Macbook Logic Board Question

da_newbieda_newbie
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
Okay, so here's my predicament:



My friend has a mid-2009 Macbook A1181, 2.13 GHz C2D, and someone managed to spill nail-polish remover on the thing while it was on. I wasn't there at the time, but they said they flipped it over, used a fan, paper towels, etc. to get the liquid out. Now, she went to the Apple store and they gave her a repair estimate of about $800. Now, in my opinion, that's way over the top, so I took a look at it, and as far as I can tell, it's the logic board that's fried.



Now, I know I can replace it, but I'm trying to find an affordable alternative. To be honest, it took me way longer than it should to figure out the model of the macbook (why multiple makes have the same model number A1181 baffles me if they aren't the same).



This leads me to my question: is it possible to replace the 2.13 GHz logic board with a different one, one that may be cheaper (i.e., a 2.0 GHz or 2.2 GHz)? Or would there be compatibility issues? This one has been racking my brain and I want to find out so I can get it back to her asap.



Quick responses are appreciated. Thanks!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
    2.0GHz (Product code: IF186-082-1 Apple Part #: 661-5033), 2.13GHz (Product code: IF186-090-1 Apple Part #: 661-5242) boards will fit for sure.

    2.2GHz, 2.4GHz boards may not fit. Most probably, they only need their own heat sinks to be installed with.
  • Reply 2 of 3
    da_newbieda_newbie Posts: 4member
    Alright, sounds good to me! Thank you very much for the response. Looking at the prices though, I may suggest alternatives (selling hers for parts and getting another one, maybe). It depends on what she wants to do, I'm just the labor. Thanks again, I appreciate it!
  • Reply 3 of 3
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,320moderator
    There are service repair guys who use eBay and will replace the logic board (search for "macbook logic board repair"):



    http://cgi.ebay.com/REPAIR-YOUR-MACB...#ht_640wt_1167



    You would pick someone with good feedback - check their feedback for similar repairs - and always use insured, signed-for shipping.



    Apple charge way too much for hardware fixes, often times cost of ownership arguments come into why Macs are better than PCs and it quickly goes out the window when you see a repair bill. Accidental damage cover on building contents insurance might cover it if you'd feel safer with an Apple repair job.
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