debating if I should just buy a new one for $1700 at this point.
 
At my VERY small repair shop we have 3 HP laptops from customers all with dead mobos. :p Got them all within a few days of each other. HP is certainly a brand that I am weary of.
 
Hi all

I also have the “logic board” problem. Same symptoms as everyone. I went to the genius bar they told me it’s not the graphic card but after seeing this thread, I went again.

I think that the nVidia chip is causing the logic board fault due to overheating, then it’s a question of what thing dies first: either the graphic card and the genius can do the test, good for you, or it’s the logic board and you’re screwed.

They would not agree on this and they stick to the graphic test, if your macbook pro doesn’t boot it can not be performed so they say the logic board is faulty. Apple is clearly trying to avoid its responsabilities here, the problem is obviously linked.

Anyway after arguing quite some time with the Apple manager he offered me a rebate on the logic board change. I went to the Apple Store Opera, Paris, France. If you are obstinate enough I think you can sway a manager to offer something like this. Say that you wanted to sell the thing to buy a new Mac or something and now you’re stuck with a worthless brick. For 250€ (~330$) I will have a new logic board, I think it’s better than selling it for pieces.

If everyone having the “logic board issue” with the 8600M GT complain enough in the Apple Stores, Apple might change its mind and issue a full refund on this for every owner of 2007-2008 Macbook pro, as I think they should.
 
I just had my MacBookPro die on me 2 days ago. I was noticing it running hotter than normal just before it gave up the ghost.

I also had a bad superdrive and had it replaced about a week before the whole system died on me.

Luckily I am still under AppleCare until June. I had to leave my computer at the Apple store and they said it would be 5-7 days.

The "genius" said that it was probably the logic board since it would not boot up even in target mode.

I have an early 2008, Penryn 15.4" Macbook Pro with the 2.5 ghz processor

Scary to think that maybe I'll only get another 2 years out of the machine if the logic board decides to go out on me again, but next time I'll be out of warranty.
 
so with my verizon iphone arriving today sometime, of course yesterday my MBP (17" early 2008 model) fails to come up from sleep mode (got the black screen) -- tried restarting, blah blah blah, even booting from snow leopard cd -- nothing worked.

So I go on to double check my coverage on apple's support site. I am still under AppleCare, yet my telephone support says it's expired? sigh, so I can't call apple to troubleshoot over phone (note, i rechecked my coverage this morning, and now it does say my telephone support is still active...grrrr, fluke maybe?).

Anyway, At least I have a local apple store, so I take it into the genius bar. sure enough, guy there says it's a bad logic board. He did mention the nvidia issue could maybe be the cause instead, but he couldn't determine it for sure or not. Since it's under Apple Care, I guess it doesn't matter that much since it'll get repaired for free. Just gotta wait 5-7 days (like a previous poster mentioned).

note: on my receipt, it actually seemed to list what the charge would be, if I wasn't under the apple care plan, and it said the board was only $527, and labor was like $30 dollars. I find this interesting since other posters are quoting apple as saying $1000+ to fix.

so I'll have to wait about a week before I can fully use my new iphone (music, photos, etc.), not too mention do any work on my MBP till it comes back.

it's a good thing I got the Apple Care plan originally because, since purchasing, I've had to:

1. Replace the battery (outer casing got unglued from the rest, causing it defective)
2. hard drive died randomly, had to get it replaced -- good thing I backup to external drive, though because I'm lazy I did still lose about a weeks worth of stuff...)
3. Now the logic board / nvidia issue.

Man, at this rate, I should assume within another year or two to have further hardware issues, and by that time I'm betting my protection care plan will have expired.

not to mention I hardly ever take the MBP out of my house. I don't eat/drink near it, nor have I ever dropped it. very light wear and tear on it.

Is there any situation where I can get apple to simply replace my MBP with a newer model or atleast trade it in at a major discount to a newer model? at this point, i'd rather do that than risk further issues with my current MBP...
 
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