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Broken screen 27” (pics)

C

cynics

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jan 8, 2012
11,977
2,177
Booo! Got complacent while working on my iMac. I replaced the thermal paste (dried out from years of video encoding and age).

Everything going fine.

544789AC-8394-4DE6-95A8-75C78A238CDB.jpeg

Lay the screen back on but it wasn’t quite perfect so go to peel it up a little and....

CEEB11CC-286E-432B-8536-CF9E93E819B6.jpeg

The crack spread to the middle.

I thought, meh I’ll just get new display glass on amazon. Come to find out the LCD and glass are fused and requires a new screen entirely (2013).

What is my least expensive option? I might cut my losses and upgrade on the next refresh unless you guys know of a reasonable deal.

Kind of wish I waited till the new iMacs were released before I decided to break things. Lol

Thanks in advanced for any help!
 
tubeexperience said:
Here's a new display assembly for $390:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Screen-Assembly-for-iMac-27-A1419-2K-LM270WQ1-SD-F1-2012-2013/323339793943?epid=2206255199&hash=item4b488db617:g:2HYAAOSw6HJZxJjD&_sacat=0&_nkw=display+assembly+iMac+2013&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0
Click to expand...

You’re the man! I search eBay this morning and didn’t find anything close to that.

I was even looking at broken Macs or selling it with a cracked screen. However every under 450 was that price because the screen was broken. Which means I would be better off fixing it just to recoup that cost.

Appreciate the help!
 
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It cracked from trying to lift the glass again to better align it? I didn’t realize it was that fragile. I’ll be attempting an SSD swap this weekend... I’ll make sure I’m extra careful!
 
Advice, get the thinnest cheapest monitor that you can situate infront of the iMac.
Pretend noooooothimg happend!

I replaced a MacBook 2007 monitor, left a small screw on the keyboard, closed the case, heard a ting
For 2 years I stared at that tiny blip on the new screen until the HD’s went, and I replaced that with a MacBook Air in 2010.
 
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Armendegga said:
It cracked from trying to lift the glass again to better align it? I didn’t realize it was that fragile. I’ll be attempting an SSD swap this weekend... I’ll make sure I’m extra careful!
Click to expand...

I pried on it in an attempt to salvage the adhesive. As long as you cut the adhesive strips and lift with suction cups you’ll be fine. I just did something dumb.

Just avoid applying pressure in a small area. If it won’t lift off keep trimming at the adhesive.

I’ve done it a dozen times without and issue.
 
cynics said:
I pried on it in an attempt to salvage the adhesive. As long as you cut the adhesive strips and lift with suction cups you’ll be fine. I just did something dumb.

Just avoid applying pressure in a small area. If it won’t lift off keep trimming at the adhesive.

I’ve done it a dozen times without and issue.
Click to expand...

Ah okay, thanks for the update... that’s good to know!
I’m sorry that it happened to you
 
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Ouch. :(

That's why I didn't bother swapping the HD on my 2010 iMac to an SSD. I'm using it just as a monitor now, but if I wanted to use it as a full computer, I'd either just use an external SSD or else I'd pay a service centre to do it.

BTW, there is a tech who has posted here before who said that in their authorized service centre the techs have cracked the screens a few times too.
 
Armendegga said:
It cracked from trying to lift the glass again to better align it? I didn’t realize it was that fragile. I’ll be attempting an SSD swap this weekend... I’ll make sure I’m extra careful!
Click to expand...

You can't do that.

Once you put in the display, the adhesive is set.

If you didn't align it right, you have to cut the adhesive (again) with the iMac opening wheel and use a new set of adhesive.

______________________________________________________________________________

Also, I recommend that you get a second person to hold the display.
 
Such are the hazards of "trying to do it yourself".
That's why I almost ALWAYS advise: "plug in a USB3 SSD -- easier, faster, SAFER" ...

Ahem... where's that "tubeexperience" guy now, who's always telling folks to pry open their iMacs because they'll still be covered "under warranty"...? ;)
 
Fishrrman said:
Ahem... where's that "tubeexperience" guy now, who's always telling folks to pry open their iMacs because they'll still be covered "under warranty"...? ;)
Click to expand...

I am right here!

Your argument is a red herring.

I have NEVER said ANYWHERE that any user damage is covered by the warranty.

Also, the warranty on his/her iMac probably already expired anyway.
 
Fishrrman said:
Such are the hazards of "trying to do it yourself".
That's why I almost ALWAYS advise: "plug in a USB3 SSD -- easier, faster, SAFER" ...

Ahem... where's that "tubeexperience" guy now, who's always telling folks to pry open their iMacs because they'll still be covered "under warranty"...? ;)
Click to expand...

Plug in a USB SSD to apply liquid metal thermal compound to the CPU and GPU? How does that work?

Like mentioned I've been in this thing a dozen times (CPU upgrade, thermal paste to liquid metal on the CPU and GPU, kryonaut paste on vram, clicky fan replaced, tons of dust blown out on several occasions, SSD upgrade several times (HDD > 250gb SSD > 1 tb SSD > 2 tb SSD), pulling SSD's for firmware updates before it was easy to do with MacOS, etc) but got complacent this time. Apple wouldn't cover much even if there was existing warranty left lol.

I wouldn't say a USB SSD is much easier since the software side of things is the PITA part, its not faster (unless you mean installation) and its not safer (unless you are not referring to data loss). Years ago when I upgraded to an internal SSD it was an upgrade from an external SSD.

I used new adhesive strips this round and it wouldn't lift off as easy. I would even say the OWC strips I had were more adhesive than the OEM.

Overall if someone considers themselves somewhat "handy" going into an iMac isn't difficult. A HDD to SSD swap is really easy since you only have to shift the right speaker slightly out of the way. Do it enough times and you odds of breaking something increase, just like anything else in life. More likely to fall off a ladder if you use a ladder 20 times every single day.

If you just plan on going in once get new strips. If you plan on going in more often get new strips but only use them if you need too. Even now with the cracked screen on the newly cut adhesive I can't remove it, not even close. I carried it by the stand back into my office and would confidently hold it face down over my head. Now that I have a cracked screen though I'm going to use it to fab a way to use neodymium magnets held on with epoxy to keep the display on. I'll need to get back in to blow the dust out occasionally and make sure the liquid metal isn't migrating. Also want to look into delidding the CPU and if that isn't an option than using liquid metal between die and heat spreader.

Thermals are impressive though, can't get the CPU above 90c with the fan software locked to 1200rpm. With the i5-4670 it would get to ~96c with the stock paste causing the fans to crank up. Reapplying new/better paste (Kryonaut) and it was around 90c max @ 1200rpm. With an i7-4771 with a new application of the better paste it would bump the fans up to around 1800rpm on occasion. i7-4771 with liquid metal (conductonaut) and 90c is the highest and with the stock fan profile the fan doesn't increase over 1200 rpm no matter what I'm doing.
 
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Fishrrman said:
Such are the hazards of "trying to do it yourself".
That's why I almost ALWAYS advise: "plug in a USB3 SSD -- easier, faster, SAFER" ...

Ahem... where's that "tubeexperience" guy now, who's always telling folks to pry open their iMacs because they'll still be covered "under warranty"...? ;)
Click to expand...

I'll have to actually defend @tubeexperience here. He HAS always said that any damage caused by upgrading would not be covered by Apple's warranty. I do believe he understates the risk of damage and downplays the intractable stand Apple takes in these situations, but he has never said that the warranty would not be voided by user-inflicted damage.
 
I have a 2012 with 1TB fusion drive that keeps powering off randomly. Local Apple Authorised Repair Centre have quoted £230 including replacement PSU. I'll get them to replace the thermal paste and the spinning rust with a spare SSD while they have it open :)
 
EugW said:
Ouch. :(

That's why I didn't bother swapping the HD on my 2010 iMac to an SSD. I'm using it just as a monitor now, but if I wanted to use it as a full computer, I'd either just use an external SSD or else I'd pay a service centre to do it.

BTW, there is a tech who has posted here before who said that in their authorized service centre the techs have cracked the screens a few times too.
Click to expand...
The 2010 is much easier and safer to take apart. First off, the LCD and the glass are two separate pieces so if the glass does break the LCD doesn’t need to be replaced just the glass which is way cheaper. Second, the glass on the 2010 is held on by magnets not adhesive so you don’t have to pry on it if it’s misaligned, suction cups take it off easily..
 
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BugeyeSTI said:
The 2010 is much easier and safer to take apart. First off, the LCD and the glass are two separate pieces so if the glass does break the LCD doesn’t need to be replaced just the glass which is way cheaper. Second, the glass on the 2010 is held on by magnets not adhesive so you don’t have to pry on it if it’s misaligned, suction cups take it off easily..
Click to expand...
Good to know thanks. It should be noted though it runs fine with external FW800 SSD. But I don't really care at this point since I'm just using it as an external monitor for my 2017 27" iMac Core i5.

The 2010 would be fine as a standalone computer, but it's already on its last OS so I'll just leave it as a monitor. Patched Mojave doesn't run properly on it.
 
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Well... just completed the upgrade on mine today. Took it slow, and didn’t run into any issues. Taking the screen off was definitely the worst part, just because I was afraid of breaking it lol but it really wasn’t that bad. :)
 
Guy Clark said:
Replacing the Display is a viable option. Expect to pay around £400 for a refurbished 5k iMac Display. If it is a standard iMac a replacement 27" Display will set you back around £300

5k
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+Retina+5K+Display+Display+Replacement/30518

Standard
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2546+Display+Replacement/15641
Click to expand...
Wow the prices for the 5k replacement display are reasonable!

I was sort of expecting a million billion
 
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