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Question

Problem with 15'' MBP screen. please help!

Jul 22, 2011 2:55PM PDT

Hi everyone,

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Those photos show
Jul 22, 2011 10:19PM PDT

Those photos show what's called the Mura effect, or just mura. Usually that is a display failure, but you are potentially in luck. Take the laptop to an AASP or Apple store, and tell them to run the nVidia graphics chip test on it. Tell them to look up KB article TS2377 if they aren't familiar with it. You can look that up yourself, and see the basic info about the program. Service providers will see additional info about how to test and process things if your system indeed fails the test.

If it does fail, this is a special recall program so do not let them charge you for it. Apple will pay labor to the ASP so they aren't allowed to charge you anything unless you want to pay for an expedited repair. It will involve having your laptop's logic board replaced, because yours was made during the time when nVidia was trying to cover up the fact that it was producing a lot of defective graphics chips, in particular the infamous 8800GT which is most likely in your system.

You can give that a shot, and with luck it will fix the problem. If not, then it would be that your display is starting to fail. Assuming your laptop is out of any kind of warranty coverage, if there's no obvious accidental/abuse damage beyond normal wear, the system may qualify for Apple's flat rate repair service which is about $310 to fix anything and everything that's wrong. If there's any kind of accidental/abuse damage, particularly to the display assembly, then you may as well buy a new computer. The display panel would kick it to the highest repair tier which would be about $1300 or more. For a laptop going on 4 years old, the flat rate would be borderline whether or not it's worth it, the $1300 would definitely not be worth it.

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Thanks
Jul 24, 2011 3:10AM PDT

Thanks, that was super useful, my MPB is definitely within the criteria, this could be the issue. Again, thanks for this. I will try my luck tomorrow.

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Those photo's show
Jul 24, 2011 5:47PM PDT

Thank you so much for that info, I have the same issues and the same laptop model. Much appreciated...

Sandy

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:(
Jul 24, 2011 7:22PM PDT

I checked with an AASP and that was not the issue. It was the lcd panel which needs replacing....

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Then consider the flat rate repair option
Jul 24, 2011 11:21PM PDT

Then consider the flat rate repair option, which is really your only choice IIRC. There's a part constraint on your particular model's display panel and they HAVE to be sent to one of Apple's depots for repair.

Take it to an Apple store, get them to look it over for a flat rate quote. Granted the depots are not actually run by Apple, so they kind of do their own thing a lot of the time, but if you get someone at an Apple retail store to say it should pass muster, you have a much better chance of arguing down any attempts to requote the repair. Just make sure they actually generate a case number at the retail store, and write it down. The retail stores are notoriously bad about that. Drives me nuts when someone says they took a system into an Apple store, who said it was this or that, and I go to look up the history and find there is none. So now I have to duplicate all that effort because of some lazy git at the retail store who couldn't take 5 minutes to write down some notes. And without that case number, there's no official record of anyone having ever looked at your computer, so it becomes a he said she said kind of affair, which you will likely lose. So, be sure to not leave the store until the person who does a cosmetic check of your computer writes something down in a case log, and gives you the number. Might not even hurt to then call Apple's main support line before leaving the general area, give them the case number, and ask them to relay back the gist of the notes. If it's not what the person in the store said, march back in and make them do it over again. Repeat as necessary until you get the proper results.

And yes, I like making life a little difficult for the retail stores sometimes. They make life difficult for me, especially when they screw up a diagnosis, so I return the favor by telling people like you how to work the system, which I'm sure they don't care for, but also can't do anything about.

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Not in US
Jul 25, 2011 12:07AM PDT

I would if I lived in the US. I am stuck in a country where Apple is only present through an AASP which quoted 600 euros (850 USD) for a new panel. Not good, not good.

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In that case
Jul 25, 2011 11:17AM PDT

In that case, I'd be looking for a new laptop. The now discontinued MacBook might be a good option. It's only a little more than the repair cost for what you have, and should be quite a bit better overall. Smaller screen, but everything else should be better about it. And now that it's a discontinued model, you can probably find some good closeout prices on it. Don't worry about support though, Apple will be stocking parts for those for at least the next 5 years. Well, four years and about 360 days anyway.