1.8GHz Upgrade Causes Major Damages

My name is Bret Munk. I recently purchased a 1.8GHz processor upgrade for my Macintosh Cube from Daystar's online store, GigaDesigns LLC. located in Capitola, CA,

I am an Apple Certified Desktop Technician, Apple Certified Powerbook Technician, Apple Certified Laserwriter Technician, Apple Certified Technical Coordinator, and an Apple Solutions Expert. I also have certifications for CompTIA, Xerox printers, Minolta imaging devices, Siemens wireless terminals, and Okidata peripherals. I am extremely proficient in hardware repair and understand how to take proper ESD precautions.

I installed the 1.8GHZ processor upgrade card per the instructions and powered on my Cube. The power LED on the Cube illuminated but my 20" Cinema Display remained black with no signs of power, and there was no drive activity.

Next, I removed the Daystar card and reinstalled the factory 450MHz processor. The Cube still ceased to function normally. No drive activitiy, no display, etc.

Troubleshooting at my local shop, MacSuperstore located in San Luis Obispo, revealed a failed motherboard and also a failed memory module.

I notified Tim Ericksen at Gigadesigns, (510) 919-1988, who suggested I disassemble and reassemble the Cube to insure the processor card was seated properly.

I followed Tim's instructions but with no success. I eventually left the store with a new computer in hand, a used PowerMac G4/466MHz.

I arrived home with my new computer and attached it to my 20" Cinema Display on to discover the gray Apple boot screen "blanks out" when Mac OS X Startup begins.

I returned to the store, tested the 466MHz G4 on several Cinema Displays. They all work fine.

Tech shop consensus was that the 1.8 GHz processor upgrade card which compromised my motherboard and memory module had also somehow damaged my display as well.

I discussed the situation further with Tim at Gigadesigns. Tim is resistant to offer any compensation aside from a refund of the processor card. Tim suggests that it was probably just time for all of these components to fail, and the timing of their failure happened to coincide with the installation of the Daystar upgrade. Tim repeatedly refused to take any responsibility for the Cube and display damage.

So here I sit, staring at an old beige monitor as I type this warning:

"BEWARE UPGRADES FROM DAYSTAR. IF THEIR UPGRADE COMPONENT DAMAGES ANYTHING, DAYSTAR WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE!".

So, now I have a Cube and a 20" Display, literally thousands of $$$, damaged, sitting idle in my closet, both of which worked fine before I purchased a Daystar product, and I am using a used computer with a used CRT monitor, both of which I had to purchase.

I am convinced that I will use every resource available to warn the public about this fraudulent company and to seek restitution for the damages incurred by their products.

Regards,
Bret Munk
Grover Beach, CA
[email protected]

Thank you for the warning, I hope you get some form of compensation for the damaged equipment in which the upgrade caused.

Thats really odd that a bad CPU could cause that much damage. I could understand causing problems for the logic board but I would guess the display going bad might have just been coincedence.

What I find interesting is that the Tim guy you mention tries to shift the blame from the processor upgrade. Normally a company will have a disclaimer that if thier product damages your computer then they will take no responsibility (like software companies do). Instead of Tim refering to such a disclaimer he says that it must have been a coincidence that all the components failled at the same time as the upgrade.

Does the company actually have an explicit/obvious disclaimer on thier website?