What is a "logic board" problem? Do they still exist?

[animefx]

Hey guys.. I know that G3 and G4 ibooks and powerbooks used to have problems with the "logic board". Is this the same thing as a motherboard?

Oddly enough, I thought logic board problems were gone with the introduction of intel chips... yet I just read that some guy had has 3 MacBook Pros returned within a short period of time for different reasons... HOWEVER, one of those reasons was- faulty logic board.

I'm a bit nervous about the ibook successor now... I come from many years of using PCs (although I've been wanting to switch for a long time now) and I'm not sure if I would know that my new MacBook has a "logic board" problem if it had one or not.

What usually happens during a logic board problem?

I'm also really hoping that the MacBooks do not share the "whine" problem the current MacBook Pros have. I'm the type of person where something like that would drive me crazy.

Thanks
- Bryan

 

[iMeowbot]

Yes, logic board is just the Apple name for motherboard. And yes, Apple still know how to build imperfect ones. The new MacBook Pro machines, for example, are reportedly already on their fourth logic board revision.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Logic board = motherboard

"What usually happens..." is kind of like asking "What usually happens when a car has a mechanical breakdown?". A logic board problem is a general term which could involve any component on the motherboard.

Any computer is subject to logic board failure. Certain models may show a trend of one particular type of failure (such as failing lower memory sockets in G4 AlBooks) which may point to a problem in the design, or the 'bulging capacitors' problem that has plagued every computer manufacturer, which points to a defect in the components supplied by outside companies.