"Dead" 2010 iMac

[seanerin]

In light of today's Apple event and the realization that there will be no updated iMac for 2018, I am a little disappointed.

As of two months ago, my 2010 27" iMac has been "dead." One morning upon power up, the screen never turned on. I could here the start up sound and the fans would run, but the screen remained in the dark. I tried a number of fixes but no result; the screen remained dark. I could even access the hard drive via my macbook pro through wifi connection. So, I gave up thinking I would rely on my macbook pro and buy the new iMac. Alas, I will have to wait longer.

I wonder: Is this a problem that the genius bar could address/fix?

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

They will not look at it as anything pre 2012 is 'obsolete'.

An Apple Reseller would be the best shot.

 

[mikehalloran]

A 2010?

Dark screen on startup can be many things. The simplest and most common is a bad NV RAM battery. Unfortunately pulling or replacing it requires removal of the motherboard. It could also be a screen issue. Fortunately, with the motherboard out and screen off, both can be tested. It's a backlit LCD and the lamp may be out.

Expect to pay $150 or so for the diagnosis plus the repair plus parts.

for a 2010?

If you're not afraid to go inside, these aren't that hard and parts are readily available. Makes a great DIY project. While you're in there, might as well throw in an SSD. You'll need a temp sensor for the SSD but a used optical drive sensor can usually be found for $4 or so — beats paying $40 to OWC for a specialty harness with a sensor built in.

I'm typing this from a 27" 2010 i7 with a 2T SSD inside and a 2 year old NV RAM battery. It may outlive me.

The original battery is a BR2032. $7 for one; $8 for three on Amazon. It's the high-heat resistant version of the common CR2032 medical battery found in all drug and hardware stores. If you remove the hard drive (that runs quite hot in these) and replace it with an SSD, no reason a CR won't work perfectly well.