Replacing Cracked LCD - Late 2013 Retina Macbook Pro 13" - worth it?

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Level 1

2 points

Replacing Cracked LCD - Late 2013 Retina Macbook Pro 13" - worth it?

*sigh* After 2 years without much more than a few tiny scratches, my 13" rMBP LCD had an unfortunate meeting w/ a PS4 controller 😟 My fault completely. It looks like the screen is cracked on the inside. Based on what I've read, Apple will most likely charge me $600+ to fix it (support will be calling me tomorrow). The question is ... is it worth spending what probably amounts to what the laptop is worth now to replace the LCD?

Mine is a near top of the line (late '13) Haswell Core i7 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, with 512GB SSD model. Just not sure if 2 gens newer warrants a complete upgrade.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), Late '13, Core i7 2.8, 16GB, 512GB

Posted on Jan 15, 2016 1:17 AM

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Answer 1

Allan Jones

Level 9

78,032 points

Jan 15, 2016 9:30 AM in response to PrasVT

Repairing a damaged Retina screen requires replacing the enitre upper unit--thus the steep cost.

You can inquire about a "depot repair if you live in the US. Instead of fixing the computer in-store, it goes to a central Apple refurbishment facility. You really save money on things like bad logic boards; damage repairs in the refurb facility are more expensive but "may" be less than an in-store repair. Worth asking about. The only downside is the turn-around time, about one working week.

Check with the carrier of your homeowners'/renters' insurance. Many such policies cover damage to your tech gear, subject to the usual deductible, of course. If you deductible is around $200, you will be far ahead of a $600 repair or a new computer.

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Answer 2

PrasVT Author

Level 1

2 points

Jan 15, 2016 12:04 PM in response to Allan Jones

Thanks for the insights Allan.

I'll find out about the depot option when I take the computer in on Monday. I may just bite the bullet and pay for the repair for now as I suspect we'll see 2016 rMBP models in the next 6 months. Doesn't seem worth it to spend $2500+ for a marginally improved 2015 model (at least w/ respect to the 13" rMBP).

Thanks for the feedback folks. It just kinda stings to essentially throw away $700 - but I'll get over it 🙂

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Answer 3

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,329 points

Jan 15, 2016 3:07 AM in response to PrasVT

Look at the ebay website for similar MBP models and see what the SOLD prices are. This may make it easier to determine what the cost/benefits are for repair or replacement.

Ciao.

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Answer 4

PrasVT Author

Level 1

2 points

Jan 15, 2016 8:25 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Thanks - yah looks like they've been selling for $1100 - $1500 w/ similar configs.

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