my Mac's logic board is broken...

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Well, after 3 great years and $1,700+, it is time to get rid of my iMac...

About two weeks ago my iMac started powering off at random times; during the middle of writing a document, waking it up from sleep, and running any application imaginable. I called Apple Care 8 times, and explained the problem very thoroughly when all I needed to do was bring the computer into the local Apple store and have the geniuses have a quick glance at the logic board and declare "the price to get a new logic board and labor is $634." Words cannot describe what I am feeling now that I know my Mac needs to go. I have babied this computer from the second I purchased it, and it is very frustrating to have a problem like this after all the care I put into it. :Angry:

Sorry, I just needed to vent... :(

~Tahiti
 
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Man, I can really find a good number of these threads. Come on now Apple. Is three years the deadline or what? Seems like all the machines made from 2004 - to present have a good chance of doing this. My g4 lasted longer then my macbook, or g5. Im really starting to question this very seriously. I bet if I really researched this issue, Id find thousands of people upset. What do us angry Mac users do? Exactly what Apple knows we will do. We will hem and haw and complain in the forums and look for alternatives, then, price out a new mac and justify the purchase by any means possible.

My late model 2004 ($4000) G5 has a dead logic board after I paid $500 for a new power supply. I guess Apple figures if they can't make you buy a new machine they will nickel and dime you to death trying to fix the individual parts.

Please, please, Apple users, lets unite and try to resolve this obvious and ongoing issue! Don't let Apple strong arm us anymore!!!
 
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The majority of the macs we get in our techshop have faulty Logic Boards. It's mostly caused from the power supply shipped in the imacs. It does not give the board enough power and that leads to definite problems in the future.

You may be able to ebay your board though. But you will need a mac tech to repair it.

Good Luck
 
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UPDATE:

After many phone calls to Apple, they replaced my logic board with no charge to me. Low and behold, the Mac is worse than it was when I dropped it off at the Apple store. Now it is back in the shop and I am awaiting a phone call to see what to do next...

Apple seriously needs to fix this issue. I'd rather be using a PC with Vista than my Mac at this point... I don't think I'll be a return Apple customer even though I love the Mac's... :(
 
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Peeved off with Macs and Perth Agents

UPDATE:

After many phone calls to Apple, they replaced my logic board with no charge to me. Low and behold, the Mac is worse than it was when I dropped it off at the Apple store. Now it is back in the shop and I am awaiting a phone call to see what to do next...

Apple seriously needs to fix this issue. I'd rather be using a PC with Vista than my Mac at this point... I don't think I'll be a return Apple customer even though I love the Mac's... :(

Mate, you are lucky! My 3 year old G4 has been in how many times? 2x for a logic board (within 6 months) had to pay for both. Over in Perth, Australia, boards only have 3 months warranty (wonder why, sighs). 2x for a new HD (within 2 years) had to pay for both. 1x for a power supply (within 3 years) it's now in again with the local, crappiest, most useless Apple Service agent in the World, Next Byte (Osborne Park) here in Perth, with ONE only Tech, (the rest have buggerd off). Yes, for ANOTHER logi board, sorry mate, I ahve to pay AGAIN! Why? Oh It's out of warranty!
Then, to add to the misery, the %$&(_$##@) charge me $60.00 AUD to get a Next day response and advise as to the issues with the Mac. I pay up, guess what? 3 Days later I had to ring up to find out what was wrong with my Mac.
Now, I'm going to pick the &%^&)(&^$ up and take a video or me smashing the bloody thing up and posting it on youtube to vent my disgust at not only Apple but also at the Australian Service ,or lack off with regards to Apple products. I will then go an buy myself a PC with all the goodies on it and Apple can kiss my A&%$*&)_+_

Swaza
 

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Interesting I have never had any hardware issues with any of my many Macs except a power supply in an OLD power Mac G4 that I upgraded the mess out of and put way more load on the the poor power supply than it was ever designed to take. After 3 years 24 hours a day the Supply died. The machine is 10 years old and I was overloading the power supply.

The issue with the OP's 1.6 G5 iMac is they had the Capacitor issue that Asus, MSI, and many other PC motherboard manufactures had. It was a known issue and apple usually give a new board.

It does sound like service down where you live is not the best though.
 

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No computer is infallible from a hardware perspective. There is no special magic that goes into Apple electronics, their systemboards and other components are manufactured by the very same Taiwanese/Chinese manufacturers that make PC systemboards and components.

As dtravis mentioned, about 4 years ago, the computer industry as a whole had issues with defective capacitors. This caused normally very reliable components like systemboards to fail as the capacitors would pop or leak electrolytic compounds. No computer manufacturer was immune to this - including Apple. At work, I'm still running into 4 year old Dells that just now started losing capacitors.

Swaza, I think your situation is reprehensible, perhaps it's time to look at a different source for your service needs. Any shop worth their salt should stand by their work, IMO.... I don't think your problem is with Apple as much as it is with that shop.
 
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thanks for your comments. I've cooled down a little since my earlier remarks. Having said that, I am STILL waiting for a response from Nextbyte here in Perth. Say no more!
I have another iMac, and yes, have not had any problems with it at all. I guess if you get a Nissan Mechanic no work on a Rolls Royce the chances are is that he's going to stuff it up.
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It seems to me that replacement Mac logic boards and repairs are overpriced. First of all, it's difficult for me to believe that an entire LB would malfunction to the point where it needs to be scrapped. A little troubleshooting would probably uncover one or two bad components that could be replaced relatively cheaply. Throwing away a LB because of a faulty chip or a blown capacitor is equivalent to throwing away a car's engine because one of the spark plugs is bad. It makes me wonder if some faulty LBs are ultimately repaired and recycled as "new" boards.

Second, $600 seems pretty steep even if the entire board needs to go to the dumpster. I think what is going on is this: Apple has to recoup their costs for doing a lot of free LB replacements, and part of the $600 they charge is paying for somebody else's "free" LB.
 

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It seems to me that replacement Mac logic boards and repairs are overpriced. First of all, it's difficult for me to believe that an entire LB would malfunction to the point where it needs to be scrapped. A little troubleshooting would probably uncover one or two bad components that could be replaced relatively cheaply. Throwing away a LB because of a faulty chip or a blown capacitor is equivalent to throwing away a car's engine because one of the spark plugs is bad. It makes me wonder if some faulty LBs are ultimately repaired and recycled as "new" boards.

Second, $600 seems pretty steep even if the entire board needs to go to the dumpster. I think what is going on is this: Apple has to recoup their costs for doing a lot of free LB replacements, and part of the $600 they charge is paying for somebody else's "free" LB.

You know, I would agree with you - but we're not talking about the kind of systemboards that were put into computers 20 years ago. These are surface-mounted components, and you need very specialized equipment to perform this kind of repair - you simply can't take a soldering iron to it, you'd need a $20K surface mount workstation just to even consider it.

Even with a systemboard running around $500 (without labor), it's probably still more cost-effective to just scrap it and do a straight swap.
 
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Illogical Costs to replace an LB

You know, I would agree with you - but we're not talking about the kind of systemboards that were put into computers 20 years ago. These are surface-mounted components, and you need very specialized equipment to perform this kind of repair - you simply can't take a soldering iron to it, you'd need a $20K surface mount workstation just to even consider it.

Even with a systemboard running around $500 (without labor), it's probably still more cost-effective to just scrap it and do a straight swap.
:Evil:
Yes Agree. the upshot of my "situation" is that I've been advised by DigiLife's Osborne Park Store at Perth-Australia, that given that the LB is over the 3 months warranty period, yes 3 months, it is not longer covered, thus I need to now buy a new LB at a cost of AUD $800.00 !! Considering that this is the SECOND LB in ONE YEAR, you guessed it, I am REALLY &%$#*& off. Derek the Service desk attended suggested buying a whole new computer would be his advise! Yeah right!

DigiLife in Perth, West Australia are one of Apple's appointed and anointed service and sales agents. Last time they see me.
 
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my imac replacement

i bought an imac intel earlier this year. it had a bad power supply that overheated and burnt out the LB, and 2 hardrives. after fighting with mac for a month. they on the 29th day have made the decision to replace the computer entirely. it was still under the 1 year warranty. i had to fight with them to get a new system they just wanted to replace all the parts they could to get it runing and give it back.. i said no. i'm still not happy. after what will now be a month and half after i get this new system all i get for my trouble is .4 more ghz and a warranty for the new system. i have been paying for internet service for the last month; not able to synce my mobileme and iphone with a computer; i have to had to stay on top of apple and the warranty repait to get things moved along at this rate.. i had to think how long it would have taken if i had been more patient than i have.

what erks me the most is apple has offered me nothing for this trouble except replaceing the system with one that is only a tiny bit better. .4 more ghz is not much to brag about... and they had the audacity to try and upsell more onto the system when they offered it... like i may want to add more ram to it or a bigger hardrive... i was a little offended they did that. i thought they may offer to do one of those things since i've been a month without their piece of junk. i can't believe their answere was to offer me basically the equivalent and try to upsell it.

oh.. and i got a call today saying i would have to send it in before they would send me the new one... and that i would have to send it in the original box... that was a joke too. i of course don't have my original box.. so being on hold for 2 or 3 mins for them to decide on mute if they could manage sending me a box they assured me they could.

i'm still a little worked up about it.
 
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Hi Everyone!

Sorry for not posting in a few weeks. I've been really busy lately and I've barely found any time to come here or to other internet forums.

Anyway, my Mac is fine except that I can't use sleep mode. Whenever I put the computer in sleep mode, it shuts down. This issue doesn't bug me too much but I would like to use sleep mode every once and awhile.

I was in the Apple store yesterday, and the new MacBook looks AWESOME! I'd really love to get one soon.

~Tahiti :)
 
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No computer is infallible from a hardware perspective. There is no special magic that goes into Apple electronics, their systemboards and other components are manufactured by the very same Taiwanese/Chinese manufacturers that make PC systemboards and components.

As dtravis mentioned, about 4 years ago, the computer industry as a whole had issues with defective capacitors. This caused normally very reliable components like systemboards to fail as the capacitors would pop or leak electrolytic compounds. No computer manufacturer was immune to this - including Apple. At work, I'm still running into 4 year old Dells that just now started losing capacitors.

Swaza, I think your situation is reprehensible, perhaps it's time to look at a different source for your service needs. Any shop worth their salt should stand by their work, IMO.... I don't think your problem is with Apple as much as it is with that shop.


…except - I know, my reply is a little overdue, but the issue persists and will persist as long as Apple's idealism is limited to gaining marketshare… Except, thus, that the rate at which Apple hardware expires will debunk your statement head to toe!
I am no Windows person by any means. My familiarity to Windoze and Windoze-operated hardware is limited to troubleshooting friends' and relatives' computers. But let me tell you: I'm yet to see a non-Apple computer that goes kaput after 3-4 years!

In contrast, 2 of my €2.250,- PowerBooks (early 2004 & early 2005 models, 1.5 GHz and 1.67 Ghz respectively) had their logic boards enthusiastically depart this life in early 2007 and late 2008. My sweetheart's 2.2 GHz MacBook Pro, 2008 model, is since a year exhibiting very curious behaviour (part appears to have to do with PMU, however resetting it proves utterly futile; of course, there are many more problems, hardware- and software-related, repairing permissions and so forth hasn't helped the least of them).
In 2007 I rent a PowerMac G5 with 8 GB of RAM to edit a DVCProHD footage (since my expensive PowerBooks would barely manage a playback of YouTube films without stuttering too much and de-syncing audio and video - a task decidedly above their aptitude now!): the bloody thing would power off in de midst of editing, on average 5-8 times a day! I mean, come on! Please, be objective in your endeavour - Don Quixote-esque endeavour - to vindicate the unpardonable, namely: Apple's tradition of deliberately crippling the hardware (by what means - I don't know, ask Mr. Jobs - must have to do with Apple's control over both hardware and software).

I am positive, this issue must be battled! Via petitions, in courts, through all conceivable means! I'd wish for my beloved computer maker infinitely more to perish, than to continue duping her most loyal supporters as if it were the foundation of all goodness! Curse you, Apple!
 
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mine died too :(

I had a mac book pro for about a year and 1 year and 1 month later, just after the 1 year warranty expired, the logic board died. i've been quoted about $800 at 2 different places for parts and repair so i just broke down and got a refurbished one for a few hundred more than that....RIDICULOUS!
 

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That's why many of us recommend purchasing Apple care for portable computers. I know it's too late for you, but a refurbished board can be cost effective if purchased from an authorized Apple reseller.

Regards.
 
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Mac logic board died

I am so unbelieavle peeved with Apple.

After owning my Macbook Pro for 2 years my logic board has died...out of the blue, one morning my comp just wouldn't turn on.

Does anyone think this is ********e? Apple won't pay as it is outside the warranty but obviously it is a serious technical fault. It is now going to cost me $2100 to get a new mac...which I need for work purposes.

Of course I tried to complain to Apple over the phone but the "highest" person I could talk to was some girl who could hardly speak english and didn't know anything about Technical stuff or logic boards. I bet she is used to hearing the same problem from people!

I'm considering starting a Facebook Page about this to annoy Apple into giving us all refunds. WHO IS WITH ME!?!?!?!?!

ps - sorry if i have posted this a lot - not really sure how to use this blog
 
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