repairing 5 year old macpro

February 3, 2011 2:05 AM

when starting up my 5 year old macpro, grandprix flag style graphics have appeared. Could this be a warning of graphics card failure? it is not N vidia so will be costly. The hard drive also needs replacing so is it worth the gamble on such an old model?
posted by King_Wang to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

Hard drives are cheap on any machine, so that's not really an issue. You say 'Mac Pro', but reading between the lines, it sounds like you have a MacBook Pro. If that's the case, it really comes down to whether the money you'd spend on a repair would be better spent on a new laptop. The Apple Store usually has a cap on the total amount they charge for repairs, so if you're in a country where one is accessible it'd probably be worth your while to get them to assess the extent of the problem (probably a new logic board, but it'd be good to know for sure) and give you a specific quote.
posted by jaffacakerhubarb at 4:50 AM on February 3, 2011

Sometimes, on models with known motherboard/video issues, Apple will repair the machine for free even if it's out of warranty. Not always, but it's worth asking about if you still want to hold on to your hardware.

Harddrives, on desktops or laptops, are easy and cheap to replace. I wouldn't discard a machine just because the HD was going bad.

Video card/chips are another issue entirely. Depending on the type (integrated vs discrete) it can be expensive to replace. Also, it might not even be the video card but rather a clogged heat sink or malfunctioning fan. There are a couple variables here.

5 years is a good run for any modern computer.
posted by sbutler at 5:48 AM on February 3, 2011