Replacement 21.5" iMac screen?

February 17, 2010 9:38 AM

My in-laws' brand new 21.5" iMac took a header and has a badly cracked screen. Repair is going to run ~900; my f-i-l wants to try replacing the screen himself. We can't find any information on where to acquire the appropriate flat panel. Does anyone have a link?
posted by entropicamericana to computers & internet (9 answers total)

Not an endorsement because I have no idea who these people are, but:

Replacement Intel iMac Screens

I'm sure there are other places, too.

You might also have luck removing it and looking for OEM markings to figure out that it is in, in fact, an LG or Sony panel with a screen part number, and then look for that part number from some overseas wholesaler. (It will help if you can read Chinese.)

That's the most expensive part of the entire computer, as you just found out, so it might be cheaper to sell the broken-screen iMac to a parts hound on eBay, and then use the money to subsidize a replacement iMac.
posted by rokusan at 9:44 AM on February 17, 2010

Does that model have an external monitor out? You could buy another monitor and just pop in in front. Not an elegant solution, but a $150 one.
posted by tremspeed at 9:49 AM on February 17, 2010

The internal screen is broken, right? Not just the glass? An iMac around my office got wrecked by UPS but, behind the shattered glass and in the bent-aluminum frame, the display works just like new.
posted by tmcw at 9:54 AM on February 17, 2010

The newest iMacs have removable glass in front of the display. It's simply held on with magnets. That may be all that's broken.
posted by zsazsa at 10:10 AM on February 17, 2010

zsazsa: is that were the case, any idea where I could get replacement glass?
posted by entropicamericana at 10:13 AM on February 17, 2010

Many credit cards offer protection against accidental damage -- they'll pay for the repair. Was it bought with plastic or cash?
posted by squid patrol at 10:14 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Pretty sure he paid cash for it.
posted by entropicamericana at 10:36 AM on February 17, 2010

entropicamericana: there are several places on the net that sell parts like that. Here's one selling one for $169.95. Not cheap for a pane of glass.
posted by zsazsa at 10:49 AM on February 17, 2010

Confirm it's really the glass that is broken, and then MeMail me with the serial #, I can provide you a quote.
posted by BryanPayne at 8:22 PM on February 17, 2010