Replacement LCD for Macbook

[rayne008]

Hey CP,

Thoughts on the best place to buy a replacement LCD for a Macbook in town.
If possible, I'd like to pick one up tomorrow (Sunday)

Its a Macbook Core 2 duo 13.3 inch.

Thanks for suggestions in advance!

[HotHotHeat]

http://www.westworldcanada.com/

That's your best bet in my opinion. Good luck, that will be a pricy fix.

I will predict you end up walking out with a new computer hah.

[Hack&Lube]

Check this video out for instructions on replacing the screen yourself.

UO5hqeZoCGw

Buy a replacement LCD from wherever is most convenient for yourself online.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/APPLE-MACBOOK-MA255LL-A-LAPTOP-LCD-SCREEN-13-3-WXGA-/370371552645?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563bdd6585

[rayne008]

Thank-you.
I am, however, looking to pick one up one Sunday.
WEstworld appears to be open then.

[Hack&Lube]

Thank-you.
I am, however, looking to pick one up one Sunday.
WEstworld appears to be open then.

I am curious how much more expensive it is to get service and replacements at an Apple authorized dealer versus doing the DIY route. Let us know how it goes.

You can also call/e-mail this guy to see if he has any in stock. I'm guessing he will be cheaper than Westworld.
http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computers-Brand-New-A-Replacement-LCD-Screen-for-Apple-Laptops-includes-A-W0QQAdIdZ289334967

[rayne008]

Thanks - I emailed him, see what happens.

[rayne008]

For those who are intersted...

Westworld quote $470 + $95 install, would not sell seperately.
Needs to be ordered, 3 business days.

Kijiji guys never contacted me

Finally ordered one from laptopscreens.com for $86 incl. shipping.
Did a quick search, appears to be a legit company.
They state its a brand new OEM screen with 3-year warranty, hopefully will never
have to test their customer service.

[sclitheroe]

For those who are intersted...

Westworld quote $470 + $95 install, would not sell seperately.
Needs to be ordered, 3 business days.

Kijiji guys never contacted me

Finally ordered one from laptopscreens.com for $86 incl. shipping.
Did a quick search, appears to be a legit company.
They state its a brand new OEM screen with 3-year warranty, hopefully will never
have to test their customer service.

You have to report back on how this goes - I'd be very interested to know if the part is a 1 for 1 replacement (eg. same manufacturer and part number) and the same quality. I'm shocked that OEM LCD prices are that low, but I just googled iPad LCD's, and they tend to run around $85 as well..

[HotHotHeat]

$470!? It's a 13 inch screen! Pretty sure you can buy a 40 inch TV for around that much. I know there are differences but wow. Good luck, I'm hoping you get back to us on how it goes as well.

[Hack&Lube]

$470!? It's a 13 inch screen! Pretty sure you can buy a 40 inch TV for around that much. I know there are differences but wow. Good luck, I'm hoping you get back to us on how it goes as well.

42" 1080p TV for $430 w/free shipping on Dell Deals today :)

And its obviously no secret that Apple and Apple dealers drastically overprice everything. If you are able to replace parts yourself and aren't in a warranty situation, you can always save a tremendous amount of money. Apple sources their LCDs from the exact same manufacturers as everyone else (usually LG Phillips/AU Optronics, etc.) and they mass produce panels in such volumes that in actuality, they are ridiculously cheap per unit price.

Also, Macbook Pros use lower resolution screens than many other notebooks of the same size. Many 15" notebooks are using 1920x1080 screens today while the latest 15" MBPs come with 1,440×900 screens. This may purely be a design decision as for some people, it's easier on the eyes for many to have a lower resolution screen on a smaller notebook display.

[Titan]

To be fair I am not sure how much this is Apple or just Westworld seeing a chance to rape someone and going for it.

[fredr123]

Thanks to the OP and H&L for creating this thread and providing those links. My MacBook Pro's LCD has seen better days. The screen has a bunch of coloured lines running vertically on the extreme left hand sign of the screen. It started happening outside the warranty period so I figured I was screwed. I'm going to look into it a bit more but this thread has given me the courage to perhaps try fixing it on my own.

My screen looks sort of like this but the lines are only on the extreme left.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TrFJRdeJubA/TRQxS3_8HJI/AAAAAAAABrk/odK-ISlvZqE/s1600/imacbrokenscreen.jpg

[rayne008]

My 'package' arrived this morning from laptopscreens.com, was shipped from north vancouver. Will install tonight, but 1st impressions are very positive. Very well packed in bubble wrap, screen encased in cardboard & foam, then wrapped in protective blue wrapper. Screen has LG marking on it.

If it works, I will highly recommend this place, as it was only on Saturday night that the stupid cat knocked the mackbook of the table and destroyed the screen.

[rayne008]

Final update - First screen I ordered was incorrect, sent it back and reordered new one, which I received Monday. (My fault here, I used the online catalogue to order rather than rip the macbook apart and get the proper numbers off of the old LCD)

So 6 business days after the idiot cat broke the macbook, I was able to replace it using a guide online. (50 steps, took about 1 hour to remove and and 45 minutes to replace)

Screen works great, couldn't be happier. Overall cost under $100, and could have been fixed in 3 days. Orginally quoted over $500 for install locally.

I would highly recommend this laptopscreens.com place, super fast shipping at cheap prices. Good customer service (The used a web ticket to ask about a concern with my creditcard a few hours after I placed the order [I used my shipping address rather than my billing address])

I was able to return the incorrect part, just had to pay shipping.

Tips I learned in replacing the LCD myself:

- Find a good set of instructions online and read them first. (I perfer pictures rather than video, as the pictures are numbered, easier to reverse when reinstalling)

- Remove the defective LCD first to get the correct manufactures number on the back. On mine at least they matched excatly to the website, so I had complete confidence that I had order the correct one (the 2nd time)

- I used ducttape and numbered the 50 steps and stuck the screws I removed to the correct step number, made reinstalling a snap.

- Be very gentle with connectors, accidently ripped out my mic cable from the system board, had to resolder. Some connectors come out from the top, some from the side.

[Hack&Lube]

Good job. I'm glad it worked out for you. Feels good when you can fix things yourself instead of paying the exorbitant prices regularly charged doesn't it?