MP 7,1 Does Applecare+ cover upgraded components such as MPX or Afterburner

[Crwoo]

Hi, I am considering purchasing Applecare+ for my Mac pro and I am also planing on upgrading the GPU, will the new GPU be covered for 3 years? if so, how far will that go? CPU upgrade?
Does it make a difference if I buy the Applecare+ before or after I upgrade the MPX module?

 

[Aboo]

Good question - I haven't seen anything official about this but what I was informed by Apple Care Support was that any first party upgrade that is considered user upgradable (i.e. MPX module, afterburner card, Apple RAM, etc.) will be covered by your apple care warranty plan. CPU upgrade is not considered user upgradeable so that won't be covered.

 

[MisterAndrew]

No, upgrades are not covered. AppleCare+ covers the system as originally supplied. If you read the terms it says they can refuse covering any repairs if they think the Mac has been opened by anyone other than Apple or an authorized service provider. It’s up to interpretation as to what exactly “opened” means. I would imagine taking the housing off to upgrade user-upgradeable items like RAM are okay. A CPU upgrade would have to be done by an authorized service provider. To be safe I would revert the system back to original configuration when getting service, except for anything you have a receipt for from Apple or an authorized service provider. Any upgrades purchased separately have their own warranty.

 

[OkiRun]

"Any upgrades purchased separately have their own warranty."
MisterAndrew

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When I talked to Apple rep, this is what I was told too....

So you can't buy a CPU as a stand alone and install yourself. You have to go through Apple to get their supported CPU and install and coverage. You can upgrade your CPU by yourself, but it won't be covered by Apple Care.

 

[MisterAndrew]

Here's the AppleCare+ agreement terms.

Legal - AppleCare+ for Mac - Apple

These are the only extra items it says are covered that weren't originally included with the Mac or display. "An AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme Base Station, AirPort Time Capsule, Apple memory modules (RAM) and Apple USB SuperDrive (“Mac Accessories”) if used with the Covered Device and originally purchased no earlier than two years before the Covered Device purchase." So it looks like RAM upgrades from Apple may be covered.

Under "What is not Covered?" it says, "(h) to repair any damage to Covered Equipment (regardless of the cause) if the Covered Equipment has been opened, serviced (including for upgrades and expansions), modified, or altered by anyone other than Apple or an authorized representative of Apple;" So that sounds like damage that may have been caused while working on it. It sounds like it would be okay to upgrade things yourself then as long as you don't damage anything. However, to receive service it needs to be restored to the original state as stated here, "Installation of third-party parts may affect your coverage. As a condition of receiving Hardware or ADH Service, all Covered Equipment must be returned to Apple in its entirety including all original parts or Apple-authorized replacement components." So if you did a CPU upgrade you'd need to put the old CPU back in it for service or Apple could reject coverage.

 

[Crwoo]

that's kind of what I was expecting, that the upgrades may not be covered. Doesn't quite make sense to me, because if I buy an expensive MPX card, I want to be able to buy warranty for it. The "what's not covered" seems to focus more on iMacs and MacBooks than Mac pros.

 

[DeltaMac]

For the best answer - call AppleCare, and ask specific questions about upgrading with a MPX or Afterburner card.
These are not third-party upgrades, but standard Apple parts that can be self-installed after original purchase.
Is there a difference in coverage, and are those add-on parts automatically covered by AppleCare+ that already covers your MacPro, if properly installed by YOU, or installed by either an Apple store, or an Apple-authorized service shop?
AppleCare support will be able to give you accurate answers about those choices. AppleCare support should give you good answers, worth more than answers offered by random strangers on an (unofficial) support forum

 

[MisterAndrew]

Yeah, it's hard to say. I agree asking Apple directly to obtain clarification would be the best thing to do. It's possible the Afterburner and MPX modules are considered "Apple-authorized replacement components" and could be covered.