Where to go and what to expect for laptop repair?

December 27, 2010 3:19 PM

My laptop's screen isn't working. Where in Chicago should I take it to be fixed? What should I expect?

Hooking it up to an external monitor works fine, so it's the connection to the screen that's not working. It's an Asus from Best Buy. How much might a repair cost? Will it be a "while you wait" kind of thing, or should I expect to drop it off and come back for it? Or will it have to be shipped somewhere?

I'm in the Pilsen neighborhood, so recommendations for a repair shop close to there would be nice. Thanks!

posted by longtime_lurker to computers & internet (5 answers total)

How much did it cost and how old is it? It might seriously be worth getting a new one instead.

If it's the backlight (common), it'll be $200-$300 to replace. If you are good with a screwdriver, this is the kind of job you can do yourself (there will definitely be instructions online for your model). Otherwise, you'll have to drop it off because it'll take about an hour to do. I don't know if it'll have to go somewhere else because it depends on the manufacturer's servicing arrangements.
posted by Sutekh at 4:01 PM on December 27, 2010

I'm not sure exactly where you are in Chicago. But I work at Computer Plus in Batavia Illinois. Which is about 40 miles west of Chicago. Its hard to not talk like I want your money, but I've been working there for a year and a half and we handle things like this all the time. It will probably run around 200 just like Sutekh suggested.
posted by NotSoSiniSter at 4:20 PM on December 27, 2010

oops i didn't read the whole thing. Don't hold me to anything if you end up going to us, (I just don't want my boss coming after me :D) if we have a replacement lcd in our stash, we can replace it in front of you. But it being an Asus, I doubt it. Otherwise, it would be a few days to order the part and put it in.
posted by NotSoSiniSter at 4:25 PM on December 27, 2010

If you shine a light on it, can you see a faint image? It might just be the backlight, or the circuit board that controls the backlight. I'm not a repair expert, but that might mean that you don't need to replace the LCD.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 7:44 PM on December 27, 2010

Earl the Polliwog: "If you shine a light on it, can you see a faint image? It might just be the backlight, or the circuit board that controls the backlight. I'm not a repair expert, but that might mean that you don't need to replace the LCD."

Yeah, I thought my laptop's screen had gone out and it's just the backlight. You can see it really faintly in semi-light conditions. If it's actually the entire screen that's gone out, well, screens are usually the most expensive part of the laptop. On my older $2500 gaming laptop (a different one than the backlight issue), the screen replacement was quoted at over $1000. I hooked it up to an external monitor and basically made it a desktop system until I could afford a new laptop.

Do NOT take it back to Best Buy, unless it's under warranty. I used to work for their tech department (pre-Geek Squad, though I hear things haven't gotten better) and all I can say is stay away. It will go away for weeks at the least and cost you a fortune.
posted by IndigoRain at 7:53 PM on December 27, 2010