The logic lath of every Apple laptop or desktop computer is the main circuit board where components interact with each other. This maintains the normal part of the calculator. With a logic board failure, nosotros can expect a loss of communication within the device, and somewhen a system crash. The CPU, the brain of the computer, can't send signals through the logic board, the nerve heart, to the residual of the system.

This kind of failure can crusade complete system failures that can make it very hard to test for. Logic board failure is known as one of the hardest things to diagnose and repair. It involves a lot of thorough testing and delicate parts to navigate through. In this guide, we will go through the main causes of logic board failure, and what y'all can do for your Apple laptop or desktop Mac.

Logic lath vs motherboard

In that location is no actual difference in function between logic boards and motherboards. The term logic board is merely the name for motherboard, coined by Apple tree. Apple tree may have certain specifications that fit them for simply Apple computers, but every bit almost motherboards are unique to each device, it doesn't make logic boards any different to motherboards.

Causes of logic board failure

Liquid spill

liquid spill drink

It'south an easy mistake to make. Knocking over a drink or whatever liquid on a laptop tin be a scary thing to face, every bit the delicate computer hardware could get ruined. When liquid gets into the within of a laptop reckoner, the first thing to go would exist the logic board, sometimes the keyboard will get damaged as well. The connecting points on the logic board will stop working from the liquid, and this can cause the eventual failure of the entire board.

Don't panic if you find yourself in a laptop liquid spill accident. The get-go matter yous should do is to remove the laptop from its power source. Don't try to clean it off with things similar a hair dryer either! Unprofessional cleaning treatment similar that can cause possible further impairment on other parts of the computer.

Overheating

Dusty computer fan

Overheating is bad for the entire computer in general. All parts of the computer, particularly the logic board, need efficient cooling for the entire reckoner to piece of work smoothly. The CPU and video card often depict a lot of power and generate a lot of oestrus. Your computer's cooling arrangement then disperses this rut generated for a suitable internal temperature.

If this rut is non dispersed chop-chop, the system will overheat. This can cause connecting points or parts of the logic board to warp, which will issue in a logic board failure. Inefficient heat dispersion can be acquired by large dust build up, or a faulty cooling fan.

Natural wearable and tear

As nosotros already know, many hardware components exercise not last very long. Nosotros tin can't predict logic board failure from natural vesture and tear damage, but it is still i of the factors that cause this failure.

What a faulty logic board can await like

Sometimes the damage on the logic lath isn't visible plenty to see, this kind of harm can too reflect on your computing feel.

When a logic board does fail, components lose their channels of communication and can't interact with each other. This majorly affects how the computer works. It can more often than not lead to unexpected system crashes, or a consummate system failure.

Certain signs of a faulty logic board

In that location are some sure signs of a faulty logic board that y'all may come across. A part of the logic board is called the "organization management controller" and it tin be tested with Apple tree Diagnostics. If Apple tree Diagnostics reports errors with the system management controller, it's a logic board issue.

Or, if you observe that the USB ports next to the HDMI / MIDI ports aren't working, you could also take a logic board issue. The video ports are directly connected to the logic board, and any failure that area could touch on the connectivity of ports and components.

For Macbook Air and Macbook Pro users, an incredibly dim screen could also exist a logic board failure sign. This is a dimmed screen that yous can't turn back on and would need a torch to shine on it to meet things. The LED screen of Macbook Air and Macbook Pro laptops are controlled by the logic lath, so a logic board failure might affect the screen's brightness.

A logic board can "come dorsum to life" after "dying", but volition probably crash once more. Unfortunately, a faulty logic board doesn't evidence that many early alarm signs to prevent crashes from happening. Without a functioning motherboard, your system but won't work at all. It'south important to test your system to confirm these faults, then get a repair solution.

Want to know more than about obvious signs of reckoner hardware failures? We've compiled a list of the ten common computer hardware bug that you can know direct away.

How to examination your logic board for bug

We've mentioned briefly higher up most testing the logic board by method of eliminating other bug. This involves testing the RAM and video card, and the difficult drive, if needed.

It also depends on whether your computer passes Mail (Power-On Cocky Examination). When you showtime your computer, the system goes through Mail. This tests things like CPU, memory, and network interfaces. If the computer hardware passes Mail service successfully, y'all'll get to the Apple logo splash screen or a calorie-free greyness background.

Hardware to exam

If your Apple laptop or desktop Mac passes POST, you'll need to test your hard drive, RAM, and GPU. If not, just test the RAM and GPU.

For built-in RAM or GPU embedded on the logic lath, any issues plant with these parts can be diagnosed as a logic lath failure. They are part of the logic lath, and the whole board will need to exist replaced if any issues are constitute with either part.

Testing hard bulldoze

disk utility first aid

Deejay Utility First Aid and Apple Diagnostics tin can aid you test your hard bulldoze for problems. Difficult drive failure can crusade bug with startup, and other performance and storage related bug. Errors like a question mark binder showing at startup can mean you take a hard drive issue.

Check your hard disk with Disk Utility by running Start Aid if your Mac does boot successfully. Beginning Help tin can help you detect and repair bad sectors, and prevent premature failure also. If your computer is unable to startup successfully, you tin can run Apple tree Diagnostics at startup. Press the "D" key when yous reach the Apple tree splash screen to run Apple Diagnostics. You'll be able to find possible issues with hardware like the hard drive, bombardment, or RAM.

For more than thorough tests, you lot may besides utilize dedicated hard bulldoze analysis software like WD Drive Utilities for Mac. You'll demand to test the drive on a split Mac desktop via a USB to SATA enclosure box. This keeps the drive isolated from other factors that could affect its performance.

You may move on to testing other components if your hard drive is running properly. If you do find that your difficult bulldoze is faulty, follow our guide on how to exam and repair a faulty Apple difficult drive. You can consider yourself lucky if you just take a difficult bulldoze issue, equally they are much easier to ready than the logic lath.

Testing RAM

RAM can come in either detachable chips or is embedded onto the logic board (almost laptops take this). This affects how nosotros're going to test for issues on the RAM.

For Apple desktop Macs like iMac and Mac Mini, you can remove the RAM chip for testing. This might not be the instance for near Apple tree laptop Macs from 2012 and onwards. They have their RAM built-in on the logic board. Just to make sure, y'all may simply open upward your laptop to take a look whether the RAM is embedded on the motherboard.

When your computer passes POST

With Apple tree Diagnostics, you can test both detachable and embedded RAM for problems, if your Mac does pass POST. If yous can besides get your Mac to showtime up properly, running RAM testing software similar MemTest86 could besides be helpful.

Recollect what we mentioned before nigh embedded RAM beingness part of the logic lath? With a RAM error on your laptop with built-in RAM, you can conclude that yous accept a faulty logic lath. If you do find that your detachable RAM fleck is faulty, all yous need to do is supplant it. Otherwise, nosotros can movement on to testing the video card.

When your computer doesn't pass POST

If your computer turns on but stays on a blackness screen, that means information technology's not passing Mail. Y'all'll need to take out your current RAM chip and examination your system with a spare working RAM flake. This simply applies to desktop Macs every bit most laptop RAM can't be taken out.

Checking to see whether your problem remains with this spare RAM tin can assist y'all deduce whether you lot've got a logic board problem. If your calculator works fine with this spare RAM, so you've got a RAM failure. If not, you might accept a logic board failure.

Testing GPU

Graphics card video card GPU

Again, Apple Diagnostics tin can also help you test your video card if your Mac passes POST. Running analysis software like FurMark from Geeks3D tin can besides get yous more in-depth results with a video card test.

If your Mac does not Postal service, you lot can only exam your video card when information technology is divide from your motherboard. Virtually Apple tree Mac laptops have embedded GPU on the logic board, and so y'all can't take information technology out to test on a dissimilar desktop Mac.

You'll either be able to find a logic lath failure by eliminating all other possibilities, or past finding a fault with a component embedded on the logic lath. To repair this, you'll usually demand to get the logic board repaired.

Thinking well-nigh replacing your logic board by yourself?

Logic boards as the main circuit board for a Mac, incorporate complex parts and connecting points. Replacing one is one of the nearly difficult estimator repairs to exercise, even for experienced technicians similar united states of america.

For those skilled at DIY and tech, replacing a logic board by themselves would definitely be a time-efficient solution for a logic board failure. Merely because of the complexity of the logic lath, a replacement normally only has a 70-fourscore% success rate. In most logic board repairs, everything in the computer will have to be taken out and put back subsequently replacing the lath. If you lot are unsure near doing all this, you might desire to get out information technology to a professional.

Confident in your DIY skills? You can notice tons of logic board replacement guides online from ifixit. Guides specific to your Mac's model might besides exist available on at that place. But first, you'll need a new logic board.

Logic boards are ofttimes made tailored to the model of calculator, fit to size and interface. The different dimensions of Mac laptops may also change the logic board's size and how everything fits on it. You'll need to buy the exact same logic board model every bit a replacement. Observe out which model of logic board you have, and so refer to the universal model part numbers that Apple branded parts have when you're buying it online or in-shop.

A few things to mention…

Logic board failure can happen to anyone who has an Apple laptop or desktop Mac. However, at that place are still a few things yous can follow to go along yourself from a premature logic board failure.

Protecting your logic board

While some logic lath failures are out of our hands, keeping some healthy computing habits can help you lot avoid things that cause them. This might exist keeping your estimator's ventilation clear and clean, and making certain that your cooling system is in shape.

Keeping it clean

The cooling fan can draw dust into your laptop or desktop Mac. Excess dust accumulated inside your calculator tin can trap heat, which can hinder heat dispersion. If this heat is non dispersed, your computer may too work slower than usual due to overheating.

You may simply need to clean the inside of your computer once a year to keep it dust-gratis, so information technology's non that big of a chore. Using cleaning products like lint-complimentary material and isopropyl alcohol could come up in handy for this.

Making sure that your cooling arrangement is in shape

The cooling fan is the barrier against overheating, so you lot might desire to go along it salubrious and working properly. If the fan is making abnormal rattling sounds while it's running, that's an obvious sign that it is failing. You may besides examination its status by running Apple tree Diagnostics.

Keeping the ventilation outlets articulate might besides be a good idea for proper airflow. Instances like using your laptop on fabric surfaces tin cake ventilation and trap heat.

Getting a professional person repair

Logic board repairs and replacements are quite hard and it'due south understandable to become a professional to do it. Later on you've understood the whole process, you tin can get a better idea of what's needed for the computer to work again.

Going to the Apple store tin can commonly get you lot gratis servicing for no fee if your device is under a valid warranty or Apple care. With that said, y'all might want to check whether your Apple intendance or warranty is valid or not. Apple might not exist able to provide support if not, or that your device is considered obsolete for servicing. This includes Apple laptops or desktop Macs from 2012 and before.

A third-party repair service tin assistance you where the Apple tree store cannot. Or you may be wanting to become somewhere closer to you. As a highly rated reckoner repair service in Sydney, our experienced technicians at Safemode Calculator Service can help you with a logic board replacement. We are located in the Inner West, a close-by option for all your computer repair needs. We can help you diagnose laptop or desktop issues, and provide the right solution for you. Ask us more by calling or visiting our Enmore store today.