claudiostrika
Level 1 (4 points)
Desktops

Q: Differences among iMac logic boards

Please, what are the diferences among the logic boards MB324J/A and MB324LL/A, from iMac 20" Early 2008? My computer came from a batch of products lately diagnosed with the pixelated screen problem after some use. And now I have the opportunity to get an used board trying to change the malfunctioning board. Thanks in advance.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Aug 22, 2016 1:54 PM

by John Galt,Solvedanswer
John Galt John Galt
Level 8 (48,715 points)
Mac OS X
A:

You can always specify your desired regional preferences using System Preferences > Language & Region, so that's not a problem.

 

Of course it would be desirable to replace a logic board with one that matches its part number exactly. For example, a logic board for a Mac sold in Japan will use components that comply with local regulatory requirements such as its wireless radio, so you can expect challenges related to that.

 

A more significant concern might be the reason the GPU failed... for example, degraded thermal compound will lead to inadequate heat dissipation, leading to other problems, and a replacement board of similar age could have the same problem.

Posted on Aug 22, 2016 3:43 PM

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claudiostrika

Q: Differences among iMac logic boards

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  • by John Galt,Helpful

    John Galt John Galt Aug 22, 2016 3:12 PM in response to claudiostrika
    Level 8 (48,715 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 22, 2016 3:12 PM in response to claudiostrika

    They were manufactured for sale in Japan and North America, respectively.

  • by claudiostrika,

    claudiostrika claudiostrika Aug 22, 2016 3:32 PM in response to John Galt
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 22, 2016 3:32 PM in response to John Galt

    Thank you John! You were very helpful. But the next question is: can I use the MB324J/A logic board in a computer originally assembled with the MB324LL/A one? What kind of consequences will result from this change? The computer will work fine with english settings and arabic alphabets or the instructions only will appear in kanji or similar? Thank you in advance...

  • by John Galt,Solvedanswer

    John Galt John Galt Aug 22, 2016 3:43 PM in response to claudiostrika
    Level 8 (48,715 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 22, 2016 3:43 PM in response to claudiostrika

    You can always specify your desired regional preferences using System Preferences > Language & Region, so that's not a problem.

     

    Of course it would be desirable to replace a logic board with one that matches its part number exactly. For example, a logic board for a Mac sold in Japan will use components that comply with local regulatory requirements such as its wireless radio, so you can expect challenges related to that.

     

    A more significant concern might be the reason the GPU failed... for example, degraded thermal compound will lead to inadequate heat dissipation, leading to other problems, and a replacement board of similar age could have the same problem.

  • by claudiostrika,

    claudiostrika claudiostrika Aug 22, 2016 6:15 PM in response to John Galt
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 22, 2016 6:15 PM in response to John Galt

    Thank you again, John! I fully agree with your considerations, specially that you mentioned in your last paragraph: "... a replacement board of similar age could have the same problem". During the last year I´m trying to find some references about this specific problem but there is no a solution that you can trust, I mean a specific component change or a technical solution. I´m always expect a special report, for example, from the logic board manufacturer about the problem, bring us a solution like an IC change, a technical procedure or something like that… But I´ll continue my search. Thank you a lot, John. Hugs from south of Brazil.