Replace or Repair???

[EDWW]

My mid 2010 27" i7 iMac keeps going to a black screen unless the brightness is all the way down. I've already had the backlight board replaced in May which gave temporary relief but now the problem is back. The Apple tech checked it out, ruled out the graphics card and says that it needs an LCD panel but Apple won't do the repair.

I found a shop that will do the job for $500 but it's unclear to me if it will be a new LCD and what the warranty will be. My question is if the best course of action is to find a new refurbed iMac from Apple and if I do that how will I be able to sell the bad iMac.

Thanks...

 

[maflynn]

If you repair the iMac, how long do you hope to use it? The computer is 6 years old and it really doesn't owe you anything. I wonder at this point, if you'll be better off putting that 500 dollars towards a new Mac.

 

[toddzrx]

Doing a quick internet search shows screens are going to run you at least a couple hundred bucks if you want to replace the display yourself, which isn't that hard (go to iFixit.com for step by step instructions). I agree with maflynn: it's an older machine at this point and maybe not a bad excuse to move onto something new(er). There's always the refurb store, or eBay/Craigslist to buy used. I bought my 2010 iMac in 2012 from a guy I found on Craigslist, did an SSD surgery, and it still runs great.

 

[AppleNewton]

likely Apple doesn't have access to the parts and the shop that does they may be new/built for refurb parts...but its hard to tell since these went obsolete not that long ago.

Best way to tell is what you're using the mac for and to put that money towards a new Mac with warranty and just sell the current one for parts/ as-is

 

[EDWW]

Well I heard from the shop and while the warranty would be for only 30 days they said that they take care of their customers. I don't think that its money well spent so I will look into a refurb from Apple. I did get an offer from one of the commercial internet mac buyers offering $75. I think thats too low so I'll try my luck on eBay or Craigslist or maybe seek out the part and make a project out of it.

 

[AppleNewton]

You can ask Apple or the repair shop for the part number and source some from eBay or the like.

 

[EDWW]

For a while the display was working properly but has again reverted to going black unless it's at minimal brightness which makes it very difficult to work with. So it's time to replace it.

I'm wondering how wise it would be to replace it with a 2013 iMac with a 3.2GHz i5 processor and 1TB spinning drive for $1250 or am I better off in the long run with a late 2015 with SSD and retina 5k display.

Is a 2013 i5 going to be much of an upgrade over a 2010 i7 or would a 2015 with 3.3 GHz i5 be?
Thanks...

 

[MacStu09]

For a while the display was working properly but has again reverted to going black unless it's at minimal brightness which makes it very difficult to work with. So it's time to replace it.

I'm wondering how wise it would be to replace it with a 2013 iMac with a 3.2GHz i5 processor and 1TB spinning drive for $1250 or am I better off in the long run with a late 2015 with SSD and retina 5k display.

Is a 2013 i5 going to be much of an upgrade over a 2010 i7 or would a 2015 with 3.3 GHz i5 be?
Thanks...

It really depends on what you consider an 'upgrade' and what you do with the computer. As far as raw power and performance, you'll get a decent improvement in processing power going from the 2010 to the 2013 with the i5-4570 in apps that utilize multiple cores. The 2015's i5-6600 is only a tiny performance bump up from the 2013. As far as graphics performance, the 2010 and 2013 both use very low-level mobile graphics cards and you'll see no real improvement in that regard.

However, there is obviously a significant upgrade in the display going from the 2013 to the 2015. And, you'd even get a slightly more capable m290 mobile graphics card (or m395 if you get the latest 2015).

Realistically, if you don't use any semi-intensive apps, and you've already become used to SSD speeds, you'll not notice any performance improvements with either of those computers. At that point, the display itself on the 2015 would be the most notable upgrade. But if you do use semi-intensive apps and would like a significant upgrade, the 2015 isn't 'vastly' superior to your 2010, but it would definitely be a noticeable upgrade, whereas the 2013 would feel like the same computer you already have.

 

[toddzrx]

For a while the display was working properly but has again reverted to going black unless it's at minimal brightness which makes it very difficult to work with. So it's time to replace it.

I'm wondering how wise it would be to replace it with a 2013 iMac with a 3.2GHz i5 processor and 1TB spinning drive for $1250 or am I better off in the long run with a late 2015 with SSD and retina 5k display.

Is a 2013 i5 going to be much of an upgrade over a 2010 i7 or would a 2015 with 3.3 GHz i5 be?
Thanks...

Note bolded words above. If I were in your shoes, I'd definitely go with the 2015 model if you're looking for something to keep for a long time due to the screen and the SSD. I've read nothing but positive comments about the iMac's 5K display. As for the SSD, that's the single best upgrade you can put on any computer these days. Just say no to spinners!

 

[EDWW]

Thanks for your comments MacStu09 and toddrzx...

I think it probably makes sense to spend more on the 2015 to get the better display and the speed of the SSD and have a computer that I hang to on to for a while. I will probably go with a 256 or maybe a 512 SSD since I already keep a lot of my files and media on external drives anyway. I really like the thought of a drive with no moving parts especially in a machine thats not easy to get into like the iMac. I'm still a bit undecided between the 3.2 and 3.3 processors as well the difference between M380 and M390 GPU's. I'm on the internet quite a bit and watch a lot of streaming videos and also do some audio and video editing. Thats about it.

 

[MacStu09]

Thanks for your comments MacStu09 and toddrzx...

I think it probably makes sense to spend more on the 2015 to get the better display and the speed of the SSD and have a computer that I hang to on to for a while. I will probably go with a 256 or maybe a 512 SSD since I already keep a lot of my files and media on external drives anyway. I really like the thought of a drive with no moving parts especially in a machine thats not easy to get into like the iMac. I'm still a bit undecided between the 3.2 and 3.3 processors as well the difference between M380 and M390 GPU's. I'm on the internet quite a bit and watch a lot of streaming videos and also do some audio and video editing. Thats about it.

Considering your uses and needs, and honestly how minimal of a difference there is between the m380/m390 and 3.2 and 3.3 processors, just buy whichever one you can find cheaper. There's no real reason to spend a dime more for one over the other. You're getting benchmark increases of incredibly small margins going from the 3.2 to 3.3 - which you will never notice in real world usage. I genuinely don't even understand why Apple made two computers so close in performance in the same release cycle.