Saving money and self-installing hi-res

As far as I can tell, those DO pull straight up. I have a late 2008 and the airport board uses the same connectors. Just be careful and actually try NOT to use lateral force on them.

I know on ebay I have found some Hi-res screens, usually from china but a couple from Rossmann, who is on the forums here a lot.

 

I deal with those connectors on Dells on a regular basis. They're SUPER easy to remove without damage to either side but you need to be VERY careful with reinstallation or you risk damaging the connector the wire attaches to. I've "flattened" one or two of those, the "male" side is essentially a strip of copper in a circle shape, soldered to the board.

 

not worth it

u also void the warranty doing this

 

would have been only 150 dollars off apple to do it from the start LOl

 

hmm, i recomend avoiding upgrading to high res in that case.

trying to install urself could elave to further problems.

maybe best to sell it the way it is? the buyer may not appreciate the seller tinkering with the macbook

 

That's likely because people don't usually attempt it. There's been a few people on this forum asking about doing it, and general consensus has been that it's not worth it. It's too easy to damage the computer. If your computer is still under warranty, doing this will void the warranty. If you damage it while trying to make the change, it could be very costly to repair. You may save some money if you manage to do it yourself...or you might ruin what is otherwise a perfectly good computer. If you do decide to try it, best of luck!

 

Here's the important question: would you rather break it after spending ~$400 and then spend ~$4,200-5,800 (using your numbers -- the existing one will be worthless if you break it) on top of that? That's where you need to make the call regarding worth. Good luck with it if you decide to proceed. It can certainly be done but one person's success doesn't guarantee your success.

 

It all comes down to experience. If you are not comfortable with circuit boards or have hesitation about how much force they can take before breaking, I strongly recommend sending it out to a professional repair company or upgrade company.

Even professionals make mistakes though, and that is where circuit board repair comes in, which requires knowledge of soldering, desolder pumps, and other tools of the trade.

This is a minor upgrade. Find a video on youtube.com, move slowly, and NEVER FORCE something. If you're think you're exerting too much force, you probably are. In that case, take a deep breath and start over from the beginning.

Best,
TAT
Apple Repairs, Upgrades, and Custom Builds

 

Yep, they'll be like a ball and socket.

 

when did macbooks cost 3000-4000 dollars? LOLOL

 

I use the step by step guides over at ifixit.com a lot. This isn't a complicated procedure if you are reasonably comfortable working with electronics. Take the typical precautions and proceed slowly. The connectors you are concerned about do lift off vertically, though a slight angle is fine. Good luck.

 

The OP stated he needs someone to ship the screen to Australia, so I assume that's where he is. Check the Apple Store for Australia...the top 15" model with upgraded processor and high-res anti-glare screen runs $2944. If you add other options, you can easily hit that 3000-4000.

 

thats still not 3000-4000 dollars, LOL

true that slappning on the SSDs etc etc can bring the price up, the OP clearly doesnt need that kind of specs, most people dont

 

Depending on what the OP has now, it could easily cost 3000-4000 for a replacement. If you add a larger or faster HDD to the price I gave before it will put it over 3000. You don't know exactly what the specs of his machine are, and you don't know exactly what he needs. To say he doesn't need it because most people don't is ridiculous. If most don't, that means that some do.

 

If you happen to decide to order a new MBP instead, you can save yourself a LOT of cash by ordering it with the standard 4GB of RAM and standard HDD, then upgrading the RAM and SSD yourself. They're easy upgrades to do and much cheaper than having Apple do it for you.